WS Atkins Share Discussion Threads

[wiganer] 06/7/2005 13:46

Bought in today, for obvious reasons.

[evilwebby] 28/6/2005 22:03

Nice dir. buy today. £38k's worth. Still long.

[salpara111] 21/6/2005 08:59

Well, the market seems rather unimpressed I guess the long period of outperformance is slowly coming to an end. I say this as someone whose biggest holding is ATK. I have reduced my holding but am unclear if we are going to retest the 740 highs again this year.
I thought the results were good but not exceptional, I guess we will need to see a clear upturn in the rail market before things have a chance to get motoring again.
Margin improvement was excellent but was tempered by the fact that turnover was esentially static which makes it harder to keep improving profitability.
The forward booking of work for 2006 was good but again could have been better at this point in time.
I think that if it sticks its head above the 700 level again I will sell out my remaining holding.

[ireland05] 20/6/2005 12:40

just been told by Atkins staff they are going to be 20M above forecast, watch this space

[ireland05] 17/6/2005 09:27

we hope, next week the big rise will happen.

[evilwebby] 16/6/2005 18:40

Next stop back to 740p?

[tonyleongson] 17/5/2005 11:00

Broker Recommendations - Tuesday 17th May 2005

Arbuthnot says buy WS Atkins (LSE: ATK.L - news).

[tonyleongson] 12/5/2005 18:10

Forecast Key Dates

Next prelim announcement 22 - Jun - 2005
Next annual report due 19 - Jul - 2005
Next AGM 07 - Sep - 2005
Next interim announcement 01 - Dec - 2005

[tonyleongson] 11/5/2005 11:38

Broker Recommendations - Wednesday 11th May 2005, 11:05 am

Arbuthnot says buy WS Atkins (LSE: ATK.L - news).

[tonyleongson] 11/5/2005 11:37

Carillion, Enterprise, Atkins in £700m MoD win

LONDON (ShareCast) - The Ministry of Defence has chosen a consortium of three leading PFI contractors to maintain and upgrade more than 40,000 properties in a £700m deal. MODern Housing Solutions, 50% owned by Carillion and 25% each by Enterprise and WS Atkins (LSE: ATK.L - news) , will start work on the seven-year contract in August. There is the possibility of a three year-extension to the deal.

John McDonough, Carillion's chief executive said, 'We are delighted to have been selected for this major defence services contract. Government's outsourcing of support services is a major growth market and defence is one of our key sectors.'

[tonyleongson] 11/5/2005 11:37

RNS Number:1554M
Atkins (WS) PLC

NEWS RELEASE

11 May 2005

Atkins appointed designated support services
supplier for MoD #700m Housing Prime Contract

Atkins is in a joint venture, led by Carillion, that has been selected as the
designated support services supplier for a #700m contract with Defence Estates
to maintain and upgrade Ministry of Defence family accommodation.

"MODern Housing Solutions" (MHS) - comprising Carillion with a 50% stake, Atkins
(25%) and Enterprise (25%) - will be responsible for maintaining and upgrading
40,000 properties in England and Wales over a seven-year period from August
2005, with the potential for a three-year extension.

Keith Clarke, Atkins chief executive officer, said: "We are delighted to have
been selected for this major defence services contract. Government's outsourcing
of support services is a major growth market and Defence is one of our key
sectors.

"We look forward to working with the Defence Estates and are committed to
offering a responsive and consistent service for the families living in this
accommodation, placing greater emphasis on customer care, quality and value for
money."

Vice Admiral Peter Dunt, Defence Estates chief executive, added: "Defence
Estates is committed to a Housing Prime contract, and I am confident that, in
taking forward MHS's proposals, we will develop a long-term, positive,
mutually-beneficial relationship in order to obtain improved service delivery
and greater value-for-money for the Service Families Accommodation estate in
England & Wales."

[tonyleongson] 11/5/2005 10:57

FTSE 250 - Risers
10/5/05

N Brown (LSE: BWNG.L - news) (BWNG) 120.00p +7.14% P and O (PO.) 277.25p +3.84% Aggreko (AGK) 187.50p +2.88% WS Atkins (LSE: ATK.L - news) (ATK) 650.00p +2.44% Dairy Crest (LSE: DCG.L - news) (DCG) 462.00p +1.82% Arriva (ARI) 527.00p +1.74% Bellway (BWY) 800.50p +1.72% Marshalls (MSLH) 292.50p +1.65% British Energy Group (BGY) 331.00p +1.53% Crest Nicholson (LSE: CRST.L - news) (CRST) 385.75p +1.51%

[tonyleongson] 11/5/2005 08:22

Atkins appoints chief operating officer
10 May 2005

Atkins, the multidisciplinary consultant, has appointed Norman Schunter as Chief Operating Officer with immediate effect.

As Chief Operating Officer, a newly created role, Norman will be responsible for all operational and performance issues and delivery of the short to medium term business plan. This announcement follows Chief Executive Keith Clarke's appointment as non-executive chairman of Metronet and is designed to enable Keith to focus on strategic business issues while Norman takes responsibility for operations.

Norman's 35-year career at Atkins has encompassed a wide range of roles in the UK and overseas, most recently as Group Managing Director of Atkins' Design, Environment & Engineering group, where he was responsible for 4,000 multidisciplinary staff worldwide.

Major recent projects Norman has overseen include Thamestown in Shanghai, Glasgow Bridge, Durrat Island in Bahrain and a vast range of hospitals, schools, airports and regeneration projects throughout the UK and beyond.

Keith Clarke says, "Norman has taken our design and engineering business to new levels of success both in the UK and overseas. In his new role he will bring his vast experience to bear across the whole of the Atkins group. We are delighted that Norman has accepted this role and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him."

Atkins was recently named Construction Consultant of the Year at the Building magazine awards 2005.

[tonyleongson] 09/5/2005 09:54

ATKINS TIPPED IN SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Market miscellany

08/05/2005

Now is the time to feast on Atkins

The Labour party's election manifesto envisaged "liberating over £21bn" from the bill for delivering public services by cutting waste and improving efficiency.

In the past, governments have relied on outsourcing companies to deliver services more cheaply than the public sector.

Analysts at Cazenove point out that government spending amounts to 40 per cent of UK gross domestic product but the support services sector accounts for
just 1 per cent of the value of the FTSE All Share index.

Cazenove is bullish on the sector and its stock picks are WS Atkins, Mouchel Parkman and Serco.

Of these, WS Atkins (623.5p) would seem to be the best value, trading on a multiple of earnings for next year of 12 times, compared with 15.7 times for Serco and 14.5 times for Mouchel.

Atkins is the leading player in the majority of markets in which it operates and although we've traded into and out of the stock before, now would be a good
time to buy.

[tonyleongson] 08/5/2005 11:48

ADVFN competitor.com/action/news/showArticle?id=774879

WS Atkins names Norman Schunter to new COO post

LONDON (AFX) - Engineering and construction consultant WS Atkins PLC said Norman Schunter has been appointed chief operating officer with immediate effect.

The company said the post is newly created following Chief Executive Keith Clarkes appointment as non-executive chairman of Metronet, and is intended to enable Clarke to focus on strategic business issues while Schunter takes responsibility for operations.

Schunter most recently was group managing director of Atkins Design, Environment & Engineering group.

[tonyleongson] 08/5/2005 11:47

WS Atkins' new home from home

Thursday 5th May 2005

The disputes and burnished memories of four prosperous Epsom families have been played out in the plain brick house while all around buildings have perished throughout the past 350 years.

It seems fitting that the late Sir William Sidney Atkins should have based part of his multidisciplinary engineering group in the Mansion at Woodcote Grove.

Set back from Chalk Lane behind imposing gates, the grade II* listed building provides a potent symbol of durability.

Moreover, the Mansion, built in 1667, survives as living proof that buildings endure if they are adapted to each age without shedding the character that first made them desirable.

When Sir William bought the house in 1957 cracks were unsurprisingly beginning to appear. Early staff recall sitting in the dining room at ground level, gazing at the sky through a small hole.

Now WS Atkins, accustomed to planning other groups' projects, is promising a new era after restoring the building regarded as one of Epsom's less celebrated architectural treasures to its splendour of the 17th century.

Last month the scaffolding, which has swathed all four elevations since August last year, was finally removed.

What emerged was cleaner bays with new timber balustrades, skylights and replacement pitched and flat roof coverings.

Materials such as Burlington Westmoreland roof slates from the Lake District and African oak were chosen for their authenticity.

Much of the design was down to project manager Sasha Kulidzan, who immersed himself in local history books before submitting the plans, which were approved last July by English Heritage and town planners.

He says: "I loved researching and learning about this superb building, and being part of the team which has created a new future for it.

"Atkins is not only revitalising history, but also modernising the Mansion so that future maintenance can be carried out with ease.

"Through the restoration and revitalisation, it was our intention to upgrade its fabric by maintaining and improving the building's historical appearance and preventing further decay, while complying with current building regulations.

"We hope to have given giving new life to a beautiful building while incorporating the most up-to-date and unobtrusive safety systems."

The Mansion was built for Josiah Diston, who earned his fortune in the wool trade before rising to director of the Bank of England between 1701 and 1721.

He sold it to Nathanial Garland, in whose family the house remained until 1895 when the fifth earl of Rosebery became owner and entrusted it to his daughter, the Marchioness of Crewe.

During this period Victorian wings were built and modifications made.

The wings contain two public rooms with large bay windows and enough room for meals to be served a la Russe the Russian style of bringing prepared plates and bowls from a separate serving area.

Mr Kulidzan says the renovation is unusual in that it should provide not only better working conditions for Atkins' secretariat, but a "shop window" for its skills.