Hays Share Discussion Threads

[roylewis17] 21/4/2004 11:37

Mail division (DX)has been awarded the Queens award for enterprise:innovation.
Will this do anything for the plc or not, as they are supposedly divesting it?.

[gbchak] 16/4/2004 16:44

if 120 holds on a 2 day close basis, we should see a rebound... this does move a lot between 120 and 130... overall not a convincing sell-off i.e. on little volume.. IMHO i would feel comfortable now to buy and watch it rebound to 130 initially, then any further progress depends upon the price holding 130.

as ever DYOR. Good Luck.

[lyntwyn] 06/4/2004 16:44

Cazenove repeats its buy recommendation on the stock.

[utsushi] 02/4/2004 09:54

were the results that bad?

[utsushi] 31/3/2004 09:28

Market currently flat/cyclical averse BUT Friday's US payroll figures maybe better than people expect > could be positive for sentiment?

[lyntwyn] 31/3/2004 09:10

30.03.04 : an article in the Guardian reports: at a presentation by Hays' Denis Waxman at a conference organised by Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Mr Waxman declined to give guidance on future margins, however he outlined the benefits of being a specialist recruitment company and said trading conditions had improved.

[utsushi] 25/3/2004 13:20

midnightsurfer

I would expect a top end of the range price for mail..and now would be a good time to do a share buy-back, price back to a Aug 2003 level.

[lyntwyn] 25/3/2004 11:48

24.03.04 HAYS announces the disposal of its Rentacrate business for a cash consideration of £4.0m. The Management Support Services business has also been disposed for a nominal consideration. In the year ended Jun. 30, 2003 the businesses disposed generated turnover of £11.6m and recorded operating losses of £1.0m. After tax and transaction costs, the net proceeds are expected to amount to £3.7m. Tangible net assets disposed amount to £2.2m.

[midnightsurfer] 25/3/2004 11:15

Santori Thanks for that,it is that i hear a bid of 300mil has been put on the table for mail division.

[gbchak] 25/3/2004 08:52

200 day MA at 119ish.. this is now due a bounce.. IMHO this is a good buying opportunity. If 120-122 holds (which i think it will), most will realise selling was overdone and the price should consolidate and move up to re-test 130 level in the immediate short-term.

Previous poster comments above are fair but relate to the overall Macro-economic picture which has not changed before HAS reported or thereafter.

However, price drifted back for the following reasons:

1 - Results and outlook were uninspiring

and

2 - market needs to see HAS will deliver on its promise of returning surplus funds to shareholders, (sooner rather than later), before we will see a re-test of the previous recent highs of 150.

3 - Overall market was due a correction.

All IMHO. As ever DYOR.

[utsushi] 24/3/2004 21:55

midnightsurfer

On-going mail contribution already factored in but a sale of mail side would be positive, assuming a good take-out price.

Market would then view HAS as a pure recruitment company, on a modest rating and a potential take/over target.

Market currently cyclical averse..but that will change, business cycle has not changed and coming US/UK elections will need employed not un-employed people to vote!

[midnightsurfer] 24/3/2004 20:28

Could someone tell if the mail side of Hays has huge afect on share price

[lyntwyn] 24/3/2004 13:52

A few brokers are stated recently that at current price they are undervalued if we believe in a cyclical recovery.

Citigroup Smith Barney raised its recommendation to 'hold' from 'sell' to reflect improving market conditions, dealers said. The broker also moved its price target to 125 pence from 115, based on higher medium-term margin assumptions. Its move follows a meeting with Hays' management, which came after the group's recent interim results.

[utsushi] 24/3/2004 13:39

gbchak

good call, however i think it is over-sold at these levels if you still beleive in a cyclical recovery.

[utsushi] 17/3/2004 13:05

gbchak

this time is diffent..a jobless recovery, i don't think so..

[gbchak] 16/3/2004 18:18

trade what you see not what you think and HOPE for.. overall market still likely to correct further before a move upward. 130 seems resistance for the time being, i'm pretty confident we will see another test on the downside support level of 120-122. All imho. As ever DYOR. Good Luck.

[lyntwyn] 11/3/2004 15:58

agreed santori, the jobs will come. Interesting to see HAYS was one of the first shares to recover today. Bid rumours will also continue to bolster the share price.

[utsushi] 11/3/2004 15:25

gbchak

got to be quick..or you might miss it, Greenspan talks of jobs coming in the US, employment will pick up here too...

[gbchak] 10/3/2004 17:10

cautious statement not well rec'd...watch for a buying opportunity in the 120-122 level for a medium-term bounce...

[lyntwyn] 10/3/2004 10:00

09.03.04 : Cazenove reiterated its 'buy' on Hays PLC shares after first half results. Concerns about the company's prospects coupled with news of a potential delay to the sale of the mail business, which in turn could stall handback of spare cash to investors, were uppermost in analysts' and investors' minds. Never mind that interim profit was ahead of forecasts and the company's core recruitment business recorded its first increase in sales and profit for two-and-half years. Cazenove analyst Migeul Fraga took a more optimistic view of today's results from Hays, which is slimming down to become a pure play recruitment group. In a note to clients, he said the shares are trading at a 10% discount to the staffing sector and up 40% below rivals such as Michael Page and Harvey Nash.

[lyntwyn] 09/3/2004 10:05

Down 7% !! results were not that bad. I had felt that it had steamed too far ahead of reults. Again its the outlook being uncertain. Virtually every stock goes down on results day at the moment whatever the figures. In this case its worries over lack of pick up in jobs in the south east by the looks of it.

[utsushi] 04/3/2004 10:08

I guess a Manpower bid is more likely with the $ getting stronger, rather than weaker...a long shot though, more likely HAS will continue to benefit as a blue chip cyclical play....

[utsushi] 03/3/2004 11:44

any reason for the firmness on a down day?

[johnds] 01/3/2004 20:43

£2.55 I'm afraid for me onehanded!! Where do you have the Rebtokil name for a bid and any price attached to the presumed rumour.

The have been selling off the assets but how to the shareholders get the money returned to them as it's not forthcoming as I see it.

I think the recruitment sector will fair better in 2004 and that's a good thing for Hays and if a bid's also muted you never know but me and you need a bit more than a "fair 2004"!!!!!!!!

[onehanded] 01/3/2004 16:29

One of my core holding from £2.22p. A very likly buy out this year from Rentokil so the market thinks. Selling of bits to look attractive. IMHO