Iqe Share Discussion Threads

[fuji99] 29/10/2024 13:16

Perhaps he is fed up with the Welsh hills scenery because when one is called Americo Lemos, an unusual name, anything - especially unexpected - is possible.

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 13:03

That sums it up at the moment. The UK is in danger of losing what could have been a massive growth industry. We invent this stuff and then give it away due to lack of support and/or a cohesive industry plan.

[adejuk] 29/10/2024 12:46

LTS
i wanted to run a welk stall but couldn't make money
i owned only the sea they are bred in.

[indiestu] 29/10/2024 12:38

Maybe Lemon got caught with his trousers down in the stationary cupboard with one of those cute Welsh receptionists?

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 12:09

It genuinely gives me no pleasure that I was right about Lemos, none at all, and I feel for people who have lost even more than me so far. People who attacked me for saying this, I hope they realise I was right in being negative by now. You only have to read the sector press and even comments from Paragraf boss about how it’s nigh on impossible to exist in this sphere in the UK without going under. Shocking country for tech businesses. But yes I think that 3x comment sealed his fate almost as soon as it left his mouth as anyone could see it was pie in the sky.

Paragraf are betting on Graphene CS being huge as they can deal with the same tasks with much less power which with power hungry AI coming is important enough for China to have spent $80b trying to make the switch on their CS production.

[mw16] 29/10/2024 11:59

Lemos position was untenable. He made a big prediction about 3x revenues. You can't do that and then shrink revenues.He had no real vision and no business accumen. DEI hire?

[willoicc] 29/10/2024 11:51

Is this IQE type of wafers?:

PRESS RELEASE – Paragraf Awarded Innovate UK Grant to Commercialise Graphene-Based Devices on Six-Inch Wafers

[boboty] 29/10/2024 11:50

I'm thinking that there are some reasons to be hopeful. Iqe clients and stakeholders especially Apple would not want IQE to fail especially because they rely on them for wafers for their Vcsels. Apple need diversity of supply and by all accounts iqe wafers are good quality. Maybe these clients will bung a bit more business our way. Loosing our ceo maybe a call to arms and wake up all the stakeholders

[crosswires] 29/10/2024 11:25

Lords, there have usually been more late afternoon opportunities to buy lower with IQE since the selling pressure began this past month, could well be repeated today as there are still large lots of 100,000 share sales going through.

IQE is like Man Utd, the potential is there but the right "manager" needs to be found, currently that's not the case and why the share price is at a ten year low! The worry must be if they can't even reach the low end of analyst estimates for this year which stand at £130m, that must be a serious possibility now imo.

Guildedge that sums it up nicely, a new thread is probably called for, but let's not call it "3 x revenues and 30% margins, whoo hoo".

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 11:14

That’s what Crosswires was saying in response to you saying it might have been a tiff!

[husbod] 29/10/2024 11:11

Maybe not but there had to be something major that caused such an abrupt departure with, as you and others have said, none of the usual platitudes.Anyway, he promised much and delivered little so it's good he's gone.The new guy plus this, to me ridiculous, valuation means it is attractive on balance to top up and this is just what I have done.Btw I was in in the low single figures many years ago when Drew Nelson was in his prime and when the potential of the company was massive. I made a lot of money when I sold the majority in the 40p range (an unusual event for me) and I would hope that the current share price has the potential to offer similar returns. But then who knows.

[crosswires] 29/10/2024 11:02

Husbod, you don't remove with immediate effect, without other explanation or thanks a CEO due to cultural differences, even if it ended in a "blazing row". That would be unprofessional. Even if was just an agreement on both sides that nothing will change in the forseeable and his direction was unlikely to work, and could lead to the company being in jeopardy financially, I doubt the RNS would have been worded this way.

I think some of his appointments and flirting with the USA Chips act via a VP of Government affairs were overkill, I hope I'm wrong but I see zero funds coming to IQE from the USA chips act.

We thought things would be different and better under AL after Drew, but it seems for investors we are left with a decision to make about whether the business is sufficiently scaleable and with the right margins to be worth continuing as a long term investment. I don't think a sale is out of the question, although I agree it would be at a higher share price than here where the MC is at £116m.

[lord loads of lolly] 29/10/2024 10:52

When I set my add target price of 12p, TBH I doubted it would ever be met.

Now it has, I'm not sure I want to follow my own advice, given the reason behind the fall. Hmmm......

For once, I have to agree with something an analyst comes out with "There had been growing investor frustration with the gap between the big vision that Americo had sold and the current reality," Harvey Robinson, Panmure Liberum analyst, said."

No sh!t Sherlock!

[husbod] 29/10/2024 10:50

Could be something as simple as cultural differences - working with an American can be trying - which just came to a head with a blazing row over the Company's performance/direction.Anyway, I've been a Beeks shareholder for some years and it's been one of my best performers so I'm both annoyed (Beeks is down today) at losing the guy and pleased that he may be able to turn IQE around.I've topped up at these levels accordingly.

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 10:49

Lords, let’s hope it wasn’t a case of insider knowledge of IQE IP. Either way the board at the time who employed him should take some responsibility for this. AL was very flat at last web cast and looked uninterested, and it proves that turning IQEs wafer business around is not guaranteed

[lord loads of lolly] 29/10/2024 10:35

The timing of his departure looks a little odd to me.

If at all, I'd have expected it more next January, after yet another set of poor results and jam tomorrow statements. Mid year looks more puzzling.

Given Lemos' skin in the game, either he did something dodge (in which case it'll eventually come out in the wash). Or he saw there was absolutely no way he was going to even vaguely hit his 2027 targets & decided to walk the plank before he was pushed.

Wonder if he'll now return to GF (armed with all IQE's financials & IP knowledge)?

[boboty] 29/10/2024 10:30

I think you are probably right re "Looks like CEO pushed after 3 yrs of failure. Not all his fault, but investors want someone to get to grips with the lack of growth."And I think it's probably a good thing that the board took control. Things were not progressing as hoped and enough time has elapsed to understand the character and effectiveness of the CEO. We need a change in fortune.

[amishp67] 29/10/2024 10:28

I agree. You said it all along. You were right unfortunately

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 10:26

Without knowing why he left impossible to say but I think to anyone paying attention it was waiting to happen. You don’t go big making 3x revenue statements to then go even further backwards on revenue in the following two years.

[amishp67] 29/10/2024 10:25

Shambles say the least.. was hoping it would hold 12p but seems to be pushing lower :(

[davemac3] 29/10/2024 10:22

Is there likely to be any litigation over his departure? Could be another burden.

[longtallsally] 29/10/2024 09:46

Issue of urgency is net debt which sank to £17m from £5m surplus. There is revolving credit (at cost) but I doubt the Taiwan IPO would raise that amount even, so cash generation should be focus because fund raising at this low level will be seen as even more dilution. Maybe both the IPO and a fund raise are required just to give them further breathing space. They really need to find the right CEO now (proven record in the role not a reckless chancer) or else they might as well sell up, I would still see 20p plus achievable in that scenario as book value higher than current share price

We do need to ask the question is making the “cement” for the builders of compound semi conductors ever going to translate into big enough margins to make profits? The world will need more wafers yes but unless margins increase it’s hard to see anything much changing here. There will also be more competition as going forward as there are more and more wafer foundries being built and more capacity being added.

Americo found out in less than three years that talk is cheap, the reality is far less easy

[smithless] 29/10/2024 09:35

Looks like CEO pushed after 3 yrs of failure. Not all his fault, but investors want someone to get to grips with the lack of growth. Watch with interest only. A roller-coaster stock, which really needs to be part of a larger FAB entity

[jotoha2] 29/10/2024 09:30

Some years back this did hit 2p and it returned a nice profit .....in time !