RE: Debt now irrelevant16 Jul 2021 21:54
We can only go by what CPI have issued to make our assumptions
Since 31 Dec 2020 Bal Sheet, we have had ESS 300+50M and Axelos 200M. WE also had Montague take 50M debt - that reduces debt / or cash in bank to contra that debt, of 600M
If another 2 disposals get even 100M for unwanted BUs in 2021, thats enough to make the next 18-24 mths repayments and more
A refinancing of debt to take it out over say 5 years and better rates than the company had to take in the state they were a few years ago would drop to bottom line EBT
The "adjustments" that some get hung up on - that relate to exception costs of restructure (eg settling office closures early, redundancy payments etc}, will hopefully be less than H1 profits on continuous operations
That is why the RNS says that they will be cash generative in 2021 - likely later 2021
JL has led us to believe they are achieving what they set out and he has been a master of doing this for many years
Clearly we need proof from CPI that they are on target in the form of H1 EBT and good forecasts for remainder of year
I never invested in CPI before last summer - no interest in what the business was - but with the fall last summer it made the company way too cheap
M&A is my business (today I was consulting for a PE House) and worked for PE for years - talk of CPI going cheap to PE with the fundamentals being what they are, is nonsense
This business has been restructured, is as safe as anything around and will deliver great shareholder returns in the coming months
Best wishes to you all