massive egos at play here unfortunately. instead of a rock solid...

massive egos at play here unfortunately. instead of a rock solid strategy, they decided on a stupid policy of trying to artificially prop up the SP. think of the repeated FAILED attempts:
- BB. this has repeatedly interrupted the true impacts of free market by consistently countering the sell side volume. with such low volume, SP is easily manipulated to the upside with insider buying. they have deliberately drawn this BB out, likely extend it...for what purpose? its been the slowest death spiral Ive ever seen - do they have performance linked SP hurdle rates they need to maintain??
- the $35 options. Stupidity 101. wont even go there. why??? like who would believe that idiocy?! worthless waste of time.
- special divis. sugar hit. zero substance.

.....the repeated ca$h splashes.

due to the decent sized cash balance built off the back of their former clients when FUM was at its lofty highs, they are now using their ONLY war chest tool to prop up the ailing SP via both the BB, artificially high payout ratios and of course, now the "special" dividends payments....will likely have room for one, max 2, more special divs before their ca$h buffer runs out....

the mkt instantly forgets these sugar hits the minute they are paid/consumed. so why do them?

is this the best strategy they have? all that wasted $$$$....for what? what have they built? where have they invested? what have they bought?

they have nothing but CASH and NO DEBT to propel the business back and they're wasting it on sugar hits. EGO central.

look what their peers have done...why arent they doing the same? What bolt ons have they made? PTM is in the shitter, so are many others, why not use the cash to acquire FUM? with PTM theyd instantly grow back to over $50bn and LIFT the avg margin to >80-90bps..

even regal is on the hunt....go local, go global. whatever, but do something other than artificially support an ailing SP when your FUM is in major outflow (consistently falling at -$2bn every other month, unabated and constant, not trailing with the massive loss of FUM ).