So Carillion (CLLN) has gone tits up. You do rather feel for its 19,500 employees but as folks work out what happens next there is an orgy of recriminations. What lessons do you learn?
Time is rapidly running out both for support services group Carillion (CLLN), and for those not short the stock.
We review the performance of the top shorted London-listed shares as at the start of each year. For 2017 that review is HERE and, from the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, we now have the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2018...
The real problem that Carillion (CLLN) has its its balance sheet. It clearly needs a debt for equity swap and placing which will see shareholders diluted to buggery. This remains a slam dunk short. But it never rains but it pours. It seems that Carillion may have misled investors.
Early each year, we note the top shorted London-listed shares as at the start of the year. How did 2017's perform?
Carillion (CLLN) topped the top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2017 (recent performance update HERE) and remained so in our Autumn update HERE. Having commenced the year above 235p, the shares had slid below 200p before a July profit warning, business review and Chief Executive “stepped down” announcement. They are currently down from above 40p to below 30p today on the back of an “Update” announcement…
