anybody have any info?

Wait for weakness before shorting. It's going up on the back of the overbought FTSE-250.

Up to 344p this morning...

CWD defies gravity

Two potential bids in the offing (one management buyout the other from americans).

Until this talk goes it will defy commonsense.

Doesn't make sense. Why would they want to buy the company out now when they shareprice is clearly over-valued? Better to wait for the price to collapse and then move in.

I bailed out because of the takeover speculation. Even if speculation is nonsense enough people might believe it to possibly spike to 400, especially with intervening effects of short-closing buys.
If speculation does turn out to be crap, then might be tempted back to have another go, but happy enough on sidelines for now.

This may be useful. IMO when this baby starts dropping it will be steep and deep!

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/...1450168,00.html

January 21, 2005

Tempus

Countrywide

IT IS not the best time to be running an estate agency chain. The UK housing market has performed sluggishly over the past few months following a string of interest rate rises last year. Liquidity, meanwhile, is drying up and prices are going nowhere fast. Countrywide, the UK’s biggest estate agency chain, whose brands include Bairstow Eves and John D Wood, has been feeling the pinch as hard as anyone.

Countrywide peppered last year with profit warnings and it was forced to lay off staff before Christmas. Instead of cutting back, the company expanded last autumn with the purchase of Bradford & Bingley’s property chain. It is an ambitious move that may pay off in the long run. But it is likely to make the short-term going, which is already tough, even tougher.

Against this backdrop it is something of a mystery why shares in the company are currently trading at a whisker below their record high. US investors have been snapping up the shares because they look cheap compared with similar companies in the US. The share price strength may have more to do with the number of investors who have taken short positions in the stock. Given the market conditions and the plethora of profit warnings from Countrywide, it is easy to see why UK investors think that the share price will fall. But the buying of shares to cover the expiry of those short postions has, ironically and perversely, led the price higher and higher. There is an acute danger that this odd share price support mechanism will unwind. Sell if you can. But don’t go short.

can someone inform me on how to go short on shares? I know that to buy shares, just open up any trading account...but shorting? Where to go? Please recommend a few good websites.

Thanks. !!

www.igindex.co.uk is the easiest method. If you are serious (and don't mind) private message me with your email address and I can refer you in order to get a free Fortnum & Mason 'Afternoon Tea' Hamper.

Cheers,
Andrew