Member Info for Adastra

The initial remit of Porta was to build a comprehensive international consultancy offering total communications and marketing services under a single umbrella to meet the fast changing communications and information landscape. It has done exactly that by either initiation or acquisition. The envisaged time-frame was delayed by the lengthy negotiations to get PPS and Publicasity at the right price. We now have nine businesses under a single roof offering an integrated and dynamic proposition to businesses regardless of size. We have reached 'critical mass'. CEO David Wright was sensible enough to realise that the 'new blood' of Steffan Williams would lead the next step-change in growth as we go into 2016 and cash-generation. This subsequent appointment of Gavin Devine is consistent with the strategy of gearing-up to those bigger accounts as he brings a wealth of experience to the role. These senior appointments are derisked by the fact that we have centralised offices in the heart of London and nine component companies offering integrated and comprehensive services to a wide range of clients. Porta are importantly not dependent on either any one sector nor any one account, and a large proportion of income is either contracted or recurring with businesses ranging from AIM to FTSE100. Yes, there will always be pitfalls in any industry, but Porta does seem to be handling and mitigating risk as it grows by closing under-performing ops and concentrating on those that are growing strongly. The BoD have a clear vision of where they are and where they are positioning the company for growth. Perpetual and consistent director buying is also a vote of confidence. Eventually, when we have cleared the stale and legacy sellers, the prospects will prevail and those instos with foresight will actually start to see the growth of a formidable player in a highly competitive market.

I'm assuming , by your handle, that you were born in that glorious long hot summer of '76. How's about trying to reflect it in your comments rather than playing Victor Meldrew with such eloquence. :))) Clearly positive things are happening at Porta. Its not a one-trick pony and its not standing still. Your predictions of 4p and 'harbinger of doom' outlook just do not stack up with either facts or events.

'Ignore Porta at your peril' - - The company must be seeing substantial growth and demand for its comprehensive offering as indicated in the t/u and Steffan interview. Appointment of a COO is a significant event following the appointment of SW in October last year. It is as good an indication as we can get that the opportunity to scale the business substantially is evident. Are Hybridan going to be the new first movers of this year? I really get the feeling that once we get a big 'new' insto on board then others will quickly follow. There certainly appears to be a lot more pro activity going on at the work face than is being reflected in the shareprice. All this news can only be good for our profile as we try to jump onto the II radar screen.

New post of COO filled to continue to drive and escalate growth. http://www.investegate.co.uk/porta-communications--ptcm-/rns/appointment-of-chief-operating-officer/201603020700106975Q/ Certainly indicative of where we are going. Bigger remits in a growing business as everything comes together in 2016.

The appointment of Grant Thornton was a major indication of the rate of growth of the business IMO. I have little doubt that Steffan pursuaded the BoD to engage auditors who were able to accommodate the type of business into which the company was evolving. I also hope that, in the near future, we engage a really proactive broker to replace Sanlam. It is always difficult for a sub £50m MCap to encourage a broker to work hard on their behalf as the rewards are restricted nowadays, but for companies able to demonstrate real traction, it will happen. We are currently in that transitional window of opportunity. If we can't take it in 2016 with a new proactive MD then we never will. The landscape looks better for PR and communications this year than for a long time. Time to step up to the plate.

The shareprice is not reflecting the business; plain and simple. Porta have repeatedly said that business is doing well and outlook is excellent given the political landscape this year. All the directors have bought in big chunks for the past eighteen months and SW accepted the post as MD with out-of-the-money options at 10p. Profit forecasts have been upbeat NOT warnings. The horizon event of possible Brexit is a golden opportunity for Porta, unlike many firms, as its past campaigns indicate we will be forerunners in public engagement via PPS. I can understand your frustration df1976 but the plain truth is that Porta is 'heads down' working hard to convince by results and not constantly pandering to the dissenters. This is not a one-trick pony AIM company, let's get that straight. It's an integrated communications business with nine component companies working as a team. It WILL prove to be a winner in this integrated approach. The timeframe was extended to cover the purchase of PPS and Publicasity, but all is still on course and fee income is growing strongly. Porta has a big proportion of repeat income from AIM to FTSE100 companies with no reliance on any one company or one sector. It is a fairly low risk, wide target business and should thrive as budgets are restricted by its ability to offer a 'one shop for all' approach in customer/investor communications and relations. Since all the BoD are substantial holders then they are equally frustrated at the current share price. You can bet your bottom dollar they are working hard on results to show just how strong this business actually is. We have all had our patience tested as legacy and stale holders readjust and sell stock, it's frustrating and reflects their impatience as they constantly need to show growth. The wait, IMO, will be worth it as organic growth is now inherent.

Brexit and public opinion are the absolute fuel for PPS - it's exactly what it excels in, and Newgate as a whole will reap the benefits of the next few months. As for the stance of Porta; the sheer size and influence now of Newgate Australia is a great asset outside the EU. Its value alone is probably now equivalent to or slightly in excess of the whole MCap of Porta were it to be hived off or floated independently. However you view 2016, it is certainly a year of fruition for Porta. I totally agree that its had more than its fair share of stale investors as a result of its initial acquisition trail and portfolio adjustment by one insto in particular. That said, no acuisition shares were issued at below par value 10p so any seller would have to accept a paper loss against the value of their assets at the time of purchase. The past 18 months has seen Porta divest its inherent LLC structural obligations so is now far leaner and fitter than in 2015. As a comprehensive and integrated communications and advertising business under one roof it is now in an excellent position to attract bigger players across a variety of platforms. Steffan has the focus and track record to take the business to the next level of strong organic growth following a pause in acquisition. 2016 should see strengthening cashflow that reawakens investor appetite and allows the shareprice to rise to a more representative level. Once this happens, the acquisition trail will restart as it is the single most effective way forward for this type of business. 2015 is history; I want to see the how the business is performing now with SW at the helm. That will give us a 'hands-on' feel for just what the critical mass can achieve. The next few months is critical to regain investor confidence and forge a strong path forward. Get it wrong and we'll continue to drift in still waters.

I mailed HH late summer last year but they didn't reply. Will try getting in touch again. I disagree with df1976: yep the share has been a poor performer, but the underlying business is thriving. Delays in getting strong cash flow to the bottom line were caused by opportunistic acquisitions in 2014. Porta's biggest problem is not in revenue generation and cash flow but in giving simple, concise accounts in its updates. You need an ACA qualification to interpret the gains being made. I would really love Gene to be the first AIM FD to cut the bullsh*t that is EBITDA and just let us work out the progress. It would be transformational as a first mover.....Keep it Simple....best advice for anything. Roll on this financial year that started 1st Jan. Let's see the progress.

I have passed on several out of the box ideas regarding getting the MCap more representative. Time will tell if the BoD develop them. Clearly there is a problem in getting the message across to institutions when we are growing apace and all directors have been big buyers over the past 18 months. The promised growth targets have all been met, poor performers have been swiftly ditched and focus put onto the fast movers. We are slightly behind the free cash flow curve excluding EBITDA, but that was due to the purchases of PPS and Publicasity at a keen price, delaying the deals till late 2014. All in all, no broken promises, no profit warnings and still experiencing very strong growth with well above peer-group fees. This year it will all coalesce and those picking up shares under 10p should be well pleased come year end.

Porta doesn't really fit into HH VCT1 fund now if we are truly honest. We're past the venture capital stage and we haven't evolved (yet!) into a long-term dividend payer. That is fundamentally why HH have been selling. Once they are finally gone and we roll into 2016 as a cash generator on an EBITDA basis as we should now be, new instos looking for organic growth should come on board. Sanlam have singularly been a bucket of **** as brokers and promotors IMO. A good outfit should have interested instos in the background waiting to pick up large blocks or transfer off market. I know Sanlam have had big internal issues but we are a bl**dy PR firm when alls said and done so we should get a good proactive broker. I believe and hope that Steffan is kicking ass and really moving things forward at a pace. The bar just got raised for workloads and he's forging a strong multidisciplinary team strategy. If he can pull it off, and I think he can as he hit the ground running, then we will see a significant curve as the year rolls on. The guy is certainly no soft-touch MD and has excellent form. The risk/reward at this level is pretty good to par value 10p - the level that 1.5million 10p options kicks in for him. Focused and incentivised, SW was and is the man to make positive things happen quickly so I'm looking to H1 2016 for his impact.

Canny investors can now pick up a nice little wad of shares at the same price or less than all the big director buys of the last two years. If you believe that 2016 is THE year for Porta and you've DYOR then you won't get a better time to fill yer boots IMO. Woefully undervalued given the 'exciting' prospects.

The MMs got them...............crazy. Price drops 7.5% on 64000 sold - you're 'avin a laugh! What will it take to entice buyers?......RNS Feb 3rd ."Trading at Porta Communications Plc in the second half of 2015 was very strong. Gross profit was almost £2.5m higher than the comparable period of 2014, despite the closure of the Brussels and Frankfurt offices, leaving full year growth at some 40 per cent compared with the £19.4m achieved in the previous year. Prospects for the current year look very exciting given the internal changes made and the quality of new senior recruits. New business levels and opportunities are extremely buoyant"

Buyer[s] for 'big' quantities now appearing - trade size has just trebled from 50k to 180k. Something afoot?

Strengthens EBITDA - Bounces cash-generation in Aus and reverses the negative translation effect going forward! From the last trading update : On the trading front Newgate Australia continues to be one of the star performers, although the weakness of the Australian Dollar has hit the EBITDA line by more than £110,000. Should have a far stronger performance in H1 2016 then.

Benefits of Newgate Oz increase as the pound falls against the $Aus. Now working in Porta's favour for earnings http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=AUD&to=GBP&view=1Y Getting more oversold than ever. Wake up peeps this is another big plus as strength of £ and fall in $Aus was s-specifically stated as cash negative.

Yep. The smaller companies appreciate the publicity but the biggies like Glencore like the confidentiality and it can't be Porta who bang out the RNS without authorisation. You'll note that 'several new contracts' accompanied the update on Glencore after ratification. Lots happening behind the scenes with a very firm hand on the tiller. The Newgate boys are going to have to work hard to earn their crusts under Steffan. The gravy train only comes after a long roasting.

We're now in serious takeover territory - £4m MCap is a basket case with no prospects - certainly not Falanx. If we aren't signing the big contracts (which I personally think we are) then we'll get taken out for £10m and the 14p guys will be supporters. Lucky the team that picks up the spoils and milks the fortune to come.

Oh ye of little faith. Dropping 0.5 on no news and no volume just oozes MM boredom! Will light up when relevant info is fit for release. Only distressed sellers will sell at this price leaving loads of room on the upside when it comes. Heyho - that's the waiting gAIM.

52153 bought on ISDX market this morning.

ROFL! I know that Steffan certainly didn't join Porta for the money - he certainly believes in, and sees, the prospects here now that we have an integrated offering of critical mass under one flag and roof. His remit is to bring in the big accounts and Multi-billion Glencore shows he's hit the floor running. He's a rugby man with great commitment and conviction which is just what the company needs running strongly into 2016. 2015 was a good year of combining acquisitions - 2016 is the year this new MD can stamp his mark firmly on Porta. That's why I like his maiden video. He's driven and confident in the ability of his teams. The outlook should be excellent this year.