Flowtech Fluidpower Share Discussion Threads

[abcd1234] 16/4/2008 10:27

u should pick up some more then ;O)

[cockneyrebel] 16/4/2008 10:20

Any bid in the near future will have to be over 104p and I can't see Mentor getting other larger holders to agree to a bid at under 104p after that either.

Also, in the RNS about Wolfgang leaving yesterday they gave him a glowing reference whicxh suggests the directors know they will be working for him at some stage imo.

CR

[cockneyrebel] 16/4/2008 10:17

Marked down on pathetic volume - reckon the mm's want to shake a few out to get some stock.

CR

[mudbath] 16/4/2008 09:41

In an earlier post,I did take the view that Biedermann may well have just "parked" Pricap's shareholding with Mentor,with a view to assembling support for his returning to FLO as CEO.IF Dr Tom Rowbotham(Vesbridge)were also to depart from the Board,then,in my opinion,this would become a formality.Otherwise I cannot see any reason for WB partng company with his NIKA connection,via the shareholding/directorship.(unless of course Flomerics potential is weaker than anticipated).The outlook statement with the prelims will be interesting .

[cockneyrebel] 15/4/2008 18:53

My bet is that he's Mentor's man and remaining on the FLO board isn't compatible with making a decission on Mentor's bid.

I bet it isn't long now - perhaps bid talks announced with the results then the bid done and dusted in May or if it's like the yanks usually behave they'll wade in with a circa 150p (you can't refuse) bid and it's agreed and all done and dusted in a flash.


No way would I be selling these yet, in fact if they were more liquid I'd add here.

CR

[cockneyrebel] 15/4/2008 18:48

Wolfgang Biedermann, Managing Director, heads up H.I.G.'s activities in Germany. Wolfgang, a German national, was prior to H.I.G. the CEO of Pricap Venture Partners, an investment firm he co-founded in 2000 focused on small buyouts and growth capital investments in Germany.

Previously, he was a Managing Director of Thomas J.C. Matzen GMBH, a small cap buyout firm founded by Thomas Matzen who built Schroders (today Permira) in Germany. Before that, he was with Schroders Private Equity in Germany and BCG in Germany for three years.

Wolfgang earned an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and speaks English, German, Italian, and French.

[mudbath] 15/4/2008 18:28

Well littlemadam,he is probably the next Flomerics CEO-should Mentor indeed acquire our company;as it was of course Biederman who placed FLO "in play".

[littlemadam] 15/4/2008 16:33

"Wolfgang Biedermann is co-owner and CEO of Pricap Venture capital, which holds ten active holdings with net equity of circa €35 million. He is a board member of three public technology companies in Germany with combined turnover of €80 million, and several private companies. He has a BA from EAP, European School of Management Paris, Oxford, Berlin and an MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School. He is fluent in German, English, French and Italian. He joined the Board of Flomerics Group PLC following the acquisition of NIKA in July 2006."

anyone got any more info?

[littlemadam] 15/4/2008 16:29

as you say, Director resigning is too much of a coincidence at this point

[battlebus] 15/4/2008 15:46

Yes a bid must now be in the offing.Looks as if he was the only board member to know that Mentors stake building was really a takeover move. Maybe he was pushed or is this just one big coincidence.

[abcd1234] 15/4/2008 10:51

interesting question

[cockneyrebel] 15/4/2008 10:43

Director change.

The predators inside man Wolfgang going?

Think we'll see some action soon - he would have a conflict of interest being on the board and negotiating a bid wouldn't he?

CR

[littlemadam] 14/4/2008 12:58

someone sold at 85p! impatient or what?

[varies] 11/4/2008 12:26

PS Mudbath
Thank you for drawing our attention to another product enhancement. I will switch to the FLO site very soon.

[varies] 11/4/2008 12:20

The header on this thread is dated Jan 2006 when the price was 92p.
It was much the same in July 2006 when FLO bought NIKA and paid 87.5% in shares valued at this price and 12.5% in cash. I do not suppose that the share price would have fallen to 42p last year had it not been for the NIKA acquisition and its problems but the NIKA sellers must be rather disappointed with the outcome even if they received 104p per share like the other big sellers.

In short I agree with others here who feel that the FLO management are likely to hold out for a price well above 104p now that NIKA seems to be justifying its purchase and the Flotherm business doing so well
On the other hand one should not blame the shareholders now selling in small amounts. Like the rest of us, they will have nasty losses elsewhere and there is no certainty that Mentor will produce a bid soon.I tried to sell a few shares at 98p after midday on Tuesday but was too late. I don't much regret this as it would be difficult to buy them back.
Patience should be rewarded but we may have months to wait.
Does anyone know who the recent big seller was ?

[mudbath] 11/4/2008 11:28

News of a further world leading addition to the Flomerics software suite.Forget take-overs and concentrate on this company's MASSIVE profit potential.

[littlemadam] 11/4/2008 10:46

I see Mentor shatres rose again yesterday, so it would appear the market likes idea of them taking over FLO.

[mudbath] 11/4/2008 10:12

Cheers techmark.I read your many postings on the ARTA thread.You seemed to call the fall to perfection.Times have moved on however and with a recently announced excellent strategic acquisition allied to an "inflection point" contract win,I am calling them a potential multi-bagger!!(as ever-only time will tell)

[vizz] 11/4/2008 10:10

The old saying that the more you know the more you know how much you don't know probably sums it up. Financial markets are overflowing with conundrums and when punters think they have sussed out exactly what and when events will occur, they're generally left scratching their heads over the outcome.

My view expressed in posts 1066/71 (requires no update) is more academic based as I'm not a holder of FLO due to arriving late on the scene and therefore with much of the value already in the share price This is compounded by the basic illiquid nature of FLO shares that make it difficult to trade the quantity I prefer without suffering the usual price reaction. For those who've accumulated shares over a period, fine and good luck, but it leaves me this time a curious bystander as to how it pans out, but my dosh planted elsewhere.

[techmark] 11/4/2008 09:39

Mudbath,

I just don't like blue sky UK tech stocks. Invariably the Americans tend to corner those markets. I shorted ARTA at above 300p because it had a ridiculous valuation. The valuation has fallen about 90% since then, so perhaps there is some value there. I'm sure you have researched the matter far more than I so you may be right. I no position in ARTA.

[psolomons] 11/4/2008 09:12

From memory a number of other companies have been interested in flo over the years. A small cap, profit making company,paying dividends with world class products surely has to be of interest to more than mentor. I wonder if any other potential suitor might show their hand. Maybe they dont think they can beat the americans anymore.

[littlemadam] 10/4/2008 21:04

I agree chaps.
I cannot for the life of me understand why the price reduced, other than MMs panicking (stupid, thick) holders to sell.
Mentor are simply not buying as an investment, otherwise they would have bought in the market at market price and would not have bought almost 30% so quickly.
The scenario now is that either Mentor are going to sit back a few days and let FLO management sweat (probably unlikely) or swoop very, very quickley and make a knock-out offer as they will not want any dithering.
FLO is now valued at about £20m. If I was Mentor I would figure £30m as a very, tempting offer. That equates to about £1.40 a share I suppose, for a company which has just given an upbeat trading statement and has £5m in cash.

Sit back and enjoy the fun.

[mudbath] 10/4/2008 19:36

techmark-If you have a moment,let me know on the ARTA thread,the basis for your current thinking on Artilium.Cheers.

[amt] 10/4/2008 19:08

No question a takeover is going to happen, they are just getting as near to 30% as they can at lowest price. This is a no brainer in my opinion.

[abcd1234] 10/4/2008 16:50

I believe thats a standard, (and normally worded), regulatory RNS. Not sure one should try to infer too much from it