Abcam Share Discussion Threads

[apad] 16/12/2011 11:43

rich....
errrr, where's the website banner?
I'm expecting a statement on 20 Dec.
apad

[richscotsman] 16/12/2011 05:34

It is quiet here... is anyone still out there and reading this???

Is it only me that noticed the website banner change from over 90000 products sold in the last 90 days to over 100000 products sold in the last 90 days...

By past trends we are due a trading update shortly.... I can't see the share price at £3.35 after that but wtfdik..

[richscotsman] 21/11/2011 10:32

This is a nice postive read if you ask me:



'At one end of the scale are Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace. At the other is Abcam, a maker and distributor of therapeutic antibodies linked to the human genome project. Hutchinson first invested through Unicorn's VCT, putting in £1.5m. When it floated five years ago, he used OBC to buy some of the stock. It has gone up six-fold since then. "It's now on 25 times earnings, so it's not cheap, but it's a star in its own specialised field, and there are any number of pharmaceutical companies in the US that might want to buy it."

Not that Hutchinson wants Abcam to sell out. It would mean he'd have to find another stock for his portfolio. And more importantly, Abcam would no longer be outstanding, or British, and you get the feeling he'd like it to stay that way.'

[richscotsman] 21/10/2011 11:25

Campbed

I think ABC mgmt are being responsible by acknowledging the risks to the market - despite difficult times you have to respect the results they are still acheiving.

I would like to see the new directors put their cheque books on the table and buy a hefty stake - we need to see them with skin in the game.

Given the share price and cash reserves I would have thought that a share buy back might be on the cards - the fact they have not done this to my mind suggests that we might see some further acquisitions this year.

Rich

[campbed] 21/10/2011 11:15

The wording of today's AGM trading update seems designed with certainty to depress share price with the talk of ... uncetainty, uncertainty, uncertainty (the very word that markets least like!!!).

Why not just say trading continues in line with expecatations but the board remains watchful over the impact of changes in the future levels of centrally funded research expenditure amongst Western economies.

AGM statement reads:

"Last month, at the time of the announcement of our preliminary results, we highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the levels of centrally funded research expenditure amongst Western economies. This uncertainty remains a feature of our markets and it is unlikely to change in the near future. However, in spite of this backdrop, our product portfolio and revenues continue to grow and we remain on track to meet the Board's profit expectations.

also not sure about consumer internet marketing backgrounds of the two new directors-

[richscotsman] 30/9/2011 16:21

Liarspoke - you still about??? Just wondering if you might think about a refresh of the header here - no worries if not but the latest annual accounts have some pretty good KPIs.

Rich

[fardistanthills] 27/9/2011 16:42

Very interesting. Plenty of confidence. Thanks.

[richscotsman] 27/9/2011 16:14

sorry - was on my BB hence the limited post earlier - here you go...



Abcam, which supplies protein research tools to global scientists, is investing heavily in an upgrade of its property and equipment on three Continents.

Some of its overseas hubs will move to new locations, doubling capacity in vital territories such as Japan and Hong Kong.

The directors say the investment, which will increase capital expenditure in 2011/12, is crucial to the continuing growth of the company.

In Cambridge, Abcam is redesigning the Science Park laboratories at the company's UK headquarters. Following its acquisition of Oregon-based MitoSciences in the US Abcam has expanded that laboratory as well to accommodate increased production levels and other lab-based testing requirements.

The company has already created a new goods-in/goods-out area in its Cambridge, Massachusetts office to enhance the capacity and efficiency of this area of operations.

The Japanese office has just relocated, roughly doubling the available space. There are plans to double the space available at the Hong Kong operations through relocation, chief operating officer Jim Warwick exclusively told Business Weekly.

Warwick said: "We have quotes in for the re-design of the labs in the UK and in Oregon so we expect to start work on these pretty soon.

"The re-working of the goods-in/goods-out area in our US office is actually now complete – this brings the US office in line with the configuration we have in the UK and is particularly important as we start to handle more kits, which are bulkier to store.

"The Japan office has also just completed its move – it moved mid-August – to premises about double the previous office size. The Hong Kong office is planning to move, but hasn't done so yet.

"I would expect this to happen before the end of the calendar year – and again we're looking to about double our space there."

Abcam has a policy of not hyping headcount increases but there will be a big increase this year as a result of the aquisitions of MitoSciences in the States and Ascent, in Bristol UK, which has 20 staff.

The company has also flagged its intention to continue significant investment in the renewal of computer equipment.

Abcam's shares continue to evade the worst of the London stockmarket volatility and were up again on early trading – 2.5p ahead to 349.75p.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Jim Warwick

[fardistanthills] 27/9/2011 16:04

richscotsman, where did that bit of news come from please?

[richscotsman] 27/9/2011 15:37

big investments forthcoming in new company accommodation and IT - bodes well;-)

[campbed] 14/9/2011 14:32

quickmind ---- I think you're very much right to like Abcam. Its business model is so well advantaged by the web that it is hard to think of a sustainable better one. Management's style is conservative, in the sense of underpromising and overdelivering on results, which I like. I expect good results will continue at over 20% growth for several more years and with a PEG of under 1 there is still reasonable value (GARP -- growth at a reasonable price) at a £3.50 share price so I've been topping up below that but would top slice at over £4.20 in current economic climate.

[quickmind] 13/9/2011 20:35

(ABC is)"to develop its world-leading antibody business into a broadly based global life science tools company, delivering sustainable value creation for researchers and shareholders. " I like this - long term future looks promising though share price may be yo-yoing for a while.

[richscotsman] 13/9/2011 09:19

APAD

I suggest not at all - if you look at the website of the new company they have bought they have branded it 'an Abcam company' - this approach is great as shortly they will be bringing over the target companies customer base into the fold. The fact that they are doing cash and shares.... possibly a tax mitigant (thoughts anyone)? Possibly to retain a strong cash base to allow further acquisitions. The main thing is that Abcam seem to be finding opportunites to expand their market share - long term this has to be a winning strategy.

Rich

[apad] 13/9/2011 09:07

rich...
vacancies down to 6.

Abcam has agreed to acquire Ascent Scientific, a specialist provider of biochemical reagents with international sales, for £10m.

The consideration is being settled by way of £6m in cash and £4m in Abcam shares at 345.58p apiece - the rolling 25-day average price terminating three trading days prior to completion.

How will this "345.58p apiece" affect share price?
apad

[richscotsman] 13/9/2011 08:59

pre-tax profit up 25.1% ;-)

It looks like there are challenges ahead with public sector spending but good effort.

Rich

Oh, and they have made another aquisition - looks like a pattern is forming buying small companies for a mix of cash and shares - seems like a smart plan to me!

[richscotsman] 11/8/2011 20:10

13 vacancies on the Abcam website - I believe growth momentum remains, if others don't that is their choice. Holding tight and wishing I had some spare cash ;-)

[toonces] 03/8/2011 12:47

Concerns over significant spending cuts for the NIH... ? Those remaining funded will still use reagents they know work: labs are are pretty unwilling to change something (i.e. Antibodies) that works well... What is their exposure to the asain Market now days?
Looks pretty cheap, to hold for a little while.

[campbed] 02/8/2011 18:14

I agree with Billy Ray that it's "exasperating" to see ABC's (and other small caps') share price drifting down at the moment.

But this moment is the summer doldrums!!

I found it interesting to read that Montanaro in their mid year report on the Montanaro Smaller Companies Inv Trust issued this morning :

"Investors are cautious about the macro-economic outlook. Montanaro are much more positive about the potential of our investments and believe that we are in the early stages of a multi-year Bull Market. We will be increasing the net gearing gradually over the summer. We believe that the portfolio is well positioned for a good second half and that a strong final quarter lies ahead."


They hold ABC within the investment trust though it isn't one of their top twenty holdings. They have a decent record over the last few years and that earns respect for their opinions.

Their optimism about Q4 may of course be misplaced, because of a worsening macro picture (in USA in particular), but I tend to agree that the share prices of those UK smaller companies that do continue to demonstrate high growth should recover and progress from October on.

[tratante] 02/8/2011 10:18

nearly sold at the peak, but in the end sold last week to hold on to my gains. Had a feeling it might fall on a bit of negative sentiment engendered by IC comments etc. Still think these are good long term and hope to be back when the price stabilises. The american market is a little troubling. The stimulus package was good for NIH spending last year and things might not be quite so rosy on research funding from now on.

[billy ray] 02/8/2011 10:03

Morning all

I realise that the general markets are struggling at the moment, but ABC does seem to be getting hit more than others. Approx 20% down since the highs of 7th July - seriously considered takng a bit of profit off the table at the time as it was over-bought, but silly me, I thought that making new highs was meant to be a bullish sign?! And since then, we've also had a trading statement saying that PBT "will be slightly ahead of market expectations". Anyway, currenly oversold on the RSI, and nearing what I have on the chart as a long-term up-sloping sloping (~367), so hope we'll see a technical bounce from those levels.

Any thoughts anyone? Am still happy to hold, just slightly exasperated (polite term for "hacked off") by seeing us being hit so hard...

Cheers

[thepsychic] 29/7/2011 14:18

We are still frimly in a rising channel, i forsee this continuing for a long time yet, hence i have used the opportunity to top up at 400p.

[tratante] 28/7/2011 10:47

In any event looks like they have succeeded in talking this down. Looks like a trend is forming.

[tratante] 25/7/2011 15:49

Fardistant - i don't understand that either. We are principally talking about products used for research not clinical treatment. researchers just want antibodies that work, ie proven specificity in the model they are using, regulation doesn't come into it as far as I can see.

I agree with Billy Ray, China is an opportunity not a threat. In the last couple of years most of UK pharma research has been carted off to China, often with former UK research directors in overall charge, at least for the time being. I think there is huge potential for ABC if they can tap into this market.

Increasingly I find comments from these so called professionals suggest they don't really understand the businesses they are discussing.

[apad] 23/7/2011 13:36

The IC piece is a typical journalist's article from a general financial journalist. They are easy words to sell.
I take the position that I am investing in technical specialists developing a technical company that is almost impossible to value (see also ARM) in this, conventional, sense.
My own position is to avoid tech. smaller companies managed by professional managers and accountants and concentrate on tech. companies run by technical specialists. A real technical advantage always confers solid value in a company that is independent of day to day accounting and attractive to other companies.
In terms of ABC I value comments and articles from people who understand the company's technical capabilities.