News in brief: Recovery on track for T30 members

Prices don’t encapsulate all knowledge

Judging by the price charts of some Thrifty 30 members it looks like my next review of the portfolio is going to be an uncomfortable experience. But prices don’t tell the full story.

Sometimes they don’t tell any of it.

The panic in August walloped screw manufacturer Trifast’s share price, but news from the company indicates the recovery is still underway. Trifast joined the Thrifty 30 last October.

Despite a scary delay publishing its results, I don’t think there are any bogeys in International Greetings’ preliminary statement. Thankfully the gift-wrap, card and cracker company added to the Thrifty 30 a year ago has been quicker about getting its annual report out.

If this is becoming a little repetitive I’m sorry, I’m just reporting news. Recovery appears to be on track at French Connection, the floppy-eared fashion retailer I added in April 2010, and at Castings, which makes castings, added in October 2009, and reviewed in July 2010.

Meanwhile at embattled consumer electronics outfit Armour, where the shares only cost 2p now, a shareholder shows signs of confidence. Mind you, the 500,000 shares chief executive George Dexter bought will only have cost him £10,000.

Another investor would like to forget he added Armour in February 2010, added more in January 2011, and then regretted it, but unfortunately he runs his portfolio in public.