Venture Life Share Discussion Threads

[apad] 12/10/2018 15:06

Yoodles back and buzzing.

Usual suspects.

I don't understand Netflix - spending billions producing second rate stuff, may make a profit in 5/10 years and facing competition from Disney/Fox/HBO waking up to streaming and owning quality films.

apad

[al101uk] 12/10/2018 14:35

Picked up Keller at £7 yesterday, a 30% decline seemed excessive to me for what is 20% of their business.

Needless to say, it has continued to fall :-)

[al101uk] 12/10/2018 14:32

Valhamos,

I agree entirely that Trip Advisor in isolation is likely of little use, but when combined with other sites from the staff point of view it paints a picture. The two parties are saying the same things:

"I hated working there"

"The service was poor"

Two sides of the same coin.

A couple of cherry picked reviews, equally would hold little sway, but the sheer number of negative reviews coming from both sides painted a picture.

That's not to say every store was bad, but my conclusion (in hindsight) was that a number of stores were seemingly failing quite badly while the story coming out of the company accounts didn't appear to reflect that. That could have been construed as a warning sign and one I would likely have missed as a holder.

I may be completely wrong of course as we still don't know the nature of the fraud.

[apad] 12/10/2018 13:39

Yoodle futures suggesting a snap back, so it looks like a simple correction.

Dunno anything about FDP Valhamos, but the CAKE story has taught me to look at directors history.

"But the two other AIM-listed companies he worked for ended badly for his investors.

The seafood restaurant chain Fishworks Plc went into administration, while the loss-making gym chain Healthy Living Centres delisted with its share price close to zero.

There is also a link with Gary Ashworth, who was involved in forcing Interquest off the stock market and into private hands. Paul Scott nominated Interquest as "the small company which seems to worst treat its outside shareholders" and described management as "incompetent, and not to be trusted".

Some links between all of the characters:

Luke Johnson was the Chairman of Healthy Living Centres with Chris Marsh as FD.
Gary Ashworth was the Chairman of Interquest.
Luke Johnson was an investor and a director of Interquest.
Gary Ashworth was the Chairman of Fishworks while Chris Marsh was FD and Luke Johnson was an investor.
The ties are clearly very deep between all three men."

apad

[valhamos] 12/10/2018 13:20

I held FDP for 10 years until 2015 and it went up 10 fold and had increased 3 fold since. I always considered it to be a reputable business (but after CAKE that means nothing) but at over £40 the rating was a bit too punchy for me. I have been aware of the bear raid for the last dew days but have been busy with other things, what's the substance of Matt Earls report?

[hydrus] 12/10/2018 13:15

Wasn't one of the big four Dacian - hence the problem with the mind set that by increasing competition, audit quality will increase. It won't.Need to establish a private sector equivalent of the old audit commission which then independently awards audit contracts for floated companies. Avoids the inherent conflict in auditing a company that you wish to retain as a client (hence you won't upset them or perhaps dig to deep) 'Whose bread I eat his song I sing'

[valhamos] 12/10/2018 13:14

Just to been to Pat Val's- had to have what maybe a final Madame Valerie while the opportunity was there. I hadn't been for a few weeks but the place was as busy as ever. I know one or two here have come out with unfavourable anecdotal evidence but I have always found the staff very courteous and the cakes and coffee to be very nice. One has to question how useful Trip Advisor ratings are when this particular store has mixed reviews but is always very busy. One feels very sorry for the staff with what has happened.

I have written off my holding which was just under 3% of portfolio but I will be interesting to find out how the fraud was carried out. I have one or two ideas to improve DD on companies in the future relating to use of subsidiaries and particularly subsidiaries where the company name is unrelated to the group name (in this case most of the business was in Stonebeach). What is interesting about this one is that in the lead up to this there were no shorts circling like vultures getting ready for the feast. No one spotted the winding up notice in the London Gazette.

[apad] 12/10/2018 12:31

Small Cap Value Report
exposing directors of CAKE track records/
apad

[apad] 12/10/2018 12:26

Just seen the SMT top holdings on FTalphaville!
Hell's teeth its not the company it was.
apad

[redartbmud] 12/10/2018 11:06

tlatsatt

Hope that you are not washed away in the wild and windy weather:-)

The gold plated bicycle clips would not have held, when the downturn kicked in as, yet again the yoodles 'went off on one' without asking permission.

red

[gymratt] 12/10/2018 11:01

They've already secured a deal with GE Pharma. Also, Simon Sturge, one of the directors has recently bought 75k s worth(6 million shares) .

[apad] 12/10/2018 10:56

You're just trying to frighten me, Gymratt!
Actually, quite an easy thing to do.

apad😊

[apad] 12/10/2018 10:52

for those interested in the high sensitivity troponin test.

apad

[gymratt] 12/10/2018 10:47

Hi APAD. You might like to have a look at this little medical imaging company: FDBK

[apad] 12/10/2018 10:43

ps
I'm not at all sure that cardiac troponin income will satisfy the tintins at the interims.

[apad] 12/10/2018 10:40

Paton has written his usual competent analysis of BVXP.

However, he gets his info from the management and other tintins. So, of course he complains about the rate of roll-out of cardiac troponin.

Those of us who have had a go at reading the technical literature know two important things.
1. Hospitals will not change hugely expensive diagnostic kit for one test. So, the market is defined by the number of Siemens machines in appropriate places.
2. Of course medics are conservative and will introduce a new test slowly and carefully whilst sharing information and experience. So, after a gentle start it should grow rapidly as it becomes the norm.

Someone buying at 2940 today is satisfying. Interim is late March, so there may be opportunities to buy between ex div and then.

apad

[mattjos] 12/10/2018 10:25

Hydrus, I guess it all depends on the timeline of ones investment & to what extent one trades or, not.
My main holding is in my SIPP. the small quantity I have traded over the years have effectively reduced the SIPP holding costs to the level where I am comfortable to ride out the inevitable up/downs of a growing company

[apad] 12/10/2018 09:55

"Cake and cafe group Patisserie said Friday suspended finance director Chris Marsh was arrested by the police last night and had been released on bail. "

[hydrus] 12/10/2018 09:51

Problem is Mattjos I recall you were adding at more than twice today's price a couple months ago. PE ratio of 100 at today's price. Is it cheap?

[mattjos] 12/10/2018 09:43

That is much too harsh a comment re. SYM apad & suggest you are not fully conversant with either the business or business model there.

The company is well beyond that stage now .. we each do our own thing, I added this morning because at <7p/share mkt cap was much too cheap, imo

[thelongandtheshortandthetall] 12/10/2018 09:33

Hi Lomax

Yes. Definitely carrying on with Smithson as before. And as pointed out. As of today the £10 per share will go further. Happy days. Plus slight increase in gbp too over last few days.
In a strange way. Smithson going for over double the initial raise in itself could have been a pretty good indicator that things were a bit toppy.

Oh Red you've spoiled my plans. thought I had the whole game sussed :)
BTW where was your bicycle clip warnings on this one lol.

Back to the slabs. Please no more rain.