Member Info for DJFinsletown

Not had time yet to analyse the Q3 update properly. But one thing stuck me - are the new NYC studios the second set of facilities opened? Or is this a rehash of old news from 2017? Here's the new CEO himself walking us through their new studios back then: https://blog.audioboom.com/our-new-york-studio-open-for-business-1e432fd95595

GVC announces some new appointments...
https://gvc-plc.com/newsrelease/gvc-strengthens-management-team-with-new-appointments/

New game out 11 Oct. Trailer here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=kSJzeLep-Xg

Available on PS4, Xbox One & PC. Launch and Ultimate editions available on pre-order. Codemasters seem to have done a marketing deal with esports outfit Gfinity to promote the game:
https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/gfinity-and-codemasters-join-forces-to-launch-new-grid-game-847758900.html

Just checking in back here after a few weeks and following the slew of directors buys over the summer. Share price slowly sliding - the Candyman last bought in at 202.5p and we're now at 177.50p, losing more than 12 per cent. What would happen if the Candyman or Tobin the podcaster chose to sell - would we, dare I say, see a gigantic rise? Gosh! You just don't know with Audioboom.

Guess it's time for another trading update soon. When will they wheel out that scallywag Rob Proctor, if he can tear himself away from another tremendous M&A deal! By the way, anyone still know if he's still got his daughter hanging around? He should get a podcast out, like Tobin, entitled "Father & Daughter - the story of Audioboom nepotism". You'd get some good in-read ad revenue from that, if the Candyman and Tobin didn't top slice it first!

Look like strong results to me, but why the selloff this morning?

Thoughts anybody?

FT article quotes William Hill's head of US operations Joe Asher, saying there's multiple discussions of possible media deal or deals. Notes competition firm faces from rivals who have partnered with recognised US brands like MGM and Fox Sports. Asher says William Hill has built awareness in Nevada, while an analyst notes that leading with a retail presence in 10 out of 13 states could be clever given capital constrained manner they're approaching the US. Another analyst questions whether WMH can build strategically relevant business. Article points out that acquisition of Caesars by Eldorado provides WMH with access to 34 more casinos. Asher then quoted again talking about different retail experience in US with sports bars, etc - retail can be a digital acquisition channel. Finally, an industry advisor claims that if something did happen in the US then the British bookmaker would be well positioned and Asher would be a central figure.

These are in freefall this morning.

Was an FT article on Fri, but that doesn't appear to contain anything negative.
https://www.ft.com/content/a6b7b93c-dae5-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17

Tchenguiz boosts his stake to 4.24 per cent. That's one hell of a spreadbet!
https://www.betaville.co.uk/news/tchenguiz-boosts-firstgroup-stake-to-3pc-part-2/

FirstGroup hit by investigation over West Coast rail partnership with Trenitalia...
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/first-rail-holdings-trenitalia-uk-west-coast-partnership-rail-franchise
Share price up by 1.54% - what does that say about market sentiment in relation to FirstRail?

Nice to see some conviction from Cobus, just over £47K.

Edison's estimated EPS is 0.99p or 1.22 cents, according to today's exchange rate. That would suggest an earnings beat by PAF while the RNS also states expected USD ranges of 124% - 134% for total operations. It appears something is going on with previous impairments recognised, reversing a charge for property, plant and equipment.

Coverage of trading statement here...
https://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/902501/pan-african-resources-guides-to-improved-full-year-earnings-902501.html

Full year results expected on 18 September.

BetMGM kicks off on Thursday and a new partnership with sports bar Buffalo Wild Wings...

https://gvc-plc.com/newsrelease/buffalo-wild-wings-partners-with-roar-digital-to-bring-sports-gaming-experiences-to-us-fans-nationwide/

Also looks like recruitment is underway for sales reps in New Jersey to promote BetMGM.

https://m.facebook.com/job_opening/616284092229070/?source=post_timeline&_ft_=mf_story_key.2517634591631480%3Atop_level_post_id.2517634591631480%3Atl_objid.2517634591631480%3Acontent_owner_id_new.1093444124050541%3Athrowback_story_fbid.2517634591631480%3Acall_to_action_type.APPLY_NOW%3Apage_id.1093444124050541%3Aphoto_id.2517634561631483%3Astory_location.4%3Astory_attachment_style.job_search_job_opening%3Apage_insights.%7B%221093444124050541%22%3A%7B%22page_id%22%3A1093444124050541%2C%22actor_id%22%3A1093444124050541%2C%22dm%22%3A%7B%22isShare%22%3A0%2C%22originalPostOwnerID%22%3A0%7D%2C%22psn%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22post_context%22%3A%7B%22object_fbtype%22%3A266%2C%22publish_time%22%3A1567035104%2C%22story_name%22%3A%22EntStatusCreationStory%22%2C%22story_fbid%22%3A%5B2517634591631480%5D%7D%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22sl%22%3A4%2C%22targets%22%3A%5B%7B%22actor_id%22%3A1093444124050541%2C%22page_id%22%3A1093444124050541%2C%22post_id%22%3A2517634591631480%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=HH-R

Promising news!

What is the Candyman and his chum Michael "the podcaster" Tobin up to with their consistent purchases of shares? Since the half-yearly report, The Chairman and Candyman have racked up buys of £74,270 and more than £203,000 respectively.

A little run down since July...
3 September - Candy - £50,625
2 September - Candy - £51,925
30 August - Tobin - £14,928
14 August - Tobin - £14,935
7 August - Candy - £100,500
7 August - Tobin - £19,763
6 August - Tobin - £9,952
25 July - Tobin - £14,692

And as Gunner2611 points out, the Candyman switched around his holdings on 27 August. My guess would be that he did so for tax reasons, remember, the Candyman's Luxembourg vehicle invests in "great ideas and great people" - https://www.candyventures.lu/

Tobin unfortunately doesn't shed any light about his recent buys in the Dad & Son podcast, imaginatively titled, "The Tobin Podcast" - https://audioboom.com/channel/tobinpodcast

So what are the intrepid entrepreneurs up to? Has Rob Proctor got another company in his sights...just like with Triton Digital! Or another useless acquisition like with Sonr News and their good buddy Rodger "Knocknanuss" Sargent.

Or maybe they'll just cut themselves another little deal to fund podcasts and skim a bit off the top. The Candyman and The Podcaster are such lovable rogues, until yet another dilution hits and they gobble up all your money!

"If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed."

Interesting that Ben Harrington had been spinning stories on his own website about Sierra Wireless going after Telit, but in the Daily Fail its Sunsea Telecommunications. Share price hasn't broken 173p over past three months - who's telling porkie pies?

Lansdowne Partners cuts its holding of Frontier Developments in half ahead of results on 4 September...

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/FDEV/14208341.html

Reports of a takeover by Sierra Wireless coming from financial hack Ben Harrington...

https://betaville.co.uk/betaville-intelligence/rare-alert-sierra-wireless-said-to/

Harrington peddled the same report back in September last year, so what's new this time around?

Threadneedle Asset Management increases its shareholding to more than 10 per cent, doubling its holding.

CEO Kenny Alexander buys £4.9m of shares bringing his total shareholding to more than 2.5m shares. He descibes his purchase as demonstrating his "conviction that GVC's strategy and long-term outlook will provide shareholders with strong returns". At 10:30am this morning shares currently trading at 618p, more than eight per cent up for the day. Six out of eight of the directors purchased shares - hell of a show of conviction in regulatory outlook in Germany and UK as well as opportunity in the US, according to the CEO.

Pre-order trailer for Planet Zoo from Gamescon
https://youtu.be/sOvwfkUZCxs

Agree with Pyueck, not quite clear where FirstRail fits in to the new strategy. The CEO on FirstRail in the May 2019 strategy update:

"We have a portfolio of separately managed rail franchise businesses in the UK which we will operate in accordance with their contractual terms. First Rail’s goal remains to add value through our operational expertise and strong industry relationships. Our UK rail franchise portfolio has generated £330.9m in adjusted profit with net cash and dividends to the Group over the last five years. However, given our reduced expectations for our two most recently awarded franchises, we have concerns with the current balance of risk and reward being offered. We await the outcome of the UK government’s review into the structure of the whole rail industry chaired by Keith Williams as it seeks to address these and other industry issues. Any future commitments to UK rail will need to have an appropriate balance of potential risks and rewards for our shareholders."

Matthew Gregory was clear that FirstBus and Greyhound were being separated out from other North American segments. But where does FirstRail fit in? The West Coast mainline and HS2 award would ordinarily be a victory, but where on earth does it fit in to the company's strategy?

Why are activists like Coast Capital and Tchenguiz still circling the company?