RE: Just a bit puzzled here29 Jul 2013 15:44
1) They had enough free cash to have continued servicing the debt for some time to come - i.e. they defaulted VOLUNTARILY, and so in a sense voluntarily handed over the company to the vulture funds and Goldman Sachs (who purchased their debt at a whopping discount at the last auction)
2) No realistic attempt was made to launch any of the digital products they said they would
3) No realistic attempt at anything for that matter seems to have been made despite the enormous length of time they were apparently in talks
4) Their own last 'fair value' estimate (relatively recently in the scheme of things) was 12 p per share, and NO material changes had occurred since (other than their voluntarily defaulting); intent does not have to proven for a charge of misleading accounting to be successful
5) Despite 1) Bob Wigley had pledged they would do all they can to "protect shareholder value to the fullest extent possible"
6) The BOD took cash rather than share incentives despite 5)
7) Also despite 5), at no time did the BOD refute factually inaccurate and detrimental reportage in the national press
8) Also despite 5) I don't recall a single positive RNS being issued all the time they were supposedly in restructuring talks (as I recall there were one or two encouraging developments)
9) Although no positive RNSs were released, the overall tone of other news circulated by hibu was totally at odds with the reality as they have now reported it (only a few weeks ago they were still describing themselves as a LEADING provider of digital services - huh?!)
9) CEO Mike Pocock lied when he said an announcement regarding hibu would be made at the annual Microsoft conference last year - the question to ask (a rhetorical one almost as the answer is obviously yes) is whether this could have been expected to affect the share price positively (it was the ONLY reason I and I suspect many others invested)
10) Mike Pocock also strikes me as a closet fan of saccharine-sweet soft rock combo Chicago, and that's as good a reason as any to give 'em grief