Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[buywell3] 26/11/2015 00:41

buywell3 16 Aug'15 - 17:42 - 935 of 1035 0 0 edit

The chart ie market, takes this view


free stock charts from uk.advfn.com



Perhaps sometimes it is better to concentrate on making an acquisition become profitable before moving on to the next , and the next , and the next.

Making profits is not easy , making acquisitions is , it only requires a pen and ink and some money.

[interstellar] 24/11/2015 09:11

What a racket this is. The dealing prices are 12.25 pence to sell, 14.5 p to buy. That's over 35% spread- scandalous. Oh well, nearly all sold up- got 14p mostly and now seems a good price

[bigman] 12/11/2015 07:57

Announced closure of site in US this morning, so jobs go there but why not cut the out the real problem JB and DE who messed up and cost not only the employment of people but shareholders value. i think the savings would be greater as well.

[interstellar] 11/11/2015 11:30

Cisk. Worth a teeny punt I suppose but personally I've had it with this lot. I feel hugely let down by DE and JB and am off loading my shares for whatever I can get. Bit by bit

Hind sight being wonderful we can all see how the stratgey to acquire companies by issuing paper only works if you unlock value by better management of the acquired and/or have synergy savings so that the underlying share value increases. Thus generating a huge population of investors wanting to acquire shares as the acquirees inevitably sell out after whatever lock in is imposed on them.

BUt I see so many opportuntiies missed. Once I'm fully out I will never darken their door again.

And Cisk you are right they raised a huge chunk of cash at 35-40p and misspent it. That's why should they need cash (which I contest they do) they will have to pitch it very low. then RZ (if he truly believes) will acquire the company for a song. He can have my shares

[silverfern] 11/11/2015 11:15

Am I right in thinking the intention up to... oh today was to sell the POC business and retain the highly valuable, future-proofed molecular research/patent generating business?
Just be careful - this could be an asset-stripping job with a low value sale of POC at the end. Get rid of what is not core, cut, cut and cut costs and sell the POC customer and asset base and that's it. OH and transfer the directors packagaes into the company that buys the POC

[cisk] 11/11/2015 10:30

inter, I've added a few - probably completely crazy I know. I think RZ has been closely involved for long enough to know exactly what he wants to do.

as for fundraising, I think that would be a struggle, wasn't the last fundraising around 40p? can anyone remember?

I agree though it's basically hope. But isn't that life, in a nutshell?

This forms such a small % of my portfolio I'm willing to take a punt on it.

I wouldn't bet the farm though ;-)

[interstellar] 11/11/2015 10:25

"The singular focus for the rest of the business will be to quickly re-establish profitability and cash-generation, as well as executing a strategy to drive organic revenue growth. I anticipate annual cost savings in 2016 and beyond of over GBP3m. Once this has been achieved there may be opportunities for strategic acquisitions. It will also be our intention to introduce new products into the EKF Point-of-Care portfolio."

Hoo-ra for common sense. Getting rid of Molecular Division and working the existing assets to stimulate organic growth seems a pretty obvious strategy to me.

But is it too late- The company needs cash and I see a rights issue which will have to be pitched at a pretty huge discount to today's paltry price- unless RZ is going to bank roll the company himself whilst slowly acquiring an ever larger position.

Seems to me rather than acting as a Non-Exec chairman RZ is going to be pretty well involved in the closer management of the company. That begs the question why is a deputy chairman needed or indeed a CEO.

What I don't like is the no forward guidance on performance. Has to be because there's some pretty awful stuff in the detail and this announcement buys them 5-6 months before they are compelled to report on 2015.

So the price will just drift ever further downwards imho. What, after all, will stop it's decline. Hope?

[wan] 11/11/2015 08:15

Kemche...Well that would be the uncertainty it creates (until his review is complete), but I believe this is more than countered by RW himself and indeed where he is looking to take EKF i.e. potentially turning EKF into another Alere.

[kemche] 11/11/2015 08:07

wan, apart from the very encouraging, high calibre, potential and encouraging stuff do you see any negatives at all in today's announcement. And I mean ANY - at all?????

[wan] 11/11/2015 08:02

What's very encouraging is that someone of RW's calibre is attracted to take up the position. The fact that he also states that for some time he has recognised the potential value within EKF is also encouraging. I get the impression that a lot of planning has already taken place, perhaps exemplified by the fact his actions will be swift!

Considering he had been buying recently at circa 21p and indeed bought higher, suggests he see potential well above this, albeit that the potential value he sees will not be realised overnight, but he his not in this for 30p per share either!

[kemche] 11/11/2015 07:55

"During this period of refocusing we do not expect to provide guidance on the future performance of the Company as a whole. We will look to spin-off or close the molecular diagnostics division and have put all further investment into this division on hold."

So the molecular diagnostic "business" is worth that much then. Hmmm.

[interstellar] 09/11/2015 08:32

So here we are looking for share enhancing information and the best we get is "EKF biomarker identifies people likely to develop Diabetic Nephropathy" I have to say a big "so what" This isn't going to put the situation right... another 'jam tomorrow' announcement.

PS You're a brave man Wan- don't bet the farm

[silverfern] 09/11/2015 07:13

I see £1k worth of shares transacted at 14.5 but none at 14p (yet) yet

[wan] 09/11/2015 06:46

I agree that actions speak greater than words. Clearly though I am in a minority here and indeed a contrarian having also picked up a few shares at just over 14p.

[cisk] 08/11/2015 23:45

Inter, talk is cheap and these guys have been paid handsomely for their efforts - or lack of. Anyone can apologise - indeed I've witnessed this first hand several times from these guys; it will take more than talk to get this share price up.

[interstellar] 08/11/2015 18:42

I thought it worthwhile to re-read 2014's annual report published this year. I must say the interrity of JB and DE is beyond reproach. They take full responsibility for the mistakes made with the acquisitions and describe objectives to minimise the impact. Sadly we cannot convert such humble pie eating into tangible assets. They would go a long way to restoring confidence imho not by buying shares- how crazy and ineffective would that be (as shown in the past)- but to give some update on what is going on with the performance of the company. Their silence right now is painful.

[cisk] 06/11/2015 16:11

all, tbh I would expect the likes of Baines et al to be buying shares in the market at the current level. If they can't announce sales etc then thats the only option to shore up confidence. Assuming they could of course...

I'm thoroughly disappointed in this whole episode - after hearing them discuss the tech, pipeline and opportunities at length many times I'm seriously surprised we're where we are. The much-trumpeted sales to Mexico for example have not been announced.

Nor do I hold out hope of RZ coming to the rescue at a price anywhere near what we would find appetising. He didn't make a fortune by being generous to shareholders of companies he wants to acquire.

Wan, I know you thought 10p was wide of the mark, but if RZ spots an opportunity to buy the whole lot, spin off the molecular division on nasdaq in 6 months and develop the diagnostic side, he'll take it and pay the minimum to do so.

And the institutions that bought around 40p if memory serves would probably be glad to get this company off their books at 10p as it's unlikely they could shift any serious volume of stock without collapsing the share price even more from current levels.

what the company is actually worth is anyone's guess.

Probably what RZ is prepared to pay as so far he looks like the only person who might buy the company.

[interstellar] 06/11/2015 15:29

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but the market didnt like it (the Selah deal) at the time and it has proved to be a value busting, company scuppering deal. A poison pill of a deal in fact. That said, and what's done is done, my worry is about this years sales. Just one announcement of a tender won this half so far (unless I have missed something) worth a paltry £50k per year. At a time when the investors are truly rattled some guidance from the senior managemnt on how trading is going, with all the head winds buffeting to company, is way overdue.......... but we hear nothing. What should we conclude from that?

[silverfern] 06/11/2015 13:38

it returns no value at all (and nor is it important)- this company has been printing shares like dandruff since they came to the market. These shares however were held in escrow with a view to releasing them today to great fanfare that Selah had met all its targets. Today those shares would produce £750k if sold, a trivial amount compared to the huge waste of money "valuing Selah at up to approximately US$70.6 million (net of US$4.4 million in borrowings" they pitched up to buy it.

[interstellar] 06/11/2015 08:09

I think whoever is responsible for the Selah acquisition should do the decent thing and fall on their sword. Have just been re-reading the terms of the acquisition and it is eye watering. EKF have been going downhill ever since this deal was made. I have not done the maths yet to see, with these new provisions what the net result is but the original owners must find themselves very lucky they are not being pursued for more of the money back.

[wan] 06/11/2015 07:52

That puts a firm line under the Selah consideration and returns some cash/value.

Cleaning this up was an important step in readying Genomics for the impending spin off.

[stupidboypike] 06/11/2015 07:34

Well actually, that looks like we are getting our shares back and not having to dilute further. We all know Selah isn't working as it was supposed to, at least now we don't have to pay in full for it! Best regards SBP

[bigman] 05/11/2015 18:34

clutching at straws just can't see anything positive until perhaps when it hits 10p.