Eq Group Share Discussion Threads

[unionhall] 24/7/2004 21:17

Hope not - just bought in on Friday pre next weeks results.

[thecleaner] 11/7/2004 15:13

looks like a scam company

[entj] 15/10/2003 14:08

I wonder what added value GWB or eq bring to the companies they have acquired?
Mike

[touch2002] 31/5/2002 09:41

ok, so whats the big deal then?

touch

[cvern] 01/9/2000 10:05

Though not ground breaking this RNS News at least shows this is a company that
communicates with its shareholders. That in itself is of rare value!

01/09/2000 07:00:10 Re Update to Shareholders

e-quisitor PLC
1 September 2000

e-quisitor plc

UPDATE TO SHAREHOLDERS

An update from e-quisitor plc has been mailed to shareholders
containing the following information not already in the public
domain.

Acquisition Strategy and Targets
As you might have hoped, our approach to identifying
acquisition opportunities in the internet arena has been
somewhat different. Rather than focusing on high-risk
start-up businesses we have targeted established
businesses with proven management, profits and growth
that are in the process of evolving their business model
to encompass the opportunities provided by the internet.
The following table provides some examples of the
attributes of businesses that we are targeting:-

Last Reported
Company Description Revenue Revenue
Growth
Established, high margin business Circa 25%+
providing outsourced management & $8m
analysis of customer data for blue-chip
clients in US. Future growth is likely
to be driven by the ever-increasing
volumes of data being captured by large
organisations via call centres and web-
sites coupled with unrelenting pressure
to become more customer-centric.

Established high margin business Circa 200%+
providing outsourced management and £1.4m
analysis of gaming machine data. Future
growth is likely to be fuelled by an
underlying desire for better business
intelligence within this sector along
with both geographical expansion and
new contract wins.

Profitable, early-phase cross-media Circa 50%+
production company based in the US $6m
creating high quality programming for a
number of US cable channels and
streaming on the internet. Growth
opportunities are likely to be derived
from the continued convergence of TV
and the internet along with the
increased availability of broadband
communications.

NOTE: Since inception e-quisitor has clearly stated that
it proposes to undertake acquisitions of internet-related
businesses. With this in mind this communication aims to
provide our shareholders with a clearer idea of the types
of businesses that we are proposing to acquire, however
it DOES NOT imply that any of the businesses outlined
above will be acquired by e-quisitor. Please also be
aware that all acquisitions undertaken by e-quisitor
would be subject to rigorous due diligence and other
conditions. All figures provided above do not constitute
any indication of future performance.


For further information:

Bob Bond Tel: [phone]
Chief Executive

Judith Parry Tel: [phone]
Millham Communications


END
MSCEAPPFDAPEEFE

[cvern] 23/8/2000 21:57

galleon - don't blame you for taking your profit but methinks you took it a
touch early in the game!

[galleon] 23/8/2000 21:51

Abit dizzy now methinks. 24% still wasnt bad for a safe deal. What goes up etc... Obviously I didnt agree with BSP who wouldnt touch em with a bargepole - end quote. Some bargepole!! doubled plus in one month. Take yer profits lads.Bye.

[cvern] 23/8/2000 18:14

Originally posted by me on iii EQI BB:
Some of you might find it helpful:


Further research; Mark Watson-Mitchell
writing for UK Invest 27th June 2000:

Yesterday I had lunch with Bob Bond, the boss of a recently floated AIM stock called e-quisitor (EQI).

The company aims to identify, acquire and develop businesses that are, or will become, the lifeblood of the Internet economy. It does not buy stakes; it takes controlling equity positions.

Its strategy is to create a collaborative network of market-leading businesses that will leverage the experience of the e-quisitor board, develop strategic partnerships and share ideas and expertise.

As part of GWB, corporate developers for over 10 years, e-quisitor has access to a team of dedicated corporate finance professionals with a proven track record of identifying and completing acquisitions in the UK and US. To date, this has led to advanced discussions with a number of very exciting, profitable businesses.

Bond and his team have already identified a number of exciting potential acquisition opportunities. Common characteristics of these businesses are that they are profitable, Internet-related and investing significant amounts in developing new generations of products and/or services.

In common with the GWB model that has resulted in the creation of five successful quoted groups in the last five years, e-quisitor intends to group together complementary businesses and help them grow organically and through acquisitions.

By applying strict acquisition criteria to target businesses, Bond believes that even if market sentiment towards the Internet sector weakens and tech prices fall, e-quisitor will have a resilience to such changes in sentiment. Its attractive portfolio of strong businesses will see to that.

Acquisitions will be financed using a combination of cash, equity and bank debt whenever possible. Part of the purchase price for each acquisition will take the form of deferred consideration, depending on the business achieving agreed profit targets levels in the post-acquisition period.

Owner-managers will be encouraged to remain with their businesses following acquisition. The company takes the view that entrepreneurs who have developed innovative, successful growing businesses are likely to be the best people to continue to develop and grow the business.

I like the basic model of this company and Bob Bond, although only 31 years old, looks as though he will be able to manage its rapid growth.

The company's shares, which are now trading at just 111p, should double within the next year as the initial acquisitions, yet to be made, kick into gear. Follow the recent lead of the company's own directors and buy the shares now.


My Note: There is very little liquidity in these shares so they are volatile.
A single purchase can move them 10 points both up and down. However, at the moment their graph looks positive and upward....
Up 24% to 210/225 on a volume of only 15510 Why? Perhaps an announcement is to be made soon? I bought in today. Risky. Please do your own research.

Earlier research:

This article from The Street 27th April 2000 gives interesting background to this little known company:

Gartland Whalley & Barker (GWB:LSE) , the corporate developer run by former FKI (FKI:LSE) director Tony Gartland, signalled no let-up in its efforts to find new investment targets today, despite its own move off the Alternative Investment Market. The company today revealed plans to float an Internet investing subsidiary, e-quisitor, on AIM next month.

E-quisitor shares will be priced at 100p each, giving the company a market capitalisation of about £3.5 million. The company will buy controlling interests in Internet-related businesses. GWB said it had been looking at between six and 10 companies a month with a view to taking a stake, and several of them are now lined up as early e-quisitor targets.

GWB said e-quisitor will offer an alternative to the large number of recent incubator launches - it is looking for companies that are at a more advanced stage of development, mainly those that are already making substantial profits with strong margins.

"We think there is considerable benefit, both for these businesses and for the owner managers who have built them up, in bringing them together to form a larger group and unlock the potential within such businesses," a spokeswoman said.

GWB specialises in building small groups of related companies and then building them up for either a trade sale or flotation. GWB subsidiaries include human resources specialists Quantica (QTA:LSE) and household products group Aquarius (AQG:LSE) . The group says that tough market conditions and negative attitudes towards smaller companies have hit it hard over the past 12-18 months, however.

Last year it revised its business model and declared that flotations would not necessarily be the preferred exit route for its subsidiary groupings. More recently it unveiled plans to move off AIM, declaring that it was likely to receive a better reception on Nasdaq.

The company wanted to emulate the success enjoyed by corporate developers in the US, citing the example of giant Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, as an example it would like to emulate. To date the Yorkshire-based corporate developer has struggled to win over British investors in anything like the same way. With GWB's business growing fast in the US a move onto Nasdaq makes "good sense", according to director James Barker. Barker said the move, subject to shareholder at a meeting next week, will not happen immediately.

"We want to see blue water between our delisting at the current price and a float on Nasdaq at a higher level," he said.

E-Quisitor was floated 18th May 2000 and currently has a Market Cap of 6.12m

According to Mark Watson-Mitchell writing for UK-Invest 22nd August:

Active investors who bought into the shares of E-quisitor (EQI) when I highlighted its potential a couple of months ago must be very pleased. But I would suggest you should not be in a rush to sell out just yet. They could really fly in due course, just one or two good deals could see them hit 300p then even 500p each. But be careful.

[galleon] 16/8/2000 09:07

thanks everyone...I did decide to sell yesterday 24% aint too bad. Be in again if they fall to around 115/120 to buy, but the spread is outrageous. Cheers.

[belsizepark] 15/8/2000 22:59

Hi firstly this is a tiny maket cap company,,,even after todays huge percentage rise making it i think the biggest gainer on aim it has a capitilisation of £5.4mm. there has been a "big buyer" of the stock...well both the company an its brokers peel hunt claimed in an article on bloomberg that they didnt know who the buyer was. this seems odd because in a company so small i would have thought that any buyer of size would have discussed with management...

the company has no operations at the moment and plans to aquire established and profitable businesses aiming to use the internet more...95% of the company is owned by gwb as mentioned by jayno above 44000 shares have traded yesterday and today there are only 3.5mm shares outstanding and gwb own most of them so doesnt take much to move the market....

bob bond the chief executive used to work for oracle...

personally i wouldnt touch this company with a bargepole

regards

belsizepark

[jayno] 15/8/2000 22:21

I understand this company uses equity which is largely controlled by its original owners, Gartland Whalley & Barker (GWB) to invest in internet and high technology companies, but it's declared strategy is to get control of the ventures it "assists". Basically an incubator dependent on the usual - continued flow of investment funds, and (hopefully) fast realised fortunes of the tech newbies under incubation.

Exciting flutter. Unwise to have more than one of these in your portfolio these days. I know, I've got the very delightful Newmedia Spark (which will make me rich one day), AND the extraordinarily 'orrible Monticello (which serves me right, for following a friend's tip without much consideration)!

Jayno
:-)

[galleon] 15/8/2000 16:17

thanks lex actually bought at 112p so aint complaining ...might just take a profit now rather than a bath later what do you think ? ( am such a coward! )

[luthor] 15/8/2000 15:59

Galleon you do have a mystery here. Can't find info on Market Cap. or Shares Outstanding even though I trawled a few sites. It looks as if it came into being in mid May (Charts start from then). Today there was a whopping trade (for it's size) 32k. The site I looked at has a spread of 20p (ask 165, bid 145). Looks like you have a long term hold here (hope you'r young enough to reap the benefit)
Lex

[galleon] 15/8/2000 14:12

who is a secret..whats happening now is still a mystery. almost.

[twix] 15/8/2000 13:17

Not looking too shabby now - up 30p to 155p today (145p to you guv) - can see no reason why - any ideas?

[robm] 15/8/2000 10:45

Who persuaded you ? : )

[galleon] 08/8/2000 11:13

Was persuaded to buy a few recently at 112p ( must have had one too many that night! ).. now 125 to buy and 115p to sell. No one ever seems to trade except the directors who just buy a few now and again. Anyone ANY opinions about this little beastie?
Please keep em clean I,m sensitive.