Thought I would start a thread just on FTSE350 shares (includes FSTE100).

I don't think we need to have individual threads on each one, as there are times when theses are good buys to tuck away for the future, and times when to leave alone! Please also remember to include the EPIC (saves me looking it up, when I DMOR on your suggestions!)

I hope everyone will think it useful to post info, charts etc about these type of shares, to help more with timing - like when to buy as well as when to sell (or not).

The traders thread has been useful for info for that day but I hope this thread will develop and change in line with the market.

Good thread. Shel may not yet have all bad news out of the way, but fabulous cash generation and healthy yield have encouraged me to lock some away at just over 350p. LLoy should be attractive now to possible overseas bidder and popularity of banks is so low that MMC likely to welcome it. I have bought at 408p.IMHO it has more cautious approach than HBOS or HSBC and therefore lower credit risk profile - should be able to maintain dividend. Downside is they may wish to buy something else and history is littered with banks overpaying for acquisitions(apart perhaps from RBS for Nat West). How about LMSO - had them for years and mix of property + techy investment portfolio always makes for an interesting read at results time. Property side underpins decent yield and they did at least bank some of their paper profits in the dot com boom. Another one for the kids/grandchildren but dyor!

Kelda must have an attraction if only for its yield. I am getting 7% plus at my purchase costs and even at todays price it must be yielding about 6%.
I know its regulated to hell but it is coping very well with that and as a bonus there is always the possibility of sector consolidation or outside interest, and of course at this time a captivated and growing customer base. Being a residant of Yorkshire in my view Kelda are producing the results.

Lots of interesting info being posted. As Bradford & Bingley (BB.) has just gone ex div. and is todays biggest faller I thought I would take a look at the 2 year chart and compare it to the Banking Sector over the same period. Interesting result.

Great thread little woman!

My 3 favourite FTSE 350 picks:

Legal & General (LGEN)- at these levels likely to deliver a solid double digit annual return (ex div on 31st Mar 3.3p). L & G got its rights issue away well ahead of other life companies, and subsequently its balance sheet is strong for recovering markets. Likely to benefit from new baby bond investment products and increased private pension savings. A solid ISA holding & dividend re-investment scheme available.

Galen Holdings (GAL) - fast growing pharmaceutical, 7 years of double digit earnings growth, access to huge American female pharma market, bordering on FTSE 100 membership. Given drug pipeline, expect several years of 20% earnings growth to come.

St. Modwen Properties (SMP) - the 10 year chart if there is one, tells it all. First class property company, growing net asset value, earnings and dividends year after year. Another 20%-er if you buy, hold, & re-invest the dividends.

I also like RBS. Quality. Sometimes a volatile one for trading, but ultimately another stock you can buy & not lose sleep over.

All IMHO great companies to own. I have owned them for in the region of 7 years and my confidence remains in them for the next 7 years! My returns have beaten the FTSE 350 year on year, owing to the exceptional earnings growth of the above companies.

TSQ

I also like SMP but sadly do not hold any as the price climb
this & last year has frighten me off a bit - but you know what
jumpy creatures rabbits are! - and now I wish I had got in
when I first really noticed the company, would have been about
a year ago I suppose. Never mind..

Galen unfortunately suffered as a result of the techmark bubble around 98-99. This also coincided with its large merger with Warner Chilcott of the U.S.

It's now back on a steady uptrend, and should be trading above 10

Stockbunny

I understand your concern on SMP. It does trade well above its NAV, but it should continue to deliver double digit earnings and dividend growth for the foreseeable future.

It now has a sizeable and realisable stake which it can sell in Chepstow plc, formerly its Northern Racing subsidiary.

If you can't buy & hold then perhaps it's not for you, but if you can hold for say 1-2 years, I dont think it will disappoint.

SHELL:

Legal & General - LGEN

Emg (The Man Group) has had a good day Little Woman on results...an old favourite of mine from around ?13.60 which I traded up in mostly successful longs. Out at present but may look to reenter at some point when the dust settles

If you are still interested in oil you could do worse than take a look at PLR. Just posted profits up 28%. The 5 year graph says it all. They do well picking up the scraps the big boys leave behind. Worth taking a look on the dip.

a lot of talk about shell on this thread . anybody got any views on shell doing business with libya now we are all "friends" again? got to be a lot of unused , undiscovered oil there.

I must admit I was wondering how long SHEL have been in talks and what would they have done if were weren't all "friends" again? Perhaps Libya has the missing reserves.

Libya is the 11th largest oil producer country in the world. Its natural gas reserves are far more vast.

Is Shell big in natural gas?

I thought oil producers burnt off gas?

Taken off Shells web site: We produce some 19% of Britains oil and 23% of its gas, enough to supply over one third of UK domestic gas customers.

Thought this might be useful

Market Pulse: FTSE  Midprice Change      25/03/04      

name     chg       name     chg       name     chg      name     chg          name     chg----       -----        ----      -----        ----        -----        ----      ----          ----      -----AAL    29.50        BOOT   16.25     GLH    -2.50       MKS     4.50        SDR    20.75ABF     2.50         BP.     0.00          GSK     5.00       MRW     0.75        SFW  -308.00AHM     3.75      BSY     8.50         GUS     1.75       NGT    -0.50         SGE     6.88AL.     9.25          BT.A    1.00         HAS     3.88       NRK    19.25        SHEL    2.38ALLD    4.25       CBRY   -0.75      HBOS   22.00     NXT    38.50        SHP    -2.75ANL     6.75        CCL    54.00       HG.     7.75         OML     1.88         SMIN    2.00AUN     9.25        CNA     1.00      HNS     8.38        OOM     5.00         SN.   -10.25AV.    11.50        CPG     4.38        HSBA   14.00     PFG    -3.50           SPW     6.88AVZ    15.63       CPI     5.63         ICI     8.50           PRU     9.75          SSE     0.00AZN   -16.00      CW.     7.75        IHG    11.25         PSON   15.50       STAN    6.50BA.     7.88          DGE     2.50       III    16.00            RB.     9.00           SVT    -3.50BAA     8.50        DMGT    8.50     IMT    -9.50         RBS    14.00        TOMK    3.38BARC    4.13      DXNS    3.50      JMAT   19.75       REL     4.50         TSCO    8.00BATS   -4.50      EMA    27.50      KEL     0.88         REX     1.88         ULVR    7.50BB.     1.50          EMG    59.50     KGF     6.13         RIO    17.50         UU.     0.25BG.    -2.75         EXL     6.00        LAND   34.50     RTO     1.25         VOD     4.50BLND   22.75     FP.     4.00          LGEN    2.38       RTR    15.88        WOS     2.25BLT     7.75        FRCL    2.75       LII     6.50           SAB    11.25        WPP    22.00BNZL   -3.38     ???  ???????     LLOY    6.75       SBRY   -0.25        WTB    13.75BOC    22.25     GKN     4.63        MAB     3.63       SCTN    2.88        XTA    27.25                                                             

All quiet again - no-one investing in FTSE350 shares? Or people only trading?

SHEL goes ex dividend tommorrow, (9.65p) so it'll be interesting to see how far it falls.

ICAP(IAP) Is one I have just gone in on,profits are good and,the divi is one of the best.