We would love to hear your thoughts about our site and services, please take our survey here.
London South East prides itself on its community spirit, and in order to keep the chat section problem free, we ask all members to follow these simple rules. In these rules, we refer to ourselves as "we", "us", "our". The user of the website is referred to as "you" and "your".
By posting on our share chat boards you are agreeing to the following:
The IP address of all posts is recorded to aid in enforcing these conditions. As a user you agree to any information you have entered being stored in a database. You agree that we have the right to remove, edit, move or close any topic or board at any time should we see fit. You agree that we have the right to remove any post without notice. You agree that we have the right to suspend your account without notice.
Please note some users may not behave properly and may post content that is misleading, untrue or offensive.
It is not possible for us to fully monitor all content all of the time but where we have actually received notice of any content that is potentially misleading, untrue, offensive, unlawful, infringes third party rights or is potentially in breach of these terms and conditions, then we will review such content, decide whether to remove it from this website and act accordingly.
Premium Members are members that have a premium subscription with London South East. You can subscribe here.
London South East does not endorse such members, and posts should not be construed as advice and represent the opinions of the authors, not those of London South East Ltd, or its affiliates.
Golden cross at CCT
"Our own in-house developed brands have continued to sell well and have given us a great opportunity this year to grow international sales. "Our own brand developments as well as the distribution of new and exciting product lines continue to help maintain Character as one of the UK's leading toy companies. We are comfortable that forecasted sales, both internationally and domestically, will underpin the group achieving current market expectations for the year ending August 31st, 2013."
Toy developer and supplier The Character Group is expecting a major lift in sales following the release of new product ranges in the UK. The group said sales for the first four months of the new financial year were on budget following a challenging Christmas period for retailers and suppliers. However, results for the period to February will be 'disspointing', the company confessed. "Looking ahead; as already indicated, the results for the period to February 2013 will be disappointing, however, we expect to benefit from a major lift in sales in the second half of the current financial year compared to the previous corresponding period and this should provide a solid platform for further growth in the 2014 financial year," the group said in statement. They have received positive feedback on new products unveiled to customers at international toy fairs in London and the Far East. The company expects to see a rise in sales as a result.
"Our established brands are performing well and our newly introduced lines have started the season with encouraging sales," it said. Character believes that current weak trading is only a 'temporary setback' and underlined its confidence in future trading by recommending an increased final dividend of 3.3p compared to 3p in 2011. Together with the interim dividend paid in July, this makes a total for the year of 6.6p up from 6p before. "The current round of product previews with our major customers, in which we present next season's ranges, have gone far better than expected. This leads us to believe that we have a much stronger product portfolio to take us forward into the next season."
Sluggish UK sales drove down annual earnings at toys and games firm Character Group and it now expects first half results to February 2013 to be disappointing. The group, which sells branded ranges such as Peppa Pig, Fireman Sam and Scooby Doo, said pre-tax profit fell to £7.08m for the year ended August 31st 2012 from £9.05m the year before. Sales for the period declined to £74.95m from £94.95m a year earlier. "Whilst international sales have held up well, UK sales proved much more difficult. We saw an increase in the volume of clearance sales, a reduction in normal margin sales and some retailers delaying their normal stock intake. These factors accounted for the majority of the drop in margin for the period under review," Character explained in a company statement. As well as tough market conditions, Character said market disruptions from Euro Football, the Jubilee celebrations and the Olympics also weighed on trading. Otherwise the group said it is confident of a good performance from new lines such as Bin Weevils and construction toys such as the new Sports Stars. Character said it is optimistic that trading will generate stronger sales in the 2013 calendar year.
Character Group: Merchant Securities reduces target price from 119p to 82p and downgrades from hold to sell.
Character Group, a toys and games company, has issued a profits warning for the financial year ending August 31st 2013. It said: "Whilst sales in September were on budget, October sales showed a steep decline. The group now considers that it will fall materially short of its budgeted sales to Christmas and therefore will not be in a position to achieve the market forecasts for the financial year ending August 31st 2013." It added: "although we are now expecting the first half results of the current financial year to be disappointing, we remain optimistic that overall, with Character's stable of established branded ranges and stronger new product line up, supported by encouraging initial reactions and feedback from our customers both domestically and internationally, trading will generate stronger sales in the 2013 calendar year as a whole and provide a much improved trading position as we move into the 2014 financial year."
The SP looks a bit over priced considering the state of retailing at the moment.
Trading Update Whilst the Directors are pleased to report that the Company's international sales have held up well in the financial year to date, UK sales are proving to be much more difficult than previously anticipated. Retail trading conditions have remained difficult and have been further adversely affected by a number of factors and major events, namely, the Jubilee celebrations, the Euro 2012 Championship, the abnormally bad UK weather, the deepening Eurozone crisis and the on-going impact of the 2012 Olympics. The combined effect of these factors are being felt in the market generally and on Group sales in particular where we are seeing an increase in the volume of clearance sales, a reduction in normal margin sales and some retailers delaying normal stock intake. In the Group's half-year results announcement released at the end of April 2012, we anticipated that the Group's sales for the current financial year would be more dependent than ever before on the timing of the orders placed by our major customers in July and August. In view of all the above, the Directors believe that the Group will not at this point be able to achieve its forecasts for the current financial year and, therefore, anticipate the Group's results shall be below current market expectations for the financial year ending 31 August 2012. However, the Board believes that the Group's current product portfolio as a whole, together with its new scheduled introductions, will lead to a satisfactory outcome for the 2012 Autumn/Christmas selling season and provide a good start for the new financial year commencing 1 September 2012.
http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201207270700086455I
Toys and games company Character Group has seen a fall in proft before tax for the six months ended February 29th after revenues dropped to £44.25m (2011: £58.10m). Pre-tax profit was £5.57m (2011: £6.64m), equal to earnings per share of 19.34p (2011: 20.28p). Despite this, the dividend was increased by 0.3p to 3.3p per share. The firm attributes the reduction both to the changing trading environment at retail and sales of the "Zhu Zhu Pets" returning to a more stable and sustainable level in the half year being reported. "There is no disguising the fact that the retail trade is, with few exceptions, finding it difficult to work its way through the current trading climate," the firm said, but added that it believes it can achieve a "very satisfactory result" both for this Christmas and the next financial year.
Shareholders will receive a 20% discount for any products purchased online at www.character-online.co.uk. A promotional code is required and can be obtained from the Company on request.
Character Group Buy 28-Feb-12 £148,000.00 Kirankumar Premshand Shah 100,000 @ 148.00p
UP day today?
CONT Despite these potentially adverse factors, the Directors believe that our key brands will continue to do well through the year and that some new and exceptionally exciting new product introductions, which are to be launched to the trade at next week's International Toy Fair at Olympia (24-26 January), will add both store presence as well as substantial sales and may even create a new toy category suited to the technological age. Whilst the results for the current financial year rely heavily on July and August sales, we are confident that our new introductions plus an increased retail presence giving us wider distribution should enable us to meet our forecasts for the year as a whole. We look forward to keeping shareholders updated with developments over the coming year."
Character Group -Trading Update The Character Group plc ("Character" or the "Group"), which holds its Annual General Meeting today (18 January) at 11am, publishes the following Trading Update ahead of the Meeting:- "As is well known, Christmas trading was generally very difficult for all trading companies and presented many challenges. Acknowledging the poor economic outlook early, the Group took action in the first part of the financial year to ensure that stock levels were not excessive whilst costs were reduced. We believe that the Group's key brands have held up well with no substantial casualties. This is encouraging when compared to the market as a whole. Around 60% of Group sales derive from own-developed and branded products and this has helped Character to maintain its position as one of the UK's leading toy companies. It is especially pleasing therefore to note that despite lower sales to date, when these are added to our internal forecasts for the remainder of the financial year ending 31 August 2012, the Group is still likely to produce a result in line with current market expectations. Looking ahead, it is of course more difficult than normal to forecast in these conditions and added to the complexity is the possible disruption to trade yet to be felt by the events leading up to both the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics.
http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201201180700207341V
Richard King, Chairman of The Character Group said: "Each year the TRA announces its predictions for the Dream Dozen toys and, once again, it is a privilege to appear in such a prestigious list. The list is chosen from all toys in the marketplace and takes into account factors such as sales predictions, innovative marketing and pure entertainment value. We are understandably delighted to have received such recognition in the only official prediction of Christmas best-sellers." Jon Diver, Joint Managing Director of The Character Group commented: "Each year, we strive to develop the quality and play value of the toys we produce and, each year, the TRA acknowledges this development by including Character in its best-of-the-year lists. We believe Character's annual appearance on the Dream Toys list further justifies our long-term strategy of building and nurturing brands."
Fireman Sam Helps Character into Dream Toys 2011 List The Toy Retailers Association ("TRA") has once again placed a Character product in its 'Dream Dozen' for Christmas 2011. Character is represented in the list by the Fireman Sam Pontypandy Multi-Rescue Set. There is so much in this Multi-Rescue Set because Fireman Sam needs some rescue help to cope with all the disaster scenarios. Kids must help put out the building fires with the hose, save naughty Norman when he traps his head in the railings and help Sam get the cat down from the tree! There's never a dull moment - there's even a collapsing roof and floor! In addition to the Fireman Sam set (which also features in the TRA Pre-School Top Ten List for Christmas), two further toys with Character's Doctor Who brand were represented in the TRA's lists. In the Boys Top Ten, the Doctor Who Personalise Your Own Sonic Screwdriver Set features, and making the Construction Top Ten is the Doctor Who Dalek Factory Set. Also commended in the Pre-School Top Ten list is Peppa's World of Playsets.
http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=201110261333548929Q
He may know how to take down the Daleks and the Cybermen but will Doctor Who be able to save Character Group – which makes toys of the BBC1 hero – from a Europe-wide sovereign debt crisis? The company, which also makes Bob the Builder and Peppa Pig toys, said it would meet results expectations and added the directors were pleased with the distribution of the brands for Christmas and the spring. Nonetheless, in a bid to protect itself, the company is tightening its stock control, which will protect profitability and cash flow, although it will not maximise potential sales. These measures, its stable of brands and the forward earnings multiple of under seven times make this one to buy, according to the Independent.
http://www.stockopedia.co.uk/content/character-group-steadying-the-ship-59816/
Horrible spread though - albeit dummy buys are quoted tighter
155 - 162 (from a 146ish low today)- that was on the cards after the RNS
Some good reassurance from the BoD - will it make a difference in this Market though - if I had the spare cash I think I would buy following todays update