There is lots going on this Friday during the first week of the quarterly global earnings season. I had to smile at the news of Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) announcing a ‘mere’ £653 million proposed equity capital raise with “the proceeds used to meaningfully de-leverage the balance sheet”, aided by “leading global investment fund PIF”. And just in case you don’t know the “Public Investment Fund (PIF) is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia”... Once again, more money from the rich for a business which only sells to the rich (and which has still gone bust loads of times).

As I observed back in January I am “not a global fashionista nor a chav...but still a Burberry (BRBY) shares fan”. With events since, unsurprisingly the share is down but I can live with that as - at various points over the last few years - I have bought the stock at an average price below the current sub 16 quid share price level. But what do today’s full year numbers to the start of April tell me about both recent and upcoming trading realities?

As discussed last month, I am a fan of Rio Tinto (RIO) beyond massive dividends. It was, therefore, pleasing that it today announced it has “completed the acquisition of the Rincon lithium project in Argentina for $825 million, following approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)”. It makes sense for it to be beyond just iron ore, even if the shares are a touch down today.

I see Emma Walmsley – the current (but surely not for much longer) CEO of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) – is very excited this morning, after the company announced hiring a new Chief Scientific Officer designate who will take the full job in August. I do agree with Emma that the appointment is positive and important, but I do wonder whether there will be also be a newly announced Glaxo CEO come August, irrespective of the company’s big intellectual and R&D push over the next few years. Even if Glaxo shares are back below 17 quid, you know my continuing positive thoughts as mentioned a few days ago HERE. Meanwhile, let’s talk about Burberry (BRBY).

I have no regrets that I quit as an institutional fund manager six months or so before my 40th birthday. That was over eight years ago now and fortunately in the investment world there is always plenty of new stuff to learn, especially when you can choose to only work with people you like and/or respect. Anyhow it was kind of interesting that the global fund I managed at the time I quit as a 39 year old, had thirty-nine holdings. But as I get older I own fewer positions, though one I still like is Burberry (BRBY).

Did you see the comments from Next plc (NXT) today? You have to be impressed by the comment that ‘sales during the last eleven weeks have been materially ahead of our expectations and, as a result, we are increasing our profit guidance for the full year’. I have not chased the stock for a while, but it is kind of impressive to see it back to the eighty quid share price level again.

It’s time to have a look again at Burberry (BRBY), shares in which I have loved for a number of years (even if I have never bought one of its products personally). But the shares have been a bit volatile so far this year, as I noted the other week with the surprise decision by the company’s CEO to leave. So whilst further insights on who may be the next CEO is more of an issue for later in the year, why are the company’s shares down today given its ‘excellent progress’ comment about year-to-date sales?

To be honest I did not think that today would be that exciting on the global stock markets. Certainly that has been the case for the vast majority of shares that I own or follow…with the exception of British luxury fashion house Burberry (BRBY), whose shares are down over 7% as I write. So why the big fall?

Another day of volatility ‘excitement’ in markets today…but you can read more of some of my thoughts on this yesterday HERE, so let’s talk about something else and – for me – that has to be luxury goods company Burberry (BRBY) which published its full year to the end of March numbers today.

Earlier this month, here, I excitedly wrote that prospects for shares in Burberry (BRBY) were strong as ‘comparable store retail sales in Q4 FY2021 are expected to be in the range of +28% to +32% higher than the same period last year’. And the reason (again) for this progress despite a world of shutdowns has been a substantial rise in demand for its luxury goods in China. That is why Burberry shares were pushing above a £21 share price at the time of my thoughts above.  So why did the shares dump below a £19 share price on Thursday and Friday this week despite a broadly workable stock market in the last few weeks?  Well that would be a few new thoughts from both the UK (and others) and naturally China.

About a month ago on Burberry Group (BRBY) I confirmed that ‘I still am – in short – a Burberry (China) chav lover!’. My basic thought was that its Chinese sales were rising fast – along with some still rising shares in the UK and Europe – but why has the Burberry share price risen over 8% today?

For me, a combination of earnings updates this week from the mining and banking sectors will give larger cap UK share watchers a bit of a focus.  Markets so far in February have broadly copied the positive take seen last November and December, although at least it is now based on actual Covid-19 vaccine tests and being the other side of Brexit deal details.  Yes – as discussed via a bunch of names such as DS Smith (SMDS), Whitbread (WTB) and Ibstock (IBST) in recent weeks – the scope for interest in cyclically recovering names remains opportunistic.  

Back in early November here, I got all excited about the global luxury brand company Burberry (BRBY) on the basis that Asia – especially China – was getting closer to being half the overall sales of the business. Sales elsewhere in the world were under a bit more pressure but the historic chavtastic name felt cheap to me at about sixteen quid a share. After today’s third quarter update, the shares are up to above eighteen quid a share which is solid news for shareholders.

Whilst I am far from being a chav, I am seemingly as obsessed with Burberry (BRBY) as Essex’s finest and today’s interim results give me another chance to comment. Back in July I observed that ‘my perception is tucking the shares away for the longer haul remains smart…just do not expect me to announce I have bought something at one of their stores’ and both sentiments still seem bang on for me today…

Despite a 4% odd share price fall in Burberry (BRBY) shares today, the price is still a tad ahead of my optimistic call a couple of months ago. I was not too surprised to see it reporting a rough sales quarter, although you can guess the spin e.g. 'trends improving through quarter' i.e. -45% in Q1 fully but 'just' -20% in June! It was better to hear that 'leather goods full-price sales up strongly in Mainland China and Korea', as ultimately one of the most positive themes for the stock is that getting on for 40% of sales are in this geographic region and is highly likely to rise to a majority of sales over time...

Back in July last year  I sold a big chunk of my holding in the luxury goods company Burberry (BRBY) holding.  By the end of last year I had exited completely.  More recently I have reestablished a position and even tipped the stock at the recent online ShareProphets event.  Was this wise or chavtastically silly?

I read a good bit of investment advice the other day - yes, despite almost a quarter of a century as some kind of professional investor I am still learning. It noted that 'if you're a very rare trader with edge, you'll act according to your strategy...if you're one of the majority of traders with no edge, this volatility may be revealing'. Goodness I wish I had exhibited sufficient knowledge and accrued insight to have written that.  It is very true in my opinion.  

A busy earnings Wednesday, so let us dive in…

Once again, please excuse my croaky voice. In this second edition of the ShareProphets Radio podcast sponsored by Riverfort Global Capital, this week, in order I discuss the cowardice of a well known AIM CEO, interview bear raider Lucian Miers on a wide range of subjects including Tesla, Neil Woodford and WPCT, IQE, Purplebricks, UK Oil & Gas, Thomas Cook and cannabis, I then interview value blue chip investor Chris Bailey on, inter alia, Tesla, EasyJet, Imperial Brands, Woodford, Burberry, Dignity, and St James Place. Enjoy. If you like this and can't wait seven days for more of the same you should listen to my Bearcast every day.

I like to think I have a little bit of knowledge about a wide range of matters but if I ever offer fashion advice on this page, then I really think you should ignore it. Fortunately my share-based love for Burberry (BRBY) has always been centred on those twin mega themes of the internet and China, rather than the new looks being developed by Riccardo Tisci and his team…

My corporate RNS wooden spoon award today goes to challenger bank Metro Bank (MTRO), whose shares are currently down over 25% which - at face value - does appear a tad surprising given today's full year update shows loans up 48% year-on-year and underlying profit before tax to be up 138%. However...this latter statistic was below hopes and was impacted by a 'softening' in the last quarter due to high levels of mortgage market competition. Well oops...but down 25% oops?

At the height of the recent market volatility, I wrote a piece talking about some shares that I would buy. The first name I mentioned was Burberry (BRBY), reflecting my thought that it was an inherently strong brand with good exposure to the still growing luxury consumption theme in China. I am pleased to see that today's first half numbers reflect this…

Well what a last week with fear - for once in recent years - in ascendancy and lots of 'worst week since February' statistics being quoted.  As Tom Winnifrith noted in a recent bearcast the big honking issue is debt around the world, although tactically you can throw in a supporting cast of world trade angst, a bit of inflation bubbling up and a firm US dollar.  

Back in January, I talked positively about Burberry (BRBY) shares and since then they have pushed up very nicely. Today's stock market is one where you have to be prepared to take a few profits too and that is my call today with the sort-of luxury goods name after reading through its first quarter trading update.

Lots of larger cap news today but I have to say most of it is pretty sh...poor quality, which of course says something about the wider market…

Hello, Share Crushers. This old punter is a great fan of traditional garb. Long black overcoats, trilbies, silk ties, that sort of thing. Sadly, larger chunks of the male population clearly don’t agree. We now mostly have scruffy jeans, trainers and baseball caps to sully our streets.

Hello Share Pingers. For the last few years I’ve poured scorn on investing in most retail chains. This is because of the encroachment of on-line shopping. But I’ve changed my mind. For one thing the big retailers have built up blistering on-line operations of their own. They are putting up a strong front of competition to long-time on-line specialists like ASOS (ASC).

Burberry (BRBY) has just issued a first-quarter trading update, which does little to alleviate the sense that trading remains difficult. But the market is also digesting the announcement of a new CEO and management structure, which is arguably much more important than short-term trading results. What does this mean for the shares?

Hello Share Shovellers. It’s been some time since I featured a favourite company of mine, Burberry (BRBY), the makers of famous coats. But I am indebted to an article in the Guardian (TW Note: You read that rag, consider yourself on a disciplinary) for some more information on this outfitting outfit, which apparently has never before invited a journalist into its coat factories in Castleford and Keighley in West Yorkshire. 

The FT reported this week that Burberry is considering the appointment of a senior manager to assist CEO Christopher Bailey (who also acts as Chief Creative Officer), although the company itself declined to comment. In my view, the negative commentary which occasionally haunts Burberry’s share price can provide some attractive and relatively straightforward buying opportunities.

Lucian will be here soon so I thought Id better record ahead of our trip to the Conservative Club with its tempting cheap beer. On the agenda I fail to mention that Finncap are complete and utter bastards but they are. I do, however, cover Ruspetro (RPO), Gulf Keystone (GKP), SeaEnergy (SEA), Rose Petroleum (ROSE), Sierra Rutile (SRX), Burberry (BRBY), Mothercare (MTC), a couple of Paul Scott jokes - please do not tell me he has any friends in the Mothercare management community that he thinks I may be offending - as well as a word or two on Challenger Acquisitions (CHAL) 

Hello Share Swingers. I hope you had a thrilling Christmas. My dice with death came when a car broke down on the level crossing of a train I was travelling in. If the driver had not been alert in the dark fog, a Mack Sennet moment might have caused the deaths of scores of us. So however badly our shares turn out in 2016, we should remember that there are worse risks facing us every day of the year.

A month ago almost to the day (link here) I wrote on the luxury retailer Burberry (BRBY) that:

‘The direction of Burberry shares over the next six months does largely depend on how Chinese performance is perceived.  I think they surprise these low expectations and extrapolations…And this makes Burberry shares (still) a buy today’.

Today’s formal six month numbers to the end of September released today reiterate this view. 

Six weeks ago when I wrote an article for ShareProphets’ e-book The Magnificent Seven I wrote about a business with…

‘…real heritage and was founded a mere 159 years ago in 1856.  It is a large business and nestles happily in the FTSE-100 supported by brands that have a growing global appeal with net cash on its balance sheet, good free cash flow generation and a progressive dividend yield of currently just below 3%. The company used to just sell its wares from an expensive shop location but today interacts with its fans and followers digitally to such an extent that a couple of years ago its previous CEO was poached by a small technology company you may have heard of called Apple to assist with their digital brand positioning’

Well more fool me.  Burberry (BRBY) may have risen pleasantly in the month or so immediately after the e-book publication but today’s shocker statement and share price moves puts me at a loss today versus my tip level. 

Hello Share Catchers. I’m not invested in Burberry (BRBY) the clothes shop, famous for its distinctive check designs. This is because I am generally fearful of High Street shares. However, I’ve got to admit I am tempted by this one.

I got rid of my Marks and Spencer (MKS) shares a few years ago now. They were among my slowest moving stocks of all time.

I know Burberry (BRBY) check used to be chav-tastic but I am told by those that know more about these things than me that this is not so much the case anymore.  Despite this Burberry cracks on with the share recently touching over 19 quid.  It has pulled back a pound or so since then but after thinking about today’s trading update from the company the shares need to come back further.