Mama Share Discussion Threads

[themariner] 07/12/2009 16:50

Is it not very odd for a bid to come in BELOW the then prevailing price?

What does the bidder (a substantial shareholder already, and a creditor too) know?

As you can see from my earlier post, I am not a believer in the capabilities of the current top team, nor the business model generally. I've heard they have been closing a number of their barfly venues recently, which I thought was the original core of the business.

They do lots of deals, get a bit of froth going, but then the enlarged business makes no money. Happened at Channelfly, seems to be happening here.

[themariner] 16/10/2009 14:30

In it's previous incarnation, Messrs Driscoll and James did eventually buy the company back (it was Channelfly last time) on the cheap, at a fraction of the price it listed for earlier, it having failed to deliver real profits. Shareholders pretty much lost everything.

Well worth do the full historic research on these guys. The appear to be great at "doing deals", but there also appears to be a singular lack of the important stuff - real trading profits, consistent, and rising.

I think all they did after taking Channelfly private was bide their time until there was a new "story" that could be swallowed by the stockmarket - in this case the so called growth story in "live" music as opposed to recorded. The "deal" with HMV was, on paper a corker (for mama). I wonder when HMV and it's shareholders will wake up to the fact that it was sold a lot of hot air.

Worth noting that Luminar recently warned on profits citing unemployment in it's key demographic, the 18-25's. I think Mama could similarly suffer in it's barfly's. Word is they're struggling and some are being or have been closed.

Spouting hot air and doing deals that do not really bring in the profits to justify the prices paid end up with tears all round - eventually. Some of the prices paid by mama for the assets they bought in the last couple of years were at eye watering multiples. I think the clever ones were the vendors, getting out at just the right time in the cycle.

Surely a candidate for a short?

[mryesyes] 25/3/2009 11:07

highest number of shares traded today, beating Vodafone and all comers, probably an MBO on the cheap since no price movement MM's have been hoarding shares for the directors?

[westcoastrich] 30/1/2009 18:09

30 January 2009

















NOTICE




(67)




30/01/2009 7:30am




TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF TRADING ON AIM




MAMA GROUP PLC




At the request of the company trading on AIM for the under-mentioned securities has been temporarily suspended from 30/01/2009 7:30am pending publication of the company's annual audited report and accounts.

[themariner] 15/2/2008 10:15

There's only one problem with this company - they don't appear to make much money!

Try adding in the profits from the assets they recently bought, and by all means subtract some central overhead that is replicated and can be cut, and this company is still wildely overvalued. Either that or by some miracle everyone is expecting it's profits to triple or quarduple to begin to justify its rating.

The management are great hype merchants, and have done all this before with channelfly. Look what happened to that - the profits never showed up and shareholders took a bath when they took it private for a fraction of its float.

Beware!

[skiski] 15/2/2008 09:43

This share price shouldn't be down here...

[groovernought66] 22/1/2008 16:56

I made good money on two tips in the mail last year but you're dead right to be wary of anything you read in their financial section. They tipped ITV a few weeks ago as a re-newed take over target, which was completely wrong and they went on to drop 30% in a few days. Still....got me here and interested.....

[jayesbee] 22/1/2008 15:25

keeping my eye out on this one....

fwiw this was tipped 2 days back:

[constantine] 22/1/2008 12:29

maybe Hands will buy this lot after he's bought Chrysalis to complete his 360 degree music model. Mama is not just venues, they have artist management too - Franz Ferdinand and the Kaiser Chiefs and loads I've not heard of. Schroders own a chunk of this lot and Chrysalis.....worth keeping an eye on

[blue59] 22/1/2008 09:54

It fascinates me that people give gravitas to newspaper articles! Firstly, as a rule articles are 10% facts, 15% gossip and 75% padding, secondly, most Directors haven't a bloody clue what will happen to their Company's share price so why would some hack (esp a Sunday Mail one!)??

[bubsy2] 21/1/2008 13:45

LOOKS A GOOD PUNT

[toby tots] 21/1/2008 10:23

Tipped in the Sunday Mail yesterday!

[themariner] 08/11/2007 10:59

What makes anyone think that these guys are going to do anything other that what they did last time? That is, bring the company to the market, raise plenty of cash, pay eye wateringly high prices for assets that are notoriously hard to make pay, and then take it all private again at a fraction of the original price.

Watch the cash disappear, wait for the profits - sadly lacking last time and proving hard to make a reality this time too (we'll see in Jan 08), and then see the decline.

This company is currently valued at a staggering multiple of EBITDA, and I suspect it's assets (leasehold venues mainly) could be nicely overvalued. There's likely little cash left, except of course if they tap shareholders again.

Mark my words - these deals will not deliver real value to shareholders, who may well take a second bath on the promises of Messrs Driscol/Dean. Remember, you gave to make real profits one day!

[blue59] 30/7/2007 11:58

In response to tm's 60 of 61 last line....Maybe!!

[blue59] 30/7/2007 11:56

In response to the header.....NO!!

[themariner] 26/7/2007 15:06

Anyone getting carried away with this stock would do well to properly research the history (start with the avove), by which I mean Channelfly and the acticities of Messrs Driscol and Dean. Shareholders were royally treated to a whole lot of "dealmaking" which resulted in the complete collapse of the company with the abovenemed gents then buying at all back at a fraction of the original price. Shareholders lost everything.

Deja-vu? These guys can do deals, they're hype merchants. There was only one thing lacking last time - real "trading" profits. The only people who seem to do well out of channelfly/mama are Driscol and Dean.

There's a lot of "activity" in music right now, which I guess is why they popped up on the public company scene again. Will history repeat itself???

[silent_angel] 09/5/2007 11:31

Just sold all my shares in these now.

[silent_angel] 05/4/2007 13:18

Just rebought at a lower price after making money on BEDE

[njp] 28/3/2007 08:34

Still looks as though it wants to keep on creeping up.

[silent_angel] 27/3/2007 14:12

Just sold all at a terrific 94% profit good luck to those still holding.

[gerri-c] 27/3/2007 13:09

There are few sellers despite the rise.

[silent_angel] 27/3/2007 13:07

NJP

Im still in ;)

[njp] 27/3/2007 12:01

Anyone else enjoying the run here.

Sold half at 6.83p to recoup my investment and let the rest run free. Large trade at 7.4p though would indicate more mileage here.

[njp] 24/3/2007 11:26

Of course, the obvious guess is something to do with Sanctuary Group, given the bid last year. This post taken from the Sanctuary Group BB quotes a rumour, but may be just putting 2 and 2 together.


Richardsj - 23 Mar'07 - 15:12 - 1046 of 1047


BREAKING NEWS - MAMA.L STATEMENT.
Remeber they tried to takeover SGP last year. Industry gossip is the deal involves SGP - Helter Skelter seems to be up on the blovk and would fit re managements statement in Jan that exhibitions is under pressure so would be a natural area to offload.
The remark about it being a material transaction under AIM rules (with MAMA being capped at £18m at present) would imply the deal is worth at least £20m.
Watch this space.........


From the SGP website:

Helter Skelter is the largest and most prestigious booking agency outside North America.

The role of agency within the music business is to develop the artist's career within the live music sphere. The agent is appointed by the artist and will consult with both manager and record company to develop the most effective way to promote the artist through the medium of live entertainment.

Helter Skelter has a wealth of experience developing and maintaining the careers of artists playing shows at every level, from club shows to multiple stadium performances.The company now has a roster of over 350 acts covering most music tastes and including such prestigious names as Beyonce, Destiny's Child, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Franz Ferdinand,Kings Of Leon, Craig David,The Darkness, Marilyn Manson, Avril Lavigne and David Gray.