Mercury Recycling Share Discussion Threads

[nam0] 25/5/2011 12:01

Not an investor here but I have been watching this for over a year.

Not liking the liquidity but like the concept of the company's work.

A question for all of us, how many of us recycle our lights when we replace them? As your neighbours? Ask your company how they deal with such an issue?

You will find not many do much about it, and there needs to be more proactive steps by the company to come up with deals with places like B&Q where they can provide incentives for greater recycling. Logistically its difficult but if it works in Germany why can't it work in UK

[envirovision] 25/5/2011 11:57

No real explanation as to why the company is failing in such a way against such ever more spectacular and harsh Government / EU waste handling laws.

[lfc4ever] 25/5/2011 10:41

sales down, margins down.
not great, is it?

[castleford tiger] 24/5/2011 17:30

shocking numbers and still the chairman blames things. Its been two years now and we are going backwards.
we bought a company but still sales reduce.

Time for a big clear out me thinks

tiger

[dealit] 20/5/2011 11:15

S/P moves up on news that the result are now on Monday 23rd May to fit in with the AGM? IMHO maybe Westliegh Investments are taking total control of the Company which would have to be voted for at the AGM.

[luminoso] 12/5/2011 07:22

Yeah still interested but not gripped ! Results might be interesting after so long without news.

[lfc4ever] 10/5/2011 09:54

anyone still interested in this one?

[luminoso] 10/2/2011 13:16

I think we need some news here !

[luminoso] 29/9/2010 14:28

Happy enough to hold still as hopefully eventual announcement of how money is spent will give price another leg up. I bought at 11p ish last Nov/Dec as a speculative punt and a way of appeasing my partner. She thinks I should invest in a few more environmentally friendly companies as well as my portfolio of nasty 'dirty' oil companies !! SYM and HYD are my other guilt inspired investments. Also a little bit in profit on those. However not performing as well as the other portfolio, I'm afraid.

[gengulphus] 27/9/2010 11:17

mr hangman,

As a matter of fact, I do own shares in this company and so have a financial interest in it as well as the competition interest. My comment was about the amount of research time I had when the competition started - nothing more than that.

I'd suggest that you leave it completely up to me to decide what's a good use of my time and effort - I know the facts on which I base such decisions, you don't.

Gengulphus

[mr hangman] 27/9/2010 09:31

Gengulphus, is it really worth typing 10 lines on a stock that you have
picked for a competition,lol & actualy have no interest in holding.

[gengulphus] 27/9/2010 09:21

It was really a facetious comment relating to the post above mine, where the poster was waiting for a 5p entry and a long hold to 10p !

Yes, I realised that - I was basically just using it as a lead into saying something about the Westleigh deal!

Market reaction today is certainly interesting - both in general because it suggests people think the Westleigh deal is underpriced, and for me personally because it would be nice to have a share that is in profit in the PPP competition! (Not that I can really complain about my lack of success in that competition - I'm always short of research time around that time of year, and so either end up not entering at all or picking a share pretty much entirely as a "well, it might do well!" punt!)

Gengulphus

[luminoso] 24/9/2010 17:13

I totally agree, Gengulphus. It was really a facetious comment relating to the post above mine, where the poster was waiting for a 5p entry and a long hold to 10p !
Westleigh will do well if MRG do well and they clearly expect them to. I guess the problem is if the company have given away a bit too much of their future in order to get cash in the short term. That suggests they have immediate plans for the cash - and I hope they do ! Is there an obvious area for expenditure ?
New technology in a new area of recycling ?
I see they are seeking acquisitions in the rns.
Can't buy a lot for £175k - so would hope it is potentially a big return.
Market liked it today.
I would like to hold for the long term from an ethical point of view but I have to admit that a dramatic spike would tempt me greatly to cash in my chips, as the share price has had a habit of wild fluctuations in the past and I have waited quite a long time for upward movement.
Still, should move it up the PPP Share Comp standings a bit, if the rise is sustainable !

[gengulphus] 24/9/2010 07:54

I don't really agree. You don't go into this sort of deal with the idea of just breaking even... So I reckon Westleigh must think it's worth quite a bit more than 10p, enough to make the whole exercise worthwhile.

Can't say I like the look of the Westleigh deal, at least at first sight. There is some immediate dilution involved for existing shareholders, and considerably more if things go well. And the only immediate benefit to the company is £175k of extra capital - is that really enough to make a significant difference to the company's prospects?

Gengulphus

[luminoso] 24/9/2010 07:06

Seems like Westleigh already think its worth 10p.

[envirovision] 20/4/2010 12:10

Keep your eye on this dog, its should hit 5p at some stage this year imo,

Then it may be just be worth buying and holding long term for possible value with a 10p target.

[antonz] 04/12/2009 14:53

Will stay at this level for ages - Companies making profits with money in the bank are unloved. Next movement downwards when Lord Barnett who is about 99 years old and owns about 15% of company pegs it and family have to sell to pay death duties.

[jonut] 01/12/2009 15:16

I'm hoping it is upwards. I bought in today @ 10.7p (spread 10-12.5 om an ADVFN competitor at the time) wysinawyg!

Cheers Jonut

[2007fin] 05/11/2009 14:49

Any ideas where this one is headed ?

[euphoric dream] 27/9/2009 19:38

Mercury predicts sharp rise in demand
25th September 2009
By James Graham - Business Correspondent

MERCURY Recycling, which recycles fluorescent light tubes and sodium street lights, saw profits drop in the first half of the year.

The Manchester company said its figures had been hit by a 30% drop in lamp sales that means there is less demand for recycling.

In the six months to June 30 revenue dipped 3% to £1.4m while pre-tax profit dropped 25% to £229,000.

Chairman Lord Barnett said: "Once the recession is over, we should see our sales increasing much faster, especially as actual sales of lamps were around 200 million lamps last year... whilst the numbers being recycled were only 30 million (15%), before this year's reduction."

Under EU legislation recycling rates must rise to 65% by next year, which equates to 130 million lamps. Mercury anticipates a sharp rise in demand for its services and said it has the capacity to double volumes.

Lord Barnett stressed that the business was "not simply waiting for the end of the recession". Mercury is considering how best to profit from new legislation regarding the use of energy efficient lamps and is researching the potential for recycling mercury-bearing flat screen TVs.

It predicts the screens will account for around 200,000 tonnes of hazardous waste every year. The business is also increasing its efforts to broaden its sales base to other areas such as batteries and general electrical products.

[euphoric dream] 27/9/2009 19:31

Mercury profits slump
Kevin Feddy

September 25, 2009

MERCURY Recycling, a Trafford Park business which recycles lights, batteries and electrical equipment, lost its glow today with a slump in half-year profits, sending its shares down by 8.6 per cent.

The AIM-listed firm said pre-tax earnings for the six months to June 30 were £229,000, down 25.6 per cent from £308,000 in the same period last year. Revenues slipped from £1.5m to £1.46m.

Chairman Lord Barnett said he believed the results were satisfactory given the extent of the economic downturn, which has led to falling lamp sales and inevitably affected the number sent for recycling.

This might prevail for a while, which could impact on second-half results, he warned, adding that Mercury was now looking to boost revenues from batteries and other products.

[euphoric dream] 27/9/2009 19:30

7:56 am, September 25, 2009
Mercury Recycling looks at screens and batteries after lamp profits dim


A fall in sales of lamps led to lower revenues and profits at Mercury Recycling Group Plc (AIM: MRG) in the six months to June 30.

The Trafford Park-based company, which recovers metals from strip lights and other types of lightbulbs, posted a pre-tax profit of £229,000 (2008: ££308,000) on revenues £44,000 lower at £1.46m.

The shares fell 5 per cent to 13.75p in early trading today.

Chairman Lord Barnett said the results were "satisfactory" given the extent of the downturn. He added: "I understand from industry sources that lamp sales are down some 30 per cent. It inevitably impacts on the numbers coming through for recycling, and this may prevail for some while longer, until usage recovers. The second half results may well reflect these continuing problems."

Lord Barnett said sales would rise much faster once the recession was over. Lamp sales last year were 200 million but only 30 million of these were recycled.

He said the draft WEEE Directive calls on manufacturers and importers to recycle 65 per cent of what they have put on the market in the past two years. This would mean about 130 million lamps per annum would need to be recycled in 2010.

Lord Barnett said: "To have any hope of reaching this huge figure by the suggested date of 2016, manufacturers and importers of lamps would need to be asking us to achieve very large year on year increases in recycling. It is worth repeating, we have the capacity to recycle more than double the present sales, without further major capital expenditure."

Mercury, run by managing director Bryan Neill, is broadening its activities to include batteries and general electrical products and is carrying out a feasibility study into the automated recycling of mercury bearing flat panel displays, LCD TVs and computer screens and plasma displays.

Lord Barnett said the company was also looking at market opportunities offered by the new legislation relating to energy efficient lamps.

He told shareholders still waiting for a payout that the company would pay a dividend "as soon as circumstances are right".