Boot (henry) Share Discussion Threads

[yf23_1] 11/3/2003 00:33

lets hope so

[bigboyo] 10/3/2003 09:51

getting slowly to my 500p target --- question is will it then continue down to the next stop which would take it to where most mature ex growth companies languih --- 400p to give a sub 10 p/e

[roblonduk] 08/3/2003 15:01

There appears to be some reason for thew huge falls yesterday. I'm sure the weekend press may have a disclosure or two for us. Down 18.5 pence and now 521p

I really hope to see the backside fall out of these before the backside out of everything falls when we go into war in the next couple of weeks..

Rob.

[roblonduk] 25/2/2003 17:06

A much better day today down 17.5 pence- but so's the whole of the market!

Rob

[yf23_1] 24/2/2003 19:03

The only reason I can see why this is going up is income investors are seeing it as a safe play with a good yield.
Wrong IMO.

[denny] 24/2/2003 17:54

I think you will find that they did not switch to bonds at the top of the market at all. They made the switch when the market was very low albeit not as low as it is now.

Denis.

[heavy messing] 24/2/2003 10:20

Not a company I would want to be invested with, but you've got to give the management some credit.

They pulled their pension fund out of shares right at the top of the market and switched in to bonds. At the time the critisism they received from other analysts and competitors for the move was extremely fiery - but now they don't face staggering pension shortfalls like many other companies.

That switch to bonds has always impressed me.

[bigboyo] 24/2/2003 10:04

the cash cow of the chemist business is going to be under tremendous threat from the pending liberalisation of the new pharmacy opening restrictions.

already supermarkets dispense big volumes of prescriptions and the large profits boots makes form this will be dented as their market share of prescriptions dispensed goes down

the end of the joint venture with sainsbury leaves boots exposed AGIAN

EVERY single joint venyure -- diversification has FAILED --- the management just seem incapable of finding a growth formula --

--let me give you an obvious example -- boots opticians have been around for many years -- but look at the like of specsavers or vision express --- relative newcomers to the market and opeing MEGA stores -- they have cleaned up the market ---

how did boots opticians react to that ? by plodding along as normal

the management has got fat and lazy --- the worst culprit has now left -- his lordship blyth --- but there are many still left

it seems that in modern corporate life failure leads to bumper bonuses and million pound pay packets

[schopenhauer] 21/2/2003 20:30

Boots Health Care are in trouble, as they have recently made a to dramatic change to there dental side. A very quick proposal about a change to the dental business. This leave them open to a high exposure to legal action and very expensive results.

[johnmolnar] 15/2/2003 14:46

Its only a matter of time then before boots dental care goes belly up.

[schopenhauer] 14/2/2003 17:34

The meeting was the a complete mess. All the dentists where told that they where no longer going to be employed and placed on an self empolyed contract.As a result they would all be made redundant and then some would be offered the self employment contract. The selection for being offered a self employment contract is at best very iffy

[johnmolnar] 13/2/2003 22:06

I gather there was some sort of meeting where Boots told their dentists the details, can you give us any information on the content of that meeting?

Sorry about the redundancy, thats a bummer.

[schopenhauer] 13/2/2003 20:34

Tell me about it I have just be told that am reduant. What questions have to be asked? Should Chris Potts the director of dental be axked. As it was his plan in the first place. Oh how to waste money

[johnmolnar] 13/2/2003 15:51

The British dentasl association has been innundated with Boots dentists asking for help and guidance

[johnmolnar] 13/2/2003 12:11

Has anyone else heard this:

"Boots has announced it intends to sack all dentists and offer self employed
contracts to all but 40."

Appols if its old news I dont have time to follow threads.

[johnmolnar] 13/2/2003 08:33

Apparently they are also dropping all their complimentary medicine services.

[gnash] 11/2/2003 19:50

They're getting hammered on 'Watchdog' tonight. Laser correction of shortsightedness going wrong. Looks like claims for compensation.

[goliard] 09/2/2003 14:58

KingJames,

As far as I'm aware the answer is NO. As a shareholder you essentially own a percentage of every item, tangible or intangible, that the company posseses. You may not be able to stop the asset stripping but you effectively 'own' a share of any proceeds as you are simply converting the assets. You should check with a decent accountant though.

I've also heard the Sainsburys story but I think any bid would take well over a year to materialise (now that I've said that it will probably happen tomorrow!). Also, abandoning the trial with JS has meant that the two companies are not exactly friendly at the moment so any offer would be hostile and more difficult.

[onehanded] 08/2/2003 19:05

If Sainsbury do not get Safeway they will buy Boots thats what i'm told by city friend. So institutes have been buyers resently and waiting. Of course this will be some way off. Also Boots have not suffered a pension problem as they switched from equities to gilts last year and so will not suffer latter this year. I think the price of £6.50 is fair value and to me buybacks at this price seems great.

[kingjames] 08/2/2003 15:10

A little off the subject here but I have a question to ask. If A company owns >50% of the shares in company B, and if A decides to strip B of its assets, can A take out the proceeds of the sales so that they are not distributed to the rest of the shareholders in B?

Thanks in advance.

[roblonduk] 08/2/2003 12:34

Denny,

Thanks for the words of wisdom!

I'm sure you're right that its dangerous to start with the premise of thinking one's right and the market is irrational-however by stating I'm confused by the logic surrounding these shares does not state I think I'm right, it clearly means I'm confused.

I take Goliard's point that RNS did confirm the 1 m buyback at the same price of 5.36 as share, but why was it recorded as a sell on the main system..?

I note the buy back at peak price, post the close. If one looks at the transfers which had taken place throughout the day you'll realise the buy order had been in all day and was simply being serviced.

A further example again today is the proportion of Sells (65%) to Buys (35%) yet the share price goes up!

Also, the fact that the buy programme on the 6 Feb records 2.7 m shares bought, yet on the 7 Feb after purchasing only another 235,000 shares the Company reports a total 18 million Buy back within this programme. That's completely illogical, despite whether I'm right or wrong. That's the confusion.

As for going with the flow, well of course I am, I'm still in profit and waiting for this artificial increase to completely collapse once the market makers have taken this company for a total ride with its share buy back programme.

I'm convinced that the MM's are holding a significant number of Sold shares (given recent ratios) aswell as institutional sellers in the wings as they are aware the Company is willing to pay a premium for them in order to maintain/increase its current share price. That's why the Sell/Buy ratio is high yet the price keeps increasing!

Another more logical explanation would be greatly appreciated as we're all learning particularly in these markets- but respectfully, one slightly better than follow the flow!

If I was a long term shareholder not shorting, I would be going mental at the price this Company is willing to pay to buy back its own shares.....

But as we're all aware you only make money by taking risks and of course you have to be prepared to lose it......

It would be great if we could all be successful.

Rob

[denny] 07/2/2003 17:50

I think it is dangerous and often expensive to start with the premise that the market is irrational. Rather go with the flow, once you start thinking you are right and the market is wrong then this becomes very expensive.