Rare Earths Share Discussion Threads

[krsgr] 16/12/2004 17:14

Alot of MM buying followed by some chunky buys at the close, somebody really likes these.......and so do I ;o)

[channy1982] 16/12/2004 12:24

good agm statement, looks like the future is bright

[krsgr] 09/12/2004 12:02

Adam
Its a case of let your profits run for me. Still alot of buying at or above the ASK. Everyday its looking more likely that if there is a bid it will have to be nearer 100p than the current price. AIMO.

[adam] 08/12/2004 16:11

Took my money off the table too now. Wish all my disasters could be that profitable. On book value as well as per-venue current enterprise value looks rich enough, though who knows..

[adam] 08/12/2004 14:06

A new pub company backed by Robert Tchenguiz, the multimillionaire Iranian-born entrepreneur, is entering the UK market by buying 364 outlets
Globe Pub Company is acquiring the pubs from Spirit Group


Tchenguiz whips Spirit prize from Punch
Robert Tchenguiz has snapped up 364 Spirit pubs for £345m, beating off stiff opposition from pubcos including Punch - widely tipped as frontrunner in the bidding
Mr Tchenguiz's office was unable to confirm whether Globe and the 180-strong Laurel estate would be merged or continue to be run as separate companies.

Mr Tchenguiz's investment company Rotch Property Group is very likely to go after the Regent Inns estate of which it owns a 13 per cent stake.

[arja] 08/12/2004 08:13

Adam,
I decided to sell at 55 yesterday just before I read your posting and price took off! Silly of me as chart showed it was still trending up ! Good luck to you - hope it continues northwards.

[adam] 07/12/2004 15:50

I hope it is not muted. Trades look good too now 550k gone through at 58 with 250k earlier. I saw that Tchenguiz was preferred bidder for Laurel, but did he actually win? I would think he would not approach REG until he had Laurel in the bag.

[arja] 27/11/2004 13:57

Chart looks good as if anticipating something like the muted takeover!! I just bought a few and hope I have not got in at end of run!! Would have preferred more volume on friday!

[adam] 26/11/2004 08:04

Tchenguiz mulls Regent bid after Laurel victory
Mr Tchenguiz, who has built up a stake of about 13 per cent in Regent through so-called contracts-for-difference, is understood to believe that he can extract about £6 million of head office cost savings by merging Laurel and Regent

[adam] 14/11/2004 00:09

Tchenguiz revealed as quiet buyer of Regent Inns stake

[bbd2] 09/11/2004 16:57

Was that 100k T trade a buy or a sell?

[0800] 01/11/2004 10:07

The new management may have a pedigree in food and restuarants, running a High St circuit operation is very different, and unless they make wholesale changes little will happen

[jeffian] 31/10/2004 22:57

Apparently!

[adam] 31/10/2004 10:41

The new management does not warrant a mention in your précis, which is surprising given their pedigree. Would they join a dead cat bounce company?

[jeffian] 31/10/2004 00:04

sherlock,
I'm not sure it's quite the conspiracy theory you see; I think the tick-up is just relief that it's not worse and it's not actually going bust - not yet, anyway! Someone took me to task above for making the SUF comparison. The decision to axe a previously-announced divi is yet another resonance of the SUF saga, but if you read my previous posts the point was not that it was going to go bust necessarily, but that the header of this thread claimed the share was oversold and due a 'massive rise' and was uncannily familiar to a SUF thread. In both cases, the shares were far from 'oversold', they are simply telling you something.

Whilst Regent doesn't look in imminent danger of going bust, it's hard to see where it is going. IMHO the brand simply isn't strong enough and, anyway, I'm not sure that 'national brands' are going to be the way forward (viz. Wetherspoons, Yates etc.). There can hardly be much comfort either from 'takeover' rumours - who would want the 'brand' and wouldn't any potential bidder simply re-brand as their own and take a competitor off the High Street (i.e. no goodwill value)?

All in all, I reckon it's a dead-cat-bounce and an opportunity to sell.

Regards, Ian

[sherlock the stock] 30/10/2004 22:03

Power to the Private Investor.

[sherlock the stock] 30/10/2004 22:02

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[sherlock the stock] 30/10/2004 21:59

sherlock the stock - 30 Sep'04 - 20:39 - 75 of 106 edit


Reduced dividend on the cards and a rights issue at between 10 to 15p. Its a narrow brand susceptible to fashion, in this case Australia and the backpacker brigade. Firstly the euphoria of the Sydney olympics is gone and backpacking, in the age of global terrorism is on the ebb. Can't see this company as being a survivor in five years. Seems fully priced above .30p, must be dividend Johnny MM's propping the price. For the small chap, bail out now while there's still enough height for your parachute to open.

[sherlock the stock] 30/10/2004 21:57

Worse than predicited, No Dividend. Ah, but wait, share price up a third from it recent low. Why? Could it be an artifical price hike from interests trying to offload as much as possible on unwitting mug punter unaware of the fundementals?


Regent Inns PLC, which saw full year pretax profits slip due
to a challenging and difficult year, is omitting final dividend and has warned
that events subsequent to its year end have been "particularly disappointing."
The company also announced the appointment of Bob Ivell as executive
chairman and John Leslie as chief financial officer with immediate effect.
In addition, Regent Inns said there are no planned new openings or major
refurbishments in the year ahead.
Chairman Peter Savage said: ""The High Street bar sector has been under
significant stress with overcapacity, intense price discounting and volatility
all in evidence during the year.
"Our own performance has been mixed. Jongleurs held up well but Walkabout
was unable to hold its margins in the second half of the year."
"The board remains focused on restoring stability to the company, improving
the sales and profitability of the Walkabout estate and on reducing the overall
debt of the company."
The company said it had previously planned to recommend a final dividend of
1.68 pence, but given the current circumstances, where the company is in ongoing
discussions with its banks, it has decided that it would not be appropriate to
pay a final dividend.
The company said in the first half, performance in the branded estate was
characterised by strong margins on sales levels that were disappointing with
like-for-like sales falling by 7.4 pct.
In the second half, the company implemented a change in strategy, focusing
on making Walkabout in particular, more price competitive. This led to a
slowdown in the decline in sales with the like-for-like at -2.9 pct but at a
substantial cost to margins.
"There are recent emerging signs of a recovery both in the company's
position and the sector's health but it is too early to predict whether this is
a permanent trend rather than a short-term upturn," it said.
The company said just prior to its scheduled preliminary results
announcement on Sept 14, the company realised that the calculation of one of the
covenant tests under the banking facility had not been performed in strict
accordance with the terms of the facility agreement.
Regent Inns has notified its banks that on strict application of the
agreement, it will be in breach of its interest cover covenant and that
therefore an event of default will occur.
"The banks have confirmed that they are supportive of the company in its
current situation and have indicated (whilst reserving their rights) that it is
their current intention to enter into negotiations in respect of the facilities
with the objective of having in place facilities sufficient for the group's
currently estimated needs."
It said the banks have agreed to waive temporarily the default while they
consider the company's financial position generally.
"The board is confident that the negotiations will result in a successful
outcome."
In the 52 weeks to July 3, 2004 total sales rose to 126.7 mln stg versus
114.3 mln while ongoing operations sales rose by 10.8 pct to 122.7 mln stg.
EBITDA before exceptional items slipped to 25.7 mln stg from 26.9 mln the
year before while for its ongoing operations, EBITDA before exceptionals fell to
27.0 mln stg from 27.3 mln stg.
Pretax profit before goodwill and exceptional items came in at 11.0 mln stg
from 13.8 mln while for ongoing operations, it came in at 12.3 mln stg from 14.4
mln.

[adam] 27/10/2004 08:19

The board will begin a review that could lead to a sale of all or part of the company.


The two have been given a share option scheme that could give them up to £700,000 and £600,000 respectively if the share price has roughly doubled to more than 70p, Mr Savage said. This would also pay out if the company is taken over.


Also from the results in the "strategy" section --> One of the tasks of the new Executive Management will be to review again the strategy of the Group and its portfolio of brands and outlets, and to see what further opportunities there are for delivering value for shareholders in light of the Company's future trading performance and wider developments within the High Street sector.


Commenting , Peter Savage, Chairman of Regent, said:
'The High Street bar sector has been under significant stress with overcapacity, intense price discounting and volatility all in evidence during the year. Our own performance has been mixed. Jongleurs held up well but Walkabout was unable to hold its margins in the second half of the year'

[gsands] 26/10/2004 08:24

Share price could rise from here on the basis that all the bad news is now out.

I have no position at present.

[adam] 26/10/2004 07:53

reason is that because breach is minor, and banks owed £70m hence not in their interest to require repayment on demand as would generate a fire sale and they would not get it all. Note The net interest charge is covered 2.8 times (2003: 3.4 times) by operating profits before goodwill amortisation and exceptional items and given that it is in breach at 2.8 and not in breach at 3.4, then it is not rocket science to figure that circa 3x is the level. A few disposals and reduction of debt, will allow the group to emerge from a difficult period. The Board is confident that the negotiations will result in a successful outcome. to boot two industry hitters appointed. Some may be sore that they sold out at the bottom. Also it is noteable that recent LFL is improved.

[quinn20] 26/10/2004 07:44

Looks like a real stinker to me, the only good news being the board appointments and banks waiver pending their financial review.

Despite the numbers and outlook, pre market mark up?