Rps Share Discussion Threads

[barnesian] 21/11/2016 13:03

The price chart is looking very good. It seems to have broken through the 180p resistance level.

[neilyb675] 18/11/2016 11:45

I'm here....✔

[barnesian] 18/11/2016 09:33

Is anyone else on this Board? I feel I'm having a conversation with myself!

[barnesian] 18/11/2016 09:31

I've just been looking at the proposed new executive incentive plans to be put to an Extraordinary General Meeting on 30th November.

As an ex-Chairman of a Remuneration Committee of a PLC, I am impressed by it, and it has my support.

hxxp://tools.morningstar.co.uk/tsweu6nqxu/globaldocuments/document/documentHandler.ashx?DocumentId=120684820

Short term yearly bonuses will be based on three measures: (i) PBTA
- 70% weighting, (ii) cash conversion - 20% weighting and (iii) personal objectives - 10% weighting.The Remuneration Committee will disclose the precise targets at the end of the performance period so that shareholders can fully assess the basis for any pay-outs.
(The disclosure of the precise targets will be interesting!)

Three yearly bonuses will be also be based on three measures (i) Earnings per Share (25% weighting) (ii) cash conversion(25% weighting) and (iii) relative Total Shareholder Return against the FTSE All Share (50% weighting).
(Good to see relative Total return to Shareholders so heavily weighted).

With this remuneration plan, a new Chairman and a new world economic environment where investment in infrastructure is seen as a key priority, I feel very positive about this company.

[barnesian] 12/10/2016 20:43

Rumours in the trade press that the Government will give the go-ahead to both Heathrow and Gatwick next Tuesday.

That would be excellent news for RPS (see above).

[barnesian] 26/9/2016 13:06

Government announcement on third runway in mid-October will impact RPS who has done major work for both LHR and LGW.

A LGW decision will benefit it the most - though it should benefit in any case from the extra investment in infrastructure to be announced in his Autumn statement by the Chancellor.

It also benefits from the Hinkley Point C project, recently agreed:

"RPS provided planning and environmental consultancy on the Hinkley Point C across a number of disciplines. RPS was first appointed as planning and waste consultant for the project to prepare, submit and negotiate consent for the Enabling Works Project which permitted significant site preparation works prior to submission of the DCO application to the Planning Inspectorate.

RPS also provided planning and waste services as part of the preparation of the Development Consent Order (DCO) application. Additionally, they helped to develop the sustainability strategy and the Health Impact Assessment as well as providing support alongside the Environmental Impact Assessment process. RPS also attended and provided client support at the DCO hearings.

RPS’ involvement covered not only the plant site but also further associated development sites including freight handling locations and the refurbishment of the nearby Combwich Wharf."

[deadly] 04/8/2016 22:12

Big recovery during the day; those who sold early must be mad and poor!

[barnesian] 04/8/2016 12:18

I agree. On 7 March, I posted (above) "The half year results are announced in six months time. If profits are down as predicted in this announcement (because of the energy business), there could be a really excellent buying opportunity if the market overacts downwards."

I think that is exactly what has happened. The results are no worse than anticipated in the last statement. The non-energy business profit is up 7.5% from £25.4M to £27.3M. The energy business is expected to return to profit in the second half. Excellent cash conversion from profit. Sensible cautious approach to dividend policy and acquisitions.

Brexit brings uncertainty but there are two positives. The drop in sterling will increase the reported revenue and profit of non-UK operations. I think this will be significant. This effect has done wonders for GSK and AZN. The other upside is that it is increasingly likely that the UK government will give a Keynesian boost to the economy by borrowing to finance extra infrastructure investment to the benefit of RPS.

Definitely a buying opportunity. Won't last long.

[deadly] 04/8/2016 09:10

Back down below 160p today on those results.
But I think that's overdone.

H1 H1
2016 2015
Revenue (GBPm) 291.4 284.1
Fee income (GBPm) 260.8 253.4
PBTA (1) (GBPm) 20.2 28.8
Adjusted earnings per share (2)
(basic) (p) 6.44 9.50

[ragewarrior] 15/7/2016 16:23

Finally up they go.....

[ragewarrior] 01/7/2016 12:22

Yep, thought they too cheap around 175p..

[barnesian] 28/6/2016 12:23

We now know what tomorrow brought!

As far as I can tell from the Annual Report, most of RPS revenue is from outside the UK but I suspect a lot of its cost base is in the UK.

This should lead to increased revenue (in sterling) and better margins as the difference between revenue and costs in sterling widens.

This is similar to AZN and GSK whose share price has shot up on this consideration. But the RPS share price has gone down in sympathy with the rest of the market.

Maybe the analysts haven't got round to RPS yet? Perhaps a buying opportunity?

[barnesian] 23/6/2016 17:01

Nice end to the day.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

[sphere25] 07/6/2016 12:07

Back over £2 briefly.

Once more, let's give it up for the muppet fund manglers in the city.

I thank you!

[thomasthetank1] 26/4/2016 12:54

Read Liberum's note on RPS GROUP, out this morning, by visiting hxxps://www.research-tree.com/company/GB0007594764
"FY 2016 and 2017 FD EPS reduced 18%. In Europe the acquisition of DBK off-sets weak EBIT in Norway, which is being affected by the O&G downturn. Further estimate reduction at Energy which is now only 7% of EBIT. BNE Europe continues to perform well outside Norway. BNE North America is restrained by Energy infrastructure. AAP suffers from weak spend by oil and gas clients ..."

[sphere25] 26/4/2016 10:40

Been buying this morning.

Market is full of daft institutional fund manglers who like giving their stock away cheap.

Bulk of the bad news is behind this quality company. Market should look forward to 2017 and beyond now, and bid this back over £2.

[wjccghcc] 26/4/2016 10:08

Agreed. Bought in at 178p. Seems strange the market didn't anticipate the further Q1 slowdown in O&G spending.

[barnesian] 26/4/2016 09:40

A poor first half was anticipated in the previous statement. This is an over reaction and a buying opportunity.

[barnesian] 07/3/2016 10:07

Good news: Non-energy businesses doing very well. They certainly know how to make acquisitions and integrate them well. The cost base is highly flexible, particularly in energy, by use of sub-contractors. Very strong cash flow. The confidence to increase the dividend by 15% again.

Bad news: More pain in the energy business before it stabilises/improves in H2 (offset by growth in the non-energy businesses).

I've tried valuing the energy and non-energy business separately.

Valuing the energy business on a P/E of say 6-8, with an underlying eps of say 3p, it is worth say 20-25p a share.

The non-energy businesses, growing at 20%+pa, with reasonable margins, diversified risk, I would expect to be trading on a P/E of say 15-20, with an underlying eps of say 14p. This values it at say 210-280p a share.

So in total I think it is worth about 230-305p a share. The low valuation of the energy business is disguising the valuation of the non-energy businesses.

The half year results are announced in six months time. If profits are down as predicted in this announcement (because of the energy business), there could be a really excellent buying opportunity if the market overacts downwards.

[eastbourne1982] 04/3/2016 18:10

Starting to recovery very nicely, the thing that really impressed me in the update yesterday was the positive free cash flow.

[barnesian] 10/2/2016 10:38

Maybe that was the bottom. We'll see. Firming of the oil price might be helping sentiment. Irrational but understandable.

[barnesian] 03/2/2016 10:58

This sell-off reminds me of a previous sell-off of RPS at the end of 2008.

Within six months, the share price then more than doubled. See comments 103 and 104 above.

Sentiment about this under-reported company seems to be very volatile given the solid underpinning and track record.

[dull gull] 03/2/2016 10:43

A Motley Fool note described this as "dirt cheap" and that was before this latest sell-off.

This is a bargain if the dividend is maintained, especially the 15% increase.
Even if there is an interruption to the dividend, it still looks good as a long-term hold.

Like Eastbourne1982, I picked some up yesterday.