Ben Richardson, CEO at SulNOx, confident they can cost-effectively decarbonise commercial shipping. Watch the video here.
The global trade position is full of concerns, wars, etc so SFOR will be suffering from this like most of global Stock Exchange listings.
Within S4 itself there are a few reasons.
The company has undergone a massive acquisition program to become a globally spread business offering marketing services to multinationals.
This has delayed declaring a few Quarters in a row of profitability. Perhaps to conservative Fund Managers, S4 has yet to prove it can be a profitable business.
Then as we all know, there was a significant delay in finalising 2021 Accounts. S4 has yet to prove it can deliver preliminary results and final accounts in a rapid manner.
We are into a week past Q2 and H1 of 2022. Nothing from S4 on RNS. Presumably S4 has a comprehensive computerized Accounting System Network that could produce something on Sales and Profit?
Fund Managers have to be convinced that this rapidly growing multinational company under control.
A famous business management guru once said - if you can't count it then you can't manage it.
I agree Lovelosses, 56% down to date this year from almost £6 down to £2.50.
1 S4 did screw up meeting Accounts dates.
2 Global issues are pretty bad
But S4 do seem to be making very good progress in becoming a global business.
Friday is the 1st of July, closing on Q2 and H1 of 2022.
Here lie the tests:
Issue an RNS in early July with short form approximate indication of these last periods of business.
Issue Q2 Trading Update (not audited) by end July.
SHOW good profit, not spent on more buying of businesses.
Issue H2 Trading Update during August (maybe...)
Basically keep shareholders informed quickly and regularly.
If H2 is able to support a small dividend, this could make many fund managers start buying S4 shares.
Just some thoughts, Phrontist
Personally I believe that S4 could be in the top handful of companies for 2022 sales growth, 2022 profit as % of sales, and 2022 increase in Cash Reserves.
They have minimal restrictions relating to the dreaded 'supply chain' issue.
The S4 business combines marketing services to clients based on S4's creativity and digital software / development / communications / cloud etc. (My words, DYOR, read their web site).
Their Whopper Focus is just brilliant. Progress so far is very good. If targets are met, sales growth will be truly substantial.
Strictly from an investor viewpoint, S4 has one of the best business profiles I have ever seen, matching some of the USA's vast and well known 'digital based corporates'. But, of course, based on S4's own product strategy.
Phrontist
Cardinal3
If a company wishes to portray itself to the masses then some pro-active efforts must be made.
S4's 2022 Q1 Trading Update is NOT on the Google Finance or Yahoo Finance, yet.
Vast numbers of people use these forums for rapid checks on companies.
Google and Yahoo are free to use by the Companies listed, and free to use by enquirers like us.
Who exactly is responsible for adding S4 2022 Q1 data? I have no idea.
But it is not there. You would think that S4 would do something about this.
RNS's are the correct way to supply new information to shareholders.
But most people are not shareholders, and at this rate will never become shareholders unless S4 pulls their finger out.
As a new business S4 are still relatively unknown within the Investment Industry.
SMS is quite well known, but that fact does not help potential S4 investors who take a quick look at these financial web sites, and are misled into believing S4 are still behind on publishing accounting information.
Get it?
The 'audit problem' is a symptom of underlying failures.
Publishing 2022 Q1 on 29 May 2022 Trading Update was a first Quarterly Trading Update for S4, and so two months to produce it is almost understandable.
Quarterly Trading Updates should be within a month of a Quarter End, so we can see if S4 Accounting is operating as expected for a multi-billion $ Stock Exchange registered business.
Some businesses are able to release a weather vane indication of business progress within 3 days of a quarter end. Such as Tesla with their vehicles delivered within the quarter.
I am sure there is something that S4 could release here.
I keep checking Google Finance only to find that the S4 entry for 2022 Q2 Trading Update is still missing almost 3 weeks after release date. Does S4 follow these things up? Some, but not all companies, have Trading Update on Google and Yahoo within a week.
Finally, I personally feel trepidation that director and senior manager earnings could be more important to S4 'management' than shareholder value. In this respect SM has form at WPP.
These items aside, S4 seems to have a great future and should pass 4p in Q3. Possibly double following 2022 Trading Update in Jan 2023.
rafafan you are correct, but....
USA buyers can still purchase direct on LSE by using Interactive Brokers, HSBC, etc
More than 50% of S4 revenue is USA based indicating the company has a good and high profile over there.
Hopefully a NASDAQ registration will be desirable by the BoD and possible based on a compliant application, at some stage.
BarneyRubble
I feel 'by the end of May' is amateurish statement for such a high profile business. Particularly as we are within the last few working days of the end of May.
They could have said 8am Tuesday 31 May to avoid all this speculation and negativity. Also give people a chance to plan their time, which clearly does not happen in S4.
I, and I feel sure many others, would like to see in the 2022 Q1 Release:
1 substantial profit
2 reduced acquisition expenditure
3 date for Q2/H1 Report/ Accounts release
4 forecast for Q2 Q3 Q4, H1 H2, full 2022
5 outline 3-year forecast
Apparently over 23% of S4 equity is owned by directors / staff. As insiders they are better informed than us investor outsiders. The impression given is, we are last on the lists of many very well paid S4 people.....
Failure to give a firm date for 2022 Q1 Accounts in advance is indicative of a company with unresolved issues in the administration and accounting procedures.
This is a first for Quarterly Accounts, but surely following the 2021 accounting oversights, S4 should have got a grip by now.
It is as though no one is in charge. Just assumed teams of accountants beavering away, but weak project management, no target date.
SMS has definitely been a great manager and performer in the past at Saatchi and at WPP. Has age got the better of him at S4? But he insists on staying in the top leadership position?
Has the 2022 Q2 profit been spent on unplanned acquisition - again?
A depressing factor on all quoted share prices is, the misguided and mishandled war instigated by Russia against Ukraine.
I am optimistic that Ukraine will force a withdrawal by Russia from Ukraine territory, and Russia will deal with Putin themselves, all by 2022 mid year.
Over the period of S4's Stock Exchange life it risen 128% in spite of its 2022 fall.
During the same period WPP has fallen 44% and Saachi has fallen 37%
IF someone wished to make a takeover bid for S4 they would need very deep pockets, WPP have missed their chance here.