Vantis Share Discussion Threads

[battlebus] 19/10/2009 22:15

Ready to add to my holding in the morning nothing at present to deserve the current share price.

[dibbs] 19/10/2009 21:43

Very pleased after these recent falls to have sold out of VTS on 21-09 with a small profit. The pressure is really on VTS to get the business and PR back on track. Problems with the accounts and senior staff being taken to court, hardly what you want as an investor. Of course if the are trading well and manage to get the accounts out before suspension then from this oversold position there could be a few quid to be made.

Dibbs

[egoi] 19/10/2009 13:06

Yeah I suppose there isn't long now, I had been thinking results first if necessary, then audit by reporting period end, but if the auditors had had grave concerns and wanted to maintain respect they'd have resigned long before now imho; so I guess they are just ironing things out and the results will indeed appear as per requirement.

[gac100] 19/10/2009 12:57

"19. An AIM company must publish annual AUDITED accounts which must be sent to its shareholders without delay and in any event not later than six months after the end of the financial year to which they relate." [my caps]

From the AIM rules


I guess failure to produce audited accounts (in VTS's case by 31-Oct) will result in suspension of trading in the shares.

[egoi] 19/10/2009 12:43

Don't think it is a clear case atall and it is not against the company of course.

But looks like the scare stories are worrying investors. Shame if TNO got such an imho well run business on the cheap.

They ought to put out their results, as i suggested, audited or otherwise, to put an end to some of the wilder speculation, and if the auditors don't like it, so be it.

All imho of course!

[nickcduk] 19/10/2009 12:34

I read about the story when it first broke. VTS created companies and floated them on ridiculous valuations. They put the investors in at a fraction of the share price and then they gifted those shares to charities in order to get tax relief. Charities couldn't find any buyers for those shares. Pretty clear case imho and I would be surprised if they didn't manage to nail them for a change.

[lapiteau] 19/10/2009 12:26

Any one have any views on today's fall - I assume that some bad news has been leaked.

Egoi/Jeff - do you think we should be praying for Tenon's intervention?

[agreeable] 14/10/2009 15:45

I see rats are leaving the sinking ship....price off

[jeff h] 13/10/2009 14:06

..from memory Tenon already hold a stake in a quoted company...place your bets which one!

[egoi] 13/10/2009 13:31

Yep Jeff, it could go either way I think. A good fit and pretty much a match of equals.

[jeff h] 13/10/2009 13:06

egoi - wouldn't surprise me if Tenon bid for Vantis

[egoi] 13/10/2009 11:55

1) The action is against individuals not a company.

2) I predict there is Nil chance of this company going private, though it might bid for Tenon one day.

3) I also predict the court case will leave the revenue with yet another stain on its face to add to its already impressive collection.......

4) .....And that results will of course be published on time, audited or otherwise.

5) I finally predict any scaremongers will be left looking like the revenue!

[agreeable] 13/10/2009 11:45

egoi
There comes a point when gravity takes over, there is no good news re VTS either with results announcement or otherwise. I suspect they are trying to negotiate a take private or a takeover but difficult to know who would touch them with the HMRC issue hanging over their heads plus £45m of debt. Even if the case is against the individuals there is huge reputational risk here and they still work for Vantis, reading the Sunday Times article it seems as though the HMRC issue is not just the Gift Aid scheme but they tried to hide £3.5m of fees in offshore bank accounts.
Anyway we will know in 18 days when either they publish accounts or they are suspended

[egoi] 11/10/2009 15:34

From just reading that speaking entirely personally I suspect the revenue will have their work cut out to try and make that one stick - probably dribble on for years through various courts lol - unless maybe a judge were to decide that it was a matter for the Channel Island authorities!

We've seen imho greed from the revenue and governement drive many bookmakers offshore, be a shame if accountants were forced to follow suit

[battlebus] 04/10/2009 20:30

Nice to see i'm in good company will probably add again this week. Value is definitly to be found here.

[egoi] 04/10/2009 08:06

Billionaire takes stake in Vantis:

[egoi] 24/9/2009 08:23

Goodwill gets written down from time to time, no big deal.

What about the banking arrangements? no recent sign of trouble there imho.

[egoi] 23/9/2009 07:58

Bb hope you are well rewarded, tempted too. I think the company should release unaudited results and then post audited asap to holders when available. That is if the auditors are still whingeing of course. Time to call their bluff.

I have a feeling it was LNG who did something similar recently so I am confident it is in AIM rules.

[battlebus] 22/9/2009 22:19

Dipped a toe. seems an interesting share your recent debate swung me. Results will be interesting.

[egoi] 21/9/2009 12:26

Thank you.

As far as I am aware no successful (or other?) cases have been brought aqainst the company re any tax schemes? - happy to be corrected naturally if you know different - so your innuendo must remain no more than that if I am correct; and until we know how any dispute with the auditors is settled there can only be equal consideration as to who is 'right'.

Working capital was a one-off and stabilized fairly quickly and so the going concern report was ultimately of no consequence - and we shall see whether there is any qualification on this year's numbers, hopefully soon if the auditors get their finger out!

I had a feeling you might work for a competitor! -:)

EDIT: Agreeable, I don't doubt that you feel strongly and believe what you say. However a friendly - i mean that - thought, is that I think you need to be careful. Criticizing professional colleagues is always imho fraught with risk, in that you risk losing the moral high ground should there be nothing proven against your rival, exactly to that rival.

It's clear and in some ways understandable, your distaste, but every little thing they have in your eyes done less than well, in any way ,it seems to me you have spent years jumping onto on here and people might wonder if your personal motive runs deeper.

There are two sides to every story! Take care, results will reveal much.

[agreeable] 21/9/2009 11:35

egoi
I am a Chartered Accountant, I am not shorting the shares however I do think this company gives my chosen profession a very bad name, their involvement in 'dodgy' tax schemes, their inability to demonstrate they can control working capital, their current 'apparent dispute' with their current auditors and finally the accolade of a working capital qualification on their audit report two years ago casts a long shadow over this share.

[egoi] 20/9/2009 08:37

Dibbs I suspect that you will decide that one of agreeable's weaknesses might be an inability to answer seemingly simple questions. I have certainly personally found this.

So let us all try again and then we can draw our own conclusions:

1) Agreeable, who do you work for (assuming you do have a job)?
2) Agreeable are you currently shorting Vantis?
3) Agreeable why have you chosen this hitherto imho mainly successful company to 'snipe' at on here for many years?

I am happy to state my own positions.

1) I am self employed based overseas and have no links past or present to VTS other than as a former PI.

2) No. (I am a PI I have in the past held VTS shares but not currently long or short (i don't short anyway).

3) I like the company as a share because i think it has been well run, hence I follow it closely which is why I post on it.

Let me give you a start, Q1, I'm sure you can remember, if not look for a sign often above the door when you next go in. -:) Q2 requires a one word answer......... -:)

We all look forward to your answers. 'Simples'. -:)

[dibbs] 17/9/2009 22:58

Only if you think that genuine accounting issues will be uncovered.

Based on the prospective PE and the recent reports of its peers, ie BEG and TNO then this is far from a short. Recent trades indicate someone is happy to accumulate VTS stock at the moment. 123.5k bought at 79p yesterday and 180k at 79p on 08-09. MM's happy to soak up small sells at 76p.

Raging short or you are short and want these down?

I guess you pay your money and take your choice. Only the passage of time will yield the truth.

Dibbs