that Milliband's cost me a few quid
that Milliband's cost me a few quid
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fourpointsixgt

Original Poster:

513 posts

194 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
quotequote all
Most people hate the big 6 energy companies, but I work for one of them, and since the labour party conference speech, where he made all sorts of ridiculous statements about what Labour would do to reduce energy bills, our share price has dropped from nearly £4 to £3.38, having bought £250/month worth of shares for the last 14 years through the company sharesave scheme,I've built up a juicy retirement fund, me and the Mrs were going to sell as much as we could next March/April. My fault I guess for having all my eggs in one basket, but rarely if at all, have they ever dropped like this, not down on the deal overall, and I don't expect sympathy.
Just wanted a rant, and when I see his stupid Wallace and Grommet face I want to smash the telly.

Cliftonite

8,750 posts

168 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
quotequote all
Bank staff employed by the Royal Bank of Scotland with its crooked / incompetent (delete as applicable) directorship saw their shares drop from £16 to 10p.

(Don't ask me how I know)

So, you should worry!


ringram

14,702 posts

278 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
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Sounds like a buying oppo to me then! Be thankful you can buy on the cheap. Black friday sales!

Sid's Dad

576 posts

171 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
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So let me get this straight - you've invested all your spare money in shares, in just one company, in a volatile sector, with a short-term exit strategy, and you want to blame someone else when you lose a bit of (paper) money?

mudster

792 posts

274 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
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EDF, Eon and Npower shares are all at a higher price than they were 6 months ago so it's likely the City is reacting more to how BG run the business than anything Milliband has said.

Appears BG shares have fallen because of production warnings issued by the company http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/ep...

What have your gains been over 14 years?


Countdown

49,519 posts

226 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
quotequote all
fourpointsixgt said:
Most people hate the big 6 energy companies, but I work for one of them, and since the labour party conference speech, where he made all sorts of ridiculous statements about what Labour would do to reduce energy bills, our share price has dropped from nearly £4 to £3.38, having bought £250/month worth of shares for the last 14 years through the company sharesave scheme,I've built up a juicy retirement fund, me and the Mrs were going to sell as much as we could next March/April. My fault I guess for having all my eggs in one basket, but rarely if at all, have they ever dropped like this, not down on the deal overall, and I don't expect sympathy.
Just wanted a rant, and when I see his stupid Wallace and Grommet face I want to smash the telly.
If only the government would allow cartels and price collusion....think how high your shares would be wink

KTF

10,709 posts

180 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
quotequote all
Sid's Dad said:
So let me get this straight - you've invested all your spare money in shares, in just one company, in a volatile sector, with a short-term exit strategy, and you want to blame someone else when you lose a bit of (paper) money?
Heaven forbid that the one company goes bust wink

Efbe

9,251 posts

196 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
quotequote all
fourpointsixgt said:
Most people hate the big 6 energy companies, but I work for one of them, and since the labour party conference speech, where he made all sorts of ridiculous statements about what Labour would do to reduce energy bills, our share price has dropped from nearly £4 to £3.38, having bought £250/month worth of shares for the last 14 years through the company sharesave scheme,I've built up a juicy retirement fund, me and the Mrs were going to sell as much as we could next March/April. My fault I guess for having all my eggs in one basket, but rarely if at all, have they ever dropped like this, not down on the deal overall, and I don't expect sympathy.
Just wanted a rant, and when I see his stupid Wallace and Grommet face I want to smash the telly.
You're taking the piss right?

shares in my company went from over £11 to 35p. That's 30 times lower, not as bad as RBS, but still shocking.

Tens of thousands of people will have lost their entire savings as it's a huge company, and you were always given bonuses in shares and it was a bit awkward to take your money out.

Mobile Chicane

22,019 posts

242 months

Sunday 1st December 2013
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No sympathy.

You got a decent dividend when times were good, and no doubt still are, since the consumer - rather than the shareholder - is paying for the infrastructure improvements energy suppliers need to make.

P-Jay

11,410 posts

221 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
Cliftonite said:
Bank staff employed by the Royal Bank of Scotland with its crooked / incompetent (delete as applicable) directorship saw their shares drop from £16 to 10p.

(Don't ask me how I know)

So, you should worry!
And the little mentioned huge push in 2008 to get staff to buy more shares at a 'discounted rate', lots of true believers sunk their savings into them after being told it was an artificial low and coupled with an extra discount they would likely double their money. I politely said no, they continued to fall, and fall, and fall.

Cheib

25,437 posts

205 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
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There's a lesson here for people. Whilst it's great when company make saving tax efficient in their won shares it's a god awful trade to do from a personal perspective unless it's a really high growth company. Banks and utility companies are not like that. When a company is your employer and pays your monthly wage having a large % of your savings tied up in them is not that sensible.

That said I work in finance and have worked with plenty of people over the years who have done the same. I know of one bloke who worked for Lehamn Brothers who pledged the stock he owned as collateral for his mortgage.

Cliftonite

8,750 posts

168 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
P-Jay said:
Cliftonite said:
Bank staff employed by the Royal Bank of Scotland with its crooked / incompetent (delete as applicable) directorship saw their shares drop from £16 to 10p.

(Don't ask me how I know)

So, you should worry!
And the little mentioned huge push in 2008 to get staff to buy more shares at a 'discounted rate', lots of true believers sunk their savings into them after being told it was an artificial low and coupled with an extra discount they would likely double their money. I politely said no, they continued to fall, and fall, and fall.
There is talk of the crooked /deceitful /incompetent (delete as applicable) directors being sued in USA re the err . . ., let's say "over-optimistic" rights issue documentation but I've not seen much about that recently.


fourpointsixgt

Original Poster:

513 posts

194 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
Sid's Dad said:
So let me get this straight - you've invested all your spare money in shares, in just one company, in a volatile sector, with a short-term exit strategy, and you want to blame someone else when you lose a bit of (paper) money?
Not a full exit strategy, just a big chunk of it, and a big uk energy company is about the least volatile place I could think of, or so we're told. I wouldn't feel as bad if the share price dropped for some other genuine reason, not the spoutings of a clueless goon like him.
As for the thousands of bank workers or lost a fortune when thier share price tumbled, I really do sympathise with them, like us, you were probably encouraged to buy as a good tax efficient way of saving.
People are going to be paying a lot for energy for the foreseeable future, so the money will always keep coming in, unlike banks, whose money was just a theoretical number in a computer.

Sid's Dad

576 posts

171 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
The reason your shares have dropped in value is because they were artificially boosted in value by the shameless profiteering that is rife in your industry and has been for the last ten years. Milliband called time on it ( and stole a march on Cameron in the process) and the market is now reckoning on some leaner times if a regulator worthy of the name is finally put in place.

If I were you I would take my self-pity somewhere else and reflect on how many people's misery will have contributed to my little hoard.

Cliftonite

8,750 posts

168 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
Sid's Dad said:
The reason your shares have dropped in value is because they were artificially boosted in value by the shameless profiteering that is rife in your industry and has been for the last ten years. Milliband called time on it ( and stole a march on Cameron in the process) and the market is now reckoning on some leaner times if a regulator worthy of the name is finally put in place.

If I were you I would take my self-pity somewhere else and reflect on how many people's misery will have contributed to my little hoard.
Harsh! But true.

yes

Terminator X

20,864 posts

234 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
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I hope the Big 6 continue to get battered, utter scum increasing prices year after year hugely above inflation mad

TX.

Steffan

10,362 posts

258 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
Cliftonite said:
Sid's Dad said:
The reason your shares have dropped in value is because they were artificially boosted in value by the shameless profiteering that is rife in your industry and has been for the last ten years. Milliband called time on it ( and stole a march on Cameron in the process) and the market is now reckoning on some leaner times if a regulator worthy of the name is finally put in place.

If I were you I would take my self-pity somewhere else and reflect on how many people's misery will have contributed to my little hoard.
Harsh! But true.

yes
Bankers do not get good press currently. Neither do the energy industry as this post confirms. Some would say the truth of their activities has been become apparent.

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
The latest bandwagon lets bash the energy companies. It's weird people can sell jeans or trainers at 10 times the cost and that's fine, but an energy company with billions invested making 10% on gas and electricity are thieving wkers, utter madness.

shalmaneser

6,462 posts

225 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
Bluequay said:
The latest bandwagon lets bash the energy companies. It's weird people can sell jeans or trainers at 10 times the cost and that's fine, but an energy company with billions invested making 10% on gas and electricity are thieving wkers, utter madness.
But the reality is that you CAN buy jeans for a fiver. People can make the choice. So no, it's not utter madness.

anonymous-user

84 months

Monday 2nd December 2013
quotequote all
shalmaneser said:
Bluequay said:
The latest bandwagon lets bash the energy companies. It's weird people can sell jeans or trainers at 10 times the cost and that's fine, but an energy company with billions invested making 10% on gas and electricity are thieving wkers, utter madness.
But the reality is that you CAN buy jeans for a fiver. People can make the choice. So no, it's not utter madness.
So how much should these companies be allowed to make for their investment? You think 10% is too much? according to ofgen it's only 1/2 that anyway. What's a fair return?