Alfred Mcalpine Share Discussion Threads

[rovi57] 12/3/2007 14:54

land bank to big for 400P

[spitfire3] 09/3/2007 12:46

aaaaww you short are you kid...

[spikers] 09/3/2007 12:36

Still way overvalued with a potential fraud overhang.
Stock needs to trade below 400p before being a buy.

[seconduser] 07/3/2007 23:15

monkey of a problem isn't it?

[wad collector] 07/3/2007 12:33

Is this a dead cat bounce or a Real Live Tiger ??

[luchan] 06/3/2007 09:48

Chaps,

got in yesterday at 447p , looks to be well timed.

luchan.

[maiseymouse] 28/2/2007 23:21

we reckon this prob has more to run (lots more incl sackings) - but our post seems more interestin.

[wad collector] 28/2/2007 18:20

Ooh err , didn't time that 505p buy well on Tuesday did I ? Ah well , in for the long haul eventually back up.It took me 10 years to get my money back on Raine shares when MCA took them over!

[pugugly] 28/2/2007 16:11

If SLATE fowled up how confident are we that the financial controls used when bidding for the PFI contracts were sufficiently robust ?

[miamisteve] 28/2/2007 10:59

MCA Goldman has reduced target from 650p to 581p (Maintain BUY rating). Citibank cuts target to 545p from 615p (BUY rated).

[kumala] 27/2/2007 17:15

considering the carnage on the market today, MCA has held up well, and with reasonable buys over sells, if i had spare cash i probably tip my toe in the water, am watching closely for the right oportunity.
good luck all
K

[spikers] 27/2/2007 13:55

Stock could become a buy around 400p, but for now the hole thing looks a mess.
Who knows how deep the fraud goes. I would not touch the stock.

[yogaboy] 27/2/2007 13:17

Mike180 - bet you didn't see that one coming!

[ravenna23] 27/2/2007 12:06

Mike180 please call me straight away at the SFO on 020 7239 7272 and tell me all.

Rob Wardle
Director

[mike180] 27/2/2007 11:53

fraud is endemic in this company.

[miamisteve] 27/2/2007 11:15

The share price performance up until the announcement was attracting speculation that a bid was on the table. I doubt that any potential suitor viewed with interest taking over a slate quarry and there may be pressure now to break up the business.

My hope is that this is decided after the forensic review.

The interesting thing about the slate business is that they have 100 years of slate and with the saw facility this increases 5 fold. Demand for slate is increasing and somewhere amongst the mess is a half decent business with the potential to make alot of money.

[pageo] 27/2/2007 11:11

well in a sea of red,what do you think,I,m out of cash else I would buy now IMHO

[wad collector] 27/2/2007 11:09

Hands up who thinks we have bottomed out? Hope so!

[mandator] 27/2/2007 11:03

I took a dabble this morning at 477.385.

Massaging figures to bring sales or profits forward is far easier and far more common than most people realise. I take comfort from the fact that management hasn't attempted a cover-up and also that (judging by the share price performance) the bad news wasn't leaked earlier to those "in the know".

Their reputation has suffered but their integrity, so far at least, remains intact. That has to count for something.

[spinvest] 27/2/2007 09:33

Well I've bought in on the basis that an above 20% reduction in the share price is an over-reaction to the situation. Time will tell, but with the way the overall UK economy is at the moment I think McAlpine are going to reap bigger benefits over the next year or three than the hit that this has caused or will cause in the short term.

[mmickyboy] 27/2/2007 09:02

well i sold out early yesterday and pleased i did now and i have been holding mca for years, its a shame but the breakouts gone and so am i good luck to all holders but there are better places for my hard earned cash,

[thewalrus] 26/2/2007 23:40

McAlpine have not been trying to sell the slate business. THey could have done so easily had they wished. They long ago recognised that it didn't fit their vision of the future but decided to retain it as it's margins were staggeringly good. THese last few years it has been allowed to operate in isolation, with little or no input from the board, who have been channeling their efforts into McA's core business streams, and accepting the slate figures as fact. Consequently it has festered and gone septic. Oh how they must wish they had sold it 5 or 6 years ago during the major restructuring. Not quite as bad a decision as selling the housebuilding business when they did, but from the same school of incompetence.

[chrisg] 26/2/2007 23:27

spitfire3 makes valid points about there being no personal gain, but of course there is a gain to the individuals involved in that they keep their jobs by producing figures that appear to comply with management's demands. The fault is with management in applying too much pressure to perform in markets which they appear not to understand. Maybe management is feeling a little guilty in that respect because the RNS speaks of a number of staff involved, but only two have been suspended.