Connect Share Discussion Threads

[colonel a] 15/4/2020 12:04

f66,
I think you are focusing on the negatives {there are many} but ignoring the profitable business that remains.
They are not doing as badly as most in the current environment and it is possible that newspaper sales will see a net increase once the world is turning again.

[nicholasblake] 15/4/2020 09:55

This is really a free £15m option to the management team. If it works they pay £15m and no doubt make multiple of that. If not, Connect gets nothing and the asset is either back with it or in adminsitration.
Parent has guaranteed leases on Tufnell properties so it's still on the hook.
This is just a sweep it under the carpet job.

[fenners66] 15/4/2020 09:52

Just read that RNS, post seeing the share price reaction.

So I was expecting it to be a whole lot better than it is.

Have analysts actually read it ?

Are there any Directors still in the business that were around when Tuffnells was bought ?
If there are they should be sacked.

I too was wondering what the loss on disposal looks like.

They go on to say that without Tuffnells they think they can get better re-financing deals but that the deals on offer at this time are totally unacceptable.

However they know that volumes are down 25-30%
Cannot make a forecast as to how bad Covid will make results.
There is going to be damage to the Balance sheet from this disposal.
They are going to "lend" £10.5m to bidco. Money they do not have.
Secured against freeholds
They are going to burn cash this year so the referred to headroom on borrowings is already depleted and they are only just getting started.
Their business was already in long term decline hence the failed attempt to diversify.
I reckon this will decline will gather pace.

So delaying refinancing with the deadline of January 21 is a massive risk and likely only to make the terms offered worse not better !

"when the Group's existing cash resources alone will not be sufficient to repay the facilities in full. External debt advisors have been appointed. "

External advisors will charge a fortune - £millions

My take is that this has become desperate.
The timing is awful
The terms of everything announced are awful
The management of this whole Tuffnells thing from start to finish awful

I don't see this as a line under the losses - I see a red line coming up 31-1-2021 and the situation Worse than I expected.

[colonel a] 15/4/2020 09:00

The positive spin is that it puts a floor under the losses from Tuffnells, with the possibility of some return should the new owners sort things out.

[greyingsurfer] 15/4/2020 08:42

Not a great deal viewed in some ways. But given that it's become quite clear the Tufnell was a mistake, and has been a drag on profits and management time, getting rid of it can only be seen as positive. I'm not surprised by the market's response.

[colonel a] 15/4/2020 08:38

Not really a sale, more of a give away.
Would be interesting to know how much, if any, skin the purchasers have in the game.
However it does, I think, crystallise a loss of about £100 vs the purchase of Tuffnells.

[muffster] 14/4/2020 20:59

Read at the weekend that newspaper sales down significantly as reported in the FT.

[colonel a] 08/4/2020 18:24

I would have thought furloughing staff was to be expected and not really bad news.
Perhaps it is the potential long term improvement in volumes that is driving the modest improvement in share price ?

[loiner1] 08/4/2020 16:23

Oh right, not seen it anywhere official..

[nicholasblake] 08/4/2020 16:03

Not sure market has caught up with this.

[scotslass76] 08/4/2020 15:47

Already happened

[loiner1] 08/4/2020 15:38

Hearing that Smiths & Tuffnells could be furloughing staff shortly..

[profdoc] 08/4/2020 12:08

From Press Gazette:
Coronavirus: Publishers offer free delivery as newsagents classed 'essential' businesses

Newsagents and corner shops were designated an essential service by the Government last night in a “comforting221; move for the industry as the UK went into lockdown to cope with the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).
For the first time, every UK national newspaper publisher joined a scheme offering home news delivery as vulnerable over 70s and those with underlying health conditions were told to stay at home for 12 weeks.
Greg Deacon, chief operating officer of the Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN), told Press Gazette publishers were promoting the Deliver My Newspaper scheme with offers of free delivery for six to 12 weeks as they are “trying to maintain volumes but also trying to maintain that habit”.

“They recognise local shops play a critical role in this,” he said, adding that retailers were already seeing “a lot of benefits” from the scheme.

Deacon added: “It’s fantastic that something that’s so competitive has actually brought publishers together… to make sure they maintain that daily reading habit and providing the retailers the support.”
Publishers are footing the bill for the free delivery offer as Deacon noted research has shown that if someone falls out of the habit of buying a paper they are less likely to do so in future.

“I think it’s important for the newspaper publishers and the retailers that normal habits and routines are maintained, so clearly publishers and newsagents are doing everything they can to make sure that’s maintained in these pressing times,” he said.

He added that he thought delivery will become the “new normal” for newspapers after this period and that it “may reignite people’s passion for newspapers”.
“Supermarkets are under increasing pressure from customers and independent retailers must play their part in both feeding and informing the nation,” he said.

“Through home news delivery independents will not just be opening an important new revenue opportunity at a time of business uncertainty but undertaking a vital public service for the over 70s, those self isolating and the most vulnerable in our society.”

[dplewis1] 05/4/2020 15:17

No - it's a spam post he has hit almost every board on advfn this weekend.

[mitch74] 05/4/2020 14:06

peter9130 gave up my IC subscription a long time ago. Do they specifically refer to £CNCT?
Cheers
Andrew

[nicholasblake] 05/4/2020 12:51

Butt ugly -- prefer TPE! Ta @loiner1!

[loiner1] 05/4/2020 11:44

Tuffnells Parcels Express

[nicholasblake] 05/4/2020 10:16

@ChickenVindaloo Would you mind enlightening me as to what TPE means?

[hotdawg] 04/4/2020 18:46

The depot I work in has obviously seen a drop in paper volumes. I still believe that Smith's will come out of this much better than many other companies which sadly had to shut

[chickenvindaloo] 04/4/2020 18:28

As you would expect in the current virus situation, TPE volumes have plummeted as a lot of places are now closed. I would guess maybe halved. I know of at least one depot that is closing completely as we are absorbing their freight.

[galois2] 04/4/2020 10:08

Great data on nfrnonline, thanks newshound1. I read it as being relatively optimistic for Smiths News (given current circumstances). Tufnell's though could still be the black hole that sinks the group. With hindsight, it should have been given away/closed 2 years ago.

[loiner1] 03/4/2020 22:57

Interesting stuff newshound1.. do you have anything similar for Tuffnells?

Certainly tough times ahead for the group unfortunately