Smiths News Share Discussion Threads

[retsius] 24/1/2012 16:41

Great rise today considering the markets.And this is xdiv!

[edmundshaw] 22/1/2012 09:43

Ah. Your use of the definite article misled me.

[lord gnome] 21/1/2012 16:23

'Our medium term strategy is clear and progressing well. We are actively engaged with acquisition targets and anticipate non-newspaper and magazine profits to be in excess of 30% within 3 years.'

I wasn't mistaken. This is from the Preliminary Results announcement in October.

[lord gnome] 21/1/2012 16:21

NWS has been looking for a major acquisition for some time. The current business is in decline as we all know. They are looking for something, as MNZS did, to assure future growth. Every statement produced by the group recently has referred to this and claimed that they have a good pipeline of possible opportunities in front of them. They have a target to produce 30% of their profits from new sources within 3 years (I'll stand corrected on that as I am going from memory). I am hoping that the AGM will give us news.

[edmundshaw] 21/1/2012 09:14

AGM likely to be routine: we have already had the IMS.

What proposed acquisition?

[lord gnome] 20/1/2012 20:51

Hopefully we could get an update on news of the proposed acquisition.

[retsius] 20/1/2012 19:42

Excellent progress.Should ramp up some more before AGM on Friday.

[ozz2] 18/1/2012 21:10

Nice to hear the consensus is for a lot of newsprint, due to Olympics, and consequently bigger profits.
Dividend should be well covered this year, and what a divi!!

[retsius] 17/1/2012 23:28

Some big buys at the close.UP and onward tomorrow.

[jbtrend2] 11/1/2012 12:56

GROWTH COMPANY
Newspaper distributor Smiths News (NWS) has unveiled an upbeat first quarter update amidst progress in its newly acquired Dawson business.

[retsius] 11/1/2012 07:27

Lets see some more blue today.

[jbtrend2] 10/1/2012 22:35

Smiths News trading strongly UPDATE
10 January 2012
TIP UPDATE: Smiths News sees resilient newspaper sales and is on target to achieve 13 per cent earnings growth

[davidosh] 10/1/2012 09:46

Well revenues may be flat when including new business and clearly the historically core business has been in decline but it is a slowing decline.

The key metrics for shareholders of profit and dividend/yield are very much on the growth trend though.

Pre tax Profits

2009...£18.4m
2010...£28.1m
2011...£32.1m
2012...£42.8m (forecast)



Dividend History

2008...6.7p
2009...6.8p
2010...7.4p
2011...8.0p (10% yield)

Forecasted growth in dividend

2012...9.0p (11% yield)
2013...9.6p (11.5%)

Difficult to find a complaint there if it continues as anticipated and hoped.

There is a good thread on TMF which I initiated if anyone would like to add comments and a presentation to investors next Wednesday if any of you would like to join us.

[18bt] 10/1/2012 09:29

Declining markets can be very profitable for investors as they throw of cash and lead to oligopolies. Remember Hanson in the 1980s. Very happy with this business model.

[edmundshaw] 10/1/2012 09:17

No. Newsprint and magazines is a declining business.

NWS as a whole has been showing quite good growth as it absorbs other business and moves into digital & other non-news offerings.

[mister md] 10/1/2012 08:43

as I said earlier, a declining business

"Smiths News' revenues declined 3.2% on a like for like basis, an improvement on recent run rates and compares with a decline of 3.5% for the second half 2010/11. Newspaper performance has been stronger in the period as a result of cover price increases, with magazine performance broadly in line.

Bertrams' revenues declined 0.6% on a like for like basis, also an improvement on the most recent run rate decline of 1.4% for the second half 2010/11
"

[tom111] 10/1/2012 07:58

Strong growth in pre tax profits is what its all about however like you MR GNOME i dont expect the shares to surge maybe a 5p rise today wouldnt go amiss

[lord gnome] 10/1/2012 07:49

Sure they will Tom - but that only disguises the ongoing shrinkage in volume. We should get a temporary boost from Olympics related distribution, but the underlying business is in slow decline as news media moves out of print to go online.

[tom111] 10/1/2012 07:37

Cover price increases will help this along though i would have thought MR GNOME

[lord gnome] 10/1/2012 07:31

I don't think it will rise strongly. This statement is 'in line'. The company is being run to generate profit and cash effectively in a declining market. Nothing in this statement changes that. What will change this company's fortunes is news of a 'killer' acquisition to assure the market of future growth. This is what Menzies has done.

[retsius] 10/1/2012 07:19

Very pleased with update.Price should rise strongly as it has been so oversold.

[18bt] 10/1/2012 07:14

In line trading update. Grossly undervalued as we know.

[skinny] 10/1/2012 07:13

RNS Number : 2595V

Smiths News PLC

10 January 2012

Smiths News PLC

Interim Management Statement

Smiths News PLC ("the Group"), the largest UK newspaper and magazine wholesaler and a leading UK book wholesaler, is today issuing its Interim Management Statement covering the 18 week period ("the period") to 7 January 2012.

The Group remains on track to deliver strong growth in pre-tax profits for the year to 31 August 2012, in line with market consensus.

Total Group revenues increased 1.9% year on year, boosted by contributions from the newly acquired Dawson Books, Dawson Media Direct and Dawson Marketing Services divisions.

Trading performance of the Dawson businesses are in line with expectations and integration is progressing well. Full year synergy benefits of GBP2.5m are on track.

Smiths News' revenues declined 3.2% on a like for like basis, an improvement on recent run rates and compares with a decline of 3.5% for the second half 2010/11. Newspaper performance has been stronger in the period as a result of cover price increases, with magazine performance broadly in line.

Bertrams' revenues declined 0.6% on a like for like basis, also an improvement on the most recent run rate decline of 1.4% for the second half 2010/11. A good start to the trading period was softened by more difficult Christmas trading.

There has been no change in the underlying financial condition of the Group since the year ended 31 August 2011 and the Group continues to operate well within its bank facilities.

The Group will announce its interim results for the six months ending 29 February 2012 on 24 April 2012.

[retsius] 09/1/2012 23:10

Find out tomorrow what they have been doing.

[victor384] 09/1/2012 21:37

Magazine share tips round-up: from BG Group to Imagination Technologies
By ANNABEL HOWARD
6:21 PM on 9th January 2012

We round up some of the best start of the year share tips from weekly financial magazines Investors Chronicle, MoneyWeek and Shares. Includes: BG Group, Hammerson, Smiths News, Evraz, Oracle Corp, Imagination Technologies, IQE and CSE