Ashley (laura) Share Discussion Threads

[makeitmore] 19/5/2015 16:24

I don't have shares in Laura Ashley but do read the thread. I note that nobody seems to mention the hotels owned by the brand. We recently visited the Belsfield in Bowness on Windermere which is kitted out in all their wallpapers and furnishings. They took over this hotel approximately two years ago when it was in a poor state but is now a very nice hotel. I believe the other hotel is called The Manor and is at Elstree.

[bobby.ifa] 19/5/2015 16:08

Vote for hereford at the agm for head of marketing role. You'll have to change your name though, bit more Asian. Phoo King Ell?

[srpactive] 19/5/2015 15:53

agree again.

[hereford29] 19/5/2015 15:53

It could be a kind of home furnishing / female fashion TED Baker for sure. that's another small uk stock that's done incredibly well, and still has a way to go IMO.

[hereford29] 19/5/2015 15:50

There is a lot of work to do at ALY, they need some better people in some functions, but it is a great brand that's been around for quite a long time and is well respected and valued in India and parts of Asia, as well as the UK. The fashion offering really needs some work, but the furnishings side is OK. Online offering is getting better. It isn't carrying much debt at all, and it generates cash. Margins could be better, but that's exponential growth if you get the right product and the right franchiser, as fixed costs don't change much. I think it could definitely double or triple in size, with the right management driving it.

[bobby.ifa] 19/5/2015 15:37

Great research Hereford. Think there's a lot of mileage in what you're stating.

[hereford29] 19/5/2015 15:27

Well let's not get carried away, it isn't BRBY by a long shot, that is a global luxury brand now - but an interesting comparison is Mulberry (MUL.L) another small British affordable luxury stock that generally bumped along the bottom for a long time, it went up to two quid odd then down to 70p in the crisis and rocketed to 27 quid on hype and private investors and some small scale II trading piling in to a limited free float stock that is essentially owned by the Malaysian ONG family. If you look at the long term chart, you will see MUL crossed ALY in around 2009, then shot up, then down again, thought it is still quite a bit higher than ALY. MUL is a relatively limited brand with really only handbags as a product line. But it does have the access to the Asian markets via Melissa Ong's network. So if ALY can get the same kind of access via family connections, who knows? If I were ALY, I would pay whatever it took to hire Emma Hill and persuade her to join as CD.

[srpactive] 19/5/2015 15:07

Look at Burberry, aly has more varied product ranges.

[srpactive] 19/5/2015 14:54

chinese franchise news?

[hereford29] 19/5/2015 12:50

back to the glory days of 2 quid? who knows, stranger things have happened!

[badtime] 19/5/2015 12:34

edit 'you are'

[badtime] 19/5/2015 12:31

Lol...in profit (just) Bobby

[bobby.ifa] 19/5/2015 12:10

Could somebody pinch me please?

[srpactive] 19/5/2015 12:09

once 37p breaks, 40.25p, then into the 60's follow
the momentum and past resistances.

[badtime] 19/5/2015 12:02

SRP ..thinking of shifting yur target?

[srpactive] 18/5/2015 16:04

Nice volume into the close, maybe news imminent?

I also see signs of a little more momentum building.

dyor

[hereford29] 18/5/2015 15:53

Difficult company to analyse, but on the face of it, with little or no debt, a main market listing and a generous dividend allied to EPS growth, it appears a strong buy. It has been unloved by the market for many years however. How much of the free float is true free float?

Shares outstanding
727.76m

Free float
393.57m

[hereford29] 18/5/2015 15:46

someone is clearly buying

[badtime] 18/5/2015 11:51

Hereford thanks for post 2927 very useful info

[hereford29] 18/5/2015 11:18

Does he own the Corus Hotels by the way?

[hereford29] 18/5/2015 11:14

I would not be concerned about the AGM being held in KL, the company is domiciled in the UK and that is what matters. I would be far more worried about companies that have AGMs in London but are registered in Bermuda etc. And it has advantages for some I guess, for example, if you wanted a far eastern holiday, you could tax deduct the plane fares and at least 2 nights accommodation from income to attend the meeting. Of more interest to me, is whether results will continue to improve, prospects for expansion in China and India, and the dividend policy. In any event, you can pop into the hotel near Lancaster Gate and watch it on a live Video link, also ask questions at this event, bound to be some analysts from London there, I think I may go to this, anyone else planning to go?

[bobby.ifa] 18/5/2015 11:04

I have an average of £200 a year, so I reckon these are for free now.

[cheshire man] 18/5/2015 10:58

Don't forger you've had an excellent return on you're money over the years bobby:-)