What Sir Ron Brierley is up to these days

[steve fleming]

Now that he is retired, i thought it might be interesting to see what RB is investing in personally – as he is currently seems to be on a real buying spree.

So far, in the last couple of weeks, he has popped up as a SSH in the following:

CSE (takeover arbitrage opportunity) - 7% stake
Holder of 9,872,118 shares at 15c

India Equities Limited (Cash up shell) – 15% stake
Holder of 18 m shares at around 5.5c

These are both classic Brierley low risk corporate asset plays - and being small/micro-caps are a lot better suited to asset plays than some of the larger deals he was forced to take on, purely because of the size that BIL and then GPG had become.


Will see if he has still got it!

[drillfix]

Hi Stevo,

Mate, not sure who Sir Ron is, but is he somebody that you follow or buy if he buys?

Also, what is the code for India Equities Ltd? or is it not listed?

Last, what do you believe will happen, as in similar to those other shells that are back door plays?

Cheers~!

[percy]

Hi Stevo,

Mate, not sure who Sir Ron is, but is he somebody that you follow or buy if he buys?

Also, what is the code for India Equities Ltd? or is it not listed?

Last, what do you believe will happen, as in similar to those other shells that are back door plays?

Cheers~!

Sir Ron was a brilliant analysis who brought under-valued asset rich companies. He made target companies sell under performing assets.He altered NZ and Australian sharemarkets,driving out "old" under performing directors/companies.
If companies were asleep Brierly Investments,and later IEL [Australian based] woke them up with a takeover offer.The company grew too large and floundered with the takeover of UK hotel chain Mt Charlotte.It was only quick thinking by MD Bruce Hancock who saved BIL from going bellyup.Sir Ron then brought GPG from Brrierly Investments, and set about repeating his errors by ending up the owner of "past due date' Coats treads.GPG is now in "the wreckers yard "being dismanteled.He would be worth watching/following if he is investing on his own account.Should he be looking to takeover INE as his next vehicle I would leave it well alone.He knew which people to get rid of in target companies,but employed over paid underachievers ,who put their own interests before shareholders,in both Brrierly and GPG..His choices of Bruce Judge,Russell Goward,Gary Weiss was suspect.!His fellow directors left a lot to answer to,with all over loading themselves with options at sharehoders expense.

[Balance]

Sir Ron was a brilliant analysis who brought under-valued asset rich companies. He made target companies sell under performing assets.He altered NZ and Australian sharemarkets,driving out "old" under performing directors/companies.
If companies were asleep Brierly Investments,and later IEL [Australian based] woke them up with a takeover offer.The company grew too large and floundered with the takeover of UK hotel chain Mt Charlotte.It was only quick thinking by MD Bruce Hancock who saved BIL from going bellyup.Sir Ron then brought GPG from Brrierly Investments, and set about repeating his errors by ending up the owner of "past due date' Coats treads.GPG is now in "the wreckers yard "being dismanteled.He would be worth watching/following if he is investing on his own account.Should he be looking to takeover INE as his next vehicle I would leave it well alone.He knew which people to get rid of in target companies,but employed over paid underachievers ,who put their own interests before shareholders,in both Brrierly and GPG..His choices of Bruce Judge,Russell Goward,Gary Weiss was suspect.!His fellow directors left a lot to answer to,with all over loading themselves with options at sharehoders expense.

Best summary of the senile old fool and his follies.

[percy]

Best summary of the senile old fool and his follies.

Follies?!! Can't say if it is true or not,but the story goes Sir Robert Jones got a Wellington radio station on April's fools day to announce the engagement of Sir Ron to Carmen [the local drag queen].The joke was that Bruce Judge, then Brierley Investments MD thought it was for real,ran around like a flee in a fit, and tried to hush it up, threatened to sue the radio station.Sir Ron didn't seem to care,while Sir Robert laughed his head off.

[percy]

Follies?!! Can't say if it is true or not,but the story goes Sir Robert Jones got a Wellington radio station on April's fools day to announce the engagement of Sir Ron to Carmen [the local drag queen].The joke was that Bruce Judge, then Brierley Investments MD thought it was for real,ran around like a flee in a fit, and tried to hush it up, threatened to sue the radio station.Sir Ron didn't seem to care,while Sir Robert laughed his head off.

Above posted 28-06-2012
Now we can understand Bruce Judge's concern.?

[axion]

India Equities = INE on the ASX

[macduffy]

Mate, not sure who Sir Ron is, but is he somebody that you follow or buy if he buys?

You're kidding, of course, drilly!

Ron B was certainly worth following about 40 or 50 years ago in the BIL heyday but unfortunately his, or at least GPG's picks havn't been doing the business in recent years. Of course, with RB's money one can afford a few extravagant punts!

[drillfix]

You're kidding, of course, drilly!

Nope Macduff, not kidding as I am not natively from Aus and dont really know every glory story ...lol.

[macduffy]

Nope Macduff, not kidding as I am not natively from Aus and dont really know every glory story ...lol.

Sorry for the misunderstanding, drilly.

As percy has posted, Sir Ron, then just Ron Brierley, commenced his activities in the 1960's publishing a share tip sheet and taking positions in under-valued companies, often with valuable real estate on their books at unrealistically low valuations. NZ's original company raider/rationaliser, initially persona non gratia with the business establishment and stock exchange which wouldn't list his company for many years. Grew to be NZ's biggest company by market cap at one stage but that was then this is now!

A fascinating story if you have the time to read it but I wouldn't be following his personal investment punts these days.