That's what frightens me Strawbs.

My instincts have so far been wrong!

Someone once told me. Trust your instincts, it's far cheaper than paying someone else to make the mistakes for you! :-)

If you can afford to wait, then eventually prices will rebound, and maybe in 20 years time it'll be seen as a great missed buying oppertunity. If you're trying to make money quickly though, I don't think this is the market for it. Gains one day can be wiped out the next, the big bounce might never come, or might come the day you go short. As I see it, if house prices are being trashed, jobs are being trashed, bond yeilds are being trashed and interest rates are probably soon to be trashed, why should anyone in the equity markets find it easy to make money! :-)

Strawbs.

P.S. Probably best move the conversation off this thread before Hlyeo gets annoyed..

Sorry Hlyeo.

AQP down another 14%

No, Strawbs. I'm not annoyed. You are most welcome if you want to stay on.

Yes, AQP will get below 100p imo

Thanks Hlyeo. Didn't want to clog up your excellent "ski slope" charts thread... :-)

Strawbs.

Nice to see you enjoyed it but I hope you are on on the slopes at all, Strawbs and dealerdear.

Sorry, typo error 'not on the slopes'...

Just been listening to Andrew Bell on CNBC.

As he says as PI's try to pick the bottom there are a bunch of forced sellers trampling over them desperately trying to offload. I tell you what. If anyone can work out when the forced selling is going to stop, then there is a load of money to be made. The problem is that so many people like me have continually tried to pick the bottom that they won't have the cash to take advantage!

Not on the slopes thankfully Hlyeo. Been mostly cash for well over a year. My only 3 investments (since early May and moderately small), UKXS, PHGP and OXB have netted a small profit. Worth noting however, the only share I bought (on the long side) is also the only thing thats lost me money! I'm staying well out of the market now until things settle down.

Strawbs.

UK builders' merchant Travis Perkins said it expects a more rapid decline in market activity. The company said today turnover for the nine months to the end of September is up 3.3% compared to 2007.

However, in recent weeks, trading has been below earlier expectations with both the merchanting and retailing businesses experiencing more difficult conditions as sentiment in construction markets has reacted to the extraordinary turmoil in financial markets. Profits before tax and non-recurring charges for 2008 are seen to be at the low end of analysts' expectations.

For the first nine months of 2008, total turnover in the merchanting division is up by 3.1%. Whilst like-for-like turnover per trading day for this period was down by 1.2%, the trend of like-for-like sales in both September and early October has deteriorated sharply to minus 10%.

Margins are under pressure for Holidaybreak. Results out in November may not be encouraging.

Trading update :

"Having regard to the changed economic climate and notwithstanding the management initiatives outlined above, the Board does not expect Davenham to be profitable in the current financial year.

In the circumstances, the Board has decided to withdraw its recommendation for a final dividend of 7p per share which had been due to be approved by shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on Friday 24 October 2008. This will have the benefit of conserving cash for the Group during these uncertain times."

Good move by Darling to curb alcohol consumption which costs NHS millions and saving families from destruction...pubs closure is a good thing.

The budget report designed to stimulate flagging demand in many areas of the economy, Darling said he would offset a 2.5 percent cut in value-added tax with an increase in duty on alcohol and tobacco to ensure prices stay the same.
Mark Hastings, the BBPA's Director of Communications, said: 'It's truly staggering that struggling community pubs and brewers have been denied the tax benefit extended to the rest of the business sector through the VAT cut.'
Pubs are closing at record rates and beer sales are at their lowest since the Great Depression.
'Chancellor Darling's refusal to allow beer drinkers to benefit from a VAT reduction means that 7,500 pubs could close by the end of 2012,' said CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner.

Talks about a rights issue has collapsed Brixton but it is impossible to see how that could succeed, given that the share price has plunged far below the level a rights issue would have been pitched just a week ago. And with institutional investors like HBOS having pulled out already it's difficult who would be left to take up rights even if the price could be fixed!

Furthermore, empty rates liability has hit hard and the big unknown is their internal credit control process - i.e. how many tenants are struggling to pay their rent on time (or at all)?.