Member Info for Pianista

KBYK - SP seems to have been hit today by a 50,000 buy at 13.95p this morning. Haven't been able to buy at all on Barclays since then; earlier on, they were quoting 14.99p to buy. Strange goings-on.

I suspect in a month's time, we're going to be a lot richer or a lot poorer!

Market needs confirmation of the extent to which Halfords has been capitalising on its favoured position (lack of competition during lockdown, government promotion of cycling), and how the other parts of the business are doing.

….final results for y/e 31.3.20 are released in about 3 weeks' time (last year it was 8.7.19).

I'd like to think they are too busy making money to keep us informed before then! They're not short of good press at the moment, but nothing to warrant an RNS unfortunately. They haven't updated us on the CBILS, for example, but maybe that's not considered price-sensitive information. On the debt position generally, I'm not too concerned, but in any case Microlise may be able to provide a temporary safety net if need be.

In the meantime, the AA should provide an update on Smart Breakdown at the AGM this Friday, which could be significant for the TRAK SP.

How can airlines “welcome this” if it puts people off flying altogether (it would me)?

Well, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Let’s hope a few more CRU directors are doing the same.

It does of course mean that we won’t be getting the final accounts for at least 2 months, ie until at least mid August. However there could still be a favourable trading update in July, for example, should the company’s performance to date, or its forecast performance for the current year, be materially better than expected.

Marketmakers obviously knew before PIs did. I'm happy though that this has improved sentiment, pending the next trading update.

...in a sea of red. Something's afoot...maybe.

Upward momentum has taken a temporary knock from inevitable profit-taking and poor market sentiment generally at the moment...but it'll get there in the end, in its usual erratic way. Patience will be rewarded.

Bearing in mind the upturn in trading since the year end, they can afford to be a bit more relaxed when assessing items In the accounts requiring judgement, so I’d be surprised if they didn’t hit or even exceed the higher end.

But the trading update, and how the market extrapolates that to come up with a forecast for the year, is what will be of most interest. And with the focus on personal transport, and with people buying new bikes as if there were no tomorrow whilst hanging on to their old cars, Halfords seems almost uniquely recession-proof.

I reckon JW is a fan of Johnny Nash, who sang "There are more questions than answers".

I think it’s Blondeamon surreptitiously buying back in before this finally explodes.

Carnival is already exploding, up 33% in the last couple of days - and that's without the benefit of a solid insurance business such as Saga's behind it. I'm sure Saga will catch up in time...

"Halfords board can hardly believe their luck"? Neither can I believe my luck! Having first bought in around 5 years ago at £4+ when PBT was £80m odd, I'd more or less written this one off before Coronavirus came to the rescue. I'd now be surprised if on 7 July it didn't report PBT approaching £60m, in which case this share is heading back to £3+.

I agree, the relatively few PIs already invested are generally holding on to their shares, while potential investors are waiting for the merest indication of positive news, like respectable numbers for the AA contract, before taking the plunge. It wouldn't take much for this to double overnight.

Thanks, seems a reasonable estimate of the take up by Sept. We shall soon know the take up to date. Fingers crossed...

Nosugar - did TRAK announce that, about the 45,000 units, at some point?

BERENBERG RAISES CHEMRING GROUP PRICE TARGET TO 300 (235) PENCE - 'BUY'

It was only 2 months ago that its target was 235. Always playing catch-up, these brokers...

We should know in a couple of weeks time how SB is going.

On 7 May, the AA said: "Over 4,500 new and existing members currently have Smart Breakdown and feedback to date has been very positive". However, with about 3.2m customers, that's not much better than 1 per 1,000 so far.

When the AA next update us, I'd like to see 1 per 100, ie around 30,000. Maybe that's asking too much, but even 10,000 would be encouraging at this relatively early stage. Assuming the £5 per month fee charged by the AA goes to TRAK, even that would give revenue of £0.6m p.a.

But I'm sure they wouldn't turn their noses up at, say, 50p per share. That would get my vote, too!

RNS just now confirming that the details of the first RNS for this director's purchase were indeed incorrect. The date was correct, but the price was 21p, not 28p.