CAMRA sees brewery investments rocket
The value of the Camra Investment Club, which invests members' cash in brewing stocks, has soared in the past six months as take-over speculation has boosted a number of brewers' stocks.
The total value of the fund has risen by around £1.8m to £9.5m in the six months to the end of last month.
Around 3,000 Camra (Campaign for Real Ale) members contribute £1m a year to the fund - the maximum individual contribution is £1,000 year.
The takeover of Hardys and Hansons by Greene King boosted the market value of the Camra Investment Club holding by £353,541 to £1,119,369.
Other big share value gains have come in holdings in Young's (up by £102,291), Shepherd Neame (up £72,838), Greene King (£66,069) and Fuller's (£60,234).
The Investment Club also now has its second £1m holding - in Daniel Thwaites.
On the irony of making a profit out of the sale of Hardys, which Camra opposed, Investment Club spokesman Neil Kellett said:"At least some of the money will be going into the pockets of real-ale customers."
Kellett said the rise in brewers' shares reminded him of the rush by people to invest in building societies they thought might demut-ualise.
"Everybody seems to be stepping over themselves to buy them. These shares are going up for the wrong reasons."
The Investment Club has a policy of supporting Camra in all matters linked to brewery takeovers. On that basis, it will only sell its shares in Hardys and Hansons when it is compulsorily obliged to.
