Porta Communications Share Discussion Threads

[guildedge] 04/5/2017 18:39

@ QS you often have to call the broker to buy stock on Porta. This is the case for many stocks especially if you want to buy large volumes. Someone clearly could buy today as a late buy trade for 250k has turned up again. Not suprised the bid price is so high as yesterday nearly 1.175m shares were bought. You bought some stock yesterday? Finally converted??

@ Kim. Account for Porta in H1 showed 17.804m revenue.

Pretty sure the headcount at Newgate has risen in 2016. They have so many new hires for 2016 on their webpage. If you look at their newgate webpage many started in 2016/2017. This is not the sign of a failing business.

It was suggested elsewhere that these figures could indicate revenue for H2 of 21.5m. I don't think it would be that high although that is what Holmes figures suggest. I think we can expect a good boost from currency exchange and hopefully growth in the Asian businesses. Newgate Aus was their star in H1. Hopefully more so in H2 with currency boost.

Still expecting a loss here for full year given their love of D and A and debt costs. 10m for a compnay turning over 40m seems very cheap here. Not so sure about lousy communications. Their Twitter feed is very busy. They are just keeping the financial data under wraps for now. Must have their reasons for this.

See what Thursday brings.

[kimboy2] 04/5/2017 09:54

The Holmes report;



gives a turnover for Newgate in 2016 of $48,608,857. Seems a pretty precise figure and given that they did £15m in H1/16 a good outcome.

We will find out how reliable their information is but they say;
Among the information sources on which we drew:

Publicly-available information

Information that has entered the public domain despite the best efforts of the companies (specifically, information from former employees relating to headcount in specific offices, supplemented in some cases by directories of agency employees, as well as widely known revenue-per-employee targets); and

The judgment of The Holmes Report, which covers the field in both the U.S. and Europe and can draw on information about clients moves, office openings and new hires to form a broad picture of the industry. Another obstacle involved data from firms in emerging markets, where definitions of public relations are sometimes imprecise and where firms were not always willing or able to secure verification from a trusted third party (equivalent to a certified public accountant in America). In several instances, The Holmes Report made its own efforts to verify the broad accuracy of information provided, and where it could do so with confidence, the firms involved are included in this report.

[qs99] 04/5/2017 09:38

was bored so tried buying a couple of grand dummy trade and couldn't.....tried selling a small holding I bought yesterday and being offered a decent chunk over the bid...suggests IMO that MMs trying to pick up stock as none available? Find it hard to believe but hey....DYOR

[qs99] 04/5/2017 07:05

fair statement KB....let's see if buyers return today as they appeared yesterday

[kimboy2] 03/5/2017 15:53

IMV the basic problem isn't the debt. The problem is that they haven't made any profits so far.

It is not unreasonable to expect perhaps a 10% of revenue as PBT. If that was the case the debt would soon be sorted and the share price would be high enough to be offering paper for assets.

They clearly decided not to offer an update because 2016 is not particularly rosy. The interims were perhaps bumping around break even, if you are generous in allowing one offs and non cash items. I expect the 2nd half was much the same.

The value of the company is presently £10m. The market has assumed the worst about last years figures. The important thing now is the outlook statement and anything they can tell us about trading in the first half.

In the past we have invariably got strong statements from David Wright. IMV those days have gone and we need realism, and genuine profits would be nice rather than an obscure calculation to show how well PTCM is doing.

[speedsgh] 03/5/2017 13:32

jefftwo - A "communications & marketing group" with lousy communications skills. Doesn't exactly inpsire confidence! Are they able to reduce the awful lending terms? Does Bob Morton have them by the goolies?

[jefftwo] 03/5/2017 13:25

Yep he was full of bull and egoPtcm has excellent clients,good staffBut lousy communication skillsLast year will not show profitI am more interested in the first half of this yearBy the way when will they reduce the lending terms. Stupid imho

[speedsgh] 03/5/2017 13:10

I would suspect that the departure of DW will be used as an excuse to kitchen sink as much as possible. If he was really leaving the company in such good shape, surely he would want to announce his departure alongside a stunning set of Final Results? So I will be somewhat surprised if the forthcoming finals actually turn out to be positive.

DW was a busted flush imo. The market no longer had any confidence in what he said or did. This has been reflected in the share price for some considerable time. The question remains whether he feels he has extracted as much as he can from the company & is now deserting a sinking ship. Not long for us to find out. How much credence the market places on the company's outlook guidance remains to be seen. Will be happy to be proven wrong. Aimho.

[qs99] 03/5/2017 12:57

history would suggest wishful thinking, but hey, could be wrong and Stefan W may have his fans in the city, combined with people buying in to new management team, exit of old etc....DYOR

[jefftwo] 03/5/2017 12:54

Interesting observation QSMomentum and a decent statement next week could take it back to 5pOr maybe my wishful thinking

[qs99] 03/5/2017 11:55

and only 6 months ago it was 5p which would be 50% higher from here....momentum play perhaps?

[qs99] 03/5/2017 11:54

could be an interesting one now DW/GG have departed IMO and market seems to think so IMO this morning and moving along well now to be fair...DYOR...let's see..this time last year it was nearer 6p so maybe new management will be able to help it get back to around there in the short term? thoughts?

[davidosh] 03/5/2017 11:42

Who are the institutional holders that keep putting money in on placings and allowing poor corporate governance and shocking remuneration ? I am sure DW will be leaving with a very handsome exit cheque

I have never held here but watched it with interest as BM is the large holder at what was Vislink where corporate governance was awful.

[qs99] 03/5/2017 11:30

well as a starter for ten, not doubling salaries without any justifiable additional value to shareholders, that was the start of the rot IMO and the NEDs should be held as accountable....!

[qs99] 03/5/2017 11:30

well as a starter for ten, not doubling salaries without any justifiable additional value to shareholders, that was the start of the rot IMO and the NEDs should be held as accountable....!

[qs99] 03/5/2017 11:30

well as a starter for ten, not doubling salaries without any justifiable additional value to shareholders, that was the start of the rot IMO and the NEDs should be held as accountable....!

[jefftwo] 03/5/2017 11:28

That is why it is the best thingCeo and Chairman salary should be linked to share price imho

[jefftwo] 03/5/2017 08:24

Best news for agesDW out and the Morton man JF inShould see a turnaround nowAt last!!!!!

[geraldus] 03/5/2017 06:21

'getting Porta where it is today'. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

[qs99] 03/5/2017 06:13

so 11 May update, new management, long overdue IMO.....not sure what can be done with so much debt owed to Morton clan....dilutive fund raise and start again or debt for equity swap? DYOR

[qs99] 25/4/2017 16:54

so 4 months into year and no update....

[dbnout76] 24/4/2017 17:57

This share goes from bad to worse!