Experian Share Discussion Threads

[williebiz] 19/2/2008 12:56

Here comes the BARC kick up the jacksy

[williebiz] 19/2/2008 09:50

Experian Group Ltd. (EXPN LN) snapped a two-day losing streak, rising 12 pence, or 2.7 percent, to 455. The world's largest credit-checking company said ``lots of interest from private-equity and listed companies'' in its PriceGrabber price- comparison Web site prompted it to consider selling the unit.

Experian expects to get more than the $485 million it paid for the business in December 2005, Rollo Head, an external spokesman for Experian at Finsbury Ltd., said by telephone today.

[williebiz] 19/2/2008 09:37

UP FOR GRABS
19/02/2008
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News picturesShopping comparison site PriceGrabber is being put up for sale by owner Experian - just two years after snapping it up.

The creditchecking agency hopes to get more than the £250million it splashed out for Price-Grabber in December 2005.

The site, said to have 26 million monthly users, allows people to compare prices on items such as children's toys.

[williebiz] 19/2/2008 09:36

Credit checking firm Experian has put its price comparison website, PriceGrabber, up for sale.

Experian paid $485m (£247m) less than three years ago for PriceGrabber, which allows consumers to compare prices online for a wide range of products from toys to furniture, and lawn mowers to electronics.

In a statement yesterday it said it had begun a review of the business but that it was still at an early stage.

Experian is facing difficult conditions because of the credit crunch and last month said it would lay off hundreds of staff as it wrestles with a slump in spending by US and UK banks. The company gets a large chunk of its business from retailers and banks who need credit background checks on borrowers; a business that has slowed along with loans and mortgages. At the time, Experian said it was planning a review of its operations, aimed at trimming its portfolio and cutting costs by about $80m a year.

The business has appointed the merger and acquisitions adviser, Allen & Company, to investigate the options for selling off PriceGrabber, which was set up in America.

Sources close to the company claim it has had a number of approaches in the past and has now decided to test how they translate into firm offers for the business. Dublin-based Experian employs more than 15,000 people in 36 countries and has annual sales nudging £2bn. In the company's third quarter interim management statement last month Experian's chief executive officer, Don Robert, had tried to remain upbeat. "Experian has continued to perform well in difficult market conditions," he told investors. Overall, the business achieved revenue growth of 22% and organic revenue growth of 2%. "While trading conditions are not expected to improve in the fourth quarter, our focus is on maximising profitability and we are today announcing a programme of significant efficiency measures."

Price comparison websites have been under pressure. The Daily Mail group recently closed its site, SimplySwitch, which it had bought a year earlier. Shares in another, moneysupermarket.com, which floated on the stock market in July, have almost halved to 113.5p after peaking at 215p.

[sllab101] 18/2/2008 21:26

Tech,you have done some nice trades well done hope you make many more.

[techanalyst] 18/2/2008 21:11

EXPN still well on my radar slab;-)

[noon] 18/2/2008 14:56

don't tell YESO.

[critch16] 17/2/2008 15:10

EXPN in press:


Ailing Experian to sell Pricegrabber website


EXPERIAN, the credit-checking giant, has put its price-comparison website Pricegrabber up for sale less than three years after it paid almost $500m for the online firm.

[techanalyst] 15/2/2008 13:34

EXPN needs a rest she hit pretty strong resistance at 460p where profit takers came in. Now we need to see if thats all it is and she reverses to have another pop at 460p or if its the start of a bigger sell off. I think as loong as 400/410p holds we're in good shape for a run upto 5 quid over the coming weeks.

[williebiz] 15/2/2008 09:25

EXPN clearly wants to go UP

[williebiz] 14/2/2008 16:17

Another day, then. How about Monday/ Tuesday for 468-475p target?

[williebiz] 14/2/2008 15:08

It's not exactly bid 'speculation' with EXPN, though: more a question of when? who? how much?

2 of EXPN's US oppos got taken out last year.

Throws off cash like billy-o.

[sllab101] 14/2/2008 14:06

Revived bid speculation and talk that an upbeat circular will land on fund managers' desks this morning helped global credit information group Experian touch 430p before closing 18¼p better at 453¾p.

[sllab101] 14/2/2008 11:37

I am still long but well done shorts.

[techanalyst] 14/2/2008 09:45

Short EXPN 459p with a tight stop,still bullish but I reckon a 10/15pts drops on the cards north of the gap and I was wrong.

[techanalyst] 14/2/2008 09:38

It takes longer to build a house than it does to knock it down.