Eckoh Share Discussion Threads

[mazarin] 05/2/2018 08:21

I think the FTSE's seeing the aftermath of Friday's record DOW fall, 'cos ECK is currently my only 'Blue light' amidst an otherwise 'Sea of Red'.

[mazarin] 05/2/2018 07:46

Well done ECk and today's news is so much anticipated. Next step, roll on US division. This should give us the boost we've all been waiting for.

[septimus quaid] 05/2/2018 07:11

news glorious news...

Eckoh secures six sizeable UK contracts

Benefits of restructured UK sales function coming through with new, larger UK accounts

Eckoh plc (AIM:ECK), the global provider of secure payment products and customer contact solutions, has since interim results on November 22nd 2017 secured six sizeable UK contract wins across the payments, insurance, healthcare and mobile telecoms sectors - the latter being a contract with one of the UK's largest mobile network providers.

Eckoh previously indicated at its interim results that the restructuring of its UK sales function would ensure a greater focus on larger strategic accounts, leveraging the strength of the entire Eckoh product portfolio, and that the benefits of the restructuring would come through in the second half. Today's announcement demonstrates that the Company has begun to see the positive impact of this initiative as these contract wins constitute a mix of both secure payments and customer contact solutions, and the pipeline of UK business is strong.

Commenting on the UK contract wins, Nik Philpot, Chief Executive Officer Eckoh plc, adds:

"We are very pleased with the recent progress we have made in the UK, with strong demand for both our secure payments offering and our customer contact solutions. Having committed the time and resource to restructure our UK sales function to focus on larger, more strategic accounts, the contracts won are a welcome validation of our strategy."

[mazarin] 24/1/2018 14:41

And so say all of us....!

[azioni2] 24/1/2018 13:51

I agree, transparency is key and makes life easier.
I look forward to hearing some long overdue good news!

[mazarin] 23/1/2018 17:53

Azioni2, I interpret ECK's 'Holdings in Company' notices, listed above, as follows. The RNS on 19/01/18 to relates to SLA reducing their holding to 4.8% on 17/01/18 and thus accounted for share price to drop to 39p late on Wednesday. The next RNS on 23/01/18, relates to Kestrel taking advantage of the drop to increase their holding to 15.10% on 19/01/18 (as you point out) and that lifted the price promptly back upwards to 42.7p.
However, why 'financial notices' persist with clutter and obfuscation is totally beyond me. A simple,'transparent' and direct statement would be so much clearer for all concerned. On Friday Kestrel evidently saw an opportunity and took it. However, looking at subsequent trades I reckon there probably will be more Institutional transactions for Holdings in ECK soon to follow.

[septimus quaid] 23/1/2018 14:17

news, news, we need news!

[azioni2] 23/1/2018 12:46

Happy to hold again for the long term.

Kestrel also appear to have faith in Eckoh's future prospects:

Main Share Holders % Held

Hargreave Hale Ltd.
as of 18 Sep 2017
44.60m 17.69%

Kestrel Partners LLP
as of 08 Sep 2017
35.32m 14.01% ( NOW 15.10% JUST ADDED on 19/01/18)

Herald Investment Management Ltd.
as of 30 Jun 2017
17.81m 7.07%

Standard Life Investments Ltd.
as of 14 Aug 2017
13.94m 5.53%

Cavendish Asset Management Ltd.
as of 30 Jun 2017
10.94m 4.34%

Majedie Asset Management Ltd.
as of 02 Nov 2017
8.70m 3.45%

Hargreaves Lansdown Asset Management Ltd.
as of 02 Nov 2017
6.77m 2.69%

AXA Investment Managers UK Ltd.
as of 02 Nov 2017
6.11m 2.42%

River & Mercantile Asset Management LLP
as of 02 Nov 2017
6.00m 2.38%

TD Direct Investing (Europe) Ltd.
as of 02 Nov 2017
5.47m 2.17%


Data from 31 May 2017 - 10 Jan 2018

[septimus quaid] 22/1/2018 11:15

£200m?

[mazarin] 22/1/2018 09:58

Understandable issue in light of CLLN, however, there are many other factors in play with that disaster, not the least being owed £2m for staged payments overdue for part completed contracts and woefully inadequate management too slow to follow up. What ECK needs right now is some news of New long term Contracts generated from US division.

[septimus quaid] 22/1/2018 09:36

Since posing the query, I've done a bit of digging with other shareholdings and now got a better handle on where to look.

From the ECK final results for the year ended 31 March 2017:

21. pension commitments
The Group operates a group personal pension scheme and, in addition, the subsidiary company Eckoh UK Limited operates a defined contribution pension scheme. The assets of the pension schemes are held separately from those of the Group in independently administered funds. The pension charge represents contributions payable by the Group to the funds. There were no outstanding or proposed contributions at the balance sheet date.

I ask, because after Carillion, et al, pension liabilities have been identified as one of the main threats to any company (along with maintaining free cash flow and the ability to pay dividends).

Looks like ECK operate personal pension/defined contribution schemes (where any "shortfall liability" rests with the employee and not the company, i.e. not a dreaded defined benefit scheme).

[mazarin] 22/1/2018 08:30

All I can say is that during (Q3) 2017 according to Google Finance, ECK was reported to have total of 273 Employees. I have no information of ECK's pension fund situation. However, this may be possible find in last Annual Report, accessible in my link to Investor's page in the header.

[septimus quaid] 20/1/2018 11:52

mazarin, have you been able to get a handle on ECK’s pension fund deficit (if any)?

I imagine, as a relatively new start, it may be negligible.

Regards

SQ

[mazarin] 19/1/2018 17:23

My 'Buy' was unclassified following a similar placed larger deal made after midday just 10 mins earlier. I am expecting further News from ECK that's very much overdue.

[mazarin] 19/1/2018 15:11

My finger was hovering over the 'Buy' button a couple of days ago when I posted 1072 above, as I thought ECK had probably gone down far enough for me (40p) to get back in, but then had second thoughts and decided to hold back. Yesterday I monitored several significant buys go through, amidst a flurry of many smaller Sells, so finally decided to 'Buy' today. Then I frustratingly discovered I just couldn't get into the Dealing Platform this morning, so waited to do the deal throughout the morning, only to later to discover that ii happened to be having major problems with their platform. It'll be interesting to see today's transactions later, just to see how much better (or worse) my deal would have been had I not encountered access problems.

[spookies] 19/1/2018 14:11

Doh, at least you managed to fill your order Mazarin. Was not surprised to see 40p as major support. Strong bounce from that level. I wish I had been braver and dipped my toe in at the 40p level.

[mazarin] 19/1/2018 13:14

Back in again this morning. But not without issue. They say 'its all about timing' and the frustrations of share dealing were amply manifested when the Dealing Platform decides to go down on the very day you decide its time to buy. II's dealing platform was down this morning and the delay in waiting, then deciding eventually to call to make the trade actually cost me £554 extra as the price went up in the time.

[septimus quaid] 17/1/2018 18:42

My only "non-red" today was GKP, where I'm so far under water, I need breathing apparatus to check the share-price :-(

My little theory is that the "noisier" the ADVFN board, the worse the share and its prospects. Got some OPTI, for my sins, if ADFVN hot-air could somehow be harnessed to boost the share-price, they would be over £10 by now!

[mazarin] 17/1/2018 14:52

I have noticed it, but today generally is a 'sea of red' on my portfolio. I'm monitoring ECK closely cos' I want to get back in sometime.

[fastbuck] 17/1/2018 14:32

ECK fallen hard however little seems to be wrong with the company. I guess there were keen sellers out there poss the old CFO who had 1.9m shares back some time ago.With £5m adj PBT to March 18 and £6m next year it compares pretty favourably to the £100m MCap.

[azioni2] 17/1/2018 12:27

That 1.8M shares looks like a purchase....someone picking up lots of shares at a bargain price?

A positive announcement is what we badly need.

[mazarin] 16/1/2018 15:41

Thanks SeptimusQ, but the smart call would have been to have sold much earlier, but like many here, I suspect believed ECK would give us news of further Contract wins all through Nov to early Dec, but nothing came and the share price slipped. It was hard for me make the decision to sell, having held it for so long. They say (correctly) you shouldn't wed yourself to a share, but 14yrs years is a long time to have followed the ups and down of a Company and we've had plenty of those. Yet I still retain faith in the Company. I was holding when it dropped to 3.5p in 2005 and stood with it then. I could have sold several times in 2015 when it reached 53p and again 54/55p last year but didn't for same reasons. However, I'm confident it will recover, the problem is, knowing when?

[rabbrooks] 16/1/2018 15:21

I contacted ECK several weeks ago to suggest a fairly large customer possibility. They failed to return or follow up the phone call. I am a long term holder in Eck and like many others have held on with some hope of a real benefit. On reflection that was a big mistake. British Bulls recommended selling ECK at 51 in late Nov. The charts told them so.Their communications are woeful.

[septimus quaid] 16/1/2018 14:28

Mazarin, your 12/12 decision to sell was a good call, timing is everything, goddammit!

[mazarin] 16/1/2018 12:26

The last news I read, apart from reading Chris Herbert (CFO) buying 20k shares, was made on 22/11/17, when it claims, 'ECK was moving into profit for first half and 'on-track' to meet expectations'. For further details see:
This should have reinforced the share price and more so when given further encouragement by CFO's purchase and week or so later in early Dec17.