Wetherspoon ( J.d.) Share Discussion Threads

[seahorsel3isure] 22/12/2010 11:48

Timbo

You can argue that both ways, the bad weather over the last few weeks across the country (and especially on a weekend) will have adversely affected takings.

Can't see any reasons why these are underpriced at these levels.

[timbo003] 22/12/2010 11:01

I would imagine that a lot of the airport Spoons will have done quite well, with a captive audience over the last few days, also all these people denied a getaway over the christmas period are unlikley to spend all their newly found spare time just sitting at home, more likely they will go down the pub.

[mroalan] 22/12/2010 09:24

tues. evening a regular for me, normally quiet but it was stuffed to the eaves last night.

[libertine] 17/11/2010 14:09

The Kings Tun
153-157 Clarence Street
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey
KT1 1QT

[jeffian] 17/11/2010 13:54

"Held under the All Bar One lable."

Eh? All Bar One is a M&B (MAB) brand.

[gregory0106] 17/11/2010 12:44

careful - I think you are confusing Twickenham with Richmond. Twickenham is not a well healed area. Last time I walked down to the Pound shop in the high st I had to step over one person sleeping rough & avoid 2 others begging for the price of a Tea (strange how they could both afford to smoke & had a well looked after dog!)

[gregory0106] 17/11/2010 12:41

EssentialInvestor - Yes the KingsTun is still a spoons. Held under the All Bar One lable. I prefer the Twickenham Spoons as food seems a lot better in there and is also a lot quieter owing to being only on one floor so a lot less tables. They also seem to have a bigger range of beers as well.

Worried to see my magic touch with these shares is still holding. This is 3rd time I have bought & again they go down once I am in. NO doubt they will rise again (as per past form) once I bail out.

[careful] 14/11/2010 13:01

twickenham and kingston.
lots of well heeled people sheltered from the recession.
well able to afford a few pints.
they probably do not even know the price.

[essentialinvestor] 14/11/2010 12:33

Greg

Not sure do JDS still own the KingsTon in Kingston, down the road from you.
It may have been renamed since, now that was a profitable pub.

[mroalan] 14/11/2010 11:44

going for lunch today,haven,t a bad word to say about them,lads behind the bar seem to know the real ales,allways prepered to assist with a sample ect.

[gregory0106] 11/11/2010 08:48

My local (twickenham) is always busy. Even at about 9am there are 30+ in there & many having breakfast with a beer (or two) and as for evenings & weekends we often can't even get a seat (it only has the ground floor & needs expanding urgently) so am still holding from 405 as it sinks into the 390 zone but will keep a close eye on it as lost too much last time I bought these & don't intend to get burned again - just not sure where my bail out point will be yet.

[bluetooth] 10/11/2010 09:27

Just sold at £4.00 I can't see this doing anything in the short term. Too much food competition around these days.

BT

[timbo003] 09/11/2010 07:42

Here's one for isis

[libertine] 08/11/2010 12:20

* UBS has a neutral for Mondi, raising target to 550p from 520p and has a buy for JD Wetherspoon, cutting target to 500p from 525p

[isis] 04/11/2010 17:42

They've put 10p on all their Drinks the other day.

[libertine] 04/11/2010 17:39

By Hannah Benjamin
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

LONDON (Dow Jones)--U.K. pub group J.D. Wetherspoon PLC (JDW.LN) Thursday said sales continued to rise throughout its fiscal first quarter and it is confident of a "reasonable outcome" for the full-year, although its gross margin has declined following increased investment in its business.

The firm said sales from its pubs open more than a year climbed 1.6% in the 13 weeks to Oct. 24, ticking up from a 1.5% rise in sales at those venues in the first six weeks of this financial year and a 0.1% rise during the 2010 fiscal year, which ended July 25.

Total first-quarter sales climbed 7.3%, again an improvement on a 4.3% rise in total sales during the fiscal year 2010, following initiatives like a new food menu and increased breakfast sales.

However, the group's quarterly operating margin fell about 0.7 percentage points on last year to 9.4%, as it has increased the amount of cash it is pumping in to things like refurbishments, till systems, staffing and support.

While margin improvements are expected in the second half, analysts said the margin decline would likely be viewed as disappointing by the market.

"...the news on margin will disappoint the market, in our view, and the risk to consensus expectations of GBP72 million pretax profit appears on the downside," Panmure Gordon analyst Simon French told clients in a note Thursday.

Nonetheless, he views the stock as inexpensive and left his "buy" rating and 525 pence target price unchanged.

KBC Peel Hunt analyst Paul Hickman expects to cut his full-year pretax profit estimate by about 6% to GBP68 million because of the drop in margin.

"As signaled by last week's board changes, margins are likely to follow a lower trajectory," he told clients, leaving his "hold" rating unchanged.

Last week JD Wetherspoon's Finance Director Keith Down and Chief Operating Officer Paul Harbottle both left the company following an alleged disagreement about the use of cost savings to protect margins in the short term.

KBC's Hickman had previously told clients that the double departure would likely see Wetherspoon "...move down a path of spending for the underlying good of the business, rather than making short-term cost savings to meet margin objectives."

At 1344 GMT JD Wetherspoon shares were trading 5 pence, or 1.2%, lower at 410 pence, underperforming a 1.8% rise in the FTSE All-Share index.

The company has previously announced that higher interest charges--following its refinancing in March--will dent first-half profitability. It didn't provide specific figures.

Yet it remains confident of a "reasonable outcome" for the full-year, aided by the investments in its new and existing pubs.

It remains on course to open about 50 new pubs in this financial year.

[isis] 25/10/2010 09:53

My local one is always busy on account nearly all the other Pubs have shut down. Most have been turned into flats even if they were making money - another legacy from NL.

[payney36] 25/10/2010 09:51

They have put 10p on all the beers & food.Carlsberg is now cheaper in the pub over the Road that shows skysports!This is probably what the fall out was about & opening at 7 for breakfast which i am told is not going to continue in the Jdw pubs that aren't getting any customers in before 9(i live in Maidenhead, berks which has two jdw's)

[bluetooth] 22/10/2010 10:51

I'm sure that the smoking ban has had an effect but as an ex smoker, I would not like smoking to be reintroduced. FWIW I think that the formation of Pubcos and the introduction of TV's have had a far greater negative effect. When brewers owned the pubs, they regarded them as their "shops" and did not worry too much about the value of the property, whereas the Pubcos see a pub as a property investment that could equally well be developed for houseing or some other commercial use. They want their investment to make similar returns to a speculative property development. Now that property prices have fallen they are starting to become more realistic in some cases but it is far too late and the damage is done. With regard to TV, everyone has a TV and most people can get the programmes they want at home. I go to the pub for a change and to chat to people - my local has 2 TV's in the bar often on different channels and there is also background music. I find that this tends to kill conversation and I may as well stay at home and drink cheap beer from the supermarket.

As for JDW they need to smarten up a little and get rid of the "doss house" image that some of them have. (I do hold JDW).

[milacs] 15/10/2010 11:45

Smoking bars the thin edge of the wedge.

Whatever next!!

M

[isis] 15/10/2010 09:43

You can still get Beer at £2- in many Cheaper Pubs but even they are closing down too. I don't really look at JDW as a Pub so much as a Shop that sells Beer and Food.
Often when you buy a bottle of Wine in JDW and It's a Screw Cap they don't even open it.

But it is cheap and cheerful.

I don't know why they don't just allow smoking bars where the Staff sign disclaimers - nobody stops anyone driving a Car in case they crash do they?

[milacs] 15/10/2010 09:37

With beer at £3+ It's not surprising that pubs are closing down.

M

[isis] 15/10/2010 09:31

They should just have non-smoking and smoking Bars/Pubs as they do in Spain and much of the Continent - problem solved, everyone happy.

But something tells me most non-smokers are not happy.

The real shame is that most of our Pubs are closing down and there are no winners here.

[payney36] 15/10/2010 09:24

Agree some smokers are staying at home & drinking cheap supermarket booze but on a positive you see lots of families with kids & non smokers eating in Jdw now(myself included)Personally i think pubs should be split into 2 with sealed doors for both smokers & nonsmokers but then they would say the staff are still breathing in the smoke!

[isis] 14/10/2010 18:36

yeah right. ;-))