ASOS have dropped quite significantly in the past week for no particular reason and I view this as the perfect opportunity to invest as I can see them bouncing right back up to the 5.50p mark in the next 2-3 weeks. STRONG BUY!!

Eric
Thanks for the offer of Honey, but I generally prefer to make my own arrangements in that department!
Yours
the infinitely scaly bull
SD

bull terrier presumably! Or is it loads of bull? or is it bull-shit - i.e. as opposed to cow dung? Or is it a scalywag - which bring us back to...

EWR

little rise today so far sp new buy note issued today has anyone seen this,any new info in this note.cheers woodie

thanx to radarlove on advfn for this:

(From Richard Ratner of 'Seymour Pierce')

ONE AREA OF RETAILING WHICH ISN'T ALL GLOOM

Time to look again at the shares of ASOS as they have come back about 20p from their peak.

At the time of the post-Christmas trading statement (9 months to 31 December) sales of ASOS.com were up 71%. We believe that, despite a pretty awful January for most retailers, sales have continued to grow strongly.

In December, ASOS.com was in second place in the Hitwise chart for apparel and accessories. This position was maintained in January.

There was some disappointment that, despite sales forecasts going up, profit estimates have not increased. This is because the company was, and still is, operating from four warehouses.

However, we expect ASOS to move in the spring/early summer, to a new larger warehouse, although at present no contracts for a new property have been signed.

When this happens, this will make a huge difference, as at present the company is concentrating on ensuring that merchandise is delivered to the customer on time, despite the additional costs. In addition, the gross margin has been adversely affected by the emphasis on keeping stocks clean ahead of any move.

These are only short term factors and once a new warehouse is signed up and we know the net cost effects of this, we will be adjusting our estimates for next year.

The internet is an increasingly important area of retailing and ASOS, being both profitable and cash generative, is at the forefront of this. On anything other than a very short term view, the shares are a BUY.

marketmaker thanks for quick update just what is needed to calm fears.cheers woodie

marketmaker: thanks; very helpful and puts trading performance in perspective. The hitwise figures look very impressive. Do you know if the scale is the same for ASOS and Next; if so, ASOS are challenging for supremacy. What exactly is being measured on the two graphs? I wonder what the 'reaach' of SPs figures are.

Eric

Another effort to rise today only to fall back. Its as if someone is trying to sit on it; not drive it any lower but just stop it rising. I wonder if the shorters don't want to buy back so they just keep putting more into shorting positions. Could catch a cold doing that! Freezing outside. What happens if there is a lovely RNS bringing all the bulls rushing back in. The poor shorters trampled under foot! Feeling sorry for then; poor old evil! In fact I feel an article coming on, sympathetic to him! It wouldn't do if they became an extinct species, nor should we try to tame them, put them in cages. Life would be duller without them. Like tigers, and jackels and hyenas and warthogs.

Eric

Eric

My guess is there will be a further TA shortly after end of year 31st March. If that's good that's when the SP will move back into gear. But any time between now and then this may be anticipated. My next buy will be to top up on ASOS from this very comfortable, as you say consolidated, position. Been a bit busy on SEO and DEMG this last week or so, not to mention PGI newly bought Friday and 17% in profit by end of today - have a look.

SD

stockdog

Thanks for that but why is it that everybody recommends the shares after they have jumped rather than before. Like a dog who's got the cream, or is that the cat. OH yes, dogs worry bones and postmen! Bitten any postmen lately? Happy for ASC to wait till well through April. Have built a nice new position up but could use more SEO and NLR profits to add a few more. Its the secret really, to get your shares moving in interlocking waves; circulate your money and add to it everytime it goes round. In fact, sounds like NLR - what a recipe for making money; pity I hadn't got in sooner. Still, more to come from ASC, no doubt about it!

Eric

Eric

If you're wondering why I didn't mention PGI on Friday, apologies - well truth is the last two stocks I got into (PSG, FAO) I did start a thread for them before I bought, but there were no responses, so I kind of thought maybe I'd breached protocol (being only a puppy at this game) so I was reluctant to do it a third time. Still plenty of fun to come in PGI I reckon. I was only alerted to it myself after it rose from 18p to 41.50 where I bought with scant research - moreorless hunch and a belief in the tipster (thoroughly bad way to invest I know). Never expected it to take off so soon. Hope there will be dips a plenty to add for me and you.

SD

SD

Accept that! Enjoy your bone. Had a look - quite a juicy one but most of the action has probably occurred. This is a good type of situation to pick up, though, where company has been under-performing in a traditional role but then gets into action which is complementary in a financial way. Worth a good 'ROFL' which you pups like!

By the way, have resolved to do some more topping up on ASC as CFD marging becomes available. Cap. down to 45M! I reckon that is projected pe of 15 in year commencing April. pe of 30 later this year (dropping to 15 following year) implies price of 125p. Anyway, thats my target. double-bagger and 8-bagger via CFDs. Yeah! I'll have a bit more of that!

Eric

Eric

Erci

Another one I did try to get you all excited about on the BFC board before it took off was close relation DOO at 160ish mid Jan - has now risen from 180 to 420 (!) over last 10 days. Again a very desultory response apart from andy and hlyeo98 who actually had the cojones to start a new thread last week - no one else.

Sorry to persist with the point, but I do want you all to know I do give where I can as well as take from this site. What I receive from you all is far more valubale than holding back on what I know.

Back to business - I agree with you on ASC, hoping it stays where is is for a few more days whilst I bring up reinforcements from the vault.

SD

No problem, sd, you're a good fellow. Even share your bones whilst there is still some juicy morsels on them. Mind, wouldn't leave you alone with the joint on the table! Good thing about share tips is that you share the good ones with your pals, they buy too, the sp goes up and you make more money! Like a smile - give it away and it multiplies. Same probably applies to woofs.
lol!

Eric

Winalot Of Other Friends (WOOF!)

SD

at time of this post no trade has been done since 11.54 looks like selling is getting lighter only 300000 shares traded on a downday looks like bottom will soon be reached.cheers woodie

I spoke to a "professional" investor last year and mentioned ASC.His response was "made a lot of money on them but they're old hat,now."Is this the attitude out there?Don't you think that the price rise was too good to be true....with not much cash to qualify such a valuation.Also,hard to pick a lower resistance price to buy in at.Does this become a stock that just reacts to good news?By the way,Stockdog,I am one of your fans...you are a cool hound!!!!

Ethel - ASC is old hat in terms of a 10 fold rise over 12 months, but has interesting prospects of doubling in value this year and continuing to increase over the next 2 to 3 years to maybe 4 times presnet value IMHO. And then there will be dividends one day quite soon.

In an uncertain world where the FTSE may reach the peak of its bear reversal any day now and then plunge downwards again, the macro level momentum of ASC's ratings amongst internet retailers in a world where we must be moving more and more towards that means of shopping away from the high street and ASC's evidently good management with tangible, upwardly mobile results, makes this a very comfortably fitting hat for me.

Am watching intently when to top up, but would like to see the consolidation a the 60p level really settle. Given 1p or 2p at this level does not make any real difference to the likely gain over the next year, I am happy to miss the very bottom and see a little determined tick up as a buy signal. Today's drift down to below 60p bid is unsettling my hope that we had reached bottom. I will wait and probably see what week ending price settles at.

A pre-opening RNS announcing acquisition of the new warehouse giving you 5 minutes in the morning to buy at the day before's closing offer price would also be a way to view it. Or waiting for the results - I expect a build up of price prior to them and a fall back after them on the resutls alone. If they also announce good trading and/or warehouse news simultaneously that could be the buy signal.

However, I can see no harm whatsoever in buying at today's subdued price if you intend to hold for up to a year.

DYOR, walk your own dog

SD

O.K...hint taken,will try to walk my dog more.Re the warehouse,which I presumes will be rented,they talk about first or second quarter till they have news on that.Then comes the horrible idea that their warehousing operations run into difficulties,which happened to many cos last year.How are they financing this expansion...new offering?I would like to wait till the sp drops much lower before getting in,although at the moment the business model etc.look great.Just hope they can handle the expansion that they are hoping for.More people will use the internet for shopping,especially as our towns and cities get more violent even though our every move is watched.Walking the dog used to be such fun.Thanks for your info.Ethel

sd: shouldn't that be WYOD! lol!

ethel: Your getting a little worried and trying to imagine downsides. Believe me, opening a new warehouse will be child's play after coping brilliantly with the Christmas peak for four different warehouses! This management has achieved everything they said they would in the last two years. As for cash they had 1.26mill at the bank at end September and that will have grown significantly by now. There are two reasons why the sp is languishing around 60p: first is people like your "professional investor" who have moved on; second is that it is known that the share has been shorted (I assume by evil knievel to get his own back when he failed in his efforts last year). The first of these will be put right with positive news from the company as investors return; the second of these will be put right with positive news from the company as short positions are closed.

What is the basis of confidence in sd's double figure this year with which I agree (he's actually quite an intelligent chap like many of his canine friends!). (a) Hitwise figures above which indicate that trading may be up to double that last year; (b) The positive effect in reducing costs of the new warehouse; (c) the initiatives waiting in the wings such as own label, deals with Amazon, etc to use their portals; Miss Sixty; the continued migration to the internet for fashion; the relatively fixed level of overheads. Can produce the numbers if you like but there is no way, IMO, that ASC will close the year at less than 120p. Its good to have a banker sitting away in your portfolio which you don't need to worry about - unless it is in your nature (I don't mean to be unkind) to worry!

Eric

Hi ethel, hope you're not a stalker. I have had shares in ASC since last year. IMO there are only two runners in this field, NXT and ASC. Apart from actual trading amounts, both seem to be experiencing similar trading pattern. ASC has brought more to their web site since my initial purchase and hopefully, the new warehousing will give them the punch to offer more online with confidence that they can deliver extra. I believe that the younger age group (teens to 30's) go for ASOS for trend and fashion whereas the smartset and born again teenagers go to NEXT (less exposure at the midriff!!)for office clothes, holiday and partytime. So I believe each has some niche and have good mileage ahead.