Rps Share Discussion Threads

[phillis] 13/5/2004 10:30

Bye bye £1

[gaussfactor] 07/5/2004 16:09

Simon, I would have to leave the technical dissection to others more qualified, but it does seem to me that this company has a good track record in a sector and inductry with great potential. The share price probably got ahead of itself but seems to have been overcorrected. At the same time some major players have been unwinding their holding. Perhaps also the fact that they are acquisitive is a turn-off for some. On fundamentals alone though (including the generous margins to which you refer)I can only see the share price going up now that major sellers are hopefully cleared out and the late surge of big buying today has finally got things on the move. Hope you didn't miss out.

[simon gordon] 07/5/2004 07:53

Hello

I am new to this company and due to the present share price weakness I am considering buying some shares but a couple of things are holding me back:

1. The chart for the last five years is very shoddy taking into account all the revenue and profit growth.

2. The operating margin of 16.1% is juicy but is it sustainable?

Any answers on the above and more thoughts on dissecting this company are most welcome.

Thank you!!!!!

[artful dodger] 06/5/2004 16:36

I'm still looking for a price nearer £1 to get back in, but that's only 'cos I'm greedy! Also it's still early days since the profits warning and stocks normally do a little 'up-a-bit-down-a-bit' before they set off again.

best of luck those already in.

[oniabsta] 06/5/2004 15:37

Check this out from the FT. note how many anlaysts have upgraded RPS in the last few weeks. Cue the shares mag?

[alcornwall] 06/5/2004 14:10

zb
have seen the article. nothing new. states what i believe is the obvious that price correction due to warning of increasing costs impacting on revenues in 1st half of 04 has been overdone. draws attention to good long term prospects for the company and it's policy of acquisitions.
seems to me a good buying opportunity but i'm biased!

[7buttery] 06/5/2004 13:34

RPS tipped as a buy? in shares mag, does any one have any information.

[gaussfactor] 04/5/2004 14:45

Let's hope this is the start of a nice steady move upward now that (hopefully) the big sellers are out of the way.

[gaussfactor] 30/4/2004 16:06

Looks like Zurich had 3%. That's 5.8 million shares. All gone now so maybe we can start to think about moving forard again.

[alcornwall] 30/4/2004 14:38

Buyers coming back - have faith in this company too. Seems to have found it's support level.
rns suggests big seeler was zurich

[gaussfactor] 30/4/2004 09:17

Just re-read the final results to reassure myself after recent falls that this is a good investment. Am more convinced than ever that this is a sound company with excellent medium/long term prospects and the only short term issue is the reduced margin anticipated in the first half due to rising investment in the business. There must be a big seller to keep the price moving down imo but I'm sticking with it. When the bounce comes it could be a large one.

And the screen has gone blue as I write!

[gaussfactor] 29/4/2004 11:28

The Mason Richards acquisition should help the rebuilding process, not that RPS' performance is deserving of such poor support at the moment. Reaction muted I think by the depressed market at the moment. Also still sellers about whenever the share price begins to make progress. These will clear off in due course. Good information about Mason Richards on tehir website, www.mrp.co.uk.

[gaussfactor] 21/4/2004 08:52

From the RPS website:
New Civil Engineer (NCE) magazine, in association with the UK based Association of Consulting Engineers (ACE), have awarded RPS Group the International Consultancy of the Year Award 2004.

The award was presented during a special celebratory lunch at Claridges Hotel in London on Friday 26th March. Executive Director Andrew Troup accepted the award on behalf of RPS.
The shortlist for the Award was drawn up following the detailed annual assessment of over 300 established consultancies and engineering firms. The survey was undertaken for the NCE Consultants File, which seeks to benchmark all companies in the sector to be published on April 1st. The International Award recognises the best company performance during 2003 across a range of business criteria such as global coverage of staff, breadth of expertise and turnover. The companies joining RPS on the shortlist for the International Consultancy Award were Halcrow and Parsons Brinckerhoff.

In presenting the award NCE editor Antony Oliver said that RPS stood out as a company that did something 'truly different', adding that whilst RPS was an international company, it certainly did not endorse geographical coverage for the sake of it. Mr Oliver went on to say that NCE and ACE were both impressed with the fact that in 2003 RPS generated some 43% (£54m) of its turnover abroad and had more than 40% of its staff working on overseas projects. Profit margins of 17% were also considered worthy of merit.

Commenting on the award, Dr Alan Hearne, Chief Executive of RPS Group Plc, said that:

"Whilst our geographical spread is growing, we remain committed to our strategy of building leading positions in high value segments of markets in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands, and we are investigating the opportunities open to us in the US and Australia as part of our new Energy Services Division. Should suitable opportunities arise we may also consider acquisitions in other European countries."

Mr Oliver highlighted that Ireland forms a major element of RPS' overseas portfolio whilst recognising that RPS had increased its geographic coverage through the acquisition in September 2003 of Hydrosearch, the leading energy services provider for the upstream energy market.
The 11km Submarine Pipeline from North Dublin to Ringsend Wastewater Treatment Plant, project managed by RPS Group Ltd
Frank Ferguson, Chief Executive of RPS Group Ltd in Ireland, said of the Irish division:

"The acquisition of M C O'Sullivan & Co Ltd in 2002 enabled us to fulfill our objective of creating the leading planning, infrastructure and environmental consultancy in Ireland. Successful integration of the 700 highly skilled staff employed by our Irish business has enabled us to deliver high quality advice and effective solutions covering the entire life cycle of projects. Notable successes in winning work on this basis have been secured in Ireland and abroad in both the private and public sectors. We expect to build upon the progress achieved to date."

Notes
RPS Group's operations that are based outside of the UK focus on Ireland, the Netherlands and on the upstream energy markets in six continents.
1 In Ireland, RPS has integrated its activities into RPS Group Ltd, and has strengthened its position as the leading planning, infrastructure and environmental consultancy in Ireland, serving both the public and private sectors.
2 RPS' Dutch activities have now been integrated in RPS Groep BV, and focus on activity within the health and safety, environmental auditing and certification markets, all of which are highly regulated, and related to all sectors of the economy.
3 The new Energy Services Division, with offices in the UK, Australia, and US, provides technical advice and project management services to the upstream energy sector. This division has just increased significantly in size and scope of activity with the acquisition of Troy-Ikoda, a specialist geosciences and reservoir engineering business, and leaves RPS well placed to further serve its clients' needs in any region of the world.

In winning this year's award, RPS builds on its excellent showing in last year's NCE awards, when RPS Group Plc was named runner-up for the UK Consultancy of the Year Award 2003.

[gaussfactor] 16/4/2004 09:19

luby,
these were my sentiments when I bought in recently. A good company I feel but the share price got too far ahead and now has overcorrected. My short term target is a modest 130p but I could see this developing as a medium/long term hold for me. Happy to be patient for now.

[luby] 15/4/2004 00:09

Interested to follow this thread. I have been looking at RPS for some time now, attempting to get an understanding on the company and trying to assess true prospects and hence share value. I think the current pull-back is an overreaction to the recent prelims -I get the distinct impression that the share-price is being walked down to enable a bit of harvesting by market-makers.
Anyway, I made an initial small purchase today. I wouldn't be remotely surprised to see the stock fall another 5p from my purchase today, but then neither would I be surprised to see the current level as the bottom. It's too hard a call to make -hence my purchase today.
I'm looking for an initial target price of 140p when I'll take another good look at prospects.

[eddie max] 13/4/2004 17:11

Looks like the big boys are still adding I see !

[gaussfactor] 07/4/2004 16:37

And 887000 more at 119.5! Although there is some upward momentum in the price is there perhaps still an overhang to clear?

[eddie max] 07/4/2004 15:55

A couple of 250000 buys gone through me thinks !

[gaussfactor] 07/4/2004 13:16

Yep, nice to know there is someone happy to pick up a couple of million shares from time to time. Meantime, the price keeps testing 119 and hopefully will not resist much longer.

[eddie max] 07/4/2004 12:47

Ah........... a bit of hoovering I see !

RNS Number:4589X
RPS Group PLC
07 April 2004


SCHEDULE 10

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES


1. Name of company

RPS Group Plc


2. Name of shareholder having a major interest

The AEGON UK plc Group of Companies


3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a non-beneficial interest
or in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's
spouse or children under the age of 18

Shareholder named in 2


4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them

Chase Nominees Limited


5. Number ofshares / amount of stock acquired


1,796,985


6. Percentage of issued class


0.93%

[eddie max] 06/4/2004 16:17

Looks like plenty of interest going on !
Nice big contract win perhaps ?

Anyone know anything ?

[gaussfactor] 06/4/2004 14:00

Nice to be in profit on day 1. Long may it continue!

[eddie max] 06/4/2004 12:37

with a capital C !

cheers

[gaussfactor] 06/4/2004 12:32

Hope you mean excited and not exited!

[eddie max] 06/4/2004 12:22

119p

getting exited !