Member Info for FatFreddysCat

· Total Group sales up 4.9% to £144.0m (2013: £137.3m) · Like-for-like retail sales up by 1.2% · Profit before taxation up £1.1m (14.9%) to £8.5m (2013: £7.4m) · Profit before taxation (excluding exceptional items) up £0.7m (9%) to £8.5m (2013: £7.8m) · e-Commerce revenue up by 6.1% · International business up by 13.6% · £13.8m net cash balance · Second Laura Ashley Hotel launched · Interim dividend maintained at 1.00 pence per share (2013: 1.00 pence per share) · Trading for the five weeks to 30 August is up 8% on a like-for-like basis, taking the cumulative like-for-like performance for the year to +2.3%. Commenting on the results, Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Peng, Chairman, said: "In what continues to be an extremely competitive sector, we are pleased to report an increase in profit before taxation of 14.9% and sales growth of 4.9% over the first half compared to the same period last year. We are particularly pleased with growth of 13.6% in our international business and with the improved performance of our e-Commerce business. We are very proud of the second Laura Ashley hotel, The Belsfield, which was launched at the end of July 2014 to both customer and media acclaim.

Maybe due to the likely start of QE in euroland due to weakening euro economies.

Can't get a short position on IG "due to stock borrowing limits"

Sounds like we have similar strategies. Recently got into TLPR and HGM in the hope that they'll be as boring as PHNX and BNC.

I'm also in this lovely boring share raking in an 8% div from my average. I love boring shares that big divs year after year, my ISA is full of shares like this (BNC, ALY, SLI, RDI). They're so boring I hardly look at them hence only just seen your 30th Jul post.

I don't expect this to take off anytime soon. I just hold it for the 8% div. Normally half a dozen trades each day but 5 X normal volume yesterday and mostly buys. Wonder what sparked the sudden interest?

CEO and CFO granted share options at 85p, exercisible after 3 years if the share price exceeds 123p. They must be confident. http://www.lse.co.uk/share-regulatory-news.asp?shareprice=VNET&ArticleCode=wvicc6sw&ArticleHeadline=Grant_of_options

Total div is 8.9p = 6.36% yield. Ex div was 25th March, 4.6p to paid on 15th May. Next ex div mid Sept, paid end Oct.

Scroll half way down page. Speculation on Paddy power £2 bid. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/03/26/markets-britain-factors-idUKL5N0MM2KU20140326

No change in LAD short positions though. http://www.shorttracker.co.uk/company/GB00B0ZSH635/all

Just think of all those retirees feeding their pension pots into fixed odds betting terminals. More fun than an annuity and not much difference in return on investment.

Drop is due to 25% tax on fixed odds betting terminals announced in the budget yesterday.

£1 is unlikely although anything is possible. Previous 5yr lows have been £1.20. At a yield of 6.5% institutions will buy as they take a longer view than most posters here. Also world cup should provide a boost this year. I've topped up this morning.GL

25% tax on fixed odds betting machines in budget.

http://calvinayre.com/2014/03/05/business/playtech-founder-teddy-sagi-to-offload-212m-worth-of-shares/

Copy paste from 16th Jan Trading Update below, so divi to be at least maintained. Also = a yield of 6% from this level .Hoping the world cup will bring in lots of punters this summer. Let's hope the results are good on Tue. In line with previous guidance, Ladbrokes intends to hold the total dividend per share at its current level (8.90p per share in 2012) in 2013 and additionally, at least maintain it at this level in 2014.

UBS upgrade to buy target price £1.80 http://www.sharecast.com/news/ubs-sees-upside-at-ladbrokes-after-recent-weakness/21481130.html BNP Paribas reiterates outperform. Target price £2.05 http://shares.telegraph.co.uk/news/article.php?id=4759466&epic

Still a wide spread but looking up a bit.

How refreshing for a mining company to his it's time targets and achieve what it said it would. Looking forward to further progress here. Up 7% pre market.

Looks good to me, I had a little top up of 2200 shares this morning. If you assume 91 days in a quarter, 3.4% reduction in output is easily accounted for by the 3 day maintenance shutdown = 3.3%. Looks undervalued to me and pays a 6% div paid quarterly.