Carphone Share Discussion Threads

[paragon157] 05/12/2008 14:17

What till Christmas ?

[matt c] 04/12/2008 08:26

Not long now!

[spob] 18/11/2008 09:43

Carphone Warehouse considers splitting in two

By Andrew Parker

FT

Published: November 18 2008 07:59 | Last updated: November 18 2008 09:04

Carphone Warehouse said on Tuesday it would consider a demerger of its retail and telecoms interests, as the company predicted the next year was likely to be the most challenging economic environment it had ever operated in.

Some of Carphone's shareholders have been pressing for a demerger, and the company's shares jumped almost 25 per cent in early trading. They were later down almost 4 per cent at 125½p.

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Carphone to consider case for demerger - Nov-17Carphone prepares to reassure investors - Nov-16More telecoms news - Nov-13

The group reported a loss before tax of £11m for the six months to September 27, compared to a £38m loss in the same period last year.

Revenue was £697m for the first half, down 2 per cent. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda), and also excluding exceptional items, rose 51 per cent to £112m.

Carphone's revenue and ebitda do not include results from Best Buy Europe, its European joint venture with Best Buy, the leading US consumer electronics company.

The group put its retail assets, led by its 2,400 shops selling mobile phones, into the venture, known as Best Buy Europe. Since July, Carphone claims a 50 per cent share of the venture's profit after tax.

Best Best Europe recorded revenue of £1.6bn for the first half, up 12 per cent, and ebitda of £99m, up 3 per cent. Roger Taylor, chief executive of Best Buy Europe, said it was not scaling back its plans for new consumer electronics stores because of the downturn.

Carphone's telecoms business reportedrevenue of £697m, down 2 per cent, and ebitda of £120m, up 46 per cent.

The improving profitability of the telecoms business reflects how it has made a belated success of an industry process known as local loop unbundling.

It involves Carphone taking control of the BT landlines that run from telephone exchanges to homes, so as to offer broadband and phone services to consumers.

Although Carphone ran into serious problems with unbundling in 2006, the process enables the company to make a better profit margin than it would if it simply resold BT's broadband and phone services.

Charles Dunstone, Carphone's chief executive, said Best Buy Europe was well positioned relative to its competitors, given the consumer outlook was very uncertain.

He added: "The next 12 months are likely to represent the most challenging economic climate we have ever operated in... the group is very well positioned to withstand the financial turmoil."

Mr Dunstone said Carphone had reached a watershed in its evolution, and described its retail and telecoms interests as two discrete and focused businesses.

He added: "We recognise... the structure of the group may now no longer be appropriate for the optimal development of the two businesses.

"The board has therefore initiated a formal review of the group's corporate structure and capital requirements, which may lead to a separation of the two businesses."

Carphone will update on the review next spring, and Mr Taylor, also the company's finance director, said the earliest a demerger might happen would be the summer.

He rejected suggestions that a demerger might be a first step towards selling Carphone's telecoms business. Analysts say Vodafone and O2, the mobile operators, are the most obvious potential buyers.

Carphone's interim dividend will be 1.35p, up 8 per cent. Net debt was £286m at September 27, compared to £843m at March 29.

[paragon157] 17/11/2008 09:48

Really Thanks .. Lol

[marycurer] 17/11/2008 09:27

Oh dear oh dear how i warned you months ago

[sandbank] 14/10/2008 15:35

BINLADIN: - Would you mind checking again with your friend - about today?

[mred406] 11/10/2008 19:06

Not surprised these are trading at these levels.

Carphone warehouse has no idea how it should treat its customers.

[binladin] 06/10/2008 10:58

God has told me the markets will crash today.

[johnandrew2] 03/10/2008 13:25

The share slide was obvious. Dunstone sold 1/2 his retail business, therefore 1/2 the profits, to pay off dept. The "Joint Venture" was a fig leaf to cover his loss of face, I mean the UK needs another Electronic retailer like a hole in the head.

[lvlarky_13oy] 03/10/2008 12:58

I have a view.

It's that sales of new 3G I-Phone will be below expected levels, and blueliarking will be topping up at these "cheap" prices, to bring his average down to below £2, or whatever figure he pulls off the top of his head.

[paragon157] 03/10/2008 11:39

Anyone have any views on Results on 14th October ?

[lvlarky_13oy] 23/9/2008 09:42

silence from blueliarking speaks volumes!

but don't worry though, he's probably "topping up" each time this drops, just like he did on ERX.

[libertine] 21/9/2008 10:44

From The Sunday TimesSeptember 21, 2008

Bidders offer less for broadband supplier TiscaliJames Ashton
CARPHONE WAREHOUSE has returned to the table in the drawn-out auction of Tiscali with a bid of less than £450m for the British arm of the broadband supplier.

The offer, some 25% less than the company's earlier expectations of £600m, is believed to be one of two currently under consideration by Tiscali's advisers at JP Morgan and Banca IMI.

The company put itself up for sale in May but missed a self-imposed deadline to seal a deal by the end of June.

Interested parties including BT, Vodafone and BSkyB - the satellite broadcaster 39% owned by News Corporation, ultimate owner of The Sunday Times - walked away but left their options open.

Tiscali was created from acquisitions that included Pipex and HomeChoice. It lost 37,000 customers in the last quarter but still has 1.84m.

Its shares, listed in Italy, have fallen 46% since the start of June, valuing it at £600m last Friday. That suggests investors are becoming more realistic about its worth.

Carphone has money to play with after a £1.1 billion deal in May to sell half its retail division to Best Buy of America paid off its debts.

It has 2.8m broadband customers. Adding Tiscali would allow it to leapfrog BT to become the No 1 supplier.

However, Carphone's share price has tumbled 49% in the past 12 months on fears that mobile-phone spending will slow as Britain heads into a recession

[martin44] 18/9/2008 12:27

marycurer - Next prediction on this stock and yes I have to agree you were spot on! I had my doubts......

[redmarauder] 17/9/2008 11:56

marycurer - 17 Sep'08 - 11:43 - 3418 of 3418

LOL, so I suppose your crystal ball told you about Lehmen, Merrill Lynch and AIG... what utter tosh. If you were over 18 and actually had a position either short or long in any stock anywhere in the world on any market we might view your posts with some interest, but you dont so zzzzzz

[marycurer] 17/9/2008 11:43

well well well

I have been vindicated yet again with an other 100% accurate call well in advance of the experts. I was warning months ago of the fall to 168p and today we hit it bang on target.


laughing extremely hard at the non believers.

[redmarauder] 17/9/2008 11:13

Roughly 2-1 buys over sells but the price goes down, I have officially given up :)

[mmamuk2] 12/9/2008 06:32

Carphone Warehouse ejected from FTSE 100
Published: 10 September 2008 17:35

Carphone Warehouse has been ejected from the FTSE 100, bringing retail's representation on the blue-chip index to the lowest in memory.
Carphone Warehouse's relegation means there are now only six retail constituents of the index, three of which are grocers. Just five years ago, there were 10.

Carphone Warehouse's ejection is symbolic both of the fall from grace of consumer businesses as the credit crunch and pressures on shoppers' disposable incomes take a toll and the changing characteristics of the biggest companies, which have an increasingly international spread.

The new members of the FTSE following today's review include mining company Fresnillo and software firm Autonomy.

Carphone Warehouse's drop into the FTSE 250 was forecast by Retail Week (August 29, 2008).

Carphone Warehouse's demotion will not have any impact on how it is run.

[mmamuk2] 12/9/2008 06:29

Sept. 10 (Bloomberg)
Carphone Warehouse, Europe's largest handset retailer which has slid 44 percent this year, said it is ``cautious'' about its financial outlook for the year ending March 2009 due to the ``poor economic climate and inflationary pressures on European consumers.''