UK 19:48 Monday, 21 September 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
Back in June, I mentioned that I had never (yet) owned shares in FTSE 100 company Croda International (CRDA). Despite being a large cap-focused rogue for the last thirty years or so, it is impossible to even be mildly aware of every potential opportunity out there. And, judging by the share price romp of the company that creates, makes and sells “speciality chemicals that industries and consumers everywhere depend on”, over the last thirty years or so not (yet) owning its shares has been a big mistake. However, Hindsight Investment Management is always a ludicrously strong performer and, judging by the more lacklustre last five-year performance, it has more recently been smart to have been investing elsewhere. What then of a third quarter trading update this morning?
The investment world remains…interesting. My basic view of the 2020s (and beyond) is that it is alright, but that the average investor, irrespective of age or size of pension fund, needs to fundamentally make sure they don’t think it is going to be the second coming of the 2010s. In short, pick your stocks carefully, you might beat inflation just about with the average bond, don’t have loads of cash hanging around under the sofa and a bit of gold exposure makes a lot of sense. And if you are not comfortable admitting that sometimes you bog it up as an investor…then outsource the management (so they can bog it up slightly less) and live a happier life. Meanwhile, I remain intrigued by the investment world and this morning I see some interesting comments from Croda International (CRDA) of the FTSE 100.
Hello Share Smashers. I can claim to be an expert in chemicals. Well, not really, though I hold a GCE in chemistry which shocked my old teacher when he saw the list of successful students. Which leads me to look at Croda (CRDA) - a chemicals company based within aping distance of my birth town, Doncaster.
Yesterday's bull call of the day which came in the form of Vodafone (VOD), was apart from the technical highlights, also a possible bid target situation.
The best laid plans of mice and men will often go astray. That’s another way of saying that investment portfolios need the diversity of about twenty shares to take account of the unexpected; both bearish and bullish. I note, with a heavy heart, the dismal performance of Croda International, a share that I last gazed upon in December 2013, after it had undergone a 15% decline in its share price to 2430p. To be kind to my bruised discernment, the share price did subsequently gain 7% to above 2600p by May 2014 (a decent rate of capital gain in five months), when all seemed to be going to expectations. Since then the share price has collapsed; last seen, the shares were 2106p 20% below last month’s peak and 14% below the last December price.
Was it really 187 days ago when I wrote about Croda International (CRDA) and Vedanta (VED) exiting the FTSE-100 and maybe providing a buying opportunity? Vedanta has worked well enough (and I have been taking some profits but, of course, do your own work and come to your own conclusions) but Croda has returned to the c. £22 share price level today it was in mid-December after a short Q2 pre-close statement.
I have going through my recent notes and observations of shares and companies to find a third share that appears to have the longer term prospects to justify inclusion in the Christmas share selection challenge. For my third Christmas share I have returned to the specialist chemical company Croda International (CRDA).
Yesterday, were published third quarter results of speciality chemicals Croda Group (CRDA).The price dropped like a proverbial stone: so I assumed that they would be pretty un-edifying and hard to read? To my surprise they were nothing of the kind. Maybe the share price fall was telling us more about the market than the share?
In moments like these when, discontinuity is the general prevailing mood, one need to seek and find the security in investment performance and value. It is of course true that past performance is not sure guide to future performance but in the always uncertain world of equity shares, it is a good place to start. So I have had a look at Croda International (CRDA) the Yorkshire based, still independently surviving, speciality Chemicals Company.
