Ashley (laura) Share Discussion Threads

[mister md] 06/11/2017 13:40

Indeed almost 3/4 drop in shareholder value since 2015. Staggering.

[srpactive] 06/11/2017 13:12

MMD

You can see on the chart the fall from grace starting July
2015, when all was good with ALY, profitable businesses,
cash in the bank, award winning business paying a super
dividend, then the July 2015 Singapore purchase that
drained the company of the cash and loaded the balance sheet
with debt and the share price collapsed.
I have been buying more recently, hoping a sale of the Singapore
asset might reverse the present position.

So wrong that this has been permitted to happen, it
should never have been voted through by all involved.

Especially when you see the asset is now worth virtually
40% of the company now, compared to only 12% when bought.

DYOR.

[mister md] 06/11/2017 12:56

I thought I had bought into a boring fashion company paying an attractive dividend. Turns out it I may be invested in a booming Singapore property market and no dividend.

[srpactive] 06/11/2017 11:56

Here is a little background as you mentioned, Singapore, dyor.

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Chinese investors paid $3b for Singapore office assets

They also injected over $2b on residential lands in 1H17.

Singapore is attracting more real estate investors from China and Hong Kong as transaction volumes rose by 6% this year despite a rather weak market in 2016, real estate firm JLL said in a report.

In the first half of 2017, Singapore gained investments worth $3b into office assets and $2b into residential land from investors in Hong Kong and mainland China.

According to Regina Lim, head of capital markets research, Southeast Asia, JLL, "Singapore remains a key market for many investors due to its long-term positive fundamentals. Real estate transaction volumes in Singapore rose by six per cent year-on-year in the first half of the year, as investor sentiment is turning positive after CBD office rents bottomed earlier than expected."

JLL also noted remarkable purchases in Q12017 such as the FWD Group's purchase of a 50% stake in One George Street and Chinese company Nanshan Group and Logan's $1b investment in a government land sale site in Stirling Road.

According to JLL, investors' confidence increased when they saw a pick-up in tenant demand and in office rents in Q2.

"Due to stronger than expected rental growth, we upgraded our Singapore office rental forecasts for 2018 by about 10 per cent. We now expect Singapore prime office rents to rise 20% over the next four years,” Lim said

[srpactive] 06/11/2017 11:41

Okay thank you, well if they are rebounding as you mention,
it would be good to sell the asset, it has recently been
marked down in value on the books, I believe dyor.

[fangsforthememory] 06/11/2017 11:32

I don't see a connection to the divorce. In my opinion it is Barclays either wanting some more collateral for the existing facility, or that facility is being extended. The only cause for optimism I can see right now is that Singapore office prices appear to be on the rebound, not that that was a sector that I wanted to be invested in.

[srpactive] 06/11/2017 10:43

F

Could it be something to do with the divorce?

[fangsforthememory] 31/10/2017 15:28

The lender in the registered charge is Barclays. According to ALY's latest accounts, there was already a £15m overdraft facility in place with Barclays, and £10.7m of it was in use [Sept 2017 accounts]. The new filing at companies house appears to be a charge over the UK hotel, and also some shares, 23million ALY shares, 1million Texplan Manufacturing Ltd shares, 1million Laura Ashley Investments Ltd shares, and some others.

The "Investor Relations" of this company leaves much to be desired. If they are taking on more debt, what is the reason for it? Are Barclays getting cold feet and asking for more security to maintain the existing facility. I have zero confidence the the management of ALY.

[srpactive] 31/10/2017 12:09

Do you mean the hotel part missing?

Do you think they could be selling the hotel and Singaore
assets?

I am not sure what you think F?

[davy99] 31/10/2017 09:47

Don't know, but glad am only watching from the sidelines. Thanks for the heads up, interesting pdf on that link.

[fangsforthememory] 30/10/2017 19:26

I hope the link works. I am wondering what this charge to Laura Ashley is, recently registered [13thOct 2017] at Companies House.

[srpactive] 20/10/2017 21:35

I am in my late forties. Oh yes nearly bought them at 0.1p but went for
gdl instead

[uknighted] 20/10/2017 21:08

Hi SRP, I deduce from your posts over the years that you are of a similar age group to myself. I have no desire to ramp any share, it is not my style. I was merely trying to offer some friendly advice.
My posts 10351/2 on the Highland thread refer.

[srpactive] 20/10/2017 20:08

Just name it I give you permission.

[uknighted] 20/10/2017 16:48

Hi SRP. The share I mentioned last week - don't want to name it and be accused of ramping - I genuinely believe has legs left. Important news is imminent. In my opinion, you could do a lot worse than liquidating some ALY and reinvesting in it. It can easily double yet. Please DYOR. I mention it as you were gracious enough to acknowledge it's success earlier in the week. I was in ALY for years, around 29p mark but got out when it fell to 16p. I know you will have done ok here because of the dividends but now they seem to be stopping the share price is going to continue to flounder. Regards Uk
ps I am still in HGM.

[srpactive] 20/10/2017 16:24

That would be a good start, then some feedback on the
Chinese website and the store opening in India, just
a shame we could not get an activists involved. The way
this British icon is being treated by these people is
disgusting, it is a shame the wealthy of the UK could
not get something done here. No wonder there are
revolutions from time to time.

[coxsmn] 20/10/2017 15:57

Sounds like the Singapore office should be top of his list of things to reconsider.

[srpactive] 20/10/2017 08:09

Well I have been buying more around this level, it
depends if the chairman wants to get this back on its feet.

If he does sell the Singapore office.

If not, not.

C

This is such a shame if you look back at the July 2015 share price
and the profitable results, with millions in the bank and a good
decent dividend, then the Singapore purchase July 2015, bank emptied,
debt raised and a low share price, and these people get paid, no
wonder Mr Corbyn has so many followers.

dyor.

[coxsmn] 19/10/2017 19:34

Is Aly in terminal decay or do we think the share price will recover?

[srpactive] 19/10/2017 07:31

Not that I am aware.

[davy99] 19/10/2017 04:39

Does Mike Ashley of NUFC have any relation to Laura Ashley ?

[srpactive] 18/10/2017 14:19

Mr Ashley of NUFC looking to sell the club for £300m,
could some come here, I have said the same at one of
his other retail holdings fccn? dyor

[srpactive] 18/10/2017 10:30

11%

Our Singapore office in July 2015, when our share price was 35p!

==================================================

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Guy Elliott said he would step down from his non-executive director role at Shell with immediate effect after US regulator the Securities and Exchange Commission charged him in relation to a botched coal deal while he was chief financial officer at Rio.

Mr Elliott has been charged with fraud alongside Rio Tinto and its former chief executive Tom Albanese over allegations they hid the true value of coal assets in Mozambique following a disastrous acquisition.

Rio took a $3bn (£2.28bn) writedown on Riversdale Mining in 2013. It bought the coal project in the southern African country for $3.7bn in 2011 but sold it for just $50m three years later, after realising it would be unable to ship coal downriver to port.

[srpactive] 03/10/2017 08:49

Wallpaper week, come on Laura Ashley get your name pasted about.