I suspect trading tomorrow will probably answer this conundrum, but I know there are some far wiser owls than me that contribute to this bb & I would be interested in their opinions.

My question is this: the chart below looks to me like a pullback of the uptrend (ie when it went north through 14.00) however I am unsure as it has now broken down through 14.00 whether this is trending up or down :-(

So what do you think - up or down, or should I just flip a coin :-)) ?

If we consider the trifling 1,663,466,669 shares in issue here, we must surely sit on the radar of BNY Mellon and Blackrock as an inevitable takeover target, but how long are they going to wait before one of them makes their move!

Low share count + low share price + FUM $88.7 bl = TAKEOVER

INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2017

Key points
· Funds under management (FUM)1 of $95.9 billion (31 December 2016: $80.9 billion)
o Net inflows of $8.2 billion (H1 2016: net inflows $1.0 billion)
o Investment movement of $3.8 billion (H1 2016: negative $2.2 billion)
o Aalto acquisition added $1.8 billion
o FX translation and other movements of $1.2 billion (H1 2016: negative $1.1 billion)
· Run rate net management fees1 up 6% to $720 million ($677 million at 31 December 2016)
· 7 basis point reduction in the Group run rate net management fee margin1 compared to 31 December 2016 reflecting strong asset growth in lower margin strategies driving material mix effects at the Group level and in particular two large FRM institutional flows
· Adjusted profit before tax (PBT)1 of $145 million (H1 2016: $98 million), up 48%:
o Adjusted net management fee PBT1 of $94 million (H1 2016: $90 million)
o Adjusted net performance fee PBT1 of $51 million (H1 2016: $8 million)
· Statutory PBT of $76 million (H1 2016: $55 million); reflecting acquired intangibles amortisation ($42 million), charges relating to the movement in the contingent consideration liability ($23 million) and restructuring costs ($4 million)
· Statutory diluted EPS of 3.8 cents (H1 2016: 2.9 cents); Adjusted diluted EPS1,2 of 7.5 cents (H1 2016: 4.9 cents); adjusted diluted management fee EPS1,2 of 5.0 cents (H1 2016: 4.5 cents)
· Completed around $93 million of the $100m share repurchase programme announced on 14 October 2016 equating to 56.2 million shares
· Interim dividend of 5.0 cents per share (H1 2016: 4.5 cents per share), up 11%.

Luke Ellis, Chief Executive Officer of Man, said:
"The first half of 2017 has been one of solid performance with 4% growth in management fee profits and a 48% increase in total adjusted profits as performance fees improved, with positive contributions from across the group. We saw strong inflows from clients during the half and a 19% increase in funds under management with growth across all our investment managers. However our revenue margin has compressed during the half as we have won several large, low margin mandates, meaning our management fees have grown at a much steadier pace.

The first half was unusual in both the scale of net inflows, and the level of margin compression. We would expect both to moderate in the second half, particularly given the uneven nature of institutional flows. As ever, we are committed to seeking opportunities to invest in talent, research and technology. Our priority remains focusing on delivering superior risk adjusted performance for our clients, which will translate into the delivery of value for our shareholders."

Credit Suisse today reaffirms its outperform investment rating on Man Group PLC (LON:EMG) and set its price target at 195p

Man Group reported solid growth in its funds under management on Friday, with the total standing at $103.5bn as at 30 September compared to $95.9bn on 30 June, and the board claiming rises of 28% in the year to date. The FTSE 250 investment management business said net inflows in the third quarter totalled $2.8bn, which were driven by "strong inflows" into alternative risk premia and emerging market debt strategies. Positive investment movement of $3.3bn was reported in the period.

Amazing how well this has done in 2017. Fell out of favour after the financial crisis, but still returning c3.5% divi & capital growth.

JP Morgan Cazenove today reaffirms its overweight investment rating on Man Group PLC (LON:EMG) and raised its price target to 225p (from 215p).

Good morning lads, I'm ramping this stock to 400 pence by December of this year.

Credit Suisse today reaffirms its outperform investment rating on Man Group PLC (LON:EMG) and raised its price target to 243p (from 195p)

BUY THIS TO 400 PENCE

400p

I think Fridays AHL return has to be the largest negative figure I’ve seen since I started keeping records here, January 2011!

I seem to remember that the AHL high frequency trading platform doesn't perform particularly well in times of high volatility.

Nothing to be said in our LONG favour here, except perhaps the 800,000 cancelled shares for today(!), AHL taking another massive FUBAR, down -8.59% in the previous two days.

Morgan Stanley today reaffirms its equal weight investment rating on Man Group PLC (LON:EMG) and raised its price target to 223p (from 149p).

StockMarketWire.com
Wealth manager Man Group swung to an annual profit after it boosted net inflows into its funds.

The company posted a statutory pre-tax profit of $272m, compared to a $272m loss in the previous year.

Funds under management grew by up 35% to $109.1bn, while 33% growth in net revenue was buoyed by growth in performance fees.

The company declared a final dividend of 5.8c per share, bringing total dividend for the year to 10.8c, up from 9.0c in 2016.

Share buy-back program
Man Group plc's (the "Company") policy is to distribute available capital surpluses to shareholders over time, by way of higher dividend payments and/or share repurchases, while maintaining a prudent balance sheet, after taking into account required capital (including liabilities for future earn-out payments) and potential strategic opportunities.

In line with this policy and the Company's previous announcement on 12 April 2018, the Board today announces that it has agreed to enter into an irrevocable, non-discretionary arrangement with J. P. Morgan Securities plc to repurchase, on its behalf, ordinary shares in the Company up to a maximum consideration of $100 million (the "Programme") and subject to certain pre-set parameters, during the period from 16 April 2018 up to and including 30 April 2019 (the "Execution Period"), including during any closed or prohibited period of the Company which may fall during the Execution Period. The purpose of the Programme is to reduce the share capital of the Company (any shares repurchased for this purpose will be cancelled) and to enable the Company to meet obligations arising from employee share option programmes, or other allocations of shares to employees of the Company or to members of the administrative, management or supervisory bodies of the Company or an associate of the Company (any shares repurchased for this purpose will be held in treasury). The number of shares to be acquired is estimated to be around 37.5 million* based on the prevailing share price and Sterling to US Dollar exchange rate as at the date immediately prior to this announcement.

A proportion of shares purchased under the Programme will be held in treasury and the remaining shares will be cancelled.

Numis today reaffirms its hold investment rating on Man Group PLC (LON:EMG) and raised its price target to 175p (from 160p).