Utilitywise Share Discussion Threads

[kizzbop] 05/3/2018 20:34

I agree.
Given his level of experience you would expect so much better. What has he done to achieve those targets?
So it raises doubts on his abilities, maybe in a Company as large and with the resources that Sage has he could get away with it?
Or perhaps his MO is the buy the expertise in, as he seems to have done with some high level (and given Sages salary structure) expensive hires? Who also don’t appear to be solving any of the issues?
In general I would suspect that the culture is in grained. Looking at the accounts the main revenue earning area is Enterprise and it suggests that whoever runs that area of business either can’t or won’t change (of is pulling the wool?). Another thought is that as the key revenue area it’s the life blood of the business and BF daren’t/can217;t change it without a huge loss of revenue? His main focus should be to gain an in-depth understanding of that area and get it sorted. To date he appears to have done anything else but? He’s still not got to grips with the fact that it’s not Sage... ?

[bennywin] 05/3/2018 19:09

B F made some pretty stupid unachievable targets on his appointment.
He looks pretty foolish now as the total customer numbers appear to me massively under on his wild targets. .

[kizzbop] 05/3/2018 12:09

No. Just know people who are and I research and read a lot before I buy shares in a company.
Quite clearly I didn’t do enough of this when I invested in this company. :( I’m generally cautious, but have lost on this one.
I relied on the new directors reputations, thinking they would get a grip of the company, bring in a lot of new products (I was expecting UTW to move towards something like Utility Warehouse in it’s model as per the presentations at the capital market day hxxps://www.utilitywise.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Capital-markets-day-2017.pdf) that’s what the Directors clearly said and also to change it’s culture.
Unfortunately despite seemingly large amounts of money been spent on advertising campaigns, ex Sage employees, transformation consultancies and now audits and who knows what accountancy fees, those stearing the company appear to have failed to achieve any of their promises?
A focus on those promises and remaining internal problems (look at Glassdoor for references around training and development and leadership) and controls would be welcome rather than the high levels of focus on social media and superficial appearance of the directors.
From a shareholders perspective it would be good to see the directors delivering on promises and showing the capabilities required to do so. At the moment I have doubts as it appears many others do?

[bennywin] 05/3/2018 07:40

You sound like you are from the industry Kizzbop

[bennywin] 03/3/2018 19:47

And where did you hear that rumour?
You do make some fair points.
Should they not sue their previous auditors for bad advice ?

[kizzbop] 03/3/2018 07:55

It’ll be interesting to hear Mr Laker’s response. As I said. Rumour. Not allegation. It may be nothing.
It is worrying the delay in publishing and the reasons behind it. It’s a £84/£85m turnover business which appears to have a number of qualified accountants so shouldn’t take so long?
Then the cost of the audit to the company?
Added to that what cost the company paid for the consultancy they had in to make changes and come up with new products with no visible result?
Will they be fined for late submission of their results to AIM?
At the end of the day they have existing customers so that should sustain them at some level. But I expect it depends at what level?

[pictureframe] 02/3/2018 13:16

UTW wont be the only company to have to pay back overstated contracts.

[bennywin] 02/3/2018 11:54

Kizzbop.
That’s pretty serious allegation you are making there.

I have forwarded to Richard Laker for clarification.

[kizzbop] 02/3/2018 11:02

The rumour in the TPI market is that there’s another supplier contact in there and more money is about to be clawed back. Unsubstantiated.

[eipgam] 01/3/2018 13:17

Dear Mr Laker,

Please define 'very soon'.

TIA

[nocton] 01/3/2018 08:15

I emailed Utiltywise re the share suspension and got this reply from Richard Laker,
Chief Financial Officer:
"I appreciate that it is far from ideal that the annual report is not yet published. We hope to complete the process very soon and then announce our results and publish our annual report, which we expect to trigger the lifting of the share suspension."

[bennywin] 28/2/2018 19:49

I think you may have lost the plot Freddie.

[freddie ferret] 28/2/2018 16:43

Cold weather!

[bennywin] 28/2/2018 10:03

Surely , with the half year ending in Jan, there must be some kind of update soon.
That is unless all the accountants and auditors have left the room.

[eipgam] 27/2/2018 17:35

seems to be taking a long time...

[r ball] 12/2/2018 15:32

I reckon it's the going concern due diligence taking the time....

[cockerhoop] 12/2/2018 08:35

It is surprising how long it's taking, especially as I can't think of another finance department that's had more experience of re-stating accounts :-)!

#auditorsplayinghardball

[bennywin] 12/2/2018 08:05

Taking a bloody long time to get this audit done.

[freddie ferret] 07/2/2018 16:53

Perhaps they made a mistake on the year?

[bennywin] 07/2/2018 04:41

My guess is that the audit will be published at the same time as the usual Feb trading update, I,e within the next couple of weeks.

[r ball] 06/2/2018 18:08

Not bad given sell off. Volume low thou.