Member Info for Mulder

Why are you even here commenting if you don't like the company and are not interested? It was one of their better articles and the Sterling activist increasing stakes here is very important.

Even though the company now expects to miss City expectations for growth for the year, it’s still on-track to grow pre-tax profit substantially year-on-year. For the fiscal year ending 30 November 2016, the firm reported a pre-tax profit of £26m. So, even if profit comes in at the low end of expectations for 2017 (£30m), it is still set to grow by 15% year-on-year. And according to my figures, after today’s declines, even with a lower level of profitability, shares in Low & Bonar are trading at a deeply-discounted multiple of around 8.5 times forward earnings. The shares also support a dividend yield of 4.9%, covered twice by earnings per share. But it’s not just the low valuation that attracting me to the shares. The company has recently gained the attention of an activist hedge fund Sterling Strategic Value Fund SA. Sterling claims to “work together with management and other shareholders to initiate change in a concentrated number of companies.” At the beginning of December, Sterling hiked its interest in Low & Bonar to 10.9%, from 6.9% previously, which indicates to me that the firm is looking to shake up the materials business to unlock value for shareholders. https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2017/12/20/why-im-trying-to-catch-this-falling-knife-after-todays-20-slump/

Volume of 2.98M vs average 4.99M means the seller has most likely stopped. I see FCA short tracker is still showing shorts as 0/<0.5%.

Let’s view some additional technical levels on shares of Saga Plc (SAGA.L). Presently, the 14 day Williams %R is -95.58. Readings may range from 0 to -100. A Williams %R that lands between -80 to -100 is typically seen as being in strong oversold territory. A reading between 0 to -20 would represent a strong overbought condition. As a momentum indicator, the Williams R% has the ability to be used with other technicals to help define a specific trend. Saga Plc (SAGA.L) presently has a 14-day Commodity Channel Index (CCI) of -68.81. Typically, the CCI oscillates above and below a zero line. Normal oscillations tend to stay in the range of -100 to +100. A CCI reading of +100 may represent overbought conditions, while readings near -100 may indicate oversold territory. Although the CCI indicator was developed for commodities, it has become a popular tool for equity evaluation as well. Checking on another technical indicator, the 14-day RSI is currently sitting at 16.08, the 7-day rests at 15.78, and the 3-day is presently at 23.24. The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a highly popular technical indicator. The RSI is computed base on the speed and direction of a stock’s price movement. The RSI is considered to be an internal strength indicator, not to be confused with relative strength which is compared to other stocks and indices. The RSI value will always move between 0 and 100. One of the most popular time frames using RSI is the 14-day.

As of 31/5/17 Assets £502M Liabilities £296M (of which current £85M) Net Assets £206M oldbadger - this is ticking most of the boxes don't you think? Low P/E of just 8 High Dividend yield of 6% Dividend cover of 2x earnings Trading BELOW book value now China expansion April 2016 British company opens £26M production facility in China - £26 million investment brings advanced technology to region - Changzhou facility will eventually employ around 100 people

Low & Bonar PLC LWB Peel Hunt Buy 54.38 67.75 100.00 100.00 Reiterates

With the change at the top and this big drop a hostile bid could come in imminently.

Technically this is still massively oversold with a 5 year RSI of just 11.

Rumours rife once again. Looking for substance finally.

Yes apologies - thought it was 2017. Still it gives a rough idea of how much it may go for if a bid did come in now.

P/E 11 Dividend >7% now

2Bn market cap gives an SP around 180p.

The revised profit guidance is only a slight miss yet the SP is down 20%. Profits will still be higher than last year. The new CEO has a good CV and has worked for Shell. A P/E of 8 is very cheap. Great dividend yield covered twice by earnings. This company is heavily involved in the construction of stadiums for next years World Cup. NAV/book price is circa 62p so trading BELOW book value.

Despite the drop in profits, Saga is pushing on with the delivery of a second cruise ship in 2020. This follows a jump in revenue and gross profit in the group's cruising business, which netted pre-tax profit of £4.5m this year compared to just £500,000 last year.** Saga also noted a one per cent drop in high-spending customers, which prompted its new Saga Possibilities scheme. The membership programme will offer customers deals with Prezzo restaurants and Majestic Wine, among others. It is hoped that this will encourage the trend for the most loyal customers to spend more, which Saga has already seen this year in a four per cent increase in top customers' average spend. http://www.cityam.com/272519/saga-cruises-ahead-new-membership-programme

Saga, the travel and financial services group, has received a number of informal and unsolicited approaches that could lead to a £2bn flotation or sale of the company, which was bought by Charterhouse Capital Partners in October 2004. Charterhouse is understood to have begun considering its exit options after approaches made through a number of different investment banks. Saga, which specialises in holidays and insurance for the over 50s, is the latest travel company to attract potential takeover attention as the industry enters a new round of consolidation. Yesterday Thomas Cook and MyTravel announced plans for a £2.94bn merger. Charterhouse has already recouped its investment in Saga. The private equity house won the fiercely contested £1.35bn auction for the travel company in October 2004, funding the deal using about £500m of its own cash and about £880m in debt. Last year it refinanced the company, raising £500m in fresh debt. However, it is understood that it is considering the possibility of a complete exit. Much of the detailed work for a Saga flotation was carried out in 2004 before the Charterhouse deal was completed, and could be quickly revived. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2804258/Saga-owner-considers-2bn-exit.html

Hikma wins right to market Roche drug copy in Middle East and North Africa (Reuters) - Hikma Pharmaceuticals Plc has won exclusive rights to distribute and market its third biosimilar drug - a copy of Roche’s blood cancer treatment Rituxanin - in the Middle East and North African markets, it said on Tuesday. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hikma-pharma-celltrion-biosimilar/hikma-wins-right-to-market-roche-drug-copy-in-middle-east-and-north-africa-idUSKBN1ED10Y

Market chooses to ignore this however even when issued on the same day!

Gas crisis could force smaller energy suppliers out of business In the aftermath of the UK’s most explosive gas price shock in five years, the price of gas for the coldest months of winter remains a third higher than this time last year. Already one new market entrant, Toto Energy, has announced a 50pc price hike for its customers, including those on fixed-rate contracts. The Brighton-based supplier emailed its customers to explain that it is a “seasonal” plan. **Senior energy bosses told The Sunday Telegraph that the industry was braced for smaller suppliers to go bust because many offer rock-bottom rates without the financial backing to absorb a market shock. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/12/16/gas-crisis-could-force-smaller-energy-suppliers-business/

Vectura has been on a surge recently hitting a 6 month high yesterday. Positive news on Advair could be coming.

Wintershall and its partners Petoro and Centrica have received a consent from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) for the start-up of production of the NOK12bn ($1.46bn) Maria oil project in the Norwegian Sea. The development of the Maria field is claimed to come on stream nearly a year ahead of the original schedule and also at reduced costs and marginally increased oil reserves. According to Wintershall estimates, the Maria field holds total recoverable reserves of 28.9 million standard cubic meters (Sm3) of oil to go along with 1.32 million tonnes NGL and 2.31 billion Sm3 gas. The field is likely to have a production lifetime of 22 years. http://drillingandproduction.energy-business-review.com/news/wintershall-gets-npd-nod-for-production-start-up-at-maria-oil-project-171117-5974465