To get the thread rolling on this stock - of those people who had windfalls, or ahve invested in the stock at flotation or since - it would be interesting to know what your thoughts are.

For those that were and are eligible for the 5% discount this time next year (+ the dividends beforehand), are you planning to sell at this level or hold. Are others buying at this price?

My own money is that the 5% share top up next year together with a divi of perhaps 4% (on flotation price) makes these shares a hold - and if enough other shareholders feel the same it is likely that there will not be much stock for others to purchase and the price will hopefully rise further. But what are the thoughts of others?

Cynic - I believe Dartmoor is refering to the bonus shares that will be issued free to those investors who retained for the first year their initial demutulisation allocation and any preferrential shares that they bought. The bonus shares will be issued on a 1 for 20 basis.

Dartmoor - [Edit: Just like cynic says] I (also) believe that any company taking over Standard Life will be contractually obliged to honour the bonus share scheme.

starfrog ..... that is exactly what i wrote!!

Sorry cynic, but I was picking up on your "don't understand the point you are trying to make" comment. I thought that you didn't understand Dartmoor's reference to the "freebies". Obviously, you do! LOL

Nice upward movement -----------so far. (I have previous for opening my big mouth, and then seeing a reversal in the sp)
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shall continue to hold ...... for sure there will be a dip of an unknown magnitude when the bonus shares are issued etc and a lot of small holders jump out, but i rather feel that will be a time to top up ..... one may need to be pretty nimble (and lucky) to get the timing right

does anyone know the date these will go ex-div ?

on the basis that the interim results were 27/9/06, finals will presumably be about end March, so i would guess no more than 4 weeks thereafter to go XD ...... could not find previous XD date

When do we get the free shares ? any dates

fliper----as soon as practical after 10 July. tudwick not exactly but the dividend is expected to be paid in May, so ex-div would be around 1 month - 6 weeks prior to that.
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After the free shares we may see holders selling ,resulting in a small drop in the sp ?

fliper----Quite possibly, but we're talking about bonus shares at the rate of 1 for 20, even if this ratio applied to the total of shares in issue, (and it doesn't) the fall in the sp after the bonus shares were issued would not be very big, yes many small investors may sell out then, but I think any fall would be short lived. As always this is imo.
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Yes , after the free ones are given out the sp may dip . This could be a good time to get some more .

Given the increase in price recently, (today just under 320) and the IMHO toppiness of the market generally, what is the view of others who bought at flotation regarding waiting for the bonus shares in July ?
Ie. do you think the shares will be 5% lower, (304p) by July, thus negating the bonus shares ? At the present price - buy, sell, hold ?

i hold and shall continue to do so ...... good long term stuff; solid, boring etc etc but has performed pretty well since flotation .... for sure there will be sellers of the bonus issue, but there is the (slight?) possibility that SL will ultimatley become a t/o target in due time

This for me is the type of share which I will hold for the long term, I am quite happy to ride out the short term girations of the market, I believe this co will pay progressive dividends for the forseeable future, as the yield improves (and it's decent atm) so will the sp. There will from time to time be the inevitable link with being t/o, which will add to the attractions, one to buy and lock away, imo of course.
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just found this thread...
the real reason I went with SL was because it was a mutual!! I didn't want to have a company that had to please bloody shareholders..
I was with Australian Mutual for the same reason.. and look what a sham that has turned out to be - jumping through hoops with Prudential and now London Life. The admitted publically that the worst thing they ever did was to float, so why did SL follow? I had a windfall - I will hold mine.... for now.

SM

Lively today.
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Hold , extra shares to come and a good divy .

Well, here we are about 45% up from flotation.

That's a much better return than the dopey buggers could achieve by managing my pension, so I'm happy anough for the moment.

Biker... had to laugh at 'dopey buggers'!
I transferred ALL my pensions to Skandia nd manage them myself, online.
I have been doing this for a few years now and have moved all the SL stuff there too... my pension has done very well since then.
I source my information from trustnet
go into prices and performance and you can get just about all the info you need there.

SM