Autologic Share Discussion Threads

[wurfapunt] 25/10/2007 20:24

..........but if they could realise more value post a move off the market??

[catandcrow] 25/10/2007 20:18

Guinness Peat would probably block a going private at these levels given the price they paid - even with 30% premium

[wurfapunt] 24/10/2007 21:52

Heath knows the business and the management from previous involvement. Noting the price movement today, I guess I'm not alone in thinking this one is going private!

[catandcrow] 18/10/2007 21:29

Any views on the new management - GPG behind this?

[wurfapunt] 02/10/2007 11:36

Give it a few days and there will be a bid. This is now a give a way, with or without Ford. Someone has got to be hovering or the management will steal it!

[pablo1969] 28/9/2007 00:12

Optimistic
Even cheaper today.
So much for the Naked PER measurement

[mali7] 27/9/2007 11:30

Now even cheaper! With a property portfolio probably now worth more then 50% of share value.

[pablo1969] 05/9/2007 13:35

Good decision Idle, down we go

[idle dreamer] 22/8/2007 20:30

I have closed my short

[idle dreamer] 29/7/2007 00:04

CBR I am still short. Are you, or just sitting on the sidelines?

No news about the Ford bid process yet. That article I posted said the existing contract with Ansa would expire in August and that companies that have been successful would hear later this month. It is surprising that news about the award of new contracts has not got out by now.

I suspect that Ford may be delaying an announcement because they think Ansa drivers are less likely to go on strike while there remains a possibility of Ansa keeping some (or all) of the work. One would expect that the companies that get the work will require some time (three months probably) to gear up to take over the distibution work. Therefore, even if Ansa's contract expires in August, Ford would want them to carry on to some extent until say end of October, to achieve a smooth(-ish) handover. But I feel sure an announcement (or news about who has been successful) must get out very soon.

It is possible that although the Ansa shop stewards have got approval to strike they will not do so. It is a moot point if it would benefit them if Ansa is to lose the work anyway. But if they could get the drivers in the competing companies to come out "to support their brothers" that would be a different matter. They are trying to get the European interpretation of TUPE accepted here. That would help the drivers get work with the new suppliers but would not help Ansa/ALG.

I think losing some or all of the Ford work (after all the other work they have lost in the last couple of years) would have a much bigger impact on the share price than whether they come out on strike so from a shorter's point of view I an not too bothered. 60p remains my target.

My final thought is that the large fall on Friday, 8.4%, may indicate that some people now know the results of the Ford tender exercise. If anyone here is still long, you have been warned.

[cbr60000] 27/7/2007 19:15

60p - here we come

[idle dreamer] 07/7/2007 09:56

Not a good idea to be long when Ford announce the results of the tender. Actually, not a good idea to be long full stop.

[idle dreamer] 05/7/2007 16:11

LONDON (Thomson Financial) - The T&G section of union Unite has backed calls for industrial action at Ford's UK delivery companies over the carmaker's renewal of supplier contracts. Drivers from seven companies that deliver vehicles for Ford and its subsidiaries Land Rover, Jaguar and Volvo, are being balloted over Ford's move to "market test" its car distributors, the union said.

The companies -- BIDVest subsidiary Ontime, ECM, Autologic units Walon and Ansa, Auto UK and Mainland Car Deliveries -- they will hear later this month if their bids for new contracts have been successful.

Speaking at the union's conference in Brighton, Ron Webb, national secretary for transport, said Fords decision was a "clear attempt to undermine the job security and the terms and conditions of our members in those companies".

"We will not allow this process to be an opportunity for a divide and rule approach by this manufacturer and some car delivery companies," he said.
The conference went on to pledge its support for any industrial action taken by the 700 drivers.

Ford told Thomson Financial News that its existing five-year distribution contract with Ansa would expire in August, and it had invited existing and new suppliers to tender for this business and possible new distribution networks in April.

"Opening a new contract for tender is not unusual practice and will ensure that Ford can assess properly its requirements -- in terms of cost and performance -- against what services are available in the market place," the company said.

[0ptimistic] 29/6/2007 20:35

Idle Dreamer - 25 Jun'07 - 23:16 - 269 of 271

Cat, yes I am in profit. You won't find find mention of the potential for industrial action in the newspapers yet. You would only have heard of it if you had top level contacts in the car transport industry (or the TGWU or Ford). Their line of attack seems to centre on TUPE which is interpreted much more widely on the continent. I.e. you have to take on previous workers if you take over a contract not just take over a company as applies here. They are even trying to get industrial action in other companies who have been invited to tender, unless they commit to the Continental interpretation, that is taking on Ansa workers after Ansa lose some or all of the contract. So they appear to be anticipating that Ansa will lose a lot of work.

I will edit this post out tomorrow midday as I have probably revealed too much already.

[brando69] 26/6/2007 01:00

decapiterol added to my filter list as he is a spamming scummer

[idle dreamer] 25/6/2007 23:16

Cat, yes I am in profit.

[catandcrow] 25/6/2007 21:47

I'm long but certainly interesting to hear your opinion - I think the property assets should protect it at a certain level - probably about 60p. But the industrial action potential is new to me. You must be in a bit of profit by now anyway...

[idle dreamer] 25/6/2007 00:02

Cat, I have never held Autologic and have been short since 23rd April. I seldom short companies. The shares are cheap in terms of price over sales and could spike up temporarily, but I am well-informed about developments in the car transport industry and believe it is a short down to 60p or better. If you fancy a short, I would suggest you short it before July, for reason given in an earlier post. But I am not qualified to give investment advice (as the saying goes).