Marston's Share Discussion Threads

[heatseek77] 20/11/2023 09:30

darrin disagree Justin CV looks like right direction it's entertainment, hospitality but based on sales and marketing 🤔🤔🤔🤔 wonder were a global leader with those attributes might be useful 😂
Leave the numbers to the decent CFO I say ...

[redartbmud] 20/11/2023 09:22

Findlay went and now Andrea has gone, AFIER they have ruined the business!!

red

[heatseek77] 20/11/2023 09:09

Oh Jim so transparent, one minute you might buy, one minute your not, so funny mate 😉😂

[jubberjim] 18/11/2023 07:52

Autumn Statement

Hope to see some good news in the Autumn statement but not holding my breath.

[darrin1471] 17/11/2023 21:24

I do not like the quick removal of the CEO and the replacements CV does look an odd match.
I have a very small holding here and was thinking MARS looked good value. Now unlikely to add anytime soon.

[123trev] 17/11/2023 12:44

Oh the irony lol this stock has already had a wild ride down with many holders clinging on for dear life hoping their heads aren’t severed as the harness slips further.

[waldron] 17/11/2023 12:12

Marston's announces former Merlin exec Justin Platt as new boss after Andrew Andrea stands down

Andrew Andrea succeeded long-time boss Ralph Findlay as CEO in October 2021

Marston's has named Merlin Entertainment's Justin Platt as Andrea's successor

By Harry Wise

Updated: 11:19 GMT, 17 November 2023



Pub group Marston's has appointed former Merlin Entertainments executive Justin Platt as its new boss.

It comes as Andrew Andrea announced he will quit the role, which he has held for two years, with immediate effect.

Andrea succeeded longtime boss Ralph Findlay as the pub chain's CEO in October 2021, having spent the 12 previous years as its chief financial officer.

Marston's said that while Andrea had stood down with immediate effect, he would remain at the firm 'for a period to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.'

Platt will take charge on 10 January, and Marston's executive team will report to chairman William Rucker in the meantime.

Platt is the current chief strategy officer of Merlin Entertainments, which runs the theme parks Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventures.


Prior to Merlin, he worked for AstraZeneca as its global consumer marketing director and had also spent time at Kellogg's, Imperial Leather owner PZ Cussons, and GlaxoSmithKline - since renamed GSK.

Rucker said Platt's 'broad consumer sector expertise, strategic acumen and prowess in customer experience at Merlin will be of great benefit to Marston's at this stage in the company's journey.'

Andrea told investors: 'I am extremely proud to have navigated Marston's out of the pandemic as a focussed pub business and put in place a first-class management team who are achieving market outperformance.

'This is the right time for me to step down, and I am confident the business is in great shape with strong future potential.'

His tenure at Marston's has been filled with dramatic changes at the Wolverhampton-based company, including the £780million merger of its brewing operations with Carlsberg's UK division in 2020.

More notably, it coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic causing heavy damage to the British hospitality sector as 'non-essential' businesses were forced to temporarily close.

As lockdown-related restrictions were loosened, Marston's rebounded more quickly than many other pub groups due partly to the growth in hybrid working and its sites being predominantly located in rural and suburban locations.

It has also dealt reasonably well with elevated inflationary pressures by hedging gas and electricity costs, although the company has not paid a dividend for the past three years because of heightened economic uncertainty.

Last month, Marston's declared that operating profits were set to be higher than anticipated in the current fiscal year following head-office cost reductions.

The firm made the forecast alongside results showing that like-for-like turnover grew by 10.1 per cent in the year ending September thanks to strong food and drink sales.

Trading received a further boost from the extra bank holiday in May to celebrate King Charles III's coronation and the FIFA World Cup last winter.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'Marston's has been trading well, and Mr Andrea has steered the group through a tough period following the pandemic.

'Marston's has always been a "steady as she goes" type of business, so to bring in someone from outside of the pubs sector to run it implies a shift in thinking.'

Marston's shares were 0.8 per cent lower at 32.25p on Friday morning, meaning they have slumped by 69 per cent in the past five years.



the daily mail

money mail

[prokartace] 17/11/2023 12:02

You will all be fine now, sold mine this morning 1st thing

[heatseek77] 17/11/2023 10:42

disco just playin in the range ( not the shop)

[disc0dave46] 17/11/2023 10:32

Doesn't look like it!

[heatseek77] 17/11/2023 09:02

Imho this will be well received by the citypiggys

[heatseek77] 17/11/2023 09:01

Particularly keen on the last sentence

Justin Platt commented: " I am delighted to be joining Marston's. The Company has massive potential and a passionate and talented team. I am really looking forward to working with the Board and the management team to deliver the sustainable business growth that will drive value for our shareholders

[heatseek77] 17/11/2023 08:58

Hiya Fenners exactly, all in place 🤔, good for us though, expecting decent set of results on 5th

[stevenlondon3] 17/11/2023 07:32

Included in Marston's (LON:MARS) announcement on a new CEO was a trading update "Current trading remains in line with management expectations. As previously highlighted, the Group will announce its preliminary results on Tuesday 5 December 2023."

[fenners66] 17/11/2023 07:11

Heatseek77

Looks like the something in the background was the departure of the CEO
but its ok because he's left behind "in place a first-class management team " ..... LOL !

As if he is a good judge considering he and the board have decided its time for him to go....and they announce this with his replacement on the same day....

[jubberjim] 16/11/2023 16:50

Done it proper chronological order

Marston's this am

Diageo chaser

Happy Xmas everyone

[disc0dave46] 16/11/2023 11:58

Youngs have bid for City Pubs, some read across here.

[heatseek77] 16/11/2023 10:44

Happy to see it keep pushing up to 32p onwards and upwards 🤞

[heatseek77] 15/11/2023 09:40

Careful yep nav £1+ just need to keep these blue wins, line from 80p which we are now working on top of so my target (as with analyst's) back to 80p in next 12-18 mths, chin chin

[123trev] 14/11/2023 22:59

Great minds and slow typing on my part lol.

[123trev] 14/11/2023 22:57

To be honest at this level and the debt situation it’s obviously a punt on survival and if it can be turned around in time to me it will need more cash to secure that.Obviously Covid dealt this a huge blow but it was a stock in decline before that the market was very concerned here. It’s also worth pointing out that Covid came out of the blue and if it or something like it happened again this along with a good many shares just wouldn’t survive and you can never say never.

[jeffian] 14/11/2023 22:46

careful,

Please. What has Covid got to do with it? Look at the long term graph. These guys are serial underperformers.

[careful] 14/11/2023 20:21

A bit unfair.
The Covid lockdown crippled many hospitality companies, including Marston.
TUI another larger company, holidays, struggling to get back on track after being baled out by the German government.
CINE is another , crippled by lockdown after aggressive expansion at the wrong time.

Maybe Marstons aggressive expansion and debt accumulation was the right thing to do, pre Covid, with cheap money, low inflation and robust business, but who could have predicted the catastrophe of lockdown?

Investing here is a punt on survival and eventual prosperity.
Selective non core disposals and good management will reduce debt.
Hoping to double share price from here over the medium term.
Net assets about 100p per share.

[jeffian] 14/11/2023 19:27

careful,
Most of MARS debt is fixed or hedged over the long term and short term interest rate movements make very little difference.

As Trev says, if you think this is a "well managed" company, look at the share price graph. Management are now doing some of the right things - splitting the brewing/pub businesses etc - but they're way behind the curve. One can only hope there is a point at which a bid comes. Surely they would have no defence this time.