Member Info for KNIGELK

Lse2000 I hope you read back your insensitive posts in shame. Lol? Grow up

No RNS so the company doesn't feel the need to panic or comment on the various rumours/news so let's hope the share price holds up today

Well the CEO buying over a million shares was a decent attempt at communication and showing confidence.
What can the company say? This isn't AIM. Either there is a reason or there is not a reason for the share price movement (excluding the shorting). If there is no reason - why waste a RNS? Shorters wil post negative still anyway. If there is a reason - then I agree, release a RNS. The fact that there has not been a RNS suggests to me nothing material has changed and this is short selling at its worse. Of course I may be wrong and we get bad news in the morning but we all should know the positives and negatives here - Debenhams should be allowed to just get on with trading in the vital pre Christmas period rather than worry about the share price every day - although of course there comes a point when the daily falls have to either stop or the company says something.

Nokesa, but the company is still profit making. Other companies like John Lewis and M&S would be getting just as much bad press if they didn't have food to help imo It's dire out there but why single out one retailer? Tbh Debenhams have to release a statement. I rather hear what they have to say than an agenda driven poster

Well apparently wages are now rising faster than inflation - also tax allowance increases may help - it appears that other costs (rent/gas) have continued to go up and clothing is not the top priority anymore - more online related spending (mobiles/games) - but Debenhams can adapt and change the makeup of it store layouts if given time imo

New poster - why single Debenhams out? My point is that virtually ALL high street retailers are suffering at the moment - a number of retailers have issues with rent and overheads - debt - falling sales. If Debenhams goes bust I tell you something - dozens of other retailers will go bust too = is this what you WANT? (maybe yes if you work for online retailers or are shorting!)
Pokerchips - great reply - yes Debenhams have a great online presence - and overseas operations - can could sell the Norway business for £200 million (apparently) and clear most of the debt - I really cannot understand the fall - over done. Agree - Brexit bounce tomorrow :-))

No longer relevent? Perhaps just shut down the high street then because half the chains have been around 50 years. £2 billion turnover does not equal no longer relevent pmsl

Nokesa - there's no point getting stressed - think of the workers! Also remember it is not a profit or loss until you realise it - if you think the share price will recover then sit and wait - quite a few stop losses must be kicking in. Also the shorters are now getting greedy - very greedy - we are close to 5p (!!) they can't make much more profit any way so IF I was a shorter - I would be closing. I hope they get their fingers burnt.

Pearls.. I meant Saints re shorting but you can hold a view without a position gl

I guess you are shorting. I repeat, they apparently still have time to hold discussions. Up to five years. Of course if trading is dire up to Christmas it's a different matter

How would a CVA help the landlords? Remember some of these stores rents were set at market high levels with ever increasing annual rises. Maybe the landlords should have told their financiers that the deals appeared too good to be true. IF Debenhams are sticking to close up to 50 stores over 5 years then they have time to talk to landlords and work out best exit strategy. Don't forget a decent number of store leases end in 5-10 years anyway. They are not all long term. The best approach is to simply say that with some stores the company cannot afford the annual increases so can the rent be frozen or the annual increase capped. Let's have some possible solutions here instead of just highlighting the barriers.

Why would they need to go into administration? They are a profit making company! They have debt headroom! The CEO just acquired shares - the worse case atm is either a loan has been called in (unlikely imo) or a CVA agreed OR a rights issue .. we should find out soon enough

Am I reading this right? 34 million shares purchased and share price goes down 10%? The first time I can recall when a share price falls sharply on a CEO Director purchase !!! Is there a maximum percentage of shares in issue that can go out on loan? 20%? (if not - there should be tighter rules - if the FCA is not looking into this .. they should be!).. a company statement will have to be issued imho if this continues tomorrow..

Lse2000, Debenhams so have a growing internet business and decent international portfolio. They have already said some stores will close. Tbh didn't know about the credit downgrade bit they are well within their headroom. The company could help themselves by providing a trading update. Lack of guidance doesn't help but imho the shorters are partially to blame because they have made it clear via the media they are targeting this company. I simply think all the bad news is in the share price but agree sentiment is poor here.

I guess stop losses are being triggered and a few investment managers have reduced their exposure. Still reckon there will be a day soon with a mega bounce or correction. Just a feeling.

I really don't think BB posts make a blind bit of different except on a RNS pump and dump. Mind you there are a few trolls on the other BB posting 50 times per day trashing this company and wanting it to fail. Shameful tactics and I hope they are made to eat humble pie next year..

Unless the market has heard some news that the rest of us have not - then this is madness.
Remember - company made a £ 33 million profit last year..
Remember - well within debt headroom
Remember - can sell the overseas business for excess of £200 million and clear most of the debt
Remember - plan in place for gradual store closure programme and new layouts etc.
Remember - CEO just acquired £99k worth of shares!!
Remember - there has to be a share price trigger point were either the shorts will close OR the buyers will outweight the sellers - we must be near this point now imho (otherwise the company better issue a calming update .. again!)

The trouble is I read over the weekend that more HoF stores will be closing because he has been unsuccessful with the landlords - so why would he be any more successful by taking the company private?
Remember it's 50 stores at risk here - not the 150 stores (at this time) - so its too early to know what will happen imho - however your hedge comment rings true

sain@vision - fair points but if Debenhams goes bust then their LTV ratios are blown apart anyway because no retailer will agree to the SAME rental terms that Debenhams were mad enough to accept 2-3-4 years ago imho. So SOME compromise has to happen imho - some landlords will be happy to talk - some will talk with a bit of compromise and others will not talk - end of. The landlords will all have different LTV ratios and ability to negotiate..

Nokesa - to be fair our new poster is making neutral rational comments and I have enjoyed the debate. I guess the Telegraph article about shorters targeting Pets at Home, M &S and Debenhams has not helped (see - it is not just Debenhams!!). The shorters might have increased their positions again this morning - some are hell bent on destroying this company - they somehow think a company making £33 million profit and on a PE of 3-4 is still worth shorting - I hope they are wrong