National Grid Share Discussion Threads

[penycae] 06/1/2006 16:11

Slipping badly today in a rising market. Hope it finds some support next week.

[prewar] 06/1/2006 08:41

Olivia

I agree with your comments re comparisons to Railtrack.

Crown Castle or now NG Wireless was formerly part of the BBC and so has always been involved in TV as well as operating mobile phone towers and sites. It also has an interest in the ever expanding Freeview Digital TV platform so some growth and opportunities are likely here.

The core UK business is largely mature and makes up a large part of the profits, much of any share price movement will depend on the impending price reviews??

I think this is more a steady 10% p.a stock but much will depend on the price review and the ability of the company to meet the challenging targets set by Ofgem in terms of cost-cutting.

[olivia5] 05/1/2006 21:02

steve/banji. Thanks for your comments not sure of broadband details but they are involved. Do you see how people stereotype this stock. I do work for a subsiduary of grid but trade other stocks as well. its the most laughable thing ive ever heard comapring to railtrack. Its one of the best yielded stocks in the 100 and is a genuine growth story. I really could see this doubling or even more within the next 2-5 years.

[steve_r] 04/1/2006 21:08

Sounds like a couple of disgruntled ex - employees to me. Is it any wonder if that is the feeling within the gas side of the business that the gas distribution businesses were sold off?

From my end, I see a well run company that is growing and offers me the chance to invest in the company I work for. I would not be suprised to see further investment in the US to build on the succesful integration of the current US arm which includes a large area of New England as well as the New York system.

There are horror stories and rumours (Bob told me ......) in all companies - but usually start from a lack of understanding and /or people who become surplus to requirements.

I will be holding and hope to see £6.00 plus in the not too distant future.

[banj] 04/1/2006 20:31

Thanks Oliva - good points well made. Are NG working to deliver broadband over the Grid? Heard of a sucessful test in Japan at 170MB! TIA

[poyntona] 29/12/2005 11:05

I'm also an ex employee of Transco and it was a commonly used expression that it was the next railtrack.

The reason why it was described as this was the standard of record keeping. Many old gas mains are not shown on charts and also the material and size of them are incorrect in many circumstances.

Therefore they are not always repacing or maintaining some mains that are classed as the biggest dangers.

To make matters worse about 5 years ago things changed where a new company was set up to install new gas connections to households, new estates and industrial & commercial premises. This did not go smoothly and many of these mains are not shown on the companies systems.

The company can only make profits on regulated assets, so if they are not shown on any system then they cannot be classed as an asset which compounds the situation.

[qwerty1234] 29/12/2005 10:52

I thought that the gas networks had been sold off!!

[cheekycharlie] 29/12/2005 09:58

Something to do with an article in a sunday broadsheet a few years ago crititising the running of the gas networks.
Here is an old article (from 2001).

[jlabrey] 28/12/2005 23:03

Would need to know more information and I am not quite sure where you are coming from. Please could you explain precisely what you mean about it being the next Railtrack?

[thejonah] 28/12/2005 22:07

Sorry neddo, don't know what you mean. Railtrack was one animal - you could have made a killing, but in the end it went belly up.

1 question:

From peoples experience, is it fair to say this COULD be the next railtrack (on the gas side)?

Follow on:

If so, is this perhaps a riskier hold than the average punter might think?

[neddo] 28/12/2005 11:56

jonah
completely 2 different animals, ?

[thejonah] 27/12/2005 22:53

Quiet on this thread, and often has it's good mix of investors coming from the fundermentals point of view (divi, growth etc), then the odd poster that states some very different observations (from an engineering/employee point of view).

I used to work for NG on the gas side of things, and everyone I came accross with over 5 years experience came out with "this COULD be the next railtrack". So, is this a fair observation, and if so, is this perhaps a riskier hold than the average punter might think?

Just trying to mix things up, and stir some debate...

[neddo] 24/12/2005 14:58

can you trust this gov with anything, they are very good at giving our money to foreigners.

[utyinv] 23/12/2005 14:37

The government have already disposed of their golden share 4 years ago. This though will not stop the DTI from blocking takeovers/mergers. Not that NG is in the frame for any take over anyway. This government's record is very clear, they are anti Utility and anti Privatisation mainly because both are a success.

[neddo] 23/12/2005 12:19

i thought the government hold the golden share?? and have to give their permission in a takeover??

[neddo] 23/12/2005 12:17

i thought the government hold the golden share?? and have to give their permission in a takeover??

[banj] 21/12/2005 09:16

breakout, 600p here we come ;-))

[energyi] 13/12/2005 17:35

STOCKHOUSE Comments

1/
SUBJECT: Canaccord just raised target to $12.8 Posted By: p1citrin
Post Time: 12/8/05 16:44

Canaccord Capitals has raised their target on NG to $12.8. Incidently, their analyst Graeme Currie has been Red Hot. Amoung his recent top picks have been Atna, Bear Creek, Viceroy, and Wolfden. Check out their charts. All are making Very Nice moves. I'm staying with NG.

[a0002577] 12/12/2005 16:12

I quite agree paulf99. But the city just loves a rumour! And likes to get a share price moving. Remember how it jumped when SPW faced a bid? Probably the same here - which is why I sold.

[paulf99] 12/12/2005 15:51

Interesting post about Vattenfall but it doesn't mention NG. Vattenfall are a generator and distributor of electricity but don't have a UK presence. It doesn't seem very likely to be that they would be interested in a transmission company - looks like quite a different sort of business from what they know. No surprise that the rumour says they might be interested in SPW or SSE or even CNA but NG? Not likely imho.

[banj] 12/12/2005 14:15

maybe somit in this rumour ;-)

[a0002577] 12/12/2005 12:51

See on the UU. thread

FT 10.12.05

Swedish group eyes UK utilities
Vattenfall, the Nordic region's largest utility, has retained financial advisers to carry out a broad strategic review of potential acquisitions in the UK energy market. NM Rothschild and McKinsey, the consultancy, have been asked to review several targets in the UK - including Centrica, Scottish and Southern, Scottish Power and United Utilities - all of which have been subject to takeover speculation since the beginning of the year.

[noidea] 12/12/2005 12:22

A bid from who ?