Wpp Share Discussion Threads

[winner31] 09/4/2018 12:04

ShareCast News) - News that WPP has taken steps to prepare for life after chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell and that investors are pushing for asset sales combined to lift shares in the advertising giant on Monday morning.
The FTSE 100 conglomerate last week launched an investigation into allegations of personal misconduct by Sorrell, who has denied the allegations. If not before, there is likely to be an update when WPP announces its first quarter trading statement on Monday, 30 April.

On the short list so far are three internal candidates, The Times reported: Mark Read, chief executive of WPP's wholly owned digital agency subsidiary Wunderman; Lindsay Pattison, chief transformation officer of WPP's Group M media investment management company; and Johnny Hornby, founder of WPP-backed The & Partnership. WPP also has a list of several external candidates that is being "constantly refined", it was reported.

Investors are also take the opportunity to push for a break-up of the firm's vast global portfolio of subsidiaries, it was also being reported, partly as the sheer size and complexity of the business is felt to make the task even more difficult for any Sorrell successor.

Sorrell has run WPP since 1986 when he took control of Wire & Plastic Products, a maker of wire baskets, and used it as a vehicle to begin a never-ending quest to acquire advertising and marketing companies all over the globe. Sorrell has also regularly been the top-paid FTSE 100 boss, leading to complaints that the board allows him to dominate the company.

Investors are calling for a sale of Kantar, WPP's £3.5bn market research arm, the Mail reported, with the cash proceeds to be used to pare debt, pay buybacks and focus on the core businesses.

[woodhawk] 09/4/2018 09:11

I concur, Asturius101. In the meantime, now in profit and looking forward to a nice divi in due course. Should be breaking above 1200p soonish, imo - prob by trading statement end this month.

[asturius101] 09/4/2018 08:57

i think we all know what is going on if you read between the lines. MS will be fully exonerated but perhaps may realise that its time to start slowly handing over aimho etc

[winner31] 09/4/2018 07:12

Successor to Sorrel identified ,got to be good news for hard pressed shareholders

[ccr1958] 08/4/2018 17:46

Lawyers all over this alleged Sorrell ‘ scandal’ could do without this !

[blueteam] 06/4/2018 13:31

the buyback continues till £13 so a way off yet.

[woodhawk] 06/4/2018 09:40

"analysts at Liberum speculated that one outcome of the probe into Sorrell could be the sale of WPP’s data management business.

The market research unit — much loved by Sorrell — generates 15% of WPP’s sales and could fetch about £3.5 billion."

[asturius101] 06/4/2018 09:16

everyone seems to want to get in now - early signs of a very definitive uptrend imo. A broker note re-rating to 1,750 GBP also helps methinks! imho IMB is another one looking like the downtrend cld be turning...

[woodhawk] 05/4/2018 13:22

Better and better...

[mister md] 05/4/2018 13:16

nice double bottom formation for those into that kind of thing ?

[asturius101] 05/4/2018 12:16

looking like this will test 1140 again soon

[woodhawk] 05/4/2018 07:48

Indeed, Active. Share buy-back in operation at prices under 1300p. Divi circa 5.5% at this level. Potential takeover target. Hugely oversold.

[srpactive] 05/4/2018 07:31

W

Looks very interesting here.

[woodhawk] 04/4/2018 14:25

Yes, I am Active. A recent buyer.

[careful] 04/4/2018 13:29

It feels very odd, a company that Sorrell personally built up from almost nothing investigating for wrongdoing.
Bizarre.

Hope Sorrell is not short.
That would be bad form.

[asturius101] 04/4/2018 13:22

Yes, it does seem very odd. It would be interesting to find out short positions taken out within the last few days...

[srpactive] 04/4/2018 12:23

W

Are you in here?

[woodhawk] 04/4/2018 12:17

The Sorrell business sounds utterly contrived.

[notimpressed] 04/4/2018 10:30

fortune favours the brave

[asturius101] 04/4/2018 07:59

storm in a teacup...happy to hold

[winner31] 04/4/2018 07:44

Any excuse to knock the so down you should know what the MMS are like by now ,not complaining got a tranch at fantastic price

[notimpressed] 04/4/2018 07:35

from the press brief
"The allegations do not involve amounts which are material to WPP."

[grahamite2] 04/4/2018 07:34

Maybe so - a couple of weeks ago I was the one talking about the traditional strategy of waiting for a decisive upturn. But this smear rather looks like someone looking to build a stake on the cheap.

[bookbroker] 04/4/2018 07:24

Only with gloves on!

[grahamite2] 04/4/2018 07:22

I'm wondering if this might actually be the time to catch the falling knife.