The option to buy shares at a discount to the market price is extremely tempting. If the economy turns upwards and Lloyds can pull off a successful merger of operations with those of HBOS, then 37p looks like an extremely good deal. But the economic outlook remains uncertain and banks have not proved themselves the most reliable guides to their own financial stability.
Fortunately a rights issue gives investors a way to increase their investment and so benefit from the recovery without dipping into their own pockets. Sell some of your rights entitlement and use the proceeds to buy the rest. Or in Cityspeak, swallow your tail, says the Daily Mail.
Greed has been in the driving seat for some time – but at the end of last week news from Dubai caused fear to re-emerge as the emotion controlling events. Shares in Standard Chartered fell 6pc on Thursday, wiping about Ł1.8bn off its valuation. Investors are concerned that events in the emirate could set off a chain reaction across Asia. However, the Telegraph’s Questor is along-term investor and regards the steep fall last week as a buying opportunity.
The shares are trading on a December 2009 earnings multiple of 14.2 times, falling to 13 next year. They are yielding 2.7pc. Shares in Standard Chartered were recommended as a buy on April 6 at Ł12.40 and they are now up 22.5pc compared with a market up 31pc. Buy.
On Friday Petra Diamonds sold a 168 carat diamond from its Cullinan Mine for $6.28m (Ł3.83m) – or $37,380 a carat. The Cullinan Mine, near Pretoria, South Africa, is famous for producing a 3,100 carat diamond in 1905 – with the two largest gems from this stone becoming centrepieces in the British crown jewels. The shares were recommended at 68žp on October 20 and the shares are down 9pc compared with a flat market. Because of the quality of its diamond mines, the shares are a buy, says the Telegraph.
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