Latham (james) Share Discussion Threads

[c3479z] 28/11/2022 09:31

brickability today suggests 'normalisation' of timber margins in their subsidiary Taylor Maxwell.

[c3479z] 12/11/2022 22:30

busy, yet happy workforce, all 500+ of them, were rewarded with a 11.78% bonus on last year's results, should indicate a generous approach from the family firm.

[cwa1] 07/11/2022 16:00

Pleasantly perky of late and today in particular

[c3479z] 14/10/2022 21:41

can see that Magdalene College Library, Cambridge, for which they supplied the wood,no expense spared, and seems to be a beautiful, peaceful construction even to someone with no architectural knowledge at all, won the RIBA Sterling Prize, main award yesterday.

[tim1478] 07/10/2022 12:39

Encouraging share price is rising when market is so dull -- Any reason why?

[c3479z] 01/9/2022 23:14

profit may almost halve this year though the first half should be good, the second half may suffer from cost increases and slight slowing of demand though customers are still presently reported 'busy.'
what the next year will bring is anyone's guess,
shares don't seem expensive though given the cash and strong balance sheet, and improved pension fund position - a bugbear in the past,
statement does mention the possibility of an acquisition, always makes me nervous in view of the outlook for the economy.

[alter ego] 31/8/2022 12:40

"The Chairman of the Company is pleased to provide the following trading update at the Company's AGM being held today.

Revenue for the first four months of the current financial year, namely 1 April to 31 July 2022 is £142m. This represents an increase in sales per working day of 15% compared with the same period last year. Prices continue to be the biggest driver of the turnover increases but with volumes slightly down on the same period last year. Prices though have been stable overall in the first four months of the current financial year, with some weakness seen in commodity panel products. Margins were similar to the second half of the previous financial year and overheads have been well controlled but we are not immune to the current inflationary pressures.

Our customers remain busy but we are now starting to see signs of weakness in some sectors, as inflation, reduced consumer confidence and higher interest rates are dampening demand. There is a small rise in bad debts and in customers needing more time to pay suggesting a more difficult second half of the financial year, as we have previously indicated.

Our cash balances remain strong and with our robust supply chains, this puts us in a good position to take advantage of the opportunities that exist in our market."

The Company's interim results for the six months ending 30 September 2022 will be announced on 1 December 2022.

[c3479z] 12/8/2022 14:15

...richard beddard has a generally favourable write-up....

[investopia] 28/7/2022 09:45

Golden cross with the 50-day moving average rising over the 200-day, yes. However, the share price is below the 20-day moving average and below the 50-day moving average.

And it looks like the stock has just suffered a pivot failure.

My guess is the price could move down nearer to 1200 to touch the bottom of that one-year-long base formation. Then up. But how long before it breaks out of the base? My guess is Latham will be a slow-burn at best. But, of course, I could be wrong and it may shoot up to new highs tomorrow!

[davebowler] 19/7/2022 11:28

Chartists might like the fact that LTHM is showing a 'Golden Cross' classic buying signal.
On an irresistible P/E of 6 I've bought in.

[wad collector] 01/7/2022 14:02

IC running an article today that looks at the loss of supply from Russia and Ukraine but ability to pass on the costs and conclude HOLD again.

[jimboyce] 29/6/2022 16:16

Just think, had they not done that they would now be £56 per share.

[1tx] 29/6/2022 15:55

Latham did in fact split their shares from memory 4 for 1 about 15 years ago...I think they had then reached the "heady" price of around £3.50 before the split!I have held them around 20 years.

[nk104] 29/6/2022 13:45

If people can't afford £14 then they shouldn't be investing in individual shares.

Latham should keep doing what they're doing. It's odd that they're expected to change their ways and follow the less successful rather than the less successful change their ways to follow Latham.

[jimboyce] 29/6/2022 08:22

A share split here would make this a more attractive / affordable investment. Say 10 for 1.

[spawny100] 29/6/2022 08:06

Divi covered 6.8*. A little stingy perhaps with superb results like that?

[cwa1] 29/6/2022 07:30

Results out:-



...well worth a look...

Chairman's statement



The financial year to 31 March 2022 was a year in which there were considerable challenges to the business. The economy bounced back from the effects of the COVID19 pandemic which put pressure on global supply chains and led to difficulties in obtaining regular supplies of inventory. In addition there were significant increases in the market prices for our products, mainly in the first half of the year. I am therefore very pleased to report unprecedented trading results for the financial year to 31 March 2022.



Revenue for the financial year to 31 March 2022 was £385.4m, up 54.0% on last year's £250.2m. Like for like volumes taking into account working days and acquisitions, increased by 11.9%, with the growth equally on delivered business from our own warehouses and direct volumes shipped from the ports or from the manufacturers. The cost price of our products is on average 36.2% higher (2021: 7.6% higher) than at the start of the financial year.



Gross profit percentage for the financial year to 31 March 2022 was 23.8% compared with 18.0% in the previous financial year, and 26.4% reported in the half year accounts. This figure includes warehouse costs and we are continuing to extend the shift systems to improve our service levels with six of our depots now working 24 hours a day.



Profit before tax is £58.0m, up £39.4m on last year's £18.6m. Profit after tax for the year is £45.6m, up from last year's £15.0m. Earnings per ordinary share is 229.3p (2021: 75.4p) an increase of 204.1%.



As at 31 March 2022 net assets have increased to £164.0m (2021: £118.0m). Inventory levels have increased to £74.2m from £48.2m last year. This is partly to do with increased inventory in our new business, IJK Timber, based in Northern Ireland, but mainly due to increases in prices for our products and extended lead times for our imported products. Trade and other receivables at the year end were £20.3m higher than the previous year due to the increase in revenues but are still showing an improvement on last year's debtor days. Despite the challenges of the economic environment, bad debts have remained small at 0.1% of revenues. Cash and cash equivalents of £37.0m (2021: £28.6m) remain strong with good cash flows from operating activities.



Final dividend



The Board has declared a final dividend of 27.0p per Ordinary Share (2021: 15.5p). This final dividend includes a payment of 8.0p per Ordinary Share to reflect the exceptional results for the year. The dividend is payable on 2 September 2022 to ordinary shareholders on the Company's register at close of business on 5 August 2022. The ex-dividend date will be 4 August 2022. The total dividend per ordinary share of 33.5p for the year (2021: 21.2p) is covered 6.8 times by earnings (2021: 3.6 times).

[forensic] 06/6/2022 18:47

Get lost bradfreddieBrad

[c3479z] 04/6/2022 12:45

big swings in the timber price in America, relinquished their post pandemic boom, some sawmillers having to work short-time has that been recapitulated here, I wonder? and must make for problems managing orders for the likes of Lthm,
results in the next 3 or 4 weeks.

[c3479z] 06/4/2022 16:06

rather opaque statement, didn't indicate the likely profit, perhaps it's too embarrassingly high and they want to avoid saying profits for the year just started will be a lot lower in view of the evident cost pressures and possibility of recession later this year.

[gopher] 29/3/2022 09:55

The turnover figure is eye catching and the cost pressures predictable. An OK statement imo.