Creightons Share Price (CRL)

Share price is a big discount to book value. This is now a classic Management Buyout share.

Cheaper than a 1979 bag of chips!

Have added to my position here at 22p following the share price fall first thing this morning, will look to add more.

There was a sale and repurchase of 160,000 shares yesterday and today. I suppose this was some sort of bed and breakfast deal. Perhaps the Director thinks this is the bottom, or he wouldn't have bought back?

I bought these in Feb 25 based on the case set out then by Simon Thompson of investor chronicle. He saw these as a recovery buy based on actions taken by the board to reduce costs, reduce stock and debt and increase profitability. In Feb 26 he notes that these actions are working and puts the sp decline down to the 11% decline in pretax profit in the first half of the year. However, look at the other measures. In 2025, operating profit margin more than doubled; Return on capital employed more than doubled to 12.9 per cent and net cash increased sevenfold to £1.5mn. Net cash has since increased to £2.9mn.

So regarding your question I’m looking for net profit to recover and get close to the £3.5n of 2025, to see the benefits of their investments in the business begin to come through in their key metrics and to see their private label manufacturing numbers continuing to improve. It would also be nice to see that the major launch of one of their customers for whom they manufacture - delayed as at the most recent trading update - has now taken place. That would help their number and act as a tailwind.