AGA Rangemaster Share Discussion Threads

[gaussfactor] 09/3/2005 08:20

Interesting to see if the share price will push up before results which I think will be end of next week. Looking for an update then on the Infinity Fryer. A big contract win would be nice.

[soysoy] 28/2/2005 16:41

i got some broker note 350p target i see if i can post it

[gaussfactor] 23/2/2005 09:25

Topped up on this morning's dip. can't think that this is anything other than a general market dip following Wall Street down. Lets hope so anyway.

[soysoy] 21/2/2005 19:31

February 21, 2005

Company created from cast-iron pot





AGA Foodservice Group traces its origins to 1709, when Abraham Darby began smelting cast-iron pots and pans at Coalbrookdale, Shropshire. His foundry later became part of Allied Ironfounders, which began making Aga and Rayburn ovens in 1946.

Aga cookers are still made in Coalbrookdale.

Another key figure in the story is John Flavel, who acquired an iron foundry at Bilton, near Rugby, in 1777. In 1803, the business moved to Royal Leamington Spa and became one of the town's major employers. Literature at the time acclaimed the Eagle Foundry as "the largest manufactory of its kind in the world".

John's son, William, invented the Kitchener range cooker, which became one of the great domestic institutions of the 19th century. Manufactured in cast iron and heated by solid fuel, it could be used to boil, roast, bake and warm - all from the same heat source.

The Kitchener was one of only 17 products to be awarded gold prize medals with special approbations at the Great Exhibition in 1851.

Flavel became a household name in the 1960s with the launch of the Flavel Debonair radiant gas fire.

The Aga cooker was invented in 1922 by Gustav Dalen, a blind, Nobel prize-winning Swedish scientist, taking ideas from the Kitchener. Aga was launched in the UK in 1929 and established itself with the help of a Scottish salesman David Ogilvy, later of Ogilvy & Mather fame, who wrote The Theory and Practice of Selling an Aga Cooker.

Flavel joined Aga as part of Allied Ironfounders, which was bought in 1969 by Glynwed, an industrial company that started in 1939 as Glyn Brothers/Wednesbury Tube.

In 2001, Glynwed sold its metals and pipes businesses and renamed itself Aga Foodservice Group. In the same year it bought Fired Earth, the paint and tiles retailer. Flavel was sold to Beko, an appliance maker, but Rangemaster cookers are still manufactured in Leamington Spa.

[gaussfactor] 21/2/2005 08:27

yes soysoy, an excellent article. Interesting that Whitbread will take the infinity fryer on a gradual basis but not in the numbers that will make a major impact for the group. They still need the big sell to the likes of Burger King or McDonalds and I believe they will face stiff competition here, so not all plain sailing in my opinion but a good solid company still.

[soysoy] 21/2/2005 06:24

there good article in the times today

[soysoy] 03/2/2005 17:28

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1) NAME OF COMPANY

AGA FOODSERVICE GROUP PLC

2) NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

TWEEDY, BROWNE COMPANY LLC

3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

NOTIFICATION IN RESPECT OF SHAREHOLDERS REFERRED TO IN BOX 4

4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the
number of shares held by each of them.

Tweedy, Browne Company LLC 0
Credit Suisse 37,000
Mellon Nominees (UK) Ltd 12,900
State Street Bank Nominees 66,000
Royal Trust Canada London 26,000
Royal Trust Canada London 131,700
Mellon Nominees (UK) Ltd 34,500
Northern Trust AVFC London 37,300
Mellon Nominees (UK) Ltd 4,043,771
_________

Total Holding: 4,389,171


NOTIFICATION DATED 1 FEBRUARY 2005

5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

N/A

6) Percentage of issued Class

N/A

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

1,159,047

8) Percentage of issued Class

0.92%

9) Class of security

ORDINARY SHARES OF 25P EACH

10) Date of transaction

31 JANUARY 2005

11) Date company informed

2 FEBRUARY 2005

12) Total holding following this notification

4,389,171

13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

3.48%

[gaussfactor] 03/2/2005 15:11

Well its been a little sleepy of late, but here comes some late afternoon action again.

[gaussfactor] 21/1/2005 08:17

I always think its a good sign when a share rises in a falling market, even if it is only a penny or two.

[soysoy] 20/1/2005 17:12

well i am in profit

[gaussfactor] 20/1/2005 08:17

ok. Good luck.

[soysoy] 19/1/2005 17:31

no i bought 239 share at 302p

[gaussfactor] 19/1/2005 14:16

If you paid 239, you're on the wrong thread!

[gaussfactor] 19/1/2005 14:15

Welcome aboard. Nothing too exciting on here I'm afraid, just good solid progress. I'm 25% up on my investment since September and I'm not a greedy person (I've been caught out that way before) but I can see no negatives ahead.

[soysoy] 19/1/2005 14:09

just bought today 239

[gaussfactor] 18/1/2005 12:19

More chunky buys today. Could be some stakebuilding perhaps.

[gaussfactor] 17/1/2005 13:55

Yippee! 300 and climbing on good volume. Am looking forward now to news of the infinity fryer trials and/or the results on 18th March. (Conservative) target 325p.

[gaussfactor] 14/1/2005 18:57

Another excellent day and big volume today. Just need a little nudge now for 300, maybe something in the weekend papers will do the trick.

[gaussfactor] 13/1/2005 16:38

An excellent day and plenty more to come I feel. Glad I didn't take profits last month. Looking for 325 now by results time.

[gaussfactor] 13/1/2005 12:23

Share price moving along nicely now to 300 and beyond. Some nice comment from Citywire:

"Cooker and commercial foodservices giant Aga told investors that it plans to gear up its balance sheet with further bolt on acquisitions and buybacks following a solid 2004.
Chief executive Bill McGrath told Citywire: 'We've continued to develop the business and hit market expectations, which is always convenient, and at the same time we have continued to invest money that will put us in a good position in coming years.'
The shares are up 3.75p at 274.5p. In September 2003 at 229p we said there was still a decent long-term investment case here and reiterated that view in March last year at 253p.
The group's (AGA) core UK and European cooker businesses, Aga-Rayburn and Rangemaster, achieved record results. The product development undertaken in recent years continues to pay off and 11,500 Aga cookers were sold compared with the 11,000 alluded to at the half year stage. Rangemaster volumes were 15% higher during the year.
Christmas cookware sales through Aga's Fired Earth chain were strong and up 15% over the year
The European foodservices business, which serves the restaurant and leisure industry, saw the signs of a pick up that were reported at the interim stage turn into solid orders and improved results. Prospects look good going forward.

Encouragingly in the US, Aga's consumer division, which experienced a weak start to 2004 and a poor 2003, enjoyed an improved second half performance. However trading at the US foodservices division remained patchy. The bakery operation has performed well though and the group hopes to make progress with this side of the business this year.

The group finished the year with net cash of £20 million and despite the pledge to gear up, McGrath told Citywire: 'We're going to remain pretty cautious in terms of our financial structure.'

Citywire Verdict:

There are encouraging signs that Aga's acquisition strategy is now bearing fruit and 2005 could be an exciting year for shareholders.

[gaussfactor] 12/1/2005 14:24

And now some director share buying. I'm tempted to buy a few more myself.

[gaussfactor] 12/1/2005 10:00

Hi 1-4,
I think this share price is a slow-burner (excuse the pun). No fireworks but a gradual tick up as the message sinks home.

[one for the money] 12/1/2005 09:10

Agreed, all positive. Excellent stuff and the share price has responded this morning.

Cheers
1-4