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.

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.

Found conflicting info about div. Will have to check out more from elsewhere - IAP is not one I'd noticed before you mentioned it roma

roma - am I correct in thinking the current div return on IAP is about 10%?

Little woman that is about right

little woman, i've been looking at this share, so many "analysts" reckon this will be a ftse 100 company soon, it's recently had a 5 for 1 share issue so it's more accessible, but I would like to enter at about 280

IAP goes ex div in July, and the final results should be out at the end of May. The 5 for 1 issue, when was that? The reason I ask is - am I working out the a dividend based on the shares before or after the increase?

Bush, do you think it will get that low? If it drops that low i'll buy some more. Last few weeks, 3.16/3.21/3.17/3.09/3.25/3.12/andlast week 3.05p

from memory it was about a month ago, sorry i'm being vague, but it was a 15 share so I was saving up for it! Then it suddenly went to about 320, now I'm just getting greedy. Hope this helps with whatever calculations you are doing!

Little woman, now you have me thinking,on the 24/01/2004 it was 16.15p and on the 13/02/2004 it was 3.16p so must have been some time in-between. Sorry not giving it any attention at that stage. so can't be certain of the date.

Hi Little woman,

Taking the divi on Legal & General tomorrow, and hoping price holds reasonably well. I like the defensive qualities of UK financials, as risk balancers to more adventurous growth stocks. Market looks like going sideways for a while, so yields plays are my current favourites. Growth stocks may take a breather.

I'm also using Investment Trusts to bank profits in, and use them as portfolio stabilisers to protect/preserve capital & overall return. I got my fingers burnt in 98-99 and vowed never again to ignore capital protection as part of my portfolio management!

I like FCIT (F&C IT), (BNKR) Bankers Investment trust, Perpetual Income Growth,
F & C Income growth (FIG). All very stable price wise & offering growing dividend yields in the 2-4% range. A better home than current money market/cash returns, for money not invested in equities.

On a 12 month view, I still really like LGEN & LLOY in financials, Galen(GAL) (Pharma), St. Modwen Properties(SMP) & Marks & Spencer (MKS) retail. A UK based bias for the year ahead might offer lower volatility in overall returns.

All IMHO.

TSQ.

I noted from an earlier post, comment about stocks on verge of FTSE 100 membership.

It would be interesting to look at say, the first 50 of the FTSE 250 to see which may be the most likely new entrants given their growth records.

I'm not an expert on the ins & outs of the index and the trigger points for entry ie. market caps etc., but a list might be good.

Anybody know best source of info?

TSQ

LSE provides a download of all UK listed companies including market cap.

Don't know how frequently they update the values.

from the LSE home page click 'Companies' then scroll down to the excel spreadsheets.

'Have some info on index changes somewhere and if it falls to hand will let you know.

http://www.londonstockexchange.com/invrel/default.asp

Entry to 100 = 90th or above in market cap.
Exit 100 = 111th or below

Entry to 250 = 325 or above
Exit 250 = 376 or below

Be fun to pull a forecast together (depending on your idea of fun).
When is the next shuffle ?

38

http://www.ftse.com/indices_marketdata/ground_rules/uk-series-ground-rules.pdf

Many thanks 38!

going to take a look.

TSQ.