Member Info for JohnLewis79

We have received (2) expressions of interest regarding the Pools. Co (A) have offered x £m and Co (B) y £m (both fit and proper organisations), unless there are conditions attached were unaware of then price is the only factor so a decision should be straight forward! Unfortunately the vat business is muddying the waters (boy I bet Penrose wished he'd sold the Pools soon after the SG acquisition) taking a % cut of the vat down the line. Oh well as ever we do nothing but wait. Should we sell the Pools were going to have to put the proceeds to good use pretty damm quick as there will be no £16m ebita in 2016/7.

Will the Pools buyer (s) turn out to be like CG ie: try to get the division on the cheap? By that I mean around £50m. Now that ain't gonna wash! I'm looking at at a minimum of 7-8 x last year's ebita which I'll remind you was c £16m and here's the kicker, a stonking 40% GP to boot a metric unheard of in most other companies! Let's hope the bod keep that in mind.

Now that Penrose has signalled he wants rid of the Pools I take it that any purchaser will have STB as well? However does the buyer receive the vat monies, or are those retained by.....well who? STB is part of the Pools? Or is it? Could be a stumbling block? Would a buyer insist on STB plus the vat repayment? (should Spo be successful?). I would imagine Spo would wish to retain the cash in the Racing & Digital division for expansion in the US? As a lth I'd insist on it! With the delay in securing a trial date a sale of the Pools looks someway off or most likely until we know theoutcome.

8O% of Africa cannot feed itself so said the WTO on the World Service last night. Zam very well placed to distribute food to neighbouring countries as long as the politicos keep out of the way! Most African Governments have a very poor record in feeding their poor, that must change if Co's like Zam are to thrive.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/business

In Liverpool echo on prospects for SPO nothing we have not posted ourselves this last month (and years) or so but limited reach I suspect.

Well done revolutionary you called that right! and back in at bargain basement level, as long as you can hold for the next 1-3 years you'll be rewarded bar a catastrophe. Caught napping on my watch I'm stuck now for the next year or so I'd imagine but with 25k it's not going to cause me sleepless nights.

Turn negative on Zam recommend short the stock (traders only).

Wonder who outed 7.970m before the vat result that could be a very costly mistake?

Two went through at 55 (2x 3.985m) check who purchased those shortly will have to notify Co as above the 3% unless there been split?

Morning Bruce I expect you thought CG would not have the 'readies' and their foolhardy approach was opportunistic to say the least! Total waste of everybody's time (wonder what that cost?). So where from here? The bod seem determined to hive off the Pools (about time!) and with 2 showing interest I reckon a sale will be achieved soon. Worst way must be worth £50m and no vat monies included! Win the vat we could have £150m or 75pps in our coffers going into 16/17 which would make our current mrk cap of £110m look completely out of kilter!

Quite right Bruce don't know where I got 75 from? Anyways I reiterate my stance on 'brokers forecasts' easy to trot out a figure but where's the research to back it up? Oh yea.....you have to pay for that!

At Investec have a BUY rating on SPO at 75.

Peel Hunt have cut their forecast share price for Spo from 85 to 79. Don't pay any attention to brokers sp forecasts but there it is for what it's worth.

In line with management expectations ie as last year, so nothing to move the shares either way. At least......... no bad surprises!

Rugs there was a dog meat called PAL!!!

Fair comment bags but I disagree re the value as "about right" for current trading. The Pools will turn in anything between £10-12m that's c 5pps or 11x earnings and the Racing & e- gaming are in for free. That's way too low imo though I realise many Co valuations throughout the market are at absurdly low prices. Whether the bod turned down £70m for the Pools I don't know but they must be worth around that figure? I'd agree that should we win the vat and receive almost our mrkt capital in cash, a bid will be unlikely unless WH or perhaps Bet 365 see the attractions of a Co stuffed with cash, a massive presence in the 'regulated' US, ....as a bolt on? On second thoughts forget WH they have enough problems of their own and a management about as useless as our own! So it's back in limboland the usual confused state were accustomed to for the rest of this year.

""Bulls"" say 'Stay long on Zam!'

Sp down c10% on what?....Oh yea the fictional bid from a bunch of no hopers who have managed to waste our time these last 10 wks, when Penrose should have told them to get stuffed from the off! He should consider his position if only for bringing the Co name into disrepute! Jeez some twopenny numpty tilts at us and he believes they have the wherewithall!!!? God give me strength! At 55 or £110m mrk cap the risk/reward favours the buyer as we have the vat (50/50) and possible sale of pools (1/2), that is of course if you can wait another couple of years! Pull down the shutters, turn off the lights see you in 2016/7.

Well the market now knows were up for sale so c'mon somebody......... big little Co going cheap!