Media Square Share Discussion Threads

[quotes_4_u] 08/5/2007 08:51

Takeover speculation in say the FT is worth noting !

Takeover speculation in the telegraph is not ! :-))

[monis] 08/5/2007 08:49

quotes- also the takeover speculation in the telegraph.

[quotes_4_u] 08/5/2007 08:42

Like so many this morning i've bought in.

Ceo buying large amounts is always the first good sign.

Huge turnover, low debt, this mornings new contract, eps forcast
of 1.68p for year end Feb, not rocket science to see everybody pile
in while the mm's keep the price this low to clear their lines.

[monis] 08/5/2007 08:26

Loads of buys inc, 100,000 BUY just gone through.

[monis] 08/5/2007 08:17

Also excellent looking contract released today.

[monis] 08/5/2007 08:11

Interesting article in telegraph about a possible takeover.

[dalcon01] 08/5/2007 07:06

8 May 2007

Media Square plc ("the Company")



Media Square plc subsidiary Arken POP secures

London Underground contract with CBS Outdoor



Arken POP Limited, the permanent point-of-purchase design and manufacturing
subsidiary of Media Square plc, has secured a contract with CBS Outdoor to
design and manufacture advertising display units for use across the London
Underground network. The multi-million pound contract is the largest ever
secured by Arken and the manufacturing element of the project is anticipated
to last for the next two years.



London's tube network constitutes the most expansive outdoor advertising estate
in the world and Arken has been commissioned to produce innovative ultra slim
poster frames and cross-track poster sites.



Commenting on the contract win, Tracy Scutt, Arken's managing director, said:
'Arken has been working with CBS Outdoor to design and develop these products
over an 18 month period. The innovative new units are being produced to the
highest standards, meeting the stringent requirements of London Underground.
Arken was selected after an extremely rigorous tender and selection process
which examined every aspect of the operation to ensure that we can handle a
contract of this size and complexity.'



International Delivery Director for CBS Outdoor, Mark Pettler, said: "We
selected Arken as one of our key partners on the basis of their excellent design
capability and their manufacturing quality standards at a competitive price. It
has been a pleasure to work with such a customer-focussed and professional
organisation."



Commenting on the news, Media Square's chief executive, Jeremy Middleton, said:
"We're delighted to be working with CBS Outdoor on such an important and
prestigious contract. The Arken team has done a fantastic job over the last 18
months in securing the work. The contract is one of the largest ever signed by
the Media Square group and represents significant sales volumes."

- ENDS -

[bletherer] 06/5/2007 10:45

I see the Telegraph's just tipped Media Square as a "speculative buy". Let's see if that attracts any buyers on Tuesday.



Round up Media Square

Media Square (11.25p), the marketing services group, recently lost its most famous board member when Kelvin MacKenzie, non-executive chairman, resigned after a year in the role. But there is speculation that the departure may clear the path for interested bidders.

There have been recent suitors - an approach from investment fund Promethean for a number of its subsidiaries was rebuffed last autumn - and we think that the company is a good speculative buy.

Media Square trebled in size nearly two years ago after it bought a clutch of design, marketing and new media businesses formerly owned by Incepta. But the profitability of these businesses has fallen as key talent departed following the completion of earn-out deals.

Media Square's shares have tumbled from 25p since mid-2005. The company has started to implement tighter cost control and rebuild its talent base, but this is a work in progress. Pre-tax profits were £1.7m last year, and are expected to rise to £4.5m this year. Debt has dropped from £24m to just over £13m.

A recent profits warning spooked investors, but even without a take-over, brokers believe a turnaround is still possible. Jeremy Middleton, chief executive, clearly has confidence in either a turnaround or an exit - he has been busy upping his stake. The company is trading at a price earnings ratio of 8 times compared to a sector average of 12 times, meaning it could be undervalued. A speculative buy.

[rcktmn] 27/4/2007 14:40

Yeah..I saw that as well...encouraging article...

[spaceparallax] 27/4/2007 14:10

GCI article recapped on events at MSQ over the last 18 months, but suggest that with the decks cleared this could be a good speculative Buy going forward.

Can post full article if anyone wants.

[spaceparallax] 11/4/2007 11:09

Bleth,

hardly anything is without risk, but when considering the risk/potential equation I'd say that you've struck a good deal. On the matter of progress from here, you may prove right, although the recent TS seemed to me to be very careful - I suspect that they deliberately set things up to over-deliver.

I really do think that the management ARE up to it. They've acknowledged that the Huntsworth reverse takeover was, in hindsight, a bigger challenge (I hate that euphemism) than they'd anticipated. My reading is that it was a mistake to take on too big a mixed bag of those elements that Huntsworth wished to ditch. I do see MSQ acquiring again in the future, but hope that they take a break to really let things settle and begin to run well across the group. Hopefully, future growth will be more organic plus a little strategic acquisition.

I think that you're not unreasonable to give it towards year end to decide on your holding - having said that, care should be exercised when choosing your criteria by which to measure progress.

[bletherer] 10/4/2007 17:24

I added a few at just below 10p but too early to say if that was a wise move. It will have to get over the 50 MA (just below 13p currently) to look like it is breaking the downtrend and at the moment this rise doesn't look dynamic enough to give me much confidence it will blast through that key resistance. My prediction is it will continue the slow rise to 12+p and then retrace from there - hopefully forming a base at or above 10p. I'm still fairly optimistic that this company will be a success in the medium term, but I want to see some clear signs this year that they're finally putting the problems of "digesting" the reverse takeover behind them. You can only give management so long before having to bite the bullet and accept that either they're not up to it or their business model is intrinsically flawed, and if they're still making excuses at the interims in November that will do it for me.

[spaceparallax] 10/4/2007 13:59

SP creeping up nice and steadily.


Have switched back to this thread because it has the RNS link.

[spaceparallax] 04/4/2007 11:38

Give the guy some credit, he's put a significant amount of his own cash in over the last fortnight.

[cambium] 04/4/2007 10:40

someones keen!

[markie7] 04/4/2007 09:59

clearing an overhang? I'm sure there's plenty more stock available.

[b0deswell] 04/4/2007 09:41

jeez....I can barely contain my excitement!!!!!!!!

[dalcon01] 04/4/2007 07:03

Media Square Director/PDMR Shareholding

RNS Number:3822U
Media Square PLC
04 April 2007

4 April 2007



Media Square plc ("the Company")

Director/PDMR Shareholding


The Company was informed today that Jeremy Middleton, chief executive of the
Company, has acquired 500,000 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the Company at
10 pence per share representing 0.15 per cent of the Company's issued share
capital. This purchase brings Mr Middleton's total holding to 11,294,672
shares, which represents 3.44 per cent of the issued share capital of the
Company.


- ENDS -



Further information


Media Square plc
Andrew Baud, Head of Communications
M: 07775 715 775 e-mail: [e-mail]

Collins Stewart
Chris Wells, Mark Connelly, Stewart Wallace

T: 0207 523 8350




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

[markie7] 30/3/2007 13:34

assumes the bits they didnt offer for were making profit, and some of the bits they did offer for have been sold - I expect.

[bletherer] 30/3/2007 12:16

QS9 - You could guess a value around that last October when they rejected an offer for parts (not the whole) of the company worth "more than the entire market cap", at that time around 13p. share price subsequently rose to 17p+. Ah, those were the days!

[qs9] 30/3/2007 11:47

where do you get 17p value then?

[dalcon01] 30/3/2007 09:54

I for one would like to know what the management are going to do to bolster the share-price........................looks very enticing to predators at the moment.
Wouldn't be at all surprised to see a bid. 17p would now be a Godsend.

[bletherer] 29/3/2007 14:58

Another 1M trade goes through - since this one's an "O" it looks like a buy. Bid has ticked up since.