Prelude Trust Share Discussion Threads

[timtom2] 09/1/2007 12:39

I reckon SiConnect alone could fetch close to $100M (to the right acquirer withing next 2 years) if their product does what it says. Look at the Vegas show for the connected home. How do you reckon Gates and the others will want to connect your TV to everything else - I guess not Ethernet. Power-line comms would be the way to go. Not to mention gaming.

If SiConnect have what I think they have it will very useful - STB, Ganes Consoles, TV contorl for the home etc.

[orange1] 09/1/2007 12:19

Yes, Riv, you are right. They now have 1.022m fewer than then. Our Cayman Islands friends now have 1.5m.
Strange the holding was omitted from the Annual Report though.

[orange1] 09/1/2007 12:00

Riv
QVT were not listed as shareholders in the latest annual report. They now have 6,28% of the company.
QVT is "a multi-strategy hedge fund based in New York with $5 billion under management".
Interesting.

[rivaldo] 09/1/2007 11:39

Looks like they bought the latest lot off QVT as QVT have reduced by some 1.1m from memory.

Intriguing substantial new shareholder then with 7.68% (2.6m shares):

"an undisclosed client of overseas asset management (Cayman) Ltd"

I'd agree with your risk assessment TT2, maybe 10% downside given the huge discount to NAV, but upside... well, pick a number from 50% to whatever.

If PDT actually close out an exit we should at least see the discount to the 145p or so NAV reduce to a greater or lesser extent.

[timtom2] 09/1/2007 11:20

hard question to answer. Say down 15%, up........250%??

interesting increase on off-shore holding just announced - another 1M plus added. Probably been hoovering up for a while as volumes have been so poor.

[spin doctor] 09/1/2007 00:35

TimTom2
Agreed - the key issue. My current working assumption is that they are a good team who are lousy at comms +/- have had a bit of bad luck.
I am relatively relaxed about the lack of share price movement - I wouldn't be here if I thought the markets were efficient.

What is your assessment - currently, given what we know - of upside/downside?

[timtom2] 08/1/2007 21:54

pdt need to demonstrate they can exit at good multiples of the original investment. Granted there have to be periods of waiting but 2007 needs to be year wher pdt make some noise, even if it's just on preparation for 2008 exits.

[hvs] 08/1/2007 20:04

Hi Spin,

Easy does PDT is my NAP for 2007.

You are in good company mate.

[rivaldo] 08/1/2007 18:47

...and a news release from DisplayLink - is it "groundbreaking" technology? Hope so!



"January 08, 2007 10:00 AM Eastern Time
DisplayLink to Demo Breakthrough Wireless Multi-Display Technology at CES
Display Connectivity Leader Makes Cable-Free, Wireless UWB Monitor Links a Reality

2007 International CES
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DisplayLink will demonstrate groundbreaking display connectivity over Wireless USB connections at the 2007 International CES conference, January 7 through 11 in Las Vegas. The demonstration will show how the company's technology can be used to deliver excellent image quality and high-performance monitor/mouse/keyboard interactivity over a Wireless USB connection between a display and a PC.

DisplayLink provides high-performance connectivity chips that allow monitor manufacturers, PC OEMs and PC accessory companies to develop products for multi-display computing, including USB-connected monitors, video-enabled USB notebook docking stations, display connectivity accessories and other devices. This demonstration builds upon DisplayLink's USB-based display connectivity technology and represents a natural progression from wired USB to wireless USB display connectivity.

"The display is the last PC peripheral to go wireless, and our demonstration at CES will show that this can now be achieved with the same level of image quality and responsiveness as a VGA or DVI connection," said Hamid Farzaneh, DisplayLink president and CEO. "The industry's transition to more flexible links is a paradigm-shifting moment for display connectivity as consumers can easily keep adding monitors, photo frames and other application specific displays to PCs in their work or home environments using wireless USB."

Wireless USB is based on the WiMedia Alliance UWB common radio platform, which is capable of sending 480 Mbps at distances up to three meters and 110 Mbps at up to 10 meters. It operates in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range and spreads communication over an ultra-wideband of frequencies. "

[rivaldo] 08/1/2007 15:16

....and intriguing stuff re Sciona:



"Nutra-pharma to converge for functional foods, says analyst
By staff reporter

08/01/2007 - As the food industry is embracing technologies that have until now been the preserve of pharmaceuticals, such as nutrigenomics, metabolomics and nanotechnology, global regulations are being more closely aligned between the two categories of health products, according to Business Insights.

As the name suggests, nutraceuticals are products that offer health benefits through nutrition. The market researcher says the discovery of food ingredients with "pharma-like" properties, such as plant sterols to lower cholesterol, is opening up new markets for healthy food products.
The two industries are becoming more aligned in their approach to consumer health. But the blurring of the boundaries is not total. "While both industries are now aiming to provide products that prevent disease, treating disease remains the primary pursuit of the pharma industry," says Business Insights in its new report Next-Generation Nutraceuticals. Hand-in-hand with the developments come new global regulations over nutraceutical labelling and health claims, in some respects posing a threat to the industry and in others offering opportunities. For instance, the new European health and nutrition claims and fortified foods regulations entered into force in late December, and discussions are underway about implementation.

The setting of maximum levels for vitamins and minerals as part of the fortified foods legislation and the 2002 food supplements directive. Parallel measures may be taken for other bioactive substances in the future. One interesting facet of the shifting approach to health care is that some of the companies have a finger in both pharma- and the nutra- pies. For instance, Canada-based Forbes Medi-Tech is conducting clinical trials on a cholesterol-lowering drug, as well as offering plant sterols to the food industry.

Moreover, according to Business Insights companies like BASF and Chr Hansen are fostering stronger links with the pharmaceutical industry. Nutrigenomics and personalised nutrition are tipped to be a powerful force for the next generation of functional foods and beverages "mirroring pharmacogenomic and personalized medicine developments in the pharmaceutical industry".

This is an area in which Sciona, the maker of a personalised nutrition and health testing kit sold at retail in the US, is already carving a niche – and its innovation has not gone unnoticed by big market players; DSM announced last year that its venturing arm is to provide $6.5m (€5.4m) in follow-on funding to Sciona, making it a major shareholder.

The report values the combined European and US functional foods market at $26.4bn (€20.3bn at today's exchange rates) in 2005, with continuing compound annual growth rate of 4.4 per cent driven by consumers' acceptance of products and their desire to self-medicate.

Beyond ingredients themselves, the report also analyses their take-up by major food companies Nestle, Ajinomoto, Danone, Coca Cola and others. In Unilever's functional category, for instance, 77.8 per cent of products are cited as being aimed at heart health in 2006, with energy making up 11.1 per cent and immunity, weight control, cosmeceuticals and digestion 2.8 per cent each.

According to Business Insights the total Europe and US market for heart health food and drinks was US$5.4bn (€4.1bn) in 2005, with a 2010 prediction of $7.4bn ($5.6bn). The comparable figures for heart health pharmaceuticals are $84bn (€64.8bn) and $105bn (€80.8bn) respectively."

[rivaldo] 06/1/2007 10:24

Encouraging stuff from Phyworks:



"Expansion drives Phyworks to new facilities
Colin Holland
EE Times UK
01/03/2007 10:17 AM
LONDON - Phyworks, the designer of physical layer ICs for optical communication modules, has relocated to larger offices in Bristol's city centre.

The five year-old company says the move is prompted by the need for larger design facilities and laboratory space with expansion capabilities to support a growing customer base.

The move was also driven by the need to provide facilities for the new design engineers Phyworks is currently recruiting for developing projects in the company's core electronic dispersion compensation technology, currently being deployed in enterprise and metropolitan networks.

"We are now recruiting analogue design engineers to support the company's growth, we feel a city centre location will be really attractive to new employees," said Stephen King, Phyworks' CEO.

Phyworks has recently gained market share in the developing fiber-to-the x (FTTx) market. Its transceivers and transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) are used in both the Gigabit and Gigabit Ethernet passive optical network (GPON and GEPON) markets, and are now ramping in production."

[hvs] 04/1/2007 17:12

I agree,

That is why I think its the right time now for PDT.

2007 will see some exits at very good prices.

[spin doctor] 04/1/2007 16:47

Of course paradoxically and arguably, the longer the share price does nothing, the better the investment case becomes.........
zzzzzzzz

The downside looks very limited.

[hvs] 04/1/2007 14:16

Patience mate,

2007 is the year for PDT to have lift off.

[hvs] 04/1/2007 12:56

Just bought another 10K.

Its my nap for 2007.

[hvs] 03/1/2007 22:05

I agree,

I think its top up time again.

[timtom2] 03/1/2007 21:17

Can't see PlasticLogic being a big poblem to ZBD.

E-Ink have been using similar for a while - targetted at a different market.

[jimcar] 03/1/2007 18:19

well 2 million shares out of 34 million change hands and

still no change in the share price. PDT will have to register on an exchange in an earthquake zone to get some movement

[fse] 03/1/2007 15:06

More likely to simply highlight the whole field. It is developmental and ZBD are away to the races so to speak and I am sure they are looking at future developments etc ... In any event the market is vast as mentioned in the article.
Price changers with grease pencil more at risk IMO ;-(

[fft] 03/1/2007 14:31

the following has come to me out of left field. Is this good or bad for ZBD. Note the mention of electronic paper (a step up from what ZBD are doing ?). They have raised $100m, so someone must believe in it.

[hvs] 03/1/2007 10:11

I agree with your diagnosis Doctor,

All the below investments for present market cap is just too cheap.

Prelude Trust Investments as at 31/ 12/ 06
Date : 03/01/2007 @ 07:01
Source : UK Regulatory (RNS and others)
Stock : Prelude Trust Plc (PDT)
Quote : 111.75 0.0 (0.00%) @ 07:01

Prelude Trust plc ("Prelude"), the investment trust that specialises in
technology-based growth businesses, reports that as at 31 December 2006, the top
ten investments held in the portfolio by value which includes all investments
with a value greater than 5% of the Company's assets were:

ZBD Displays Ltd
Polatis Inc.
Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd
Sciona Inc
Oxford Immunotec Ltd
Phyworks Ltd
m-spatial Ltd
SiConnect Ltd
DisplayLink Corp.
Kiadis Pharma B.V

Prelude has never invested in any other listed investment trust or investment
company and, for the purposes of Listing Rule 15.4.3(3), it confirms that it has
no plans to do so in the future.