Savills Share Discussion Threads

[trader horne] 21/6/2005 12:35

stock seesm to be getting volatile, we're swinging down again.
(whenever Mr.Market thinks SVS is just about "housing").
Haven't got the nerve to trade these swings on such a quiet stock, I'll just keep it under the mattress and enoy the fat dividends.

[doubleorquits] 17/6/2005 14:00

Trader,

Maybe not as quiet as you think :0).
Doesn't affect the attraction, though.
DTZ a similar stock in the same sector - a smaller brother (or sister) to SVS in Real Estate. That seems to be a good area to be in despite the doom merchants around with regard to housing in general etc.

[sogoesit] 17/6/2005 13:56

Lol... I agree... similarly on CNM!

[trader horne] 17/6/2005 12:54

just checking - isee this BB is back to being nice and quiet - sure sign of a gold-plated stock.

[mr.oz] 20/5/2005 18:14

approx 300K VW trades after the close , at 691.75p, that look like institutional buys to me...
continues to bode well for this well run company

[mr.oz] 20/5/2005 14:03

Housing market turning point?


The latest Woolwich Consumer Confidence Index shows confidence in the housing market reaching 49% in April, up 10% from December (when it was at its lowest point since the survey began in 2001) and marginally higher than the 47% seen in March.

In the North East and Greater London confidence has risen the most by 8% and 6% respectively, though Scotland remained the most confident region at 60%. By contrast East Anglia recorded a 2% fall in confidence and is now down to 45%.


Despite confidence levels having grown steadily since January, they remain down on last year, when a 3-year high of 66% was reached during the April-May period.

Andy Gray, head of mortgages at Barclays and Woolwich, makes the point that after five months of cautious improvement, we're almost at the half-way point, where the majority of people believe their property prices will improve.

Indeed, with confidence increasing, there will be less pressure to keep interest rates frozen. The danger however is that rates will rise far too early, and slow a resurgent market, says Gray.

18 May 2005

[gorse] 20/5/2005 07:50

I'm an appreciative holder - offloaded about 45% of my holding recently in three stages. Now I think I'll stick with the rest for at least the medium term.

Gorse

[slogsweep] 20/5/2005 07:45

Surprised this attracts so little interest. It good steady performer with further to go. You can flirt with the spec. shares but its ones like Savills, Wolesely, et. that consistently make money!

[doubleorquits] 08/5/2005 17:48

A few little bits of indirect news related items in the papers today:

The Telegraph cites the pick-up of interest in London properties from Arabs:

"Traditional real estate is also still on the shopping list. Crispin Holborow, who runs the country department for Savills, the estate agent, in London says interest from Middle East buyers has begun to pick up."

and then in The Standard (
and Telegraph again there is comment about a continued upturn in China/Hong Kong:

"International property consultants have reported significant increases in rental prices in such cities as Beijing and Shanghai due to limited supply in the market.

Savills expects to see an upward trend in rents in Shanghai as vacancy rates in prime retail areas remain low."

Savills are also dealing with the sale of Eddy Grant's plantation in Barbados:

[doubleorquits] 05/5/2005 20:55

Fairly upbeat statement at the AGM with profits running ahead on a like for like with last year. I sensed that Asia might be the driver this year and it looks as though it is with Hong Kong singled out as being particularly strong.

Shares Mag highlighted these today chart-wise and felt that a 720p target was not unrealistic in the medium term.

[grigor] 27/4/2005 15:33

"... The exercise of the option will result in the issuance of 5,243,229 shares by Savills at a price of 701.28 pence per share, representing a 20% premium to the average mid-market closing price of the shares in trading on the London Stock Exchange for the five trading days preceding exercise of the option. ..."

[trader horne] 27/4/2005 08:56

So that was the big buyer. ukanalyst report:-
Savills shares rose 10p to 655.5p after a substantial shareholder upped its stake in the group. The property advisor said it had been notified that Trammell Crow Company had bought just under 1.678 million shares in the company for a total of 10.90 million pounds. When combined with the 6.018 million shares already owned, this now takes their holding to just under 7.696 ordinary shares, or 12.67% of the current issued share capital of the group. Trammell Crow also said it had exercised an option that allows it to buy up to 20% of the group.

[sealed] 27/4/2005 06:50

In todays Telegraph

Texans put £46m into 'well-run' Savills
By Aaron Patrick (Filed: 27/04/2005)

Savills, the listed British property services firm, has capped two boom years by attracting a £46m investment from its American partner.



Trammell Crow has exercised an option requiring Savills to issue it with shares, and bought extra stock on the share market, increasing its stake from 9.9pc to 19.6pc.

Analysts said a full bid was unlikely because the Texas-based real estate company has a smaller market capitalisation than Savills.

Trammell Crow, which has offices in Canada, Europe, Asia and South America, is also able to include its share of Savills' profits in its own accounts, improving its financial performance.

With two seats on the Savills board, Trammell Crow has watched as the 150-year-old firm has expanded in Asia and enjoyed the fruits of a property boom in the UK.

Derek McClain, Trammell Crow's chief financial officer, said: "It is just a very well-run business and it is in a lot of the right places doing a lot of the right things. I don't think we will be looking to have any more influence."

Last year, Savills increased pre-tax profit from £34m to £50m and paid £70m in bonuses to staff. Savills shares were trading at 136p two years ago. Yesterday the shares rose 10 to 655½p.

Under the terms of its option, Trammell Crow is required to pay 20pc above the market price of Savills shares, meaning it is paying Savills 701.28p a share.

Aubrey Adams, Savills chief executive, said: "I think it would have to be a bit of a compliment that they would invest in us at £6 when they could have done so at £2. It doesn't give them any more rights."

[mike24] 26/4/2005 13:52

not much blue about to-day,
st.mod, bus post,mcalpine,mitie,wkp keeping their heads above water,
what next the big hedge fund bubble, portus paying 5% com,and 18%
performance annual fee, sky high returns at zero risk ai'nt going to happen

are ze brits becoming assett stripping capitalist locusts?

[scot101] 26/4/2005 08:44

but where to next?

[slogsweep] 26/4/2005 07:07

So now we know why the price has been falling of late. Big buyer in the wings so get the price down to shake out the punters, easy really, after all small investors are quite thick (ill informed anyway) glad I held mine.

[sealed] 26/4/2005 06:03

Savills, the upmarket estate agent, soared 60.5p to 645.5p on rumours that Panmure Gordon was looking to buy a 5 per cent stake in the company on behalf of a client. Dealers said the broker had been busy bidding for Savills' stock at way above the going price throughout the day.

Well-informed City sources said Panmure's client was Trammell Crow, a US property services group that controls 10 per cent of the company. Shares in Savills have risenmore than 400 per cent since the start of 2003.


Savills surges as US investor raises stake
SAVILLS surged by more than 10 per cent as the largest shareholder in the FTSE 250 property consultancy began to exercise its option to take its stake up to 20 per cent by buying stock in the market.

Five years ago, Trammell Crow, the US real estate firm, payed 222½p a share for a debut 10 per cent stake in Savills as part of a strategic alliance, with an option to double its holding. With that option due to expire next month, Trammell yesterday enlisted Panmure Gordon to mop up stock. The broker emerged with an additional 3 per cent at 650p, an 11 per cent premium to the opening price. Savills gained 60½p at 645½p, with the FTSE 250 up 3.9 points at 7,016.8.

[grigor] 25/4/2005 20:34

Savills soars on stake talk

LONDON (SHARECAST) - Shares in Savills surged more than 10% today as rumours did the rounds that Panmure Gordon was looking to snap up 5% of the upmarket estate agent on a client's behalf.

The talk is that the broker has instructions to buy £3m of Savills stock at a price well above Friday's closing level.

In March, the group reported its strongest year yet, adding it was confident in London's booming market for luxury homes and smart offices.

Savills, which sold 765 London homes last year compared with 600 in 2003, predicts annual price rises of 4%-5%.

Last year was a record for Savills, with pre-tax profits rising to £50.2m from £34.1m in 2003, helped largely by "strong operating profits from all parts of the business, with the commercial investment markets particularly buoyant", it said.

[gorse] 25/4/2005 12:09

Not looking quite so oversold on a near 70p rise so far today. Thinking of top-slicing.

Gorse

[doubleorquits] 25/4/2005 09:19

Nice move today - don't know what prompted it unless it was a delayed move after the article in the Independent.

Savills also say that Hong Kong is going through a very good period of growth in property and they have a good presence in Asia, particularly Singapore.

[doubleorquits] 24/4/2005 09:08

Savill's has won a significant management contract for one of London's most prestigious and exclusive Estates, according to today's Independent,



Although an apparently small estate by London standards it is very high value.

[deadly] 20/4/2005 15:50

Nice half million buy after the close - what's going on?

[mike24] 18/4/2005 10:54

rightmove to-day says greedy sellers are refusing to
accept prop boom is over,the market is stagnating

[slogsweep] 13/4/2005 09:57

Oh! that's nice. trouble with holdings in nominee accounts, its easy to miss things like that. I just looked at ADVFN div summary which just shows the 12.5p. So we're actually up 5p today then!

Thanks for info. don't know where I'd be without BB'ers taking the trouble to make helpful posts.

[dave88] 13/4/2005 08:56

Slog your forgetting about the special divi an extra 20p