Conduit Share Discussion Threads

[rivaldo] 15/4/2014 15:29

Cheers Madengland, not long to wait.

This reads well from CRE's TMW:



"TMW bolsters client list with a raft of new business wins
8 Apr 2014

TMW ended 2013 on a high with a series of new business wins across a range of industry sectors. The agency derailed 18 other top agencies to scoop the digital and CRM accounts for Virgin Trains. As well as managing the brand's CRM strategy and creative, TMW will produce online work including advertising and social.

In a joint pitch with sister agency Fever and DLKW Lowe, TMW was appointed to develop an integrated consumer campaign for Ofgem under the Integrated Lot of the Government's Creative Communications Framework. After facing a daunting 'Dragon's Den' style meeting at Number 10, TMW won Public Health England's Dementia brief in partnership with DLKW Lowe. Fever was also integral to the pitch, providing PR advice and support that helped the team secure the win.

TMW has also bolstered its relationship with Unilever as it was appointed to work on the social media accounts for its Ice Cream category, which includes Magnum, Carte D'Or, Cornetto and Wall's."

[madengland] 10/4/2014 10:47

Trading update 23rd April

[madengland] 08/4/2014 10:43

Well I am back in. Giving BB and new CFO a chance, plus positive on sector. We shall see if a smart move or not.

[smithie6] 02/4/2014 16:55

"compared to UK gross domestic product.

No consideration will be paid for the contingent shares upon their vesting and the issue of the Award will be subject to the related performance criteria."

personally I am against this type of deal
...Creston has been doing it for years.....but has not worked as an incentive...
Cello , WPP, Mission Marketing et al ...appear to all have outperformed Creston ...while Creston has perhaps issued the biggest amount/value of shares to directors !!!

imo share options excercising needs to be at the market price NOT at 0p
to ensure that dirs. are aligned with shareholders


and comparison with GDP....looks a farce to me,
and imo dirs. should be required to buy say 20% in real shares of the share options they are awarded...

[smithie6] 21/3/2014 16:06

nice to see +ve analyst notes....but a target price or potential upside of only 20% is pretty feable imo, noting that normally a 'buy' note would come with a bigger upside potential imo

[rivaldo] 21/3/2014 08:47

Liberum have reiterated their Buy recommendation and 125p target price:



"Creston plc's Buy Rating Reaffirmed at Liberum Capital (CRE)

Posted by Karim Khaledi on Mar 20th, 2014 // No Comments

Creston plc (LON:CRE)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by research analysts at Liberum Capital in a report released on Thursday, Analyst Ratings Net reports. They currently have a GBX 125 ($2.08) price target on the stock. Liberum Capital's price target points to a potential upside of 20.60% from the company's current price.

CRE has been the subject of a number of other recent research reports. Analysts at Nplus1 Brewin reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Creston plc in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They now have a GBX 119 ($1.98) price target on the stock. Separately, analysts at N+1 Singer reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Creston plc in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. They now have a GBX 119 ($1.98) price target on the stock."

[rivaldo] 06/3/2014 09:13

Yet another client win for CRE's PAN agency:


Whiteoaks-PAN-Communications-UK-U.S.#.Uxg73dGPOUl

"CloudSense appoints Whiteoaks and PAN Communications for UK and U.S. PR and Influencer Relations Program

March 03, 2014 01:16 PM Eastern Standard Time

BOSTON & FARNHAM, Surrey--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CloudSense, an international provider of cloud software and services specializing in end-to-end business transformation for sophisticated cloud computing IT environments, has selected Whiteoaks and its North American affiliate PAN Communications to take the organization through the next phase of the Cloud revolution and ensure awareness, credibility and differentiation in the global marketplace.

"The business has achieved phenomenal success in a short period of time and we are confident that, together with PAN in North America, we will deliver compelling and creative campaigns which will support CloudSense in its next phase of global growth."

Following a four-way competitive pitch, Whiteoaks and PAN were chosen by CloudSense thanks to their combined strength and strategic approach coupled with compelling creative ideas underpinned by a firm commitment to delivering tangible results with robust performance commitments.

CloudSense has tasked the two agencies with creating a differentiated voice for the business in the competitive marketplace and ensuring that voice leads and responds to key issues in both its core and vertical media targets. The campaign will exploit a range of tactics through multiple media and channels with a focus on valuable engagements with those media, analysts and independent influencers who will directly impact CloudSense's target decision makers.

Nicola Renshaw, PR manager at CloudSense, said: "We are delighted to have appointed Whiteoaks and PAN Communications as our new PR agencies. Throughout an intense pitch process both agencies clearly demonstrated a strong working chemistry which was important to us and their energy, creativity and understanding of our market shone through."

"We view this PR partnership as a fundamental one to support CloudSense's business growth and specifically entry into new global markets. Having just opened an office late last year in the U.S. we needed to capitalize on this momentum and work with someone who could drive it forward. We are excited to get going."

"We're incredibly excited to be working CloudSense," said Suzanne Munton, managing director, Whiteoaks. "The business has achieved phenomenal success in a short period of time and we are confident that, together with PAN in North America, we will deliver compelling and creative campaigns which will support CloudSense in its next phase of global growth."

"Engagement with the cloud influencer markets in the U.S. and abroad is pivotal to program success. We're thrilled to begin work with this partnership and exercise our global PR capabilities," added Nicole Messier, vice president at PAN Communications.

Whiteoaks and PAN Communications are both members of the Whiteoaks International Network which provides international public relations, social media and influencer relations services across 70 countries."

[rivaldo] 28/2/2014 15:14

Two large transactions of 250k each at 112.5p. Perhaps just a swap, but certainly good to see healthy volumes.

[rivaldo] 27/2/2014 11:51

A further win for CRE alongside Lowe - this time OFGEM:



"DLKW Lowe wins energy awareness brief

By Jeremy Lee, campaignlive.co.uk, Wednesday, 05 February 2014 10:47AM Be the first to comment

DLKW Lowe has picked up the advertising account for the electricity and gas regulator Ofgem after a competitive pitch process managed by the Crown Commercial Service.

The agency won the business alongside Creston's TMW and Fever PR following a pitch that began in November, and has been briefed with creating a campaign to help consumers understand a new regulatory regime brought in by Ofgem's retail market review.

The review introduced restrictions on the number of tariffs that energy suppliers may provide and standardised charging structures to make it easier for consumers to understand the energy market and choose a supplier accordingly.

Tom Knox, the chairman of DLKW Lowe, said: "We are delighted to have been given this opportunity, as this is one of the most important issues facing consumers today and it is vital that the reforms that Ofgem have initiated are widely understood and that consumers have the tools they need to make informed choices about their energy supply.""

[rivaldo] 26/2/2014 10:06

From the Mail - great to see Giles Hargreave backing CRE (and HVN, which I also hold):



"SMALL COMPANIES

The FTSE 250 Index – consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies – has outperformed the FTSE 100 in recent years.

Giles Hargreave of investment manager Hargreave Hale says: 'Smaller firms are best placed to benefit from the UK recovery. There are so many to choose from with huge scope to outperform.'

Hargreave is backing recruitment company Harvey Nash as well as marketing services company Creston.

He says: 'Both of these firms will flourish as the jobs market improves and companies spend more on marketing and advertising.'"

[rivaldo] 25/2/2014 10:36

Another quoted company win for CRE's PAN Communications following the win of SDL - this time a NASDAQ-quoted company.

Jestercat2, read back on the thread and you'll get a full and balanced picture.



"Carbonite Selects PAN Communications as Global Agency of Record

Leading Provider of Backup and Recovery Solutions, Carbonite partners with PAN to Focus on Public Relations, Content Development and Digital Media

February 24, 2014 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PAN Communications, a public relations and digital media agency for the technology, consumer and healthcare industries, was selected by Carbonite (NASDAQ: CARB), a leading provider of backup and recovery solutions, to serve as its PR agency of record and to support the company's shift to the small to medium sized business (SMB) market and increased focus on the channel.

"SMBs are important to the local economy, yet face many challenges. PAN understands this and is ready to share our entrepreneurial spirit."

PAN will leverage Carbonite's strong foundation in the consumer market to establish the company as a supporter of SMBs providing essential tools to help them succeed. PAN will be responsible for creating campaigns that articulate Carbonite's roots as a small business, to now meeting the needs of SMBs with its local/cloud hybrid approach to server backup. The campaigns will also highlight Carbonite's strategy to work closely with channel partners, providing increased support so they can grow their businesses with the best solutions for their customers.

Carbonite's comprehensive suite of affordable services keeps small businesses and home offices running smoothly. Carbonite's Pro and Server plans back up an unlimited number of computers, NAS devices, servers and databases at price points designed to support small business budgets. More than 1.5 million customers, including 50,000 small businesses, trust their secure, easy-to-use cloud backup solutions.

"PAN came forward with a lot of creative ideas right from the start, and proved they know the SMB market. We have found a true partnership here," said Pete Lamson, SVP, Sales and Marketing for Carbonite. "SMBs are important to the local economy, yet face many challenges. PAN understands this and is ready to share our entrepreneurial spirit."

"We are thrilled that PAN continues to be recognized as a midsize technology agency with true global capabilities," said Philip A. Nardone, Jr., president & founder of PAN Communications. "Carbonite has an incredible opportunity to leverage its history with consumers and help SMBs find the right solutions at a price point that makes sense for their budgets. We look forward to taking Carbonite to the global marketplace as a leader in backup and recovery." "

[jestercat2] 24/2/2014 16:16

Fundamentals look great here - can't quite understand why this isn't trading higher - have I missed something?

[rivaldo] 24/2/2014 11:32

New highs, and looking rather good here.

I note this positive write-up last week from Shareprophets:



"Marketing services group Creston plc (CRE) was one of my tips of the year – and, having risen to a current 109.5p, the shares have performed well thus far. The following updates my view post a trading update from the company earlier this month. The trading update reported that "the board is comfortable that the full year results will be in line with market expectations" after a "good improvement" in operating profit margin and improving 1% decline in third quarter (to 31st December 2013) like-for-like revenue against the corresponding 2012 period. Although the company remains "cautious with regard to the ongoing impact of the volatility in some of our clients' marketing budgets", it notes reassurance from "successful pitching for new business in the period and by the outlook captured in yet another positive recent IPA Bellwether report in terms of increased marketing spend". Researcher Edison backed this latter point up – commenting in a following note that "the various market forecasters are all anticipating stronger growth in the marketing and advertising sectors in the UK for 2014, with some help from 'even year events', but mostly as a consequence of a more positive economic environment... (the) rapidly shifting backdrop favours agencies such as Creston with a digitally focused offer".

The researcher is forecasting a full-year pre-tax profit of £9.4 million, generating earnings per share of 11.3p, rising to £10.3 million and 12.4p respectively next year. I continue to believe the latter year numbers are quite possibly conservative on rising client sentiment and contract wins feeding through and, though a return to revenue and earnings growth does still need to be proven, also continue to consider there to be rating uplift potential on this being delivered. With a prospective still 3.5% dividend yield whilst a further re-rating is awaited, the shares continue to look to offer good value.

[rivaldo] 12/2/2014 09:34

A "flagship account" win for CRE's Pan Communications agency:



"Customer Experience Management Leader SDL Selects PAN Communications for Global Strategy, Content Development and Influencer Marketing

January 21, 2014 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PAN Communications, a public relations and digital media agency for the technology, consumer and healthcare industries, was selected by SDL, a worldwide leader in customer experience management, as its global agency partner.

"We are thrilled to partner with this global leader and look forward to building the relationship as we enter the New Year."

PAN Communications is tasked to manage global public relations strategy for SDL in addition to social media, content and influencer marketing.

PAN will lead efforts to reinforce SDL's market leadership and build awareness of its expansive product portfolio. SDL chose PAN for its ability to present creative campaigns that drive awareness across key markets and truly integrate programs with other areas of SDL's marketing priorities. This is a flagship account for PAN as SDL works with 42 out of the top 50 global brands.

"SDL is a company that provides seamless global customer experiences across all brand interactions. We recognized PAN's capabilities to leverage our assets and product strengths and turn our public relations efforts into an ongoing news cycle," said Jessica Hohn-Cabana, vice president of global communications at SDL. "PAN has been a diligent partner, committed to setting metrics and applying measurement to our PR initiatives. We have already seen tremendous value and results from the partnership."

SDL plc maintains a global infrastructure across 38 countries and is publicly traded on London Stock Exchange. The company's customer experience technology enables marketing to customers throughout the buyer journey, turning them into brand advocates. SDL helps build brand loyalty by leveraging customer and social data in order to deliver engaging and contextual experiences across languages, cultures, channels and devices.

"Being selected by a leading brand such as SDL is a testament to the quality work of our technology and service focused teams," said Nicole Messier, vice president of technology accounts, PAN Communications. "We are thrilled to partner with this global leader and look forward to building the relationship as we enter the New Year.""

[smithie6] 11/2/2014 15:49

Riv
looks like you were right...

price has moved up recently...and high volume for Creston...

looking a lot more solid now that it did at 85p not so long ago

[rivaldo] 11/2/2014 09:39

...and the upwards momentum continues.

[rivaldo] 10/2/2014 23:34

More accumulation going on - 100,000 shares bought at 105.82p only reported after the close, and probably the main reason for today's rise.

Yet another late reported large trade. I'm not usually one for MM conspiracy theories, but in this case it really does look like they're trying to hide this stake buying as subtly as they can.

[smithie6] 10/2/2014 11:58

interesting...

Do you have to pay before you can use it ?

[rivaldo] 10/2/2014 09:07

Cheers Prop Joe - here's a summary of the Greenblatt formula, which looks "for good businesses selling at bargain prices". Like CRE for example :o))



Markie7, cheers. I thought it looked a little odd having two N+1's...Brewins and Singer merged of course.

[markie7] 10/2/2014 08:30

Nplus1 brewin and singer are the same thing!

[prop_joe] 10/2/2014 07:51

I saw that Creston was included high up in a Greenblatt stock screen in last week's IC.

[rivaldo] 09/2/2014 22:30

A further Buy rec from another broker - CRE now has 3 different Buy recs out there, with targets ranging up to 125p, although even 125p would still leave CRE on almost a single-figure P/E for the year starting in two months' time, and with a healthy 4.1p dividend forecast too:



"Creston plc Receives Buy Rating from Nplus1 Brewin (CRE)

Posted by Stephan Byrd on Feb 5th, 2014 // No Comments

Creston plc (LON:CRE)'s stock had its "buy" rating reaffirmed by Nplus1 Brewin in a research note issued on Monday, AmericanBankingNews.com reports. They currently have a GBX 119 ($1.96) price target on the stock. Nplus1 Brewin's price objective indicates a potential upside of 23.00% from the company's current price.

A number of other analysts have also recently weighed in on CRE. Analysts at N+1 Singer reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Creston plc in a research note to investors on Monday. They now have a GBX 119 ($1.96) price target on the stock. Finally, analysts at Liberum Capital reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Creston plc in a research note to investors on Friday, January 10th. They now have a GBX 125 ($2.05) price target on the stock."

[smithie6] 09/2/2014 16:11

how to buy Creston shares for 0p !

------


if Creston shares are going to go up...
then one way to have exposure to them is via Western selection

NAV of 91-93p (but really 101-103p due to accounting), 58p to buy (reported trades, limit deals) with 52p in Northbridge shares

and 3M shares in Creston

Western has 18M shares.

so, around 3M in Creston, 18 M shares, so 17p per Western share in Creston

with the large discount between NAV and share price for Western....one could argue that the Creston shares are ....

free !