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Thank you to everyone that has donated I've raised nearly £600 just from here when I started I thought may £100 at most but I've come across so many generous people on this site am giving it one last push....am running the London marathon on Sunday for animal hope and wellness foundation that saves dogs from being tortured, burnt alive, boiled alive in the Asian dog meat trade please donate it would be greatly appreciated at Neil beedie just giving. Thank you
yes all done , i am happy.
SO the rumours are true - another company taken over....
i didn't expect that i wish i bought some more in Jan.
17 pounds would do it,
RNS continued .... Asia Pacific Our Asia Pacific business has traded in line with expectations through the last quarter, despite the previously reported slowdown in mainland China. We anticipate current market conditions continuing into the next financial year. Energy Our nuclear, power and renewables businesses continue to grow in line with our expectations. The performance of our oil and gas business is mixed, with the most difficult trading conditions being experienced by our North American business, offset to some extent by growth opportunities in the Middle East. Following receipt of the necessary regulatory approvals, we were pleased to complete the acquisition of the Projects, Products and Technology ("PP&T") segment of EnergySolutions on 11 April. This innovative nuclear energy business, comprising 650 people, will significantly enhance the Group's current nuclear capability, particularly in North America. Balance sheet The Group's financial position remains strong. We expect to report net funds of around £190m at 31 March 2016, prior to funding the cost of the PP&T acquisition. During the period we negotiated a new £100m, three-year revolving credit facility ("RCF") with our tier one relationship banks. This new facility is in addition to the Group's existing £200m five-year RCF and $75m US Private Placement debt, with maturity dates of 2020 and 2019 respectively.
Pre-close trading update WS Atkins plc ("Atkins" or the "Group"), the design, engineering and project management consultancy, today provides an update on trading for the year ended 31 March 2016 in advance of its preliminary results announcement on 16 June 2016. The Group has traded well through the fourth quarter. We expect to report underlying results for the year ended 31 March 2016 in line with expectations, as we make good progress towards our 8% Group operating margin target. United Kingdom and Europe Our UK and Europe business is expected to show good margin progress in the second half of the year, and we continue to benefit from the UK Government's ongoing commitment to infrastructure spending. As part of a joint venture with CH2M and SENER, we have recently been appointed as Engineering Delivery Partner for the High Speed 2 project. This contract, valued at between £250 million and £350 million to the joint venture, is expected to run for 10 years. It covers the civils, stations, planning and environment, and railway systems aspects of Phase 1 of the project. North America Our North American business continues to operate within stable infrastructure markets. While certain parts of our business with a greater reliance on Federal funding continue to be challenged by project award delays, we expect to deliver an improved second half performance after a first half impacted by bidding costs on major projects. We were delighted to be appointed recently as lead designer to Fluor on the $2bn Maryland Purple Line light rail transit project. Middle East In the Middle East we have been busy through the second half with our work on the Riyadh metro and two lines of the Doha metro programme, in what we expect to be a strong year for the region. As previously highlighted, there remains some uncertainty about the timing and funding of some of our pipeline opportunities, particularly in property and government infrastructure. On 3 March we were pleased to reach agreement on the acquisition of Howard Humphreys (East Africa) Limited, subject to normal regulatory clearances. This multidisciplinary consultancy, based in Kenya and Tanzania, employs around 200 people and has a strong track record in the transportation, water and property markets. The acquisition is an important catalyst to develop our presence within East Africa's rapidly growing infrastructure market. Asia Pacific Our Asia Pacific business has traded in line with expectations through the last quarter, despite the previously reported slowdown in mainland China. We anticipate current market conditions continuing into the next financial year. Energy Our nuclear, power and renewables businesses continue to grow in line with our expectations. The performance of our oil and gas business is mixed, with the most difficult trading con
WS Atkins plc completes the acquisition of nuclear services division of EnergySolutions WS Atkins plc ("Atkins"), the design, engineering and project management consultancy, is pleased to announce that on 11 April 2016 it completed its previously announced acquisition of the Projects, Products and Technology segment of EnergySolutions ("PP&T"). PP&T is an innovative nuclear energy business, comprising 650 people delivering a wide range of technical engineering and programme management services for the decontamination and decommissioning of high hazard government nuclear facilities. Professor Dr Uwe Krueger, CEO said, "This acquisition accelerates our nuclear strategy and creates a global platform. Our combined business is well positioned in all the major nuclear markets in North America, UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. In the US, which has the largest nuclear fleet, we are at the top table for decommissioning, site operations, major projects and consultancy." Atkins acquired PP&T for an enterprise value of US$318m. The consideration was funded from Atkins' existing cash resources and available committed bank facilities.
I think its about time the CEO is changed the company has stalled under the current leadership. Same old same old, meet expectations. When are we going to drive on and look like we are growing not standing still?
Matthew Earl's short seems to be doing very well!
Good chart here, new ATH and still strong.
Atkins shares boosted by Osborne's infrastructure focus 26 Nov 2015 | WS Atkins the largest engineering group in the UK has been involved in design work for HS2 and Crossrail. FTSE 250-listed engineering group has a good outlook based on UK infrastructure spending on rail and roads, says Questor
,WS Atkins was among the biggest mid-cap risers as it announced plans to acquire the nuclear services division of EnergySolutions for $318m. Analysts at Numis said the deal was “a very good fit” with Atkins’ strategy, and will enhance its margins and growth prospects. The stock closed 92p higher at £14.54. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/marketreport/12001782/FTSE-posts-biggest-rise-in-six-weeks-as-confidence-in-economic-outlook-rebounds.html
Atkins climbs 8% as it expands nuclear business http://www.theguardian.com/business/marketforceslive/2015/nov/17/atkins-climbs-8-as-it-expands-nuclear-business
Questor UK recovery lifts Atkins FTSE 250-listed engineering group has a good outlook based on UK infrastructure spending on rail and roads, says Questor http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/markets/questor/11992494/Questor-share-tip-UK-recovery-lifts-Atkins.html
Usual update going nowhere fast imho
to get involved here. Issue is share price is near its 52 week high but everything is saying buy! Stable at the current price for the past few days. Broker stated buy and new high target. Tempted.....
Atkins on track for income: A confident outlook on infrastructure spending has sent shares in WS ATKINS to an all-time-high. In a world of record low interest rates, the steady dividend income that comes with holding Atkins’ shares is attractive. What’s more, the 36.5p payout, which offers a 2.4% yield, increased by an inflation-busting 8.1% in the past year. The final dividend of 25.5p will go ex-dividend on July 8, and is payable on August 21. The company was involved in the design stages for the High Speed 2 rail link between London and the West Midlands, which some have estimated will cost a total of £73 billion, and believes it is well placed to win further work. The push to electrify more of the U.K.’s rail network also prevents a “substantial opportunity”, Atkins said. The company’s pension liability is quite large at £317 million, but the deficit repayments have been frozen at £32 million for the next decade, which offers stability for investor returns. Questor is always wary of shares that are at record highs but Atkins is working on long-term infrastructure projects. Questor still likes this steady performer and we recommending holding on to the shares. WS Atkins at £15.08+16p. Questor Says “Hold
WS Atkins signals confidence by proposing 8.1% dividend rise: WS Atkins, the U.K. engineering consultancy, on Thursday signalled confidence in its prospects by proposing to raise its dividend by 8.1%.
Atkins delivers cash surprise: WS Atkins gave investors a mixed picture in a pre-close trading update. The U.K.’s largest engineering group said it had more cash than previously expected, but warned of a contract hiatus around the forthcoming general election. WS Atkins said that it expects to have £175 million in cash on the balance sheet at the year ended March, up from £135 million in previous guidance. The jump was due to successful negotiations for additional work on U.K. rail contracts, and tight control of spending across the rest of the group. The Epsom-based firm’s U.K. division is responsible for half of the group’s revenue and 45% of its profits. The company said the U.K. arm enjoyed improved trading conditions in the second half of the year. However, management warned of a “hiatus on decision making” for infrastructure projects around the general election on May 7. Elsewhere, the North American business expects to report an improvement in profit margins, and the Asia Pacific region reported that the slowdown in China will continue into the current year. The shares are down 3.8% so far this year and that looks somewhat unfair. The company has a strong balance sheet with a prospective dividend yielding 2.9% that is covered more than twice by spare cash flow. The shares are trading on a forward price-earnings ratio of 13 times, falling to 12 times next year, which looks like a good price. WS Atkins is a high-quality company and Questor retains its hold advice. WS Atkins at £13.17+12p Questor Says “Hold”.
There is little to fault with Atkins at present. As with many UK companies, strong sterling is an issue. But the recent trading update confirmed that trading was in line with expectations despite this headwind. The calendarised 2014 price-earnings multiple is 15 times, which is still at a discount to the global peer group. That looks undeserved given the obvious quality on offer. Recent M&A action in the sector could help close that gap, either by highlighting the valuation upside or by giving Atkins the chance to participate in a transformational deal.
The energy division, meanwhile, grew revenues by 12 per cent to £170m. Atkins has a well-established presence in the oil and gas and nuclear markets, both of which are growing strongly. And the acquisition of US nuclear engineering business Nuclear Safety Associates, which is in the final stages of regulatory approval, will fulfil Atkins's long-held aim of establishing a US nuclear footprint. The UK remains the group's biggest market accounting for just over half of its revenues. Atkins has strong market positions in road and rail and is benefiting from a healthy backlog of projects, as the government ploughs cash into infrastructure investment in an effort to keep the economy moving. Atkins is involved in work such as the UK's rail electrification programme, early-stage design work for the London to West Midlands high-speed rail link and maintenance of the M25 motorway. The UK water sector has also been busy as water companies step up spending in the last year of their current regulatory period. Atkins is, however, preparing for a quieter time ahead when the new water pricing regime kicks in next year. The group has 'right-sized' the business in preparation and has also redeployed resources from its aerospace business, which is seeing a slowdown in work from major customer Airbus. Ultimately, the aim is to reduce dependency on the UK to less than a quarter of the group. One quick way to do that would be through acquisitions. The net cash pile and impressive cash generation - Atkins increased its net cash by almost a third last year - certainly give it some headroom. And Atkins could potentially be on the brink of a transformational deal. Press reports suggest Atkins is in the running to buy Balfour Beatty's (BBY) US engineering business, Parsons Brinkerhoff. The deal is complicated by the fact that Carillion (CLLN) is itself trying to merge with Balfour, but if it comes off it would propel Atkins into the big league. Broker Peel Hunt says the acquisition of Parsons would put Atkins in the top 10 global design companies and could, based on a £600m purchase price, deliver 12 per cent earnings accretion in its first full year.
Engineering consultancy WS Atkins (ATK) is a quality outfit. The group's top-class design and engineering skills see it involved in iconic building projects around the world - the Dubai Metro, the London 2012 Olympic games, the Hoover Dam bypass. And its skill in managing its own profitability and cash generation is just as sharp. Many of the UK's listed engineering consultancy companies have slipped on banana skins in recent years as the stop-start global economic recovery has thrown up challenges. Not Atkins. The group's underlying earnings have continued to grow, as have dividends, while a push to improve efficiency has lifted the operating margin towards the best-in-class 8 per cent target. In large part, that is due to shrewd management decisions on where best to focus the business. Atkins has exited businesses that no longer make strategic sense. The UK highways services arm and loss-making US construction business Peter Brown were both sold off late last year. Atkins, which also exited its UK asset management and PFI businesses in recent years, said at its recent full-year results that its 'portfolio optimisation' was now mostly complete. So Atkins can now fully focus on sectors where it sees the best growth and margin potential. Last year, the best of the top-line growth was in Asia Pacific and the energy division. It's no coincidence that these are key focus areas for the group. Asia Pacific revenues rose 14 per cent to £101m. Around £9m of that came from Singapore-based Confluence, which was acquired by Atkins in October. Confluence, which has worked on high-profile projects, including the Singapore Grand Prix and Marina Bay Sands mega-casino, boosts the group's presence in the region and also adds key programme management skills.
Hold Atkins after solid start: WS Atkins, the largest engineering group in the U.K., has started its new financial year by announcing that it will be the lead designer on the Doha metro in Qatar. The company warned that profits this year will suffer from the strength of the pound but, for long-term investors, it remains a hold for the dividend income. The engineer said it has got off to a strong start in the Middle East as the region benefits from increased infrastructure spending and a recovery in the property market. The North American business was restructured last year and the company said it expects to see the fruits of its labours this year, with improved profit margins at the half year stage ended September. Asia Pacific is trading well, having won work on the new Qindao airport in China’s Shandong province at the end of last year. The engineering group is still generating plenty of cash and ended June with £165 million on the balance sheet. The FTSE 250-listed civil engineering contractor reported net cash £40 million higher than analyst expectations at the end of March. The engineering group is focusing on becoming a more profitable business despite revenues remaining fairly flat. The low margin U.K. highways construction and maintenance division has been sold to Skanska and the group is targeting profit margins rising to 8% during the next two years, from 6.5% at the end of March. That means the company doesn’t have to deliver huge revenue growth to improve profits and returns to shareholders. Atkins made significant progress in its higher growth energy division by announcing it was preferred bidder on the Sellafield decommissioning project and design demand in the oil and gas sector remains solid. The one-in-three-year pension valuation reported a deficit of £430 million. While this increases risks for investors, crucially it won’t affect returns, as the deficit repayments have been frozen at £32 million for the next decade. Atkins is a high-quality company and Questor retains that advice, hold. WS Atkins at £13.09+9p Questor Says “Hold”.