Forex and Stock Market News

Tuesday’s launch of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X was well received by analysts across the board although there would appear to be one sticking point. There are growing concerns that a delay in the shipping timescale for the iPhone X, the date has been pushed out to 3rd November, could impact short term sales.

iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are both expected to ship towards the end of September which is causing concern amongst analysts. The worry is that those looking to buy the latest technology will likely hold off until the iPhone X is available and those who would normally acquire an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus may not be in a rush. The fact that the iPhone X is valued at $999 is neither here nor there because the large screen, vastly improved functionality and cutting-edge technology really does put it a step above anything else on the market. Continue reading “Could Apple cannibalise its own sales?”

We all know that director dealings in their own shares are one of many flags people use when researching potential investments. There is nothing better than hearing about a director investing a significant amount of money in their own company shares. On the flipside, the sale of shares by a director can also be a flag that maybe things are not as good as some people think. However, why are director dealings even more important than you think?

Few and far between

While many investor believe that directors regularly invest in their own shares, research in this particular field might surprise you. There is no doubt that many directors are active in their own shares but when you compare the number of share purchases by different individuals to the number of directors associated with listed companies, the percentage of directors who invest is minimal. This shows why director dealings should be tracked extremely closely because while the vast majority fail to buy shares even in the good times, those that do invest must have good reason.

When looking at director purchases and sales it is also imperative that you look at their overall holding and any options/free shares they may have been awarded. Share options are a very popular way of remunerating directors although the way these share option plans are structured very often it is simply a purchase and immediate sale. Where a director has no direct funds invested we can to a certain extent ignore these transactions. Continue reading “Why director dealings are even more important than you think”

Large, medium and small companies often use director share bonuses as a means of incentivising their staff to maximise returns for shareholders. This has been a controversial subject over the years because many directors have been left with enormous share option schemes with the potential of multi-million pound returns. Often this can be set against a difficult period for shareholders and perhaps volatile trading for the company itself. So, are director share bonuses warranted and a useful tool to help investors?

Regular bonuses

The idea that directors will receive regular share bonuses, whether free shares or the option to buy a certain amount at a certain level in the future, went out with the dinosaurs. The only way that directors and other members of staff should be incentivised is if they have individually and collectively delivered for the company. On countless times in years gone by we have seen directors receiving large bonuses or share options when perhaps the performance of the underlying company does not warrant the awards. Continue reading “Are director share bonuses warranted?”

Over the last few days I have seen a number of companies announcing marketing deals which have got shareholders excited. Many are looking forward to vast riches, increased sales and even the odd takeover or merger. However, be wary of marketing deals which are very cheap to organise but do they always deliver?

Marketing deals with no minimum sales

The most alarming type of marketing deal is one where a company agrees to market a third party product in exchange for some form of commission payment. This company may have an enormous customer base from which to extract sales from the third party product but how will the third party guarantee income and benefits for its own shareholders? Continue reading “Marketing deals are cheap but do they deliver?”