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!!

jusk looking to invest in ASC hopefully around the 45p mark... just have one concern: Cant ASOS be sued for copying desigs (as in copying clothes that celebs wear?)
E.g Monsoon sueing Primark over skirt design!!!

I may be totally out of the picture but would be gr8 if neone can clarify?

My guess is that the web traffic is up because they are having another 75% off sale.

Still selling furry boots, which doesn't really strike me as a summer item and it strikes me that they may be getting rid of lines prior to the warehouse move. Also, they are offering free delivery on sales over 40 again.

Overall, makes me think that margins are continuing to be hit - I think things the margins will pick up after september for the second half of the year.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-38-1578140,00.html

Jacques Vert rose 1p at 15p as its top three directors bought a combined 390,660 shares at 14p under an executive share-matching scheme. Asos eased p at 49p, despite talk that recent trading at the online fashion retailer has been STRONG.

Hitwise just done a report on the apparel & accessories category for UK online traffic. Next remains no.1 with a market share of 8.29%, with ASOS 2nd at 3.87%. ASOS' position has strengthened having slugged it out for 2nd place in throughout most of 2004 with La Redoute, Additions Direct and Figleaves. ASOS has been no.2 every month since November 2004.

Apparel & accessories enjoyed stronger growth in 2004 than many other retail categories In March 05 the category enjoyed 14% year on year growth in MARKET SHARE of visits. So ASOS is gaining an increasing share in a segment that is grabbing an larger share of overall internet traffic, which is itself growing fast thanks to increasing penetration of broadband. Not too shabby. Not too shabby at all. If they get their infrastructure sorted out, improve the sharpness of their buying (too much stuff has to be discounted at the moment) and keep signing strong partnerships like the Now! magazine tie up then this is an absolute winner.

marketmaker all comes down to margins the hitwise figs can be misleading which they were before xmas .cheers woodie

Woodie, margins are vital in the end for profits, agreed. But meanwhile, I don't mind a bit of emphasis on penetration to set them up well for the new season of stock from the new warehouse.

Another stock that needs to tell a better story and see its SP react before it will attract many new friends onto the share register currently.

But I continue to hold until that happy day.

SD

Thanks, marketmaker - helpful and factual comments. Me and my doggie friend are in the same basket (if not boat) and happy to wait for profit recovery to Q2 of current year with new warehouse in place. Think sp will recover once our awareness is shared.

Eric

sidtrix: An answer to your query in post 1355 appears on P3 of today's Torygraph. It seems that the LVMH group - Louis Vuitton, Dior, Givenchy and Celine are among those planning to take on the imitators. Good news for the lawyers but possibly not for investors. I'm sticking to CSB, GMC and FSJ etc for the present, and watching ASC (and this thread) from the sidelines.
sd.

http://www.nowmagazineoffers.com/asos/

Thanks, marketmaker. A nice bit of image building with NOW and Champneys.

The present sp doesn't hold any hostages to fortune. cap. down to 35m. Recent broker forecasts for current year are pretty close: Seymour Pierce quoting eps of 3p on pre-tax 2.25m and Shore Capital 3.3p on 2.20m. That's a pe of around 11. On the fairly reasonable assumption that therevenue growth is continuing at 50%+ the sp is very low and both brokers haev the share as a BUY (recent forecasts).

No quarterly trading statement which is not surprising. Reasonable to assume that waiting for warehouse to be implemented first. Last year's prelims were 30th June so it may be have to wait until then, but I feel something later this month is mroe likely. I am assuming there is no rush but may be caught out!

Eric

Testing the support level today. Not surprising given the general malaise of the AIM market. Feeling an urge to buy back in coming on!

Eric

eric another reason could be the ids statement.cheers woodie

What's the ids statement woodie?? You still in this??

legend still in ,ids is ideal shopping direct which gave a rns statement 4 may saying they expect consumer spending to drop later in the year.cheers woodie

IDS statement says that 'current year has begun well and that sales are still well ahead in Q1 of 2005...in common with other areas of the retail market, we can expect things to get tougher as the year progresses.'

Fashion is clearly as much under retail market pressures as other sectors. However, switch to internet is further ahead. The effect on ASOS would be to reduce year on year growth which is not now factored in to any extent anyway. Renewed shorting exercise today means that price fall now mirrors AIM average. Buying opportunity methinks.

Eric

eric agree drop well overdone near 50% drop from highs, what would be nice, a rns statement like wdny gave yesterday (dont know reason for sp drop).cheers woodie

Bought back in! 20000 at 42.5p by CFDs. Prospective pe of 14 on forecasts of Seymour Pierce and Shore Capital, both within last couple of weeks. Right against the charts, of course, but faint heart, etc.! Expect the fair ladies to keep buying!

Eric

just seen ratty on cnbc, the 2 retail stocks he likes are asc and wgc.woodie

Interesting that all retail stocks tend to be lumped together. You really need internet retail (or dtv) as a separate category. Next downbeat figures were helped by a 15% rise in internet sales, I think I'm right in my recall. But we do need some positive news. Its obvious that they are holding on until warehouse move is complete and they can announce a fresh start from here. Whilst I've bought in today, the bears have been having it all their own way for the last three months. Mind, I do give a lot of credibility to Seymour Pierce forecasts as they are the house broker. For those who don't have access, year to march 2005 pbt given as 1.1m and eps as 1.50p; 2006 pbt as 2.25m and eps as 3.0p. The peg is 0.29 and 0.24 respectively. These are incredibly good for one of the real growth shares in the retail sector. So, whilst the charts appear risky because there is now no clear-cut support level, the fundamentals are excellent and these will hold sway in the medium term.

Its interesting that my buy today at 42.5p is at exactly the price I bought in August last year: both have been at below the eod price. August was a terrific buying opportunity. In many ways, though, the price is lower now agianst real value given that we are 9 months down the line, sales have grown, the warehouse move is all but completed and then its onwards and upwards. Can't see any coherent argument against!

Eric