Ducat Ventures Share Discussion Threads

[vision88] 24/9/2004 12:13

is that qxl still doing boot sales

[maestro.] 23/9/2004 19:07

eh guys just put your money into qxl and short this dog!

[partner] 23/9/2004 19:00

Price didn't really drop today,the price yesterday was 85p sell 93p buy, but you could actually buy at around the 87/88p .Tomorrow could be a truer reflection if the 85p bid remains.

[maut too] 23/9/2004 08:23

yes ... the past has been really dreadful but it's the future I am interested in ... this time they have to make it work and I think it's worth a punt. Risk/reward looks good but I accept it is a punt ... I hold lots of EVG as well

[maut too] 23/9/2004 08:12

CAS Durlacher Corp : Sees pipeline for transactions
23-Sep-2004 08:31
Durlacher said today that the pretax
loss was #5.7m (2003: loss #1.5m).
Chairman, Tony Caplin said: "Durlacher
has a solid pipeline of potential
corporate finance transactions.
However, the nature of this business is
that deals remain vulnerable to market
and economic sentiment, particularly so
in the small to mid cap sectors in
which the Group operates.
There are signs that market sentiment
has improved and, together with the
restructurings undertaken, this gives
us confidence that we can build on the
progress made in the past six months.
However, whilst we have made some
reductions in the fixed cost base, it
is likely that a substantial proportion
of these savings will be reinvested in
continuing to broaden our research
offering.
The strategy remains to build the
premier team offering a full range of
investment banking services to UK small
and mid cap companies. This requires
expertise in corporate finance,
research, institutional sales and
market making.
Whilst it is expensive to invest in
the required resources as we build the
business, we believe that by fostering
an entrepreneurial and partnership
ethos, we can retain and attract the
necessary talent. We are optimistic
that over the medium to long term this
strategy will yield substantial returns
for shareholders.

ICV Edited News from Dow Jones
0731 GMT Sep 23 2004

[maut too] 23/9/2004 08:09

from bloomberg


Durlacher Corp Plc (DUC LN): The London-based investment bank said its net loss widened to 5.7 million pounds, compared with a year-earlier loss of 981,000 pounds, because of costs related to the disposal of its unprofitable stockbroking businesses. The shares have been unchanged at 89 pence since Sept. 10.

[maut too] 23/9/2004 08:07

clearly absorbed and although there is jam for tomorrow I see they are making substantial progress. This is a potential recovery stock - hence the very low valuation at this time ... you cannot expect it all to just happen overnight.

[adh0] 23/9/2004 07:48

A bit of a non result. Still very "Jam tomorrow" isn't it. What happened to the money from the sale of NothingVentured and the private client broking business?

[maut too] 23/9/2004 06:57

I read through earlier this morning and surprised on the upside - not found anything worrying and expect them to be well receieved

[dealit] 23/9/2004 06:25

Have not got a fine tooth comb but they seem solid:-

Interim Results for the Twelve Months ended 30 June 2004

Durlacher Corporation Plc provides investment banking services to the UK small
to mid cap listed and unlisted business sectors. As previously announced, the
Group has changed its financial year end from June 30 to December 31 and
therefore the following results incorporate a second set of interim results for
the six month period ended 30 June which, together with the interims to 31
December 2003 previously announced, make up the results for the 12 months ended
30 June 2004. For reasons of direct comparison the text comments primarily on
the six months trading to 30 June 2004.

Highlights

* Significant growth in turnover net of cost of sales over the past six
months (from £1.9m to £4.1m)

* Operating profit achieved in second quarter of 2004

* Operating loss before exceptional items reduced by 90 per cent to £278,000
(6 months to 31 December 2003: £2.7m)

* Pre-tax loss reduced by 58 per cent to £1.7 million including £850,000
exceptional item relating to one-off property costs (6 months to 31
December 2003 : loss of £4.0m)

* Continued growth in corporate client list - now at 44 (December 2003: 32),
together with a significant increase in the average market capitalisation
of clients.

* Strong performance in corporate finance operations - notably in second
quarter of 2004

* Successful fund raising of £10 million strengthened balance sheet

* Solid and expanding pipeline of potential future transactional income

Commenting on today's results, Tony Caplin, Chairman, said:

'This has been a period of solidity for Durlacher with all of our key
performance indicators improving. Our corporate finance operations have made
significant progress and we have led a number of good quality IPOs in our
sector. We remain vigilant as to cost control and following the £10 million
fund raising in January this year, we now have a strong capital base to grow
further and improve the business. We continue to enhance the goodwill in the
business. There has been a significant pick up in market activity in late
August and so far in September. We look forward to the future with confidence.'

[dmhzx] 16/9/2004 20:03

Well I wish all holders the best of luck.
You're likely to need it.
Doh-lacker, the Homer Simpsons of the sector seem to be doing their very best to create a smoke screen to cover their real performance.
When they do actually issue a statement of results, a fine tooth comb is recommended.
Naturally these fine upstanding members of the community will be nothing but 100% truthful, but shareholders could do a lot worse than investigating JUST group (RIP), the statements issued by its board shortly before the collapse, and its board of directors at the time.
I cannot say more for fear of Messrs Sue, Grabbit and Runne.
As they say DYOR.

[troutisout] 15/9/2004 09:12

Results 23rd September.

[troutisout] 10/9/2004 20:28

RNS re change of accounting date said company would issue interim results to 30th June 2004 sometime in mid September,you may find out soon!

[maut too] 09/9/2004 07:39

i hold a few of these as a longer term punt but balanced with lots of EVG ... one assumes the refinancing was done on the basis they could get it together - need to see how they have been doing

[partner] 09/9/2004 07:19

This sector in vogue at the moment with cazenove and evolution,what are prospects like here anybody care to offer an opinion ?.

[gecko8] 26/8/2004 12:14

dmhzx, I completely agree with your last post, us the investors get a raw deal govt love to change the goal posts. Haven't been in DUC for years, wouldn't touch it now. Always hunting for the next ten bagger. RAFL, a good one to short but not my game.
All the best,
the Geck

[rafl] 24/8/2004 14:34

At this rate 70p by the middle of september !

[maestro.] 30/7/2004 08:34

got 70p written all over it..excellent short imho

[dmhzx] 30/7/2004 07:51

Agreed!

Actually I was completely wrong. The reason for the drop is a general result of years of greed from 'the city', government conitnuing to disincetivise any form of saving, huge taxes, plcs rewarding incompetence and the like.
You see, it is the private investor that is the real profitable business for brokers and banks and many of them have just given up on the stock market and have stopped saving at all.
Under our beloved Tax meister Brown, if your pension fund hasn't hit £200K when you retire, there wasn't any point in starting to save. Your pension income will be just the same as the bloke next door who hasn't saved anything.
ISAs are now virtually pointless and sales are down about 60% this years.

Therefore, trading volumes are down quite dramatically, and loss making brokers are likely to be the first to go.

Hey presto!!

[jotoha1] 29/7/2004 15:47

DMHZ , Lets just call them rather differant from what we expect!!!!

[jotoha1] 24/7/2004 09:41

Dont people ever learn, this board has some very interesting people on it, and the city big boys certainly are not pyling into this dog!!!this is just a speculative gamble always was, and not likely to change,shareholders are just paying these guys for a nice lifestyle!!!!!

[maut too] 17/7/2004 10:08

whatever made you look at a 'TIME TO BUY' thread dmhzx :-))