Learning Technologies Share Discussion Threads

[johndoe23] 23/12/2019 13:08

Toppy for me now. Will wait until trading update in January before possible re entry...

[the runt] 23/12/2019 10:23

@RM

Always difficult to get the timing right! The results may already be in the price (consider what happened at the last Interims). I'll watch and learn ;-)

[melody9999] 21/12/2019 09:57

Can anyone advise the thrust of the Malcolm Stacey article released on Sharepickers?

[rampmeister] 21/12/2019 00:26

With next T/U around one month away and FY next March, think you guys maybe a little too eager to cash out. Trades doubled this week from previous with over 200k late trades today after the bell. I see more momentum here and share price rising to around September 2018 spike. Time will tell who gets this right.

RM

[the runt] 20/12/2019 23:16

@ cyberian

I did the same (actually sold all the stock). It may continue going up but will probably have a sharp correction at some point, and I prefer locking in profits. But it's been a great share to own, and good luck to everyone holding for the long term. I imagine I'll be back if the share price has prolonged stagnation, which I think may happen Q1-Q2.

[cyberian] 20/12/2019 16:06

Decided to take some profit off the table which will now probably result in an even higher share price However, the results in the New Year will have to be very encouraging as previous organic growth had been pretty dismal with real growth in revenues coming from acquisitions...we need more to sustain such a high P/E ratio.

[aimingupward2] 18/12/2019 09:08

How about some now and more if it does retrace, J.D.? At least you won’t miss out that way.

[johndoe23] 18/12/2019 09:01

Breakout territory indeed. Trading update next month will be key. If it's positive and a continuation of the positive news flow here past few months, the highs of 170p last year could be seen. Any negative sentiment regarding trade deal will see this retrace, if only short term. As someone seeking a re entry point difficult to judge!!

[aimingupward2] 18/12/2019 08:52

Yes, that’s a very fair way of looking at it. Brokers targets are all very well, too, but where the share price heads off to now will depend both on the trading statement in Jan’, the full annual results and future acquisition(s)

As you say, rampmeister, we have indeed entered new breakout territory

[rampmeister] 17/12/2019 17:49

Aimingupward forget 2018 September sharp upward spike. Sp driven by extreme hubris and corrected almost immediately. Imv current share price is the ath and we have now entered breakout territory.

RM

[mfhmfh] 17/12/2019 17:20

some seriously big buys today at 135p

[aimingupward2] 16/12/2019 14:45

I wonder if some Americans are waking up and joining in. They should.

Nice to see the close on a high for the day and also that it is above the peak reached at the beginning of this Sept'. Next stop last September's peak - and with a trading statement coming in January it may not take long.

[cyberian] 16/12/2019 14:01

Strong move helped by that Sunday Times article/prompt.

[skinny] 16/12/2019 07:42

HEre's the .

[jeffian] 15/12/2019 23:26

Thanks, epicsurf.

[epicsurf] 15/12/2019 20:27

this side of the Atlantic, Learning Technologies Group is also a tech company feeling the heat from what Woods called the “hedgies”;.

The £800m company develops digital training programmes for corporate giants, including cosmetics behemoth L̵7;Oreal and the privatised Royal Mail.

It burst onto the market six years ago, when electronic learning firm Epic listed on AIM via a reverse takeover of cash shell In-Deed, before taking over its rival Line Communications in 2014, at the time targeting on growing sales to £50m within three years.

That goal was now well and truly behind it, but investors reportedly remain unconvinced, given around 5% of its shares were on loan to short sellers last year.

Concerns that the company would struggle to reinvent itself from a training provider to a software company with a broader range of services also saw the shares plunge from 170p in September 2018 to a trough of 59p in February.

But instead of mouthing off on Twitter in a Musk-style rant, Learning Technologies’ founders kept focussed on the numbers, which saw sales leap 83% to £93.9m for the year ended December 2018 at its results in March, while pre-tax profits more than doubled to £25.6m from £12.7m.

Part of that performance could be put down to the $150m purchase of cloud-based talent management provider PeopleFluent during the year, which was followed up post-year end by its $12m gobbling up of recruitment software developer Breezy.

The current year was looking bright, Woods added, noting that analysts were expecting 38% growth in sales to around £130m and a 46% improvement in profits to £37.4m.

That was being reflected in the share price, too, with those up 69% since the start of the year at 122p.

And while many of the naysayers had crawled back into the woodwork in the wake of such growth, there were still some doubters, with Woods pointing out that the percentage of shares on loan had eased to 2.5% in September, but had crept back up to 4% since then, according to data from IHS Markit.

Gareth Davies, and analyst from Numis, remained bullish, writing that Learning Technologies’ “active pipeline of acquisitions” could help boost its shares by another 50% to 185p.

It was also looking at some more growth in May so long as it secures a big training contract with the Ministry of Defence, as noted by Panmure Gordon analyst Paul Morland.

“With its dominant position, plenty of takeover targets to go after, and a track record of outperforming financial goals, LTG’s shares should soar again,” wrote Ben Woods.

“Buy,” was his recommendation

[tarrant777] 15/12/2019 11:02

Open at 130p+ in the morning?

[jeffian] 15/12/2019 10:45

I can't access the online version to provide a link, but there is a tip for LTG in today's Sunday Times Business Section ("In the city" column). Basically says LTG has been held back by hedgie's shorting (2.5-4%) but that their strategy of growth by acquisition seems to be working and there is scope for more. Target 185.

[cyberian] 10/12/2019 10:58

Looks like a number of "delayed" O trades above the offered showing up as sells whereas they are Buys...but whatever, quite steady volumes and share price movement. Roll-on January....

[christh] 10/12/2019 07:51

BlackRock increased their holding from 3.81% to 5.09%
They must know something we don't.
Time to run to 165p.
The year ends 31 December and results are in January.

The trading statement was very bullish indicating excellent results.

[cyberian] 06/12/2019 14:58

Another acquisition would certainly help sentiment here, although it appears that good progress is being achieved with the recent purchases. Activity in the shares a bit tame at present, but hopefully the shares will be more on the radar in a positive sense awaiting the late January update.

[drsamwaa] 06/12/2019 09:15

Christh....seriously what is wrong with you? Do you really think posting out of date performance updates is going to make everyone on here exude confidence and buy shares like their life depended on it ? ?

[christh] 04/12/2019 21:20

email received from the company.
---------------------------------------------------
"A trading update following the year-end will be issued in late January and on the progress that LTG has made during 2019.
A comprehensive update was made to the market at the time of our Interims announcement on 16th September having upgraded market expectations in July."

165p-185p target price

[christh] 29/11/2019 07:32

Learning Technologies profit jumps following PeopleFluent acquisition
16 September 2019 | 13:56pm

StockMarketWire.com - Digital learning and talent management group Learning Technologies posted a large rise in first-half profit, after the acquisition of PeopleFluent and contract wins boosted revenue.

Pre-tax profit for the six months through June rose to £6.8m, up from £1.3m on-year, as revenue rose 85% to £62.6m.

The company declared an interim dividend of 0.25p per share, up 67% on-year.

'In the first half of 2019 both our divisions have delivered a strong performance,' chief executive Jonathan Satchell said.

The software and platforms divisions had delivered an increasing proportion of high-margin recurring revenues from software licenses, while organic sales momentum had greatly increasing in the content and services division, Satchell said.

'Our first half performance increased recurring revenues and robust current trading provides great confidence for the year ahead to deliver further organic growth, strong margins and excellent cash generation,' he added.

'On the back of this momentum, we are investing in the 2019 second half to drive sales further, as well as supporting organic growth initiatives into 2020.'