Member Info for Toad1957

Porta keeping low profile. Not stopping their competitors flashing their books. http://www.prweek.com/article/1393421/prweek-reveals-top-150-uk-pr-consultancies-2016

Creston de-listing yesterday shows how hard it is for small quoted communication groups to thrive on the markets. They are fundamentally low margin business' based on human capital. But they can throw off cash if costs are managed and Porta needs to address this. Their offices are a total vanity project. Any views on the impact of the Creston news on PTCM? I suppose we can take solace in the fact that investors thought it paying a premium to de-list.

I agree, and surely the story about Retro Grand is no more than inheritance planning by Bob. Same interest rate but now payable to son and heir? Not the progress we would expect?

We all want Porta to refinance but what we know is that banks will lend for almost anything except debt repayment. The collapse in appetite for IPO is working against the group. However, business appears brisk!

https://www.publicaffairsnews.com/articles/news/share-price-scare-newgate-owner

Lets take the positives guys but remember that poor comms and corporate indecisiveness have caused the share to be depressed as it has. The shares were struck at 10p and anything less than that price has effectively put a halt to any further acquisitions. I agree the refinance will be delivered (there must have been quite a lot of worry about Bob's health/intentions/etc) and this has also stalled progress. But Steffan, GG and Dave will unravel it and the market knows this. Not to mention the others that have been hired.Its a talent business. It was only January 2015 that the Daily Mail tipped PTCM as one of its buys of the year when the share price was 18p and they said value was 21p. I've been buying like many of you sub 4p believing the share over sold partly because the management had their hands tied. I also agree that Steffan is going to be a great CEO who I think will focus the group on IR and PA. some of the other business' swim in lower value, very competitive pools. Let's see but I am sure we will see 10p by Easter at the absolute latest. Yes, a great couple of days - now the directors need to buy in spades.

Is this going to bottom out at a fraction over 3p? If it drops any further i can only imagine the morale at Porta HQ. GG and DW are dragging their heels on the refinance. They have had the Summer to appreciate that it is holding the whole group back paying Bob his 12% coupon. Of greater concern is the fact that all future acquisitions are totally on hold. Which putative vendor of a successful agency would want "10p" Porta stock at 3p? Or less. DW does not now have a day job - he was full time on buying firms and building the network. But now that the cupboard is bare maybe he should pass the baton to Gene or Steffan (although as the rainmaker in chief at Porta we want him out there pitching and advising - generating fees as organic growth is now the only option). The Emma Kane story in respect of dumping the Porta shares has still not been told. When will this surface? Someone know anything? Its hardly a sign of confidence in the Group. Rich people don't fire sell their assets like poor people.

Agreed 100% Adastra, but layer on the need to refinance loans to Bob. His 12% coupon is crippling. Fact.

I can't get past the fact that Emma Kane has sold the shares at this price. She must surely have been privvy to the draft release for tomorrow and presumably this gave her reason to sell at just over one third of their face value. Would you sell your ten pound notes for £3.70? Only if you knew that was as much as anyone was going to get. The rest of her holding would be limited to an arranged sell. Despite all the speculation on this BB and others that this share has huge potential the RNS today is not commensurate with that optimism. Sleepless night ahead.

I too have topped up in the past week. Lord knows I have enough in this baby but the opportunity to buy at sub 4p will surely not come back and I've need to average my buys down. I agree with Adastra on the new hires. Steffan is a heavyweight (Chair at the PRCA the trade association) and at this stage in his career could have gone almost anywhere but he chose Porta. He then identified Gavin who is in the same mould. Porta looks increasingly like an IR vehicle with Public Affairs a necessary and profitable adjunct. I hope we hear more about the progress of Publicasity and Thirteen. They are consumer shops and do not fit particularly although DW made that work in the Incepta years I would like some evidence that the investment is paying off. A market cap of £10m beggars belief but I have learned from this LSE board, from Adastra and GT, that the debt needs rescheduling. All eyes must be on Gene. If there is no announcement on that it will undermine the other seemingly good progress. Shares 10p by Xmas? It's possible if they have made the progress we anticipate. They have kept their powder dry - i have heard little on the PR grapevine!

If the shares go any lower we'll all hearing the terrible sound of scraping. These guys better have some good news on the 29th or its armageddon.