Marks And Spencer Share Discussion Threads

[wllmherk] 23/11/2011 18:51

I don't agree with you Nick, but, won't bore other posters/readers by responding. Unless there is a more appropriate thread we can continue this on ?

[deanforester] 23/11/2011 17:32

From what I see, Waitrose is favoured by the middle classes over MKS.

[essentialinvestor] 23/11/2011 12:21

Nick does like his politics, not the thread for it really, but hey ho.

Can the £3 level hold?.

Here is my view fwiw - the UK middle class which form a good deal
of the MKS base, will be hit particularly hard over the next few years.

Waitrose are a big threat on Food with their rapid expansion and
they are now opening smaller stores - Food itself grows ever more competitive
with the big 4 aggressively expanding.

Clothing is about as tough as a market can be with huge margin compression,
that will only continue imo.

Some overseas exposure and still a great brand, however nick's
price target of 260-280 may well be seen in 2012.

All just imv as always.

[jeffian] 23/11/2011 12:11

Sorry, I'm on the wrong thread. I thought this was about MKS. My mistake, apparently.

[nickward] 23/11/2011 09:32

wllmherk

I don't want to go and defend the previous Labour government but let's have a reality check and cut through the conservative party BS. The fact is that the economy did grow massively under Labour and with that growth came higher tax income which was indeed used to on public sector spending. Let's call it as a re-distribution of wealth to support areas of the UK that had suffered severe hardship under Thatcher and Major Governments. Despite your argument the figures did stack up, income and expenditure were at appropriate levels. The problem came when the Banks and Financial institutions became even greedier. When the financial bubble burst there was no longer the tax income to support the spending and the situation was made worse when we the public had to bail out private companies who, had they not been banks, would have been liquidated. A mistake by the previous government indeed, but a mistake made by many governments including USA under the republicans, Greece under the then Greek Conservative government, Spain, Italy, Iceland, Ireland etc. You cannot blame the Labour party for the current situation, when they left office there was 1 to 2% growth in the economy and less than 1.5 million unemployed. Now we have 2.6 million unemployed and an economy that is flat lining and teetering on the brink of recession. The Conservatives have had 18 months managing the country and we are a lot worse off than when they started, if that isn't failure then I don't know what is.

[essentialinvestor] 23/11/2011 09:12

Or The Specials - Ghost Town.

[nickward] 23/11/2011 09:05

Essential

I am familiar with the work of UB40; I think 'I am a One in Ten' is more appropriate for current times. For those that aren't familiar it refers to the unemployment statistics under the last Conservative government. In some parts of our Island unemployment is now well above that.

[wllmherk] 21/11/2011 21:35

Nickward,
you make me laugh. We had 13 years of Labour Government and 18 months of the Coalition, yet you blame the Tories. Perhaps things may have been different if the Iron Chancellor had stuck to his own fiscal rules, held on to our gold reserves instead of selling at $250 an ounce or not embarked on the biggest post war increase in public spending.

wllm

[essentialinvestor] 21/11/2011 12:41

nick, listen to UB40's classic "There's a rat in my kitchen" -
their clasic attack on 80's Thatcherism - good tune too.

[nickward] 21/11/2011 12:31

EssentialInvestor

Seems my analysis of government incompetence is getting a few people flustered. Sensible people know that economic growth is the only solution to the problem in the UK; you can't cut your way out of a recession. Growth ain't happening and it ain't happening because the government have cut back to much. Those private sector jobs that were promised in letters to the Telegraph have not materialised, we have been sold a dummy. If you are in doubt about my short position check out my posts from several months ago, I have confidently re-iterated my position for the last six months and forecast the government's economic gaff many months before that. I have found that political analysis whether at home or abroad works very well for 6-12 months positions. Once they realise they have made a blunder it still takes them ages to put it right so the chances of losing your shirt on a position are minimal.

[aussiedonnie] 18/11/2011 13:45

LOL, all the sheep follow that negative media stuff. Best thing you/sheep can do is have an open mind.

[gruss] 18/11/2011 08:15

Good to hear Nick is still alive and kicking. I am showing good profits on MKS and if it is not for his deramping this would probably have never happened.
Bought in originally at £2 and £3 and still holding all my original stock.

[jacobjohn7] 18/11/2011 08:06

i'm out for a smallish short term loss. markets too scary at the moment/forseable future. and I won't short. They should ban it across the board IMO especially in volatile markets (or does it create it) I digress. Good luck all. If euro implodes think we'll be looking at historical lows everywhere. And maybe that might be the time to have some money to invest?

[essentialinvestor] 17/11/2011 15:27

nick, Sir Fred Goodwin was knighted under Labour.
At least the UK's borrowing costs are now at record lows.
The crisis is global, with much of the euro area in far weaker
positions than the UK, and paying a huge price to service their debts.

[lyntwyn] 17/11/2011 15:06

and your still deramping by the sounds of it

[nickward] 17/11/2011 14:57

I haven't posted for while but for those that are interested I still have my short in M&S open. This baby seems stuck in the low 3 pounders so my 280/260 target still a way off. Patience is the key. My prediction approximately six months ago that the Tory led coalition have screwed up the economy seems to have been vindicated. My prediction of 3 million unemployed by Christmas is some way off, the figures are still heading for 3 million and that Muppet Osborne still can't get a grip of the economy. Funny thing was last time we had the Conservatives running the country we had 3 million unemployed. They started by blaming Labour now they blame the Euro if you ask me there is a culture of blame in the Tory party. Cameron and the coalition don't want to help Europe and many would agree. However most people don't look further than their own noses so they don't see what nasty little surprise is lined up for us if we sit back. For those intelligent enough to have worked it out congratulations you're about 1 in 1000. For those who still haven't worked it out, think about a massive devaluation in the Euro, a deliberate devaluation that would drastically ease the pressure on Europe and put Britain out of business. Yes, the German car lovers among you might pick up some bargains (personally I detest German cars) but our own industry would not be able to compete and we would sink further into the mire. Good luck everyone, you're going to need it.

[gruss] 17/11/2011 13:48

Lyn. I take it you are a candidate for the Short party.

[essentialinvestor] 17/11/2011 13:41

jacob fair points - watch for higher unemployment though.

Lyn you cynic! - that made me smile a lot.

[gruss] 17/11/2011 13:15

Putting MKS aside as I am showing good profts I wish with my other holdings I'd put that money into paying more off the mortgage rather than trying to make more money. Oh with hindsight!

[jacobjohn7] 17/11/2011 12:51

EI. yes but I don't think as bad as 2011 myself, think now public realising that low mortgage rates are going to be here longer than they thought,.. i know some spare money is being eaten up with fuel/power costs. but belt tightening at home fuel wise can still allow forays onto the high st. I've personally not changed by spending habits... i'm personally using this last two years to erode my mortgage must faster by over payments. Which in turn is good for the banks, and better for my long term debt...