Cropper (james) Share Discussion Threads

[traderabc] 30/11/2005 21:58

Looking to get out of this one after 4-5 years, Solid company but Oil/Gas is not the wild card anymore, it is becoming more predictable,its primary trend is up up and up. They say you should sell into strength,Looks like the time to sell is getting close now. Same with going long on oil,...soon.

[capercaillie] 30/11/2005 21:10

Something is afoot, what? Who is buying. We today saw a hike rather than the gentle ticking up.

[capercaillie] 30/11/2005 08:27

Why is it that management are prepared to form a MBO and make returns for themselves that they appear unable to achieve for current shareholders?

Ticking up on a daily basis.

[garth] 29/11/2005 13:11

I think rather its TW on the T.ps site suggesting that the poor results are not as important as the discount to NAV.. He suggests that the management ought to MBO. Reckons the yield is attractive but in his interview the FD gave no guarantee on the final divi. Peeps buying now are buying an easing of fuel prices and the benefits of management strategy yielding better times a year out from here, IMO.

G.

[capercaillie] 28/11/2005 20:42

Looks as though, on reflection, the interim results wee not that bad.

[hybrasil] 22/11/2005 09:16

FCT still not doing very much. Figures as expected. Some sellers this am

[hybrasil] 18/11/2005 18:27

Up again today. Tuesday should not be very exciting> The FCT must be beginning to get interesting

[capercaillie] 15/11/2005 21:50

Marked up today 1.5p on zero trades. This stock has been ticking up over last few days, probably Market Makers wanting to shake out sellers and create some activity but few takers at these levels. Expecting poor figures next week but the prospect of better times on the horizon.

[capercaillie] 07/11/2005 21:53

Looking bleak for another UK paper manufacturer -

The Edward Thompson Group is in consultation with employees over the closure of its Sunderland Paper mill, which could lead to 95 job losses.

Chief executive Phil Cronin said the paper division's gas and electricity costs had soared by 160% over the past two years, creating an annual energy bill of £2.5m, against paper sales of £10m.

"We have been unable to pass this cost on to customers and our sales have suffered," said Cronin.

A five-week consultation period has begun, the outcome of which will be known by the end of November.

Cronin said the games and print divisions of the company were trading well, and the decision to cease paper production had been made to support the long-term future of the group.

The mill specialises in the production of recycled paper and bespoke mailing products, producing 23,000 tonnes per year.

[capercaillie] 16/10/2005 08:28

A new shop has opened in Hatfield with another due soon in Portsmouth. They must be performing well or they would not keep rolling out the stores. If Cropper can develop this side of the business it would help dilute their dependency on energy.

[capercaillie] 26/9/2005 21:42

Once more the slow inevitable slide. No news until the interims in November. Energy prices are the big worry.

[capercaillie] 12/8/2005 19:43

Dividend paid today - the glorious 12th. Probably no more coverage until the interims.

[acol] 04/8/2005 09:39

Post 110 might sound a tad smug - not intended. In truth the decision to sell was influenced by Garth's post that he had off-loaded a few post results. The market in this share is so illiquid that I had to sell my small bundle in 3 tranches one of which was by phone call with iDealing because the electronic market would not deal over 500 shares.

I will continue to track this share and would look to re-purchase if an opportunity arose to buy in the low 160's. The cyclical nature of this Company lends it to trading the share on the highs and lows. Taking a longer term view value will probably be realised at some stage but this could be a long way down the line. Good luck to all current holders.

[capercaillie] 03/8/2005 18:45

It looks as though it's going to be a long hard winter. Another jam tomorrow message. The news on the Shops was quite illuminating - turnover now around £5 million with a return of circa 10%. Four more shops due to open this year. The company appears to be at the mercy of factors beyond its control i.e. pulp prices, energy prices and currency fluctuations.

[acol] 03/8/2005 13:51

Glad that I chose to sell all of my holding shortly after the last results. Despite the high spread this share has been a good trade on the peaks and the troughs over the last few years.

[capercaillie] 03/8/2005 07:34

AGM today - hopefully some good news.

[capercaillie] 22/7/2005 16:02

Where is this share price heading? Hopefully there will be some further clarity on current trading with the AGM statement.

[capercaillie] 21/7/2005 09:32

Interesting development from a competitor of Crpr


Garnett's UK mill is unsustainable
July 21 2005

Garnett is to cease papermaking production in the UK, with 134 jobs at risk at its Otley mill.

The papermaking firm is currently in a 30-day consultation with employees, and while managing director Cliff Barry said the company would retain its converting and finishing processes, production will transfer to its global sites situated in East Africa and India.

Barry said one of the main reasons for the decision was a 700% increase in water rates by Yorkshire Water, which would take its bill to over £1m per year.

This coupled with rising costs for raw materials, energy and environmental improvements meant the mill was not sustainable.
"All these costs add up and the market cannot sustain any price increases we could apply."

He said the current cost of production in the UK was too high, and although it was inevitable that there would be redundancies, Barry said no decision had been made on final numbers.

Demand from Europe had also suffered from a severe downturn, and Barry said the firm had also failed to see any benefit from the recent Finnish mill disputes that curtailed production for seven weeks.

The firm has made significant investment in its coating facilities and earlier this year installed a new gift wrapping machine, and Barry said the firm would still continue to develop new products in that range.

Although production would transfer outside the UK, he said quality would remain the same for its products, which include digital papers, packaging materials, coated papers and board, and corrugated products. Garnett's product ranges include Alchemy, Filemaster, Ecoline and Supra.

[garth] 12/7/2005 14:00

Composites New Rapid Molding Technologies and Unusual Reinforcements at Paris JEC Show

Basalt fiber breaks out
The first commercial thermoplastic composite parts containing basalt fiber were shown at JEC this year, after prototypes appeared at previous shows. Structil, a unit of Group SNPE in Vert-le-Petit, France, showed a camera tripod made for Gitzo SA in France. Instead of aluminum legs, the tripod uses lightweight pultruded thermoplastic with 55% by volume basalt fiber. Basalt fiber is said to be stronger than E-glass fiber and less expensive than carbon fiber.

Basaltex in Belgium exhibited a commercial snowboard, molded by Mervin Manufacturing in Seattle, Wash., for Quiksilver Inc. Unidirectional basalt fiber tissue is laminated to both sides of a lightweight wood core.

The newest products made with Ba­saltex fibers are gossamer nonwoven veils that are in development by several suppliers. The first commercial products are made by Technical Fibre Products Ltd. of the U.K. (U.S. office in N.Y.). Trials of these paper-smooth veils is under way in laminated and thermoformed car headliners and door components.

[garth] 24/6/2005 09:54

Thanks C.

Interesting piece.

G.

[capercaillie] 24/6/2005 09:07

This article is from the Wetsmorland Gazette. Gives a few snippets of new infromation - shops account for 100 staff, there are plans for 5 new shops in 2007, gas prices will "badly hit" profitability but there is a few pipeline due from Norway in 2006. -----------------------------------------------------------

Papermaker sess profits double
One of South Lakeland's largest manufacturers has stacked up bumper profits on the back of a highly successful sales drive.

James Cropper plc more than doubled its pre-tax profits to nearly £1.8 million for the year to April 2005, compared with around £800,000 in the previous year.

The specialist papermaker saw its group turnover increase by 11 per cent, from £58m to £64.6m, and the company's performance would have been even better, but for a weakening dollar eating into profits from the US market.

Staff at the company, which employs 500 people at its Burneside mill plus a further 100 at its nationwide chain of Paper Mill shops, will share in Cropper's success. They will get a pay-out based on the company's profitability, safety performance and individual staff attendance records.

However, the firm has sounded a note of caution about prospects for the coming year by warning that rising fuel costs are likely to eat into profits.

The company's energy bill including gas, oil and electricity - rose by 28 per cent, to nearly £2.7m last year, and costs are expected to rise still further in the coming months.

Finance director John Denman told Business Gazette that gas prices were currently above the norm and another rise was likely in the autumn and winter. "We have to conclude that the profitability of our speciality papers will be badly hit by that.

"There is a new gas pipeline opening in 2006 from Norway that should see more gas coming into the UK that will ease the problem."

Commenting on the company's performance, chairman James Cropper said sales of speciality papers rose by 11 per cent, with packaging, business and industrial paper sectors all growing, particularly in the UK, US and China.

The Paper Mill shops business continued to flourish, with seven new outlets opening across the country, taking the total number of stores to 18. Since the financial year end, another shop has opened in Mansfield and plans are in the pipeline to open five more by 2007.

Cropper's converting division maintained its position as the leading UK manufacturer of advertising display board, but competition in domestic markets hit profit margins.

The development of digital imaging products saw the launch of a full range of papers and boards during the second half of the year, available to both the trade and general public, the latter through a dedicated website (www.paper milldirect.com) .

Another good year for the firm's technical fibre products division saw sales soar by 33 per cent in the US, a major part of its market.

TFP's metal-coated carbon fibre materials, used in electronic, medical and flexible heating devices, were most in demand, especially in the US.

With TFP and Johnson Mathey - its partner in a venture to develop fuel cell technology - gaining government funding, the company has commissioned a new research and development facility to support new product and market development.

Assessing the future outlook, Mr Cropper commented: "In recent years, the group has had to absorb increases in overheads that were largely outside its control. These have included increases in energy, pension contributions, National Insurance contributions, insurance premiums, effluent treatment charges and the cost of regulatory compliance.

"The growth in group turnover is therefore very encouraging and reflects our efforts to develop new products, markets and new routes to markets.

"TFP's sales in the US market continue to grow and early indications suggest that our plans to grow sales in James Cropper Speciality Papers are being achieved."

He added: "Given the group's sound financial position and its portfolio of related niche businesses, I am confident that despite the short-term challenges, we can develop and exploit future opportunities in our areas of expertise at home and abroad."

[capercaillie] 23/6/2005 17:17

Another little encouraging nudge northwards today - probably upon consideration of the results. Very disappointing that coverage in the press was nil - they must try for higher exposure, admittedly with their capitalisation they are at the bottom of the pecking order.