James Halstead is a UK-based manufacturer and distributor of commercial flooring products. They offer high-quality vinyl flooring solutions under their flagship brand Polyflor, plus they are the company behind 12 other well known brands in the commercial flooring market. The company was formed in 1915 and went public in 1948 where it has gained considerable kudos for having raised its investor dividend for 49 consecutive years. In this episode of the podcast Mark provides an updated review of the company and explains why he took the unusual step of commandeering the microphone at the 2025 AGM.

Links:

James Halstead: https://jameshalstead.com

The Desert Island Investor is generously hosted by London City based analysts Progressive Equity Research at https://www.progressive-research.com. You'll also find us on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and all leading podcasting channels.

Created by Mark Atkinson | Produced by Paul Kerin | SFX from Freesound (CC-BY): Waves: juskiddink.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/peaceful-morning
License code: L0TLWWJDT28JVSTX

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is provided for general information only and the opinions expressed by Mark, his guests and the producers of the podcast do not constitute financial advice. Before purchasing financial products it is advisable to seek the guidance of a professional financial advisor.

Desert Island Discord is a new series of confrontational podcasts from The Desert Island Investor Mark Atkinson. In Mark's regular podcast he reviews his own stocks, but in these episodes he will be talking about some of the more negative aspects of the world of investing that really grinds his gears. In this episode 'Secrets' he exposes the reluctance of many PLCs to keep private investors promptly informed about issues that can negatively impact on their ROI. The topics discussed include the late issuance and irregular timing of RNS notices and the increased likelihood of insider dealing taking place when a privileged group of investors is closer to the business than anyone else.

If your own investment journey has been tainted by some poor practice that you think Mark should drag through the mud in a future episode, use the form on our website at https://www.thedesertislandinvestor.co.uk to recommend a topic.

Desert Island Discord and The Desert Island Investor are generously hosted by London City based analysts Progressive Equity Research at https://www.progressive-research.com. You'll also find us on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and all leading podcasting channels.

Created by Mark Atkinson | Produced by Paul Kerin | SFX from Freesound (CC-BY) Sword Fight: FunWithSound.

Desert Island Discord intro music by Paul Kerin and The Parrots of the Caribbean. (c) 2026

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is provided for general information only and the opinions expressed by Mark, his guests and the producers of the podcast do not constitute financial advice. Before purchasing financial products it is advisable to seek the guidance of a professional financial advisor.

In this episode of the podcast Mark talks about Unilever spinning off its ice-cream business into a new investment opportunity The Magnum Ice Cream Company (MICC). Mark is already a Unilever shareholder so like many others he now eagerly awaits to see how the business will perform. Paul kits out the parrots in little Salvation Army outfits for a short carol service. Merry Christmas from everyone on the island!

Links:

Magnum: https://www.magnumicecream.com/uk/home.html

The Desert Island Investor podcast is generously hosted by London City based analysts Progressive Equity Research. You'll also find us on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and all leading podcasting channels.

If you have a question for Mark for our mini-podcast 'Question in a Bottle' please complete the form on our website at https://www.thedesertislandinvestor.co.uk

Created by Mark Atkinson (LinkedIn) | Produced by Paul Kerin | Bottle Illustration from FreePik (CC-BY) rawpixel dot com. SFX from Freesound (CC-BY): Waves: juskiddink. Corkscrew: YleArkisto. Cymbals and Bass Drum: colinb_1000. Tuba: sgossner. Triangle: zabuhailo. Applause: joedeshon. Parrot Jungle: soundbytez.

Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/yeti-music/peaceful-morning
License code: L0TLWWJDT28JVSTX

Disclaimer: The content of this podcast is provided for general information only and the opinions expressed by Mark, his guests and the producers of the podcast do not constitute financial advice. Before purchasing financial products it is advisable to seek the guidance of a professional financial advisor.