I listened the recording myself this morning(UK time).
Here is my Opinion - I've done some self assessment of my own opinions and view, as well as my own market assessment based on steves assertions about HC and market confidence.
So - There is two type of people who will hear the conf call, each in their separate ways. THE FIRST TYPE:
- They will hear the overall very positive message reporting as a business, understanding the implications of operating in such a context and environment.
- They will hear the OBJ team is doing their best, believe in the company, and are working to make it a success.
- They will hear them lay out clearly their constraints, their capacities, and business goals.
- They will hear the difficulties facing them on their path to making the company successful.
- They will hear the very clear frustration they have with negative holder sentiment.
- They will hear the very clear impact it has on them, and they that are on a mission to deliver.
- They will hear why challenges lie ahead and there is no "get rich quick scheme" here.
- They will hear the significant change in communication and attitudes to the company of the past, and recognise that's NOT due to any board departures, but overall new attitudes in the team.
- Overall they will hear a very good message and starting point to rebuild confidence.
- In my opinion, this is the minority of holders right now - the rational holders.
The second type:
- WILL HEAR ONLY WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR - A confirmation bias. In laymans terms, that means many are simply "hearing what they want to hear - "The tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions."
- This type generally wont have listened to much of the recording, or will wait for inaccurate reports of the recording from posters on places like here, and will be expecting people like me to quote or report on it for them. I wont do that.
- They will focus on small items, latch onto wordings, speculate on items which they can use as confirmation for their all ready established view. Their decision is made already, its now a search for them to find evidence.
- For some this will be Positive- Bias type, where the company can do no wrong, ever in any way. IMO I believe this to be a very small number of holders.
- Others will be the negative-bias type, looking for anything they can self interpret as negative. Even if they means twisting, turning, or embellishing the result to suit their viewpoint. IMO This is large number of holders, outnumbering both the positive bias, and the rational holders combined together. They will NOT hear the numbers they want, not hear the times they want, NOT hear the goals they want, not hear the revenue they want and NOT hear what else is said.
- The vast remainder/bulk of the market are "herd-bias", are to politely put it "the followers". They follow the herd, and its direction. If that direction is off a cliff, they follow, and they parrot the viewpoint to others, and right now the negatives are firmly in control.
After hearing what was said, against what is being reported here, I belief that confirmation bias is overtly rife within the market for OBJ. It has been enabled by both poor company communications in the past*, as well as numerous individuals seeking to exploit it for personal gain, making a storm of negative sentiment in a stock that by rights should NOT be this lowly valued.
*I say past because this for me is an indicator of change.
I would point out that if the board would like holders to re-focus, OBJ must equally assist. It takes two to tango, OBJ can do that easily, and help drive holder change by simply continuing to go forward with this kind of rhetoric, and keep the market in sight of the positives and goals. I've always said - "Silence breeds speculation, which left unattended will always turn negative", and its been a feeling of silence and isolation for holders for a long time now.
There is no conspiracy in the market against OBJ, and there is no obvious justification for its recent share plunge.
Its just the standard market "self fulfilling prophecy", enabled by opportunistic trading scum in the market:
1- Too many of the negative-bias people believe its going to fail and shout to the world "Its going down to x cents!!!"
2-The negative-bias convince the herd its going to fail who follow suit and sell with "Watch, Watch!!, Bail!!", the opportunists rub their hands and take their profits off everyone.
3-The negative-bias have then created the failure and proclaim they are right. "See??!!!, SEE!??!!!it failed!!" And any serious future investors now look away.
4-The negative-bias position is strengthened, they receive accolades and credibility, and somehow believe they are actual fortune tellers capable of predicting future events again.
5-They then repeat, and as the price goes from 10c to 2c, people mistakenly think they are actually intelligent - so someone gives them a job as a stockbroker for what is ultimately guessing, playing with herd mentality on a chart.
To break this you need a point anywhere in the above that re-directs the herd from following and/or repeating. A regular conference call for example. A monthly announcement/newsletter. something/anything that stops the herd going off the cliff. Whatever it is, It doesn't have to a be a glowing holder-ass-kissing each time, just something to stop the negative bias from controlling the herd, which is where we are precariously perched.
In our case, when listening to the recording, you can hear this as a slightly tense/frustrated meeting, with lets be honest, some cringe worthy questions, but that may just be what it takes to begin fixing the sentiment issues.
Steve and team may not be aware of it, but this conf call IMO is the first step in doing that, and braking the previous trend of poor communication, a key failure that enabled the market to be so negatively swayed. In doing so, all holders now have more information, and the the negative-bias players have less to work with. The more that happens, the more of the negative-bias will leave and the SP can start a positive recovery.
OBJ Price at posting:
2.9¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held