Published 10 days ago
I see there are various reports circulating that Mark Williamson - the chairman of Imperial Brands (IMB) - is set to fall on his sword soon, having been hassled by institutional investors over perceived "overboarding", given he is also the chair of Spectris (SXS) and on the board of National Grid (NG/).
Published 64 days ago
Back in the day, I used to be an institutional fund manager and did go on a number of brokerage lunches at around this time of year. The essential underlying aim of these lunches did not change for years: a thank you for business given during the year...and a pitch or ten about stocks that could be bought (or sold) early the next year in order to keep that commission flow going (and from the broker's perspective hopefully building). It seemed to me that the ideas took a very simple form: buy the underperformers and sell the outperformers. Well who does not like a bargain or - indeed - to take profits? So from an akin premise - but with an added slice of cynicism (and no need to elicit your brokerage commission flows!) - what does a 'brokerage lunch list' throw up as interesting in December 2018 looking ahead into 2019?...
Published 107 days ago
Time for another write-up on Imperial Brands (IMB)...and no doubt time for a bunch of criticism in the comments about how this is an uninvestable sector. Well I do not smoke, would not want my children to smoke/use tobacco-based products but - in a modern world of information and regulation/taxation - I respect the right of adults to do so and I remain perfectly comfortable in investing in the sector. Otherwise, where do you draw the investing line? Alcohol? Defence? Gambling? Clothing names who directly or indirectly use child labour and lots of water? Energy and mining names due to their use of the world's assets? You get the gist...
Published 149 days ago
Back in early August, I admitted I was a fashion luddite but, even so, managed to conclude on FTSE-100 clothing retailer Next (NXT) that the weather was rather important:
Published 288 days ago
Hello Share Swappers. A fellow Shareprophets scribe and a very nice chap I meet with pleasure at all the Global Group UK Investor Shows, writes to commend investment in Imperial Brands (IMB). That, of course, is a tobacco company.
Published 288 days ago
I was too early with my positive call on Imperial Brands (IMB) that I shared with you back in November . Sure I have picked up some dividends but it is capital growth you all really want. Today's half year numbers however highlight why this name should be in your portfolio even if - like me - you are not a user of their products.
Published 471 days ago
The last time I wrote about Imperial Brands (IMB) HERE, there were a few overly excitable comments made. As noted last time, I have never smoked but have no moral hang-up to investing in the sector. If you do...then I guess you have stopped reading or I look forward to your comments. Anyhow, since my original piece the stock is slightly down but only by a percent or two and full year preliminary numbers highlight an improving second half of the year showing a touch of revenue and EPS growth.
Published 511 days ago
I have never smoked and have no plans ever to but I am enough of a libertarian to take the view that if individuals want to light up after knowing everything that medical science has discovered about tobacco over the last couple of generations then that is their business. And so I do periodically invest in the tobacco sector.