Andrews Sykes Share Discussion Threads

[investali] 24/12/2012 10:52

A sale of 2x2500 this morning has brought the offer down a tad, now quoting 217 for 5k.

[ignoble] 21/12/2012 18:43

Nicely put ...

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 17:04

As Ignoble often says, I'm not trying to ramp anything, and what I say is just my opinion! Any stock can go ti*s up but I'd prefer to be in this one than a lot of blue chips. I've spoken to the gaffers son and various directors and the company secretary, and I'm quite happy! No inside info of course. And the beauty of this company is........they spend on new equipment and have the staff to cope with high demand so any cold weather in winter or hot weather in summer just provides extra demand that is already catered for i.e. extra profits with no extra cost. If you look back over the last few years the winters have been generally mild (a few cold spells, ok), the summers have been generally cool and its been quite dry i.e. no help to ASY at all. The wet weather since April has helped the pumps but we still need some cold weather this winter (which I'm hoping for in January). The thing is, they have been producing good profits despite not being helped by the weather i.e. the only way is up! QED

[investali] 21/12/2012 16:47

I see that now Keith, will try after the new year to get my other shares. This ASY has been very good to you Keith if it can be half as beneficial to me in 2013, if i can turn 25k into 32k and a new car with the proceeds well that's what friends are for.

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 16:37

It took a big sale to knokh the share price back 1p, good sign.

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 16:19

It would take too long to tell you all that I know, but being a weather forecaster I've taken a great interest in this company, it being 90% reliant on weather (wet spells, hot summers, cold winters). However, in 1997 the old CEO (Hook) took over a plant hire company for £50m. It turned out to be a dog and it took ASY more than 5 years to turn it round and sell it off (it never really fitted with ASY anyway and the deal would have bankrupted lesser companys). Then about 5 years ago the governor decided he needed £20m to help with his luxury hotel business in France, so the company had to borrow it for him to be given it! He must have some really good contacts! It's taken them a few years to pay that back but now, after all this time they are steadily building up an asset base. They have a great business and are market leaders, they generate strong cash flows, they have good management and are looking better than they have since I first invested. Even if there isn't a takeover, past records show that a very hefty pay out is likely in the next year or two. I've paid off my mortgage on the back of this company and bought a new car with the dividends (plus a lot more) and all of my spare cash is going straight in.

[investali] 21/12/2012 15:47

Really appreciated Keith thanks. If those assets are growing at such a pace then surely the value of the share base should run along side as it were.
I see we have a little tick back but no change on my deal so maybe they need a seller first, anyone want to reciprocate?


Ali.

[ignoble] 21/12/2012 14:45

Well put Keith ...

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 14:40

I understand your frustration but these shares are hard to get hold of for a good reason! With assets building up at the rate of £7m to £8m a year and with £15m of asset value by the end of 2012, these shares are looking very strong. Spare cash is normally given to shareholders i.e. the boss takes his monely out on a regular basis. However, I've been in this since 1997 and never seen the company in such a strong position with various overseas offshoots looking pretty good too. Maybe a takeover is now possible on advantageous terms whereas in the past the company wasn't as strong. The shares revalued (more than doubled) 2 years ago over a period of 4 months and I don't why they shouldn't put on 50% over a similar period, this time round.

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 14:40

I understand your frustration but these shares are hard to get hold of for a good reason! With assets building up at the rate of £7m to £8m a year and with £15m of asset value by the end of 2012, these shares are looking very strong. Spare cash is normally given to shareholders i.e. the boss takes his monely out on a regular basis. However, I've been in this since 1997 and never seen the company in such a strong position with various overseas offshoots looking pretty good too. Maybe a takeover is now possible on advantageous terms whereas in the past the company wasn't as strong. The shares revalued (more than doubled) 2 years ago over a period of 4 months and I don't why they shouldn't put on 50% over a similar period, this time round.

[investali] 21/12/2012 14:20

Thank you all for the welcome. As of now i still haven't been able to get all the 10k of shares i wanted,some of those other trades yesterday weren't mine. To be honest this share has frustrated me with the need to buy small amounts and now the quote for 5k is 222 on a T3. The new year must bring a surprise with it at this rate! I was referred to this by a friend who suggested to get in now ,that's all i can say for sure at the minute. This share dealing can be intriguing and is only the second share i have ever owned by myself. Great fun if you can actually manage to get them, i will keep trying.


Ali.

[keithfox] 21/12/2012 07:29

Investali....welcome to ASY. I too am interested in why you have decided on ASY? I'm pretty sure you've done the right thing, especially as they are sitting on £15m assets at the moment and the pumping side is obviously coming into it's own following the wettest year for 100 years. But this share is not normally tipped as the 90% holding by the boss ussually puts people off...so why did you decide on it?

[keithfox] 20/12/2012 11:38

As there are only about 4m shares in the market it's not surprising. I think the 'market size' for these shares is somewhere around 200-300 so the MM's are within their rights to refuse a 10k purchase but they normally go well above the market size. I think the results were pretty good and the last 20 or so trades have been buys so they may be runniong a little short of stock. I've bought shares at 10p above the market price before now! Interesting they said not until the New Year though. Also interesting that the company havn't bought back any shares for a long time.

[cockerhoop] 20/12/2012 11:32

Just checked online and there are 3,750 available at 214.3 to buy (you can sell 2500 at 2.07). So looks like the price rise has freed up a little stock.

[cockerhoop] 20/12/2012 11:25

No offence intended to investali (Welcome to Asy) but you do have to laugh when a handful of small trades by a newish investor adds a couple of million to the market capitalisation of a company.

[ignoble] 20/12/2012 11:23

No problem , we all started somewhere though in my case , a good many years ago !
What made you choose Sykes ?
If you don't mind me asking

I've been in this stock for many years although have bought and sold a few along the way.

[investali] 20/12/2012 11:15

Hi i am very new to dealing by myself so may not fully understand. I did try this morning to buy 1ok and the market men said no chance not till the new year. I could only buy in bits and the market men put the price up every go.


Ali.

[keithfox] 20/12/2012 11:10

I've just bought some, so you can get them.

[investali] 20/12/2012 11:05

I think they are market men.


Ali.

[ignoble] 20/12/2012 11:00

Who is "they" if you don't mind me asking ?

[investali] 20/12/2012 10:55

I was of the notion maybe another dividend but that would be very soon after the previous one?


Ali.

[investali] 20/12/2012 10:53

I was trying to get a few but they want to hold them all till the New Year. What do they mean??

[ignoble] 20/12/2012 10:43

No idea whatsoever Keith

[keithfox] 20/12/2012 10:09

Anyone have any idea why we had 5 trades at 0930. Been tipped or something?

[cockerhoop] 20/12/2012 09:33

.......nicely wrapped too :-)