Finsbury Food Share Discussion Threads

[markt] 22/8/2011 09:21

Warning.

Be cautious about the FIF thread started and monitored by "Boffster"

he has a fair holding in FIF shares....

he does not like -ve posts on his thread....and in my view deletes any posts he does not like, eg. a post of mine this last week end (highlighting that the FIF directors have intentionally not given any profit or debt reduction data in the recent trading update.....whereas most companies would give that info in their year end trading update....and I gave an example as proof)

it is in his interest to have a thread that is positive for FIF since he has a fair sized holding in FIF shares......but it may not be good for you !...to only see +ve comments...ie. only 1 side of the story...

so, if you read the Boffster thread....be aware that you may not see -ve posts....ie. no balance in discussions...

[aleman] 22/8/2011 00:42

There is no case against Boffster. He pays money to ADVFN to be allowed to moderate a thread in any way he so wishes. Any case would be against ADVFN and nobody else has bothered up to press. If you chose to pay similarly, he could not moderate you.

Once again, your posts seem to be getting more confusing, off topic, and repetitive. It doesn't help your case and makes Boffster's moderation look reasonable to anyone unable to read the post.

[markt] 21/8/2011 21:51

Boffster
you perhaps also need to be careful with respect to the law...

not that I know much about it ...

but if you remove posts that are negative about FIF or its directors then perhaps you are intentionally creating a false positive image of FIF....ie. price affecting.....which is not allowed I think....

(recalling that I criticised that FIF did not include profit in the numbers given in the trading statement whereas most trading reports that I have seen do give such info...and I gave an example as proof....

also I think it is very valid to compare 1 share to a different share.....why not....message boards are for people to communicate and give their opinions...and exchange info....

===
and I note that the poster with the most info about 2 of the directors on the board is 99% sure to be me....if you remove that info then you just keep info from board readers....not a benefit imo

[markt] 21/8/2011 21:45

Posted on other FIF thread....but likely to be removed....so I post on this one as well since moderator of other thread may not have control of this thread.
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My post was removed....
I informed that other companies give real info in their trading updates such as profit numbers....while FIF intentionally does not give this important info. ie. that FIF is intentionally keeping shareholders in the dark.

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je je !
there was me thinking that ADVFN was a website with message boards to discuss shares !

(I made very relevant points ...which informed FIF shareholders that some other companies in their trading updates to the market disclose basic information like profit......
while FIF intentionally keeps shareholders in the dark.....

and you keep message board users in the dark !!

And I have infored FIF shareholders about some info about 2 people that sit on the FIF board which most board readers would not know unless I posted the info.

Each to their own. You censor your thread and keep it to info that you personally like.
but I think you are wrong.

[markt] 21/8/2011 21:41

je je !!

there was me thinking that ADVFN was a website with message boards to discuss shares !

(I made very relevant points ...which informed FIF shareholders that some other companies in their trading updates to the market disclose basic information like profit......
while FIF intentionally keeps shareholders in the dark.....

and you keep message board users in the dark !!

And I have infored FIF shareholders about some info about 2 people that sit on the FIF board which most board readers would not know unless I posted the info.

Each to their own. You censor your thread and keep it to info that you personally like.
but I think you are wrong.

[boffster] 21/8/2011 20:29

Mark, I have removed your last post since I do not feel it is relevant to discussion of FIF. The companies you compared FIF to are in totally different circumstances and not even in the same sector.

[markt] 20/8/2011 15:39

Continuing what I said about FIF trading statement intentionally imo not disclosing basic info to shareholders...

you can compare with trading statments from other companies
eg. ILX

"Turnover from continuing operations is expected to be GBP12.9 million (2010: GBP11.9 million) and profit before tax from continuing operations is expected to exceed GBP1.4 million (2010: GBP0.8 million), representing growth in excess of 75%". "The International division ... with sales up by 70% to GBP3 million "
"Directors intend to recommend ... a payment of 1.5p per share,.. "

Specific actual numbers in the ILX statment.
Whereas the FIF trading statement gives virtually no numbers except for turnover (which is not so important for FIF imo (apart from fact of % increase and not a decrease), already the cap. value is very low versus the turnover) but gives mostly verbal generalities in my view..it says debt reduction but does not say how much for example...and gives NO info about profit....so shareholders know very little...
.
little shareholders have no choice but to keep holding and wait for the results,

not good treatment of FIF shareholders imo
(my interest in FIF is via LFI, which I have a few of, zero 0 shares)

some good items in the trading update like turnover is up and reduced the debt a bit more but various -ve points....like reduced margins..."challenging headwinds"...strong competition....
and that most of increased sales seems to be of brands owned by others....combined with low profit margin....not very interesting imo...brand owner can take to a competitor at any time...and will always nail down the profit %....brand owner holds all the cards...have to run fast just to stay in the same place and easy to trip...
(in hindsight, always easy of course, the big acquisition for FIF at 85p or so.....big mistake at that price.....a mistake from Mr D.C.Marshall I believe since it was always his idea to make acquisitions and then seek benefits from 'synergies'........the same strategy at Creston, at this moment it has also failed at CRE, no share price rise since idea initiated 10 years ago,while the CEO has got rich....but it has worked at NBI)

in the past at FIF, brands come and go....new brands get signed......

oh, and I recall that in the past the co. said that it had a new policy of getting rid of low margin work....(looks like that didnt last very long !)...part of reason/excuse for past fall in turnover one year....

seems to me like FIF has been in the same situation for some years now....part of the reason that the market gives the shares a low price/rating imo....
the FIF shares could go up....if get the debt down (maybe some years more for that) and/or margin up (seems unlikely...invested in machines....and now...margin is down !, "headwinds" etc....) but various/numerous risks as well like a brand owner taking their brand to your competitor....and that the board keeps shareholders in the dark imo !

but I can see the attraction for some shareholders such as the low P/E and willing to hold as the debt hopefully gets reduced over X years.......(directors have chosen not to tell you in the trading statement how much debt reduction !)

one concern for the options is that could be related to the headwinds....and lower margins....

[aleman] 19/8/2011 23:44

I'm very interested in your posts, markt, although I find them a little confusing. Even though I don't trust directors much generally and would like to know more about the non-execs here,the shares seem so cheap that there is hopefully a good safety margin to help protect us.

The shares have held up well lately considering the awful market. Seems promising for the results.

[markt] 19/8/2011 17:34

FIF , options....and LFI.....

long post.....high % is about LFI...so I've cut my post from this msg board and pasted over on the LFI board.

Any FIF posters/readers are welcome to read the post over on the LFI board.

[aleman] 18/8/2011 17:06

Oil and wheat down again.

[boffster] 18/8/2011 13:26

Markt, apologies, you are right I have my names muddled up. Will correct post accordingly

[markt] 18/8/2011 12:26

" must think Mr.Duffy et al are worth it, as they themselves do not stand to benefit from these options and Mr.Lightbody in particular is effectively giving away a portion of his own wealth"

...valid point ...I agree...
but
noting that he is only giving away a portion of his own wealth 'if' the share price rises...of course he makes a gain, just a slightly reduced gain due to dilution so not the same as giving away cash/wealth at one fixed point......if options never exercised then he gives away 0.

Mr Monk, large institutional shareholder ?
New one on me, what institut. shareholder ?...message boards can be useful to learn things ! (from memory I thought there was only LFI ...and I thought LFI had 2 different people on the board, not Mr Monk...but happy to be corrected)

===

At same time, perhaps you could ask why they intentionally kept shareholders in the dark by not including basic data in the RNS, profit, debt reduction.
They know the numbers but intentionally keep shareholders in the dark.

Some posters seem to have quite a few FIF shares......taking a risk .noting that difficult to get out, takes time to sell if got a lot to sell, imo...(and vice versa, small volume could drive the price up quickly...)..those people should be kept informed imo. (I have a few FIF via LFI....)

At other companies they give such data in the trading update around year end before prelims are reported.
(I suspect that most (all ?) directors are away on hols !!)

[markt] 17/8/2011 18:53

Well FIF share price has gone up anyway !

maybe the theme of LSE/AIM directors should be discussed more often !

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Bit of a bad reflection on LSE/AIM directors generally imo if Aleman and me don't have so much trust for directors generally......both of us probably been around a while......and sadly seen a lot of dubious director/company actions.

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for Joe Public the share game is much more difficult....compared to the London brokers and 'Cityslickers'....(if anyone remembers that !, 2000/2001, bought shares (and told friends/co-workers, incl. the editor, was it the Daily Mail ?, ramped a share in national paper and sold into the price rise (internet bubble days so big price rises some times, then repeated )....found guilty....but I think they didnt even go to prison !)

ah well, guess it ain't gonna change any time soon.....

(the recent and on-going News of the World is another example of corrupt press....because in the UK the regulators dont regulate.....probably because they have no power.....since the powerful people dont want regulation....they want to take advantage of their power....eg. News International having numerous meetings with the PM and with ministers.....the politicians want to use the press barons and their newspaper coverage and TV channel coverage for their own advantage....
the N.I. saga looks like it will be unravelled slowly and that important heads will roll.....(all obvious to the general public I think that hacking was widespread and on-going and managed and paid for by the press bosses that stood to make profits from it....proving it in court is not so easy...)
Joe Public....just pawns ....where what we think largely results from what information we are given...and that looks to be largely manipulated/managed...

the non-regulation of the press has some similarities with the light regulation of the UK stock markets imo

....appears that unarmed man shot dead by police ...and there appears to be no news and no public outcry....worrying...and previously another one on the metro..the Brazilian man...
regulation of the police !!...perhaps also doesnt happen.

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my post is off thread.....if anyone objects I dont mind deleting it tomorrow....

[spaceparallax] 17/8/2011 15:44

At some point you have to trust some - otherwise you couldn't rationally invest.

There are some bad and devious people in the World, but the majority are probably okay or even good.

[aleman] 17/8/2011 13:23

I don't think I trust any directors. Some holdings don't have declare until 5% or 10%.Rules are complex. It's not just 3%.

[spaceparallax] 16/8/2011 12:45

When one buys into a share it's necessary to trust the Board warts and all.

[aleman] 16/8/2011 12:44

Spread the word, markt. There's too much greed in most boardrooms. Too many exectives joining the web of non-execs in incestuous relationships. Use your no vote.

[markt] 16/8/2011 12:21

one -ve factor about options at FIF (if I am permitted to mention !)....in addition to the -ve aspects posted by other people....

is that one of the remuneration cmittee at FIF is from LFI/WSE.......

namely Mr Edward Beale

and they are also involved with Creston....

and a lot of complaints on the CRE msg. board about options as well.....
1/2M pounds recently taken by the CEO there.....options exercised at 0p....
and share price performance of CRE since it started in 2000 has been ....bad....same or lower than it was especially if include inflation....

while the CEO makes loads.... 0.7M pounds last year and similar amounts in other years, a lot of it from options....at a co. with cap. value of 60-70M....ie. a small company really..while shareholders dont even keep up with inflation....and have lost money since CRE started.....

(the common factor in FIF and CRE options is WSE/LFI board presence and on remuneration comittee at FIF , and perhaps/probably at CRE as well (since WSE/LFI organised the use of cash shell to be CRE marketing company)..is )

Can shareholders have confidence in the skill of WSE/LFI and Mr Edward Beale to issue options ?
Well at the moment judging from the posts from many people on this board and at CRE....the odds are on the response being NO. (options at 0p, CEO at CRE gets rich while shareholders lose money. very strange set up imo (imo options should be with exercise price to avoid such problems.....at least recent FIF options are with exercise price...whereas were free at CRE. It could be that the CEO at CRE has a golden tongue and can get anything he wants !!).

[greg the grinch] 11/8/2011 21:44

I think were down with the general market.

but

Putting money straight into option holders hands is going to put off buyers...............they are saying you put the price up and we will sell into it......

[aleman] 11/8/2011 11:44

Are oil and sugar following wheat down now?