Have a small investment following Director putting money where mouth is - he's invested in the last few days at 77p (see RNS). Currently 86p to buy. On the surface there is no turnover and no profit - yet they are hoping to apply for Full listing - is this just talk? I thought a Co. needed several years of "proper" accounts? - odd that this (one) Dir has invested so much money if there is nothing in it.
Earlier this year they floated (near 1 DYOR) and have reported nothing much since - except a 6m/pa deal to mange some part of Hull dock.....

Now how about some Local Knowledge bearing on this investment?

Follow this 'hangon'. On October 7th I posted a thread which, I think, was called 'are we still an Island'. It mentioned NO STOCK and was intended as an excercise to see if any of those who contribute to these pages could muster an iota of intelligence to identify what I was talking about. It, may, have produced a couple of replies BUT NOT ONE OF OUR'INVESTORS' WAS SUFFICIENTLY INTERESTED TO ASK ME TO IDENTIFY THE STOCK. I, now, realize that the excercise was too hard. The frequenters of these pages can comment on fractional rises and falls on their limited range of stocks, persistently following even the real'dogs'' discussing if the MMM's are screwing them - certainly convinced that they are being diddled at every turn(which, of course they ARE BUT THAT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME)I'm only surprised that someone hasnt suggested a 'trauma page' for those nursing foolish losses.
What they DONT want, seemingly under ANY circumstances is to embrace the idea of CONSISTENTLY making reasonable profits. They would far rather go for broke on some crazy stock, which probably falls. Such stocks as I have discussed over the years CONNAUGHT - MEARS -Z.I.MEDICAL and others ALL OF WHICH would have produced regular cashable profits. Only a couple of weeks ago ZIM produced its figures (not bad) and the price was knocked 30%. Following a proceedure outlined in advance I collected a 27% profit on the stock in days.
Now, theres PDP. Unoticed, unloved and, probably, about to grow into a swan. Maybe not...but I rather think there's a profit in this one. You wont achieve it by buying and then spending the next year watching the price on a ten minute basis, but I think its going to quietly make you money. But, you see 'hangon' this is a 'boring' stock, so the followers of these pages - if they follow form- should evince small interest...but maybe you will hangon to yours to see a good profit.

Hildee, probably too clever a post without a stock name. Posters do like it easy. Furthermore, as elsewhere, there are some blue-sky stocks that I fear are bound to disapoint, yet the reality is they invest and make money usually by being in early. Other solid companies just drift down whenever I invest and then I sell too soon, or when some international news looks bad. I have followed ZIM but don't like the pospects of one-product and my(local) hospital workers who claim the drips are not a problem ( maybe I'd think differently if I was receiving the drip! ) - so we have a 1-product co. with something my local NHS doesn't need. Odd. I think I read they are expanding their range - - -

I prefer companies with broad sales base and at least one that's a regular seller. I don't like Options and prefer it when Directors take their salary in fixed-number of shares (only NTX loudspeakers has done this I understand). There are plenty of small-caps whose directors are paid outrageous sums of money - for doing practically nothing and sometimes doing that badly ( witness Jarvis ).
Yes a moaners page would be great, at least it would help to cool the blood and who knows we might even get Corporate Governance that meant companies, shareholders and Directors were rewarded Long-term. When a company like Marconi (or Jarvis) goes belly-up it isn't just the Directors that suffer, all the staff, their families and the local economy are badly affected. Indeed it often is the Directors that don't suffer - must be shome Mistake.

Each year there should be two jail places made available for directors - we could vote for the worst instances of greed/culpability and would not see them for a year....that would concentrate their minds as they do a share-deal within days of a PW etc. etc.
IMHO the FSA seems to have neither the time, nor teeth required - a sad state of affairs for the Country that invented shares.
Any votes?
Regards

Hey, Hangon. There are some nice, original thoughts in there.Unfortunately it seems to be getting a harder and harder world, where employees are, probably, the last to be considered. BUT...my background is stockbrokinh and I was hired, first, at a time when the fat cat partners of stockbroking companies hired the hoi polloi, such as mysef, because they just didnt have either the brain or the willingness to do it themselves. As a result of this a philosophy emerged amonst the broking staff that this, or that, company 'looked after its staff'. Such things as large bonuses (but relatively LOW salaries) and similar benefits, such as charge cards etc, emerged to bolster those beliefs. What some of the staff forgot was that this was still'them or us' and, when it was time for backs against the wall in the early 80's, unless you had carefully planned your campaign, it was the STAFF'S backs to the wall. The'Partners' collected millions but the staff collected redundancy in many cases.
The idea that there should be an annual poll to determine the lousiest Chairman or CEO has appeal. Just as the sheer greed of the Members of Parliament is exposed by their 'expenses' so should we expose the really BAD company chiefs.
As a member of the Mcmillan Cancer Nurses said in the paper this a.m. 'how come my expenses are payable at just over 23p per mile, yet an M.P.can collect over 57p for the same mile AND WHO PRODUCES THE GREATER BENEFIT ? Keep up you campaign.

Relative to this stock there was a VERY interesting article in one of the Finacial magazines last week indicating what stocks MIGHT be in line for bids. The writer made the most intelligent suggestion that there were PRIMARY areas where the resources were finite. Who, for instance, would launch a new venture devoted to developing a PORT. Take far too long. BUT there might be a company out there that realized that they might exploit the potential of a stock in far better manner than the present Board. It was an article worth considering and, since most Port operators are rather sizeable such as PDP come into consideration.

I see there are moves in other Port stocks which pay regard to their Land Bank. Would it be pertinent to you clutzes out there to point out that PDP has a land bank ?

Interesting, thanks for the info.

Now, even the hallowed Times has decided that this stock might be worth a 'buy' recoomendation. Just remember, you first read the post'are we still an Island' on October 7th and could have already made a tidy sum from this one. Trouble is, nobody seems interested in my tips, they prefer to follow the' rampers' and boy, how they get sucked in !!!

hangon/hildee
Very interesting philosophical arguments. BUT yesterday's results were less than exciting so it's difficult to see the rationale for investing in this particular company.

Might be interesting if it reverses off the 80p mark - still 20% down on its "heyday".

Just an observation - and you've probably read it elsewhere - for gawd's sake don't get emotionally involved in a stock. We may think it is the best thing since sliced bread - but if the market doesn't agree then it'll only end in tears - and financial loss.

Hope it comes through for you BUT - and I have no interest in the company at all - it looks like 80p at least before it becomes attractive.

Of course, we ALL want a stock that, once spotted, continues to rise..and rise. Unfortunately the world is not made of such stuff. Second best is to spot a stock that has potential but the rest of the market shows small interest in, since such stocks bubble up to the top when other stuff is showing signs of boredom. Looking at the graph of such a stock one realizes that you COULD have been in AND OUT several times and show a handsome profit (all whilst others ar arguing whether there are new contracts, new interest,new this, new that.)All seem to forget that the basic fundamentals of the company are that it continues to trade and, if you have spotted it right, MAKE MONEY. Such a stock is ZIM which can show either a thumping LOSS for the idiots who bought in at 25p or a handsome profit for those who have traded during its recent ups and downs (more money to be made from this one).mg could be right about DFD, unless there is a bid on the way, and it might be time to unload at this point BUT, shortly, will come another time to buy it and the whole carousel will start again and, if you are lucky, you will be on it.

I do apologize for the above insert. I thought I was posting on the DFD site...but the comments apply to PDP as well.

Hey Hangon, Just noticed your post. I am curious as to why you drag Russia into this-"a sad state of affairs for the Country that invented shares". Could you enlighten me?

JohnEWunda - are you talking to me? My post of 18 Oct 04 doesn't mention Russia....shom miskake here, my friend.

Please give EPIC and date if possible, etc. there must be a simple answer but I'm baffled so far.
Regards.

"IMHO the FSA seems to have neither the time, nor teeth required - a sad state of affairs for the Country that invented shares.
Any votes?"
This is your quote, 'Hang on' Isn't it? No 2 of 12.
I might be wrong but weren't the first shareowners a group of Russians who banded together in 1712ish to buy a ship and share the proceeds.

Sorry JonhEWunda I thought you wrote that I'd mentioned Russians. As I was sure I hadn't I was unable to respond.

Historically you may well be right, I dunno.
My knowledge only points to the City of London having started in a Coffee House, originally for insurance and then it grew.
Can I rephrase what I said to something like the third country to invent shareholding (in cas there is one more earlier?)

I was concerned by the poor Regulation here in UK, not the details of historical events, although thank-you for the info.
- Our own regulators seem to busy themselves with small events when the real picture is ignored IMHO. Witness the fining of Pace when the Regulators could not find a reason to prosecute the Directors....did the company act on it own - the fax machine was in charege, etc? It was the Directors responsibility to alert the Market and this they failed to do until long after the news was cold. The sp had fallen on leakage, is my guess. By fining the company the shareholders were dealt a blow - why? Were the shareholders manipulating said Fax machine - no! they were being kept in the dark by Directors - who else could do this? Grr, and nothing to do with PDP.


I have noted that the Australians are tightening their regulations so as to protect investors....I have no problem with investors losing money in a fair market, but I do object to Directors making loadsamoney when their business is failing, propped up by posturing and good news which comes to little more than spin. I read somewhere some were trying to Lock-in Directors to a rolling 5-year reward cycle so as to concentrate their minds. I have no problem with Directors being rewarded but I don't like companies to fail whilst they benefit.

nice post Hangon! I totally agree with you. I got burnt myself in a company called Procomm in the Dotcom days. The director was Michael Wakeley and the whole thing a shambles from start to finish.The company lied about how many shares were applied for in its IPO. The group stockbrokers which handled the flotation were disbanded by the FSA later. Even worse he is now in charge of Sunbeach communications, the AIM listed company which has been suspended while they clarify matters with regard to funding. (Un)funny Procomm was suspended too. Procomm only ever produced one set of accounts about 2 years late, never made a penny etc and on the few occasions they sent any info to shareholders it looked like it was on scrap paper by second hand post. I'm not bitter really.I feel sorry for those who made bigger losses. But like you say how they get away with it is equally beyond me.