Evil Diaries

The Evil Diaries: TalkTalk, Pantheon and Lord Rose

The Evil Diaries: TalkTalk, Pantheon and Lord Rose

1 mins. to read

I sold TalkTalk (TALK) at 205p since I do not see their way out. ***** But I discounted the placing rumour at Pantheon (PANR), since that is already in the price, and bought again. ***** I think I see that the LibDems propose half price tube fares for Tube journeys started before 7.30 a.m. This…

The Evil Diaries: Petroceltic and Google

The Evil Diaries: Petroceltic and Google

2 mins. to read

I shorted Petroceltic at 18p. It was not easy to borrow stock – I had to pay 5% p.a. Some may think this foolish in the light of the extraordinarily improved price of oil and the bid approach from Worldview, who already hold 29.9%. But the fact is that although the debt due under its…

The Evil Diaries: Pantheon, Foxtons and Mitie

The Evil Diaries: Pantheon, Foxtons and Mitie

0 mins. to read

Pantheon (PANR) this morning sort of explained current delays. Now 86p, it might yet prove very cheap. ***** Foxtons (FOXT) keep on buying back their stock. This is weird given its loss-making prospects. The same goes for Mitie (MTO). ***** My long oil trade has started to go the right way. It was showing a…

The Evil Diaries: Ocado, oil and spoofing

The Evil Diaries: Ocado, oil and spoofing

1 mins. to read

Today’s Daily Mail features the rumour that Amazon will tie up and/or bid for Ocado (OCDO). I sold short again in the opening auction at 252p and OCDO is now 287p. I cannot for the life of me see why Amazon would be even slightly interested in this proposition. ***** I have gone long oil (at…

The Evil Diaries: “Poor old Neil Woodford”

The Evil Diaries: “Poor old Neil Woodford”

0 mins. to read

Poor old Neil Woodford. The investing public have really got it in for him now. He’s an example of the longstanding observation that first they put you on a pedestal and then they knock you down. His investment in Circassia (CIR) seems to be another example. Anyway, it seems that there is nothing in this…

The Evil Diaries: “Let’s all be very cheerful”

The Evil Diaries: “Let’s all be very cheerful”

1 mins. to read

Having spent an hour or so on Monday filling up with Pantheon (PANR) at 140p, I put the delay in flow rate test RNSs down to the difficulty of gauging just how much was down there. Yesterday morning it transpired that something had probably gone wrong with the “mud”. This is a chemical concoction forced…

The Evil Diaries: “Hang on to your hats”

The Evil Diaries: “Hang on to your hats”

1 mins. to read

I understand that the Shell bid for BG (BG.) will not go through. BG is now 926p. ***** Yesterday’s MoS extolled Redt Energy (RED). I now understand that RED’s batteries work on liquid vanadium and are nothing to do with lithium. How vanadium can be liquid goodness only knows. But that is what it’s about.…

The Evil Diaries: Alibaba, Plethora and Pantheon

The Evil Diaries: Alibaba, Plethora and Pantheon

2 mins. to read

This morning’s note from Natixis offers the following resume about Quantitative Easing and what will eventually happen. I think the eventually is now: If quantitative easing is effective, will it not inevitably lead to a financial crisis? To be effective, quantitative easing must: – Drive up asset prices above the normal level: central banks buy…