Contourglobal Share Discussion Threads

[tole] 13/1/2006 16:05

50k at mid price and level 2 looking healthier - last one at 85

[tole] 08/1/2006 17:33

good to see revenues going well in asia and americas - should bode well for glotel imo

Record revenues at Michael Page
an ADVFN competitor
Michael Page International, Britain's second-largest recruitment company, reported record fourth-quarter revenues.

The numbers were boosted by the strong UK labour market and rising growth in Continental Europe, notably France.

In a statement ahead of annual results, Michael Page revealed revenue (gross profit) totaled £70.2m in the last three months of 2006, 24% up on the previous year, giving full-year revenues of £267.5m, up 27%.

'I am delighted with our performance in the UK and Continental Europe and in particular in France... 2005 has been a very successful year for the group and we are well positioned for further growth in 2006 and beyond,' CEO, Terry Benson, said.

Benson expressed confidence the company will meet financial analysts' expectations to grow 2005 profit by 60% to £64.5m and said the group is well positioned for further growth.

UK revenues rose 15.9% to £32.7m in Q4 while the company's European arm grew revenues 40.8% to £24.7m.

Among other regions, revenues rose by 5.6% in the Asia Pacific region and by 63.8% in the Americas.

[tole] 03/1/2006 14:59

A bit of renewed interest today perhaps.

[tole] 02/1/2006 19:50

2006 will be a year of slower growth

posted 11:27am 09/12/05
Richard Staines

Recruiters can expect a year of slower growth in 2006, although long-term prospects remain good.

Research has predicted the UK recruitment market will demonstrate growth of 12% throughout the five-year period up to 2010.

But the industry will grow by just 1% in 2006 because of the faltering economy, recovering to 3% in the 2008, according to figures from research firm Market and Business Development (MBD).

MBD says the recruitment industry grew by 7% to £25bn in 2004. However, 2005 saw
more modest growth of 3% to just under £26bn.

The company adds that increased legislation costs and a maturing market will hamper the industry's growth rate.

The figures come at a time when the Chancellor has slashed his estimate for the UK's economic growth to 1.75%.

Recruitment is a highly cyclical business and tends to mirror wider economic trends – and Gordon Brown's downbeat forecast could mean leaner times are ahead.

"There is growth potential in the market, but it will be much slower because recruitment is so closely linked to the economy," said Claudia Preedy, market analyst at MBD.

Andy Hogarth, managing director of industrial recruiter Staffline, agrees. "I think it is going to be tough, because of the amount of competition out there and because the economy is not growing as fast as it was," he said.

"In the sectors we operate in, clients such as supermarkets are driving a very hard bargain. But there is an awful lot of opportunity out there, so you can't afford to sit back and relax."

But James Pritchard, managing director of recruiter JPA, remains bullish about the prospects for next year.

"I think a lot of people will recruit – most of them are giving us positive signals for next year," he said.

"We can't find enough people to fill the roles that we have. It's still very exciting and companies that are managed well will be successful."

[tole] 20/12/2005 17:09

BrainsTrust News: Robert Walters on track to beat market estimates
Thursday 15 December 2005
By: Cliff Feltham

Recruitment firm Robert Walters, a Citywire BrainsTrust stock, hit a high for the year today after announcing that profits for the year would be 'somewhat ahead of market expectations.'

The shares, trading at 98p in May touched 143p, up 10p on their overnight level, before settling at 140p where the business is valued at £114 million.

Brokers warmed to the statement. Numis upgraded its previous top of the range estimate of £10.5 million to £12 million and raised its target price from 178p to 190p.

For 2006 it is looking for £14 million.

Numis said Robert Walters' (RWA) overseas operations are fuelling the improvement in trading, particularly Japan while Australia and New Zealand are also making good progress

Altium Securities is also on track for £12 million this year and £14 million in 2006 and has raised its target for the shares from 150p to 165p.

The brokers say other beneficiaries of the recruitment boom are expected to be Michael Page (MPI), and Harvey Nash (HVN), Glotel (GLO) and Imprint (IMP).

At the halfway stage in September, Robert Walters reported profits 63% ahead at £4.9 million.

Walters is eight in the Citywire BrainsTrust Small Cap index, an analysis of the favourite stocks of the UK's top smaller companies managers by how overweight they are compared with the market

[drewz] 04/12/2005 22:24

So many better places to make money, however.

Clue: get into Gold and Moly.

[leopold555] 04/12/2005 21:14

From Thisismoney.co.uk

Telecoms consultants provider Glotel returned to profit two years ago after a slump in business at the beginning of the decade.

Higher spending on IT is boosting the company's performance and Glotel is heading back to its best.

City analysts have forecast profits to rise from £2.8m to £4m in the year to March 2006 making shares good value at 87.5p.

[leopold555] 04/12/2005 21:13

Yep saw that. Good article

[tole] 04/12/2005 19:24

Quick summary -

The Business

Telecoms consultants provider Glotel returned to profit two years ago after a slump in business at the beginning of the decade.

Higher spending on IT is boosting the company's performance and Glotel is heading back to its best.

City analysts have forecast profits to rise from £2.8m to £4m in the year to March 2006 making shares good value at 87.5p.

[lanzarote666] 04/12/2005 18:45

Citywire report that The Business -Inside The Market; small cap investor say Glotel good value. Did anybody pick up this paper today and can expand on what they say?

Tole - many thanks for your quick response below

[leopold555] 29/11/2005 16:21

Nice come on GLO

[arthurly] 29/11/2005 15:22

Starting to move up at last. Very good company imho.

[tole] 16/11/2005 10:31

Well they all seem pretty positive on Glotels outlook today....:)

Bridgewell has a buy rating and 110p price target for Glotel.

Insinger de Beaufort believes shares in Glotel are inexpensive and are due a re-rating and believes Strategic Thought shares could well offer further upside.

Numis has a buy rating and 162p price target for Glotel.

[tole] 16/11/2005 09:56

As WJCC states - plenty of growth to come in the Asia arm - quite rightly picked up in the below take of the results...

Definately look cheap going forward in my eyes...


Glotel bolstered by Asia Pacific market
Wed, 16th Nov 2005, 08:48

Better trading conditions boosted first half profit at recruitment group Glotel with particularly strong performance in the Asia Pacific market.

Chairman Les Clark said, "Glotel's strength lies in its global reach: overseas sales rose 31% in the first 6 months of the financial year, with sales in the Asia Pacific market doubling."

Pre-tax profit increased to £1.7m in the half-year to 30th September from £1m the year before. Sales for the period increased by 18% on the half-year to 30th September 2004, Glotel said.

"The successful strategy of investing in its overseas operations continues and overseas sales have now reached an all time high of 68% compared with 61% the year before," it added.

[leopold555] 16/11/2005 09:10

PE for 2006 is expected to be 10/11 and that is cheap in this sector. The prospects for this company are good IMHO

Leo

[oldtown] 16/11/2005 08:57

Hvn are not the same Farsight , but agreed they are looking undervalued.

[wjccghcc] 16/11/2005 08:55

Well these havea PE of 12 and are global leaders in the telecoms niche with over 60% of sales in that area. HVN are a generalist recruiter - not much in common with GLO - and subject the the recruitment cycle whereas telecom investment is undergoing a structural shift after 5 years of no investment. GLO's profits will keep growing for at least the next three years with the Asia exposure. It's hard to say that about HVN.

[farsight] 16/11/2005 08:47

HVN has a pe of about 9. Sorry guys.

[oldtown] 16/11/2005 08:44

Drewz work it out for yourself,the pe of 17 is based on last years figures.
What do you think the pe will be this time next year?

[arthurly] 16/11/2005 07:57

I don't tend to set much store by historic P/E's.

[drewz] 16/11/2005 07:53

P/e 17 - price is high enough and up with events.

They ought to be making twice as much profit as the paltry £3.5m a year they are managing.

[leopold555] 16/11/2005 07:49

cheap at this price

[arthurly] 16/11/2005 07:48

Very good indeed. Very undervalued imho.