Whilst I’m generally wary of investing in small oil and gas companies, occasionally one comes along that appears to be in the right place, at the right time, and with the right assets and management team.

I have been following the COP26 two-week jamboree of the so called “great and the good” flying into Glasgow on private jets over the last two weeks. I have noted how some 18-year-old school kid from Scandinavia has been teaching our bonkers Prime Minister Carrie Boris Johnston to say Blah blah blah. It has been irritating and an insult to all thinking people. However, the implications to us investors are wide and many. A few views and opinions as the wafflefest comes to a close.

Fans of a fantastic comedy show of twenty years note the reference above, but let us talk instead about the large cap company Phoenix Group (PHNX) which is ‘helping people secure a life of possibilities’.  In short it is ‘the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business’ and reported earlier this week.  

Back in March I asked the question ‘do you feel lucky…Rolls-Royce (RR.)?’ as ‘for a lack of profits/cash flow even this year, this one remains a long term stick the shares in the bottom of your drawer play’. I admitted then that I remained a holder on the basis of its airline engine, defence and even ‘being a player for low-carbon civil aerospace solutions’ over the next decade or two. But, reflected by the massive share price fall since early 2020, it has a lot of debt and correlation with the COVID-19 impacted world. So whilst Rolls-Royce shares are a few pence down from their previous level and March (and only a few pence up year-to-date), there is a little bit of positive progress in today’s first half numbers.