British Energy Share Discussion Threads

[richy] 10/4/2008 09:17

I wondered the same Roman

[richardbroughton] 10/4/2008 08:39

Is the Gov't's stake included in the Market Cap, don't think it can be. I was expecting 11 billion to equate to an share price nearer £11.

[romanlyczko] 10/4/2008 08:09

Why could 700p value BE at 11 billions,now market cap. is 7.2 billion,or they mean the enterprise value,,which now is over 12 billion.

[scatty] 07/4/2008 16:17

My recollection is that the shares now traded are not comparable with the shares that dropped dramatically in 2002/03. That company effectively went to the wall, with low margins and high decommissioning commitments. HMG had to step in to keep it going in return for share stake. I think the old shareholders were left with nothing. Can anyone confirm?? Certainly the rise to £7+ cannot be compared to the old 4p shares!

[mirex] 07/4/2008 11:50

Nice to see some attention on BGY, it's been a favourite short term trade of mine for a year or so, lots of peaks & troughs to play with and i'm stuck with a load i paid £5ish only last month. What a burden!

Can't see this going much above £8 until the games begin properly. RWE my favourite considering their major expansion & acquisition plan for this year across Europe but they seem reluctant to get any more involved than npower in UK (Sold Tahmes last year). French seem keen too especially as Sarkozy has jumped into bed with Brown.

Due to the security issues with foreigners owning too much UK Nuclear i'd expect it to be split up to some extent which may keep the price down a little.

[hightech] 06/4/2008 17:08

And we had junk status for this company just over three years ago by our clever, !!!!, analysts. We are lucky EDF didn't make offer at the time.
£10 a share is much better than 5p!!!! They owe our analysts though!

[scania320] 06/4/2008 17:03

british energy in french hands.burn the all frogs and save a little uranium.lol
=======

[cockneyrebel] 06/4/2008 12:21

I think it looks pretty obvious that EDF will get BGY now. Torries in the press backing the idea today in the FT.

We've also had Nicholas Sarkozy over here telling us how great we are!!?? A frenchmen praising us? Beware foreigners bearing gifts! I reckon that's the price he has had to pay for the gov to let BGY go to EDF - boost Brown's cred by saying he's run our economy so much better than France etc.

£10b is the price being touted in the press now - 950p a share approx.

CR

[hightech] 06/4/2008 01:48

Those who sold BGY at 4p should be upset though.

I think £12 a share is reasonable target. However I was forced to sell almost all my holdings at 420 after the governement sold part of its holding !!

[sat69] 05/4/2008 08:01

British Energy attracts five potential suitors
By Peggy Hollinger in Paris and Ed Crooks in London

Published: April 4 2008 12:45 | Last updated: April 4 2008 12:45

A struggle for control of British Energy loomed Friday after it emerged that the nuclear generator was still in discussions with five European energy companies about a possible bid or other form of collaboration.

The companies in the talks are EDF, the French state-controlled energy group; RWE and Eon of Germany; Spain's Iberdrola; and Centrica of the UK.

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Lex: EDF stirs - Apr-04Montague's workload now even heavier - Mar-17British Energy talks get serious - Mar-17UK government seeks power sale - Mar-14British Energy to benefit from nuclear revival - Mar-07Ultra in talks with British Energy - Feb-26British Energy last month admitted it had held talks with unidentified parties that could lead to a bid. The government is considering the sale of all or part of its 35 per cent holding as it searches for ways to prop up its ailing finances.

British Energy shares rose 7 per cent to their highest level for 20 months. At the closing price of 711p, the company's market capitalisation was £6.85bn.

Of the companies in talks, EDF and RWE are seen in the industry as the most likely to try to buy the whole of the government's stake, triggering a bid for the company.

Eon has an active international acquisition programme already and Centrica lacks the financial muscle or nuclear expertise to lead a bid.

EDF said Friday the UK was one of four target countries for expansion. "In light of this strategy, EDF has had contact with all British nuclear players in order to realise this objective."

EDF added that the board had been "kept informed of these contacts", referring to a report in the French newspaper, La Tribune, that directors had on Thursday been given the go-ahead for a possible bid.

RWE refused to comment on bid speculation but said it was "well-positioned to participate in any new nuclear programme in the UK".

EDF is in a strong position as it is one of Europe's biggest nuclear operators and has had a presence in the UK for 10 years since its acquisition of London Electricity. However, it could face significant obstacles. A takeover would mean competition issues as it would give the French group more than 20 per cent of the UK's electricity generation capacity.

One adviser to the government said Friday that reports it favoured EDF over other possible bidders for all or part of British Energy were "drivel". The government was still weighing up whether it wanted to see British Energy go to a single buyer.

[jonak] 04/4/2008 23:09

especially not the French....

[karateboy] 04/4/2008 20:40

I think we are now talking about £10 a share here and Government short of money will sell its shares.From past experience EDF will pay against the odds to take the BGY over. Interesting times ahead.

[binladin] 04/4/2008 16:08

it is unlikely the british goverment will allow control of their nuclear energy to a forgien power,not even the french.If this deal does not go through then yet another rumour has taken place and some criminal element has made a fortune.

[inki] 04/4/2008 11:19

EDF's Gadonneix Will Bid for British Energy, La Tribune Says
By David Whitehouse

April 4 (Bloomberg) -- Electricite de France SA, Europe's biggest power generator, plans to bid for British Energy Group Plc, La Tribune reported, without saying where it got the information.

EDF's board yesterday gave Chief Executive Officer Pierre Gadonneix the go-ahead to make a non-binding offer, according to the newspaper.

If the offer were successful, EDF would probably have to sell some of British Energy's assets to avoid the U.K.'s civil nuclear capacity being concentrated in the hands of a single company, the newspaper said.

British Energy currently has a market value of 6.8 billion pounds (8.7 billion euros, $13.6 billion). There are 10 other candidates to buy the company, La Tribune said.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Whitehouse in Paris at [e-mail]

[hightech] 02/4/2008 08:37

what about the bid?

[jesttech] 28/3/2008 11:16

Well as a fairly long term shareholder so far, i'm staying in for the moment at least. The recent news of Centrica condsidering a 10 billion pound bid can only be positive on the share price

As i posted elsewhere...


THE gas and electricity group Centrica is examining a £10 billion bid for British Energy (BE), the nuclear power company that last week confirmed it was in talks with potential suitors.

"The company's shares were up last week, closing at 621p, valuing the group at £6.4 billion.2

So at a 10 billion pound bid the shareprice has some way to run ? :-)

[chrisanderton] 21/3/2008 02:23

possibly due to a lot of people hurting from the miserable few months we've had. i'd be tempted to chuck some money at these, but i'm just too scared!

[david adams] 18/3/2008 13:19

talk seems to be 750-800p, are we not nearer due to adverse market??

[richardbroughton] 17/3/2008 22:27

Chris, you ain't on your own there!!!

[chrisanderton] 17/3/2008 15:11

lol, yep - i'd been playing the ranges on this one for a while, but only ever play longs (am too wimpy to go short, don't know why, just never liked it!)

am gutted i sold out on the last peak and didn't buy in on the dip to 570 - like i said, i was waiting for £5 to re-enter on long.

double gutted because all my other shares have been hammered!

[b1naries] 17/3/2008 08:09

bet you are glad you didnt open that short Chrisanderton

[hightech] 12/3/2008 00:23

Maybe, but £10 is for longer term.

[chrisanderton] 27/2/2008 18:14

almost time to go short for the ride back to £5..

[hightech] 27/2/2008 00:20

Should get to my target.. £10 by year end..