Talktalk Telecom Share Discussion Threads

[rathean] 05/7/2018 14:43

Up against them top of a falling channel atm, any finish above 115p and I don't see serious barriers until circa 150p imo.

[septimus quaid] 05/7/2018 11:00

There is a small piece in today’s hard copy Times (sorry my typing skills aren’t up to typing it all out) suggesting that analysts “could not see a good reason for them (Dunstone/Toscafund) to do this (a MBO)”

...goes on “another possibility is simply that they saw a good opportunity to buy the stock after it fell to a four month low last Friday... (after Daisy group deal fell through)“

my additions in brackets.

It seems strange, or maybe not, but anyone closely involved with the company seems to be golluping up shares at any suitable opportunity. Meanwhile, the brokers are writing stinking note after stinking note.

[1gw] 05/7/2018 10:26

Toscafund has something of a history I think of working with owner-managers i.e. they have been known to buy into a company where there is a CEO/chairman/founder with a big holding, build a position and then end up trying to do something (M&A/take private) with that owner-manager. They were successful with InternetQ for example, but failed with Redrow.

So in that context I think I would assume that any proposal (MBO, take private, sale or otherwise) is likely to have the support of Dunstone and Toscafund as a minimum and perhaps David Ross (the other co-founder) could be included in that - if he is interested in getting back into more of a hands-on position.

[septimus quaid] 05/7/2018 09:54

Thanks for the analysis 1gw

I have been thinking about a MBO and, as is often the case in these situations, the major players (Dunstone and others) trying to get Talk outright ownership on the cheap.

...but are the other major shareholders (who seem to be investment houses, with a total 55% shareholding) likely to want to do Dunstone any favours, or even end up with direct company ownership?

[quepassa] 05/7/2018 08:27

Obviously the recent abandonment of the £175m B2B sale by TalkTalk to Daisy did not seem to worry Tosca who increased yet again to 16.2%.

The link between Tosca and Daisy is well documented.


A statement from either Tosca or TalkTalk about the 16.2% stake in TalkTalk is in my opinion now overdue.

ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[quepassa] 05/7/2018 06:45

Lots of press coverage about Tosca increasing stake to 16.2%.

This article in The Daily Mail is interesting and mentions Tosca, Dunstone and Martin Hughes:

hXXp://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/markets/article-5918673/Hedge-funds-200m-bet-Talktalk-sale-stock-falls-43-past-year.html



ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[septimus quaid] 04/7/2018 16:56

Investors dialled in on Talktalk Telecom Group PLC (LON:TALK) on Wednesday amid rumours that a possible takeover is on the cards....

www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/200138/investors-dial-into-talktalk-on-takeover-rumours-200138.html

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 15:34

TALKTALK NOW UP 6.5% on a very quiet trading day when NY closed (great day to try and bury any important rns).


TOSCA's stake building and massive increases this year to 16.2% shareholding is the subject of a fascinating discussion on FT Alphaville this morning.


Still RADIO SILENCE from TOSCA AS TO WHY THEY HAVE BUILT SUCH A MASSIVE STAKE IN TALK.


Still RADIO SILENCE from TALKTALK as to the MASSIVE STAKE which TOSCA have built.



You would be forgiven for rightly expecting that by now at least one of them would have uttered a word or two about it....



The SILENCE IS DEAFENING.



ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[argylerich] 04/7/2018 14:08

From today's FT Alphaville:

BE
The main focus this morning seems to be TalkTalk.

Talktalk Telecom Group PLC (TALK:LSE): Last: 108.90, up 4.2 (+4.01%), High: 109.10, Low: 105.00, Volume: 667.90k
11:09 am
BE
Now leading the FTSE 250, albeit on a somewhat slow reaction to the news that Tosca continues to add to its stake.

BE
hxxps://www.invest...1807040833335561T/


11:11 am
BE
Which is interesting mostly because it follows a pattern.

BE
Tosca went up from 11% towards the start of last month. hxxps://www.invest...1806111106039756Q/

BE
.... now, one of the interesting sidebars here is that Tosca. as in Martin Hughes backed the take-private of Daisy Group in 2014.

11:14 am

BE
That's the same Daisy that recently pulled the plug on the deal to buy TalkTalk's business-to-business stuff.

BE
(It was by mutual consent, according to the statement, but most people seemed to get the idea that Daisy pulled out because of a sudden change in its circumstances.)

11:17 am
BE
......... You'll also remember that Dunstone raised his stake ever closer to the 30% limit earlier this week.

BE
hxxps://www.invest...1807020700061584T/

BE
.... so, what's the plan here?

11:18 am
BE
That's more than 50% of TalkTalk held between Dunstone, Ross and Tosca.

BE
Let's say a 30% premium with those three staying put and you'd have a total cost of maybe £600m to take private? Hypothetically, I mean.

BE
Course, if Dunstone as executive chairman bought shares in the open market while investigating a take-private in any serious way, that would likely be a regulatory matter.


11:21 am
BE
So ....... if there is a take-private story here, it's probably not for today. But it's certainly an interesting idea for anyone thinking downside protection.

[rathean] 04/7/2018 11:58

That's me half out, nice capital gain from 98p :)

[whatsup32] 04/7/2018 11:50

citytrader66 . Have a like

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 11:17

FOR THE RECORD:


Some RNS's about Tosca's stake-building in TalkTalk:



4/8/17 Tosca go to 5.09%
29/12/17 Tosca go to 10.46%
11/4/18 Tosca go to 14.0%
11/6/18 Tosca go to 15.1%
4/7/18 Tosca go to 16.2%


Is this random??

Or is this a pattern of behaviour???


A massive shareholding built in less than a year





ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 10:29

TODAY.


TOSCAFUND INCREASE TO A MASSIVE 16.2%


SAME WEEK THAT IMPORTANT DIRECTOR BUYING IS ANNOUNCED WITH EXEC CHAIRMAN AND CEO BOTH BUYING.


SHORTERS ARE GOING TO GET SHAFTED BIG-TIME WHEN FURTHER NEWS COMES AND THERE WILL BE A MASSIVE AND COSTLY SCRAMBLE TO CLOSE.


ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[citytrader66] 04/7/2018 09:50

ok we hear you quepassa. keep taking the tablets..

[whatsup32] 04/7/2018 09:15

Tosca increased stake by 1% , plus the directors had bought in few days back . Reflects positive on their views of the company and yet share price says otherwise

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 09:05

TOSCAFUND INCREASE FROM 15.1% to 16.2%


A STATEMENT FROM TALKTALK ABOUT THIS STAKEBUILDING BY TOSCA WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.



ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 08:51

On MONDAY 2nd July rns,

DUNSTONE AND CEO BOTH BUY SHARES

Today 4th. JULY rns

TOSCA INCREASES FROM 15.1% to 16.2%



IS THIS JUST A COINCIDENCE?...I DON'T THINK SO



ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[quepassa] 04/7/2018 08:39

WOW!!!


TOSCA HAVE INCREASED YET AGAIN .

FROM 15.1% TO A MASSIVE 16.2%



WHEN IS THE FULL BID/MERGER/TAKEOVER COMING???????


WAKEY WAKEY.

Earlier posts refer.

TOSCA ARE NOT DOING THIS JUST FOR FUN.

ALL IMO. DYOR.
QP

[rathean] 03/7/2018 12:41

What a crazy day trading chart, some serious resistance not far up from here circa 115, might need the rumour mill in the Times to push this significantly higher.

[rathean] 03/7/2018 09:46

CNA leached away a fair amount over 18 months before I finally took the loss and moved on. Only utility I'm in these days is VOD, so you could say I'm playing both sides here except the moment I hit my capital gain target here I'll be selling up... VOD is a longer term play.Putting the previous management mistakes aside, there are risks I think more associated with geopolitical issues, the UK economy is still growing even in the low ebb part of its cycle, so largely domestic plays I think are more insulated than global players... but not immune.

[whatsup32] 03/7/2018 09:26

Been in and thankfully out of TALK. So NOT holding, NOT shorting and NOT an EMPLOYEE

Septimus. I am here like everyone else sharing information. You seem to concentrate on the positive possibly in the hope of driving the price up so you can get out ?? . Who knows. But you have been doing that as far as I can recall over a year over which the price has come down from £2 to £1 HALVED.

So read what you want into it , I couldn’t careless . But if I have a view that is negative I will post it , that way people who read this column will get a balanced view. That may not be to your liking but that’s just tough.

Rathean . I remember sharing that pain with CNA .

[septimus quaid] 03/7/2018 09:14

whatsup32 is a pure enigma, he/she posts on here occasionally, offers no real factual information, just a negative opinion dressed up in a load of verbiage.

Maybe a disgruntled employee?

[rathean] 03/7/2018 08:58

So are you a disgruntled long term holder or just here for the conversation? There is new proven deal making leadership in place, successful launch of a new growth customer acquisition strategy and reaffirmed trading targets in the most recent rns. The change of deal with Daisy will have happened as part of a bigger picture maneuver.Like you said, each to their own. I'm happy to be in TALK at the prices I've paid, I feel for the lth be sure we've all been in that boat... my pain was with Centrica.

[whatsup32] 03/7/2018 07:33

There you go again presuming things that aren’t actual.

First I am not short on this stock or any other for that matter. Don’t go presuming things just because I am negative on this stock.

Second. I have had negative view on this share for over a year. Look at the long term chart above . Over that period the share price has come down from over £2 to £1 . HALVED

Third It’s easy to have growth if you are buying the business . We’ll see if he made any profit per customer when he releases figures. I don’t believe he has , it will be jam tomorrow.

It’s easy to see the glass half full when you are holding.. stay or move on couldn’t careless .imo