Mayflower Share Discussion Threads

[soysoy] 16/11/2004 08:44

THANKS RICRA

[soysoy] 16/11/2004 08:43

WE JUST MIGHT GET A BIT OF LUCK ASWELL SOON

Anomalous - 16 Nov'04 - 04:46 - 4892 of 4892


Evolution debacle develops
By Caroline Merrell, Banking Correspondent
The Times
November 16, 2004

PRIVATE investors are to continue pressing Evolution Securities for compensation in the Room Service market-making scandal after the broker was fined £500,000 last week by the lead City watchdog.

Investors claim that the £150,000, or 11p a share, that has already been offered to settle with shareholders is not enough. It has been accepted by two thirds of Room Service's investors, but one small investor, Philip Martin, who refused the offer, has been paid 39p a share by Evolution after bringing a claim against the broker in the small claims court.

A spokesman for the action group acting on behalf of investors said that they would continue to fight for compensation for an estimated 85 shareholders who claim to have lost out in the affair. Evolution said it was not aware of any other court claims and would not comment further.

The pledge by the group comes after the Financial Services Authority issued its first fine against a broking firm for distorting the market.

The FSA has also imposed an additional £75,000 fine on Evolution's head of market-making, Christopher Potts, on the same charges relating to short selling of shares in Room Service Group, a shell company, last year. Mr Potts has been suspended from his position at the group after the FSA found that he had sold short 252 per cent of the share capital of Room Service.

The fines against the company come as Evolution's biggest shareholder, Commerzbank, prepares to sell its 8.5 per cent stake. The German bank announced last week that it intended to exit proprietary trading as part of a wholesale review of investment banking.

Although the bank has managed to wind down the positions of a lot of its proprietary traders, it faces a much longer wind-down of its "special situations" investments.

The investment portfolio, which is currently showing positive returns of €45 million (£32 million) holds a number of stakes in illiquid stocks, as well as holding a stake in Evolution.

Many of the companies that the special situations desk hold shares in are clients of Evolution. A source close to the bank said that there would be no "fire sale of assets", adding that the bank was aiming for an orderly sale of the mainly AIM-listed stock. Commerzbank would not comment.

[ricra] 15/11/2004 21:27

I don't know why you want to give up running the action group, you have done a brilliant job so far.I think we are all getting a bit fed up waiting. I only hope we can prove these allegations. It was such a good company that has been ruined by those at the top who seem to have come out of it very nicely thank you. Sod the shareholders as usual.

[soysoy] 14/11/2004 10:05

Yes Ricra the lawyers are still working on this
We trying to set a dead line so that those responsible come to justice
They have robbed the shareholders of there savings and they new what they were doing and we should be able to prove it soon

[ricra] 12/11/2004 22:14

Is this still being investigated or not??

[anomalous] 12/11/2004 20:24

>Scribbler
Unfortunately we are still waiting. A little while longer and the story will be out.

[soysoy] 12/11/2004 17:24

FED UP OF WAITING LIKE ANYBODY ELSE
IF ANYONE CAN THINK OF ANYTHING WE CAN DO LET ME KNOW

[scribbler101] 12/11/2004 15:07

soysoy - I thought YOU were running it?

And aren't we due to hear from lawyers?

[soysoy] 10/11/2004 21:31

IS ANY ONE INTERESTED IN RUNNING THE MAYFLOWER ACTION GROUP LET ME KNOW
NEED TO HAVE ONE FINAL PUSH NOW

[soysoy] 31/10/2004 16:52

Are turn next







Evolution faces £400,000 fine
Helen Dunne, Mail on Sunday
31 October 2004

BROKER Evolution Beeson Gregory is on the point of being fined £400,000 by the Financial Services Authority* for its role in a shares scandal involving Aim-listed* Room Service.

The FSA may impose a further £100,000 fine on a senior employee of Evolution.

Evolution, which denies any wrongdoing, is also among up to eight City firms being sued by shareholders in delivery firm Room Service, now renamed Azure Holdings.


The regulator launched an investigation in December after Room Service's shares were suspended following the collapse of a rights issue to cut debts of £219,000.

The suspension meant Evolution-was unable to close its positions, and it became clear that market makers had sold twice as many shares in Room Service as existed, leaving many small shareholders out of pocket.

Shareholders last year rejected a £140,000 settlement from market makers involved in the scandal, dismissing it as 'derisory'.

Evolution declined to comment.

[soysoy] 21/10/2004 18:59

Henlys shareholders wiped out in restructuring

Jill Treanor
Tuesday October 19, 2004
The Guardian


Bus company Henlys is to be placed into liquidation following the completion of a restructuring yesterday that will leave its shareholders with nothing.
What is left of the business is being renamed Peach County Holdings and will focus on Blue Bird, the US part of the company that is best known for making yellow school buses.

David James, the company doctor parachuted in earlier this year, declared his confidence in the business that had been saved, which he said has a "strong order book" including a contract from the US government for 87 buses for Baghdad.

He said the restructuring - in part forced by the collapse of engineering company Mayflower - was "the most complex deal I have ever known".

It took place between Amer ica, Sweden ad London, and involved 14 banks. The new company, Peach - named after the Atlanta orchards where Blue Bird is based - is 42.5% owned by Ford subsidiary Volvo, 42.5% by the syndicate of banks, with the rest held by management and the Henlys pension scheme.

The banks have forgone $690m (£390m) of debt and the restructuring was announced after Volvo bought two of Henlys' Canadian operations which will go towards providing new working capital for the business.

The company is sending a circular to shareholders - whose shares have traded above 100p in the last 12 months but are now worthless - to explain there is "no viable alternative" to the restructuring.

Mr James, who intends to remain as chairman for the time being, said the remaining business might eventually be sold to a trade buyer or even refloated on the stock market. He was called in by the government to rescue the Millennium Dome and is now working for the Conservatives on a review of government spending.



Henlys got caught up in the problems at Mayflower because it was partner in TransBus, the country's biggest bus manufacturer. Mayflower ran up £250m of debts and was placed in administration this year and the business has been broken up.

As a result of the restructuring, Henlys no longer has any operating business or material assets.

The company said yesterday that "regrettably it had proved impossible to obtain any value for the holders of Henlys' shares".

Peach is taking on part of Henlys' debts, and $303m has been converted into equity. The company has restated $215m of loans and revolving credit facilities.

[soysoy] 19/10/2004 19:51

LPF
What your interest in this anyway

[lpf] 17/10/2004 21:08

Then perhaps it's best not to shout? ;-)

[soysoy] 17/10/2004 19:30

LPF
I HAAVE BEEN TOLD TO KEEP QUIET TILL THE LAWYERS ARE READY

[lpf] 17/10/2004 16:24

Those 28 days are gone, as of Thursday last week. I'm interested - what/ where is the "majour" news story?

soysoy - 16 Sep'04 - 16:53 - 679 of 702
"Majour" news story breaking within 28days

Anomalous - 16 Sep'04 - 21:32 - 684 of 702
You will know the truth soon. I know we keep saying this, but we are waiting for someone to complete their work. It should not be too long.

soysoy - 16 Sep'04 - 22:14 - 685 of 702
... IT MAKES YOU WOUNDER IF THE WHOLE THING WAS A SET UP, WHICH IS WHAT I THOUGHT FROM THE BEGINING
GIVE ME 28 DAYS AND I MAY BE ABLE TO PROVE IT.

soysoy - 17 Sep'04 - 15:27 - 686 of 702
27 days to go

And what does "majour" mean anyway? ;-)

[soysoy] 17/10/2004 15:59

I WAS TOLD END OF AUG TILL THE MIDDLE OF OCT
SO IT`S JUST WAITING TIME NOW,
WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE LAWYERS ARE READY

[cmillar] 17/10/2004 12:47

Thanks Guys - I'm extremely familiar with how protracted the 'legal' part can take!!

Any chance of giving realistic timescales on this??

[soysoy] 16/10/2004 10:55

THE FIRST BIT I ASKED FOR IS ON ITS WAY
1 The Mayflower investigation is the first inquiry by the AIDB, set up in May as part of a new independent regulator for the accounting profession to deal with allegations of misconduct against accountants.
The group, which said the investigation will likely take "several months", can seek to impose unlimited fines on firms or individuals, or have them expelled from professions' representative bodies.
2 The lawyers are working on the case in the background and being paid by a third party that we can not name. When the story is released, then the Police, the FSA and the Government may get involved. It is a very serious case and we have to wait for the completion of the investigation first.
3 I like all the news to come out .but it`s just like buying house the legal bit always take the longest

[Abuse team] 15/10/2004 23:12

Post removed by ADVFN

[soysoy] 14/10/2004 17:14

if anyone wants send a letter to or email above

[soysoy] 04/10/2004 17:30

IN AWAY `YES, BUT THERE FEES ARE BEING PAID BY SOMEONE WHICH I HAVE TO KEEP PRIVATE
I HAVE BEEN GIVEN SOME VERY GOOD INFORMATION AND THE LAWYERS ARE WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW, AND IF THIS INFORMATION PROVES TO BE CORRECT,THE FAURD SQUAD WILL BE INTERESTED AND FEW OTHERS
I not legal qualifed to make bold statements
but expecting SOME THING LIKE 10 TO 20 POUND TO REGISTER WITH lawyers
I AM EXPECTING THEM TO MAKE STATEMENT VERY SOON