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Even a few of our detractors have now come around
The tweet below relates to Carillion (CLLN) and comes from a leading group of supporters of Jeremy Corbyn and Labour. And it shows why the British left today not only fails to understand capitalism but also despises it.
In today's bearcast I look at the range of utterly misguided reactions and proposals being made in the wake of the demise of Carillion (CLLN). Some folks just don't understand capitalism.
It is individuals that commit financial crime not corporates. And thus, as I have noted so many times before, the only way that we will clean up financial markets in the UK is by starting to throw the book at individuals who sin, making sure that all transgressions, however small, go punished. And that brings us to today's news that the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has started an investigation into the conduct of Mr Richard Adam and Mr Zafar Khan, former Group Finance Directors of Carillion (CLLN) and members of the ICAEW.
I start with one reason I am thinking of quitting running businesses: folks who say that they will do something and then don't do it, letting you down. I have had two this weekend and it is just poor behaviour, very tiring and something that bores me. Then it is onto discussing a crap headline article in the Sunday Telegraph on Interserve (IURV) and another on Carillion (CLLN) before my main subject - my 22 hour trip home from Greece. EazyJet you are bastards and this is why I loathe, despite and pity you for being lying scumbags.
The only UK financial watchdog that is anything other than a poodle has again bared its teeth and again it is the auditors at KPMG that are in the firing line, this time over Carillion (CLLN). Still being investigatred over its role in the Quindell fraud, let off the hook on HBOS, KPMG at least knows how the Financial Reporting Council works.
Again Carillion (CLLN) dominates the news and the political class is talking utter tosh with our useless Prime Minister Mrs May leading the way. By way of contrast Luke Johnson is superb in his Sunday Times Column today. Luke for PM before it is too late.
In today's bearcast I take inspiration from Roger Lawson looking at the sins of KPMG at Carillion (CLLN) and EMIS (EMIS), not to mention Quindell (QPP). What to do? I look more at Dignity (DTY) and conclude that - having examined numbers from Beyond - the company is fecked. I look at the dumbest snowflake financial journalist going - natch he works for the Daily Mail. And I wonder should one follow the bears, I review the most shorted stocks on AIM and the main market including IQE (IQE), Debenhams (DEB) and Telit (TCM)
In today's podcast I consider Julie Meyer and Ariadne, Provident Financial (PFG), another Neil Woodford dog, UtilityWise (UTW), OnlineBlockcrap (OBC), Mayan (MYN) and Carillion (CLLN) and how we capitalists keep on scoring own goals.
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?
A hat tip to Waseem Shakoor for the graphic below. Carillion (CLLN) went bust today. Greatland Gold (GGP) has seen its shares halve as Newmont has pulled out of a jv. So what else do folks owning these two stocks own? See below.
Thank you for the kind words about yesterday's special podcast on my own website HERE. In today's bearcast I look at Carillion (CLLN) and Jamie's Italian, both of which are in dire trouble. I touch on bank bailouts, Mrs Thatcher (rightly) shutting down coal mines and the madness of Government farming/forestry policy. It is related to Carillion I promise!
Time is rapidly running out both for support services group Carillion (CLLN), and for those not short the stock.
If you are not old enough to remember the clip below you may not remember dotcom madness. In that vein i discuss Online Blockchain (BOLLOCKS). I look at Carillion (CLLN), surely a slam dunk short, BOS Global (BOS) and in some detail Mayan Energy (MYN)
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?
The fortunes of London’s two most shorted companies, Carillion (CLLN) and Ocado (OCDO) have differed sharply of late.
I start this podcast with a look at Carillion (CLLN) where I wonder if Steve's damning verdict HERE is just a bit too generous. The boy is too much of a nice guy for his own good. Then it is onto the FRC which will be writing to 40 AIM and Small Cap companies ahead of them publishing FY numbers. I have a few ideas who and on what areas. The FRC are of course the UK's best regulator if only for recognising the work of the UK's top investigative financial journalist. Then I look at Angus Energy (ANGS) and finally there is a detailed discussion on MySquar (FRAUD)
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…
On today's bearcast I mention, en passant, an Irish crook I want to sue me as you can see HERE but then cover Big Sofa (BST), Conroy Gold & Natural Resources (CGNR), Mosman Oil & Gas (MSMN), ITM Power (ITM), Arian Silver (AGQ), Carillion (CLLN) and Purplebricks (PURP)
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2017. Previously updating it was the Carillion crashing edition. How's the performance now?...
The accepted market wisdom that one should never be a bear in company throws up a lot of exceptions. Carillion (CLLN), for some time now top of the leaderboard of the most shorted shares on the LSE, is a good example.
Early this year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2017. Following the recent half-year and crash in the top one, Carillion (CLLN), how are they performing?...
Here I am in Shipston with my father who enjoys bearcasts if they mention him so just for that reason I record again. His faux political correctness is exposed by the issue of coverage of women's cricket in The Guardian - the dreadful newspaper he has delivered to try to fool my family of public sector "working" lefties that he is one of them. In terms of the market I look at Carillion (CLLN) and 88 Energy (88E). Shares in both companies are collapsing today and I look at why and at what lessons folks should be learning. You could so easily have avoided losing money on both. Please note Malcolm Stacey and other Ocado (OCDO) bulls, lesson one on Carillion is for you. I also make it clear that while he may have some of the attributes of a Bulletin Board Moron as he showed HERE, Evil Knievil is not, in fact, a BBM, I was just joshing him when I suggested otherwise. En passant I look at MySquar (MYSQ) and explain why today's exposes HERE and HERE may refer to events a long time ago but are pertinent.
From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, at the start of the year we showed the ten top shorted London-listed shares HERE. The following updates, showing those with a current reported short position of +7%...
From the FCA's spreadsheet of short positions required to be disclosed to it, the following shows the ten top shorted London-listed shares at the start of 2017...
Carillion plc (CLLN), “following discussions with Balfour Beatty's major shareholders”, has offered improved prospective merger terms in an attempt to get the board of Balfour Beatty (BBY) to re-engage in discussions and agree to get a current 5pm Thursday deadline for Carillion to announce a firm intention or not to undertake a transaction extended. The following updates with Balfour having now rejected this.
Having announced “preliminary discussions in relation to a possible merger” with Carillion PLC (CLLN) on 25th July, Balfour Beatty (BBY) has now announced that it has terminated the discussions after “Carillion's wholly unexpected decision to only progress the possible merger in the event that (US-headquartered engineering consultancy business) Parsons Brinckerhoff remained part of the potential combined entity”. Below I analyse this strange twist of events, after the prospective merger was originally described by the companies as having “the potential to create a market leading services, investments, and construction business of considerable depth and scale”
