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 - welcome back - let me echo nick's sentiments - thought we had upset you on the SEO thread. Good to see you back on the board.

Baza

In the nick of time, Eric, glad to see your back. Hope the addition to the family is doing well and has'nt worn you out. Another well thought out post, my sentiments exactly..............SD

Marketmakers playing games yesterday !!

All gone quiet on the ASOS front. Don't expect real movement until the next trading statement in October or somewhat earlier in anticipation. Hitwise figures remain strong so the cautionary tone in last statement re Summer trading probably not justified. Good time to buy for investors but not traders - on assumption that 2 months wait is too long.

Eric

Independent on Saturday - Derek Pain: Asos appeal could prompt takeover action.

Not unlikley is it? What price would they have to offer - at least 1. This would be quite a sweet rapid exit aqt a good profit IMHO, rather than the slow steady climb over the next 6-12 months.
Any views?

sd

sd Hope not. Why on earth should the directors want to sell. A hostile bid wouldn't make any sense as there is a lot of know-how with the management team.

I also expect the sp to move a lot faster than you expect once it really gets goind again. The hitwise figures are still showing 100% volume year on year and this was refelcted in first quarter trading. Overhead ratio is dropping and there are opportunities for new markets abroad, particularly US, without major investment other than marketing presence, buying and warehousing. Having said that, I am out at the moment having cashed in some decent profits. Really because I am expecting SEO and DGT to move first, i.e. by mid-September and late-August respectively; then back into ASC for the Q2 figures in october. The best laid plans gang aft agly! Do wogs understand scots? Not sure what would happen if my Westie met a kilted one. I'm sure you have a doggy version in your dogtionary.

Eric

Eric

Eric seems to be two Erics. Clealry split between SEO & DGT.
Tend to agree with Eric on SP movement for ASC. Also closed a SB position a few weeks ago in anticipation of a slight fall and sideways trading for a short period. Still hold my longer term holding, for which I have a 90p-1 target and may come back in later with a CFD if it really looks like it's going to get a shift on. Slowly selling all my holdings in the nominee account and moving over to CFDs. A lot more exciting, although not always for the right reasons. certainly allows decent positions to be built.

pth

Nice tick up this morning
Baza

ASC seems to be waking up again chaps and chapesses

Really going now. Are we due a trading staement? Wonder if it's leaked?

pth

MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm - very interestin - I think we are due a statement sometime in September - perhaps you are right

Baza

there is an agm in sept do not know the date

AGM last year on 15th Sept although there was a notice early August, which we have not had. Sp movement has beaten me to it but it looks as if the rumour brigade are piling in early. The next Q statement is not until October. Anyone checked out the hitwise figures?

Eric

The hitwise figures have stayed pretty level over the summer so that trading is likely to have retained the previous levels, whereas the company were quite cautious. Presumably the warehouse is now fully in action and it may be that the company are going to come out with further growth plans. Any insights?

Eric

still in like the faithful hound I am with a small holding up 33% as I write.

seems like some people close to the action may smell a little AGM blood to account for the last two days' rise.

sd

Tried to take a fresh look at ASC and as a result bought back in on Friday. Had taken profits on the run up from 43p around 70p so left some funds on table. Key points are:

1. New broker recommendations from Seymour Pierce and Shore Capital. SP are house brokers so will have up-to-date picture and we can assume all has gone well with the warehouse move.
2. AGM last year on 15th Sept was accompanied by bullish trading statement. Can't see a reference to this year's date but they are unlikely to be much behind last year if at all.
3. Slightly cautious statement with finals said "Quieter summer, warehouse move and all important Christmas Pedriod to come". However, Hitwise figures have stayed up so Q2 trading likely to emulate Q1. Given that last year's Xmas period margins were hit by stock-keeping problems and one of the effects of the new warehouse and systems is reported to be reduced costs, SP forecast figures look cautious. They forecast EPS to rise from 1.12p to 1.53 whereas I would be surprised if they were less than 2p reducing the projected pe to 27. Still quite demanding but we are talking about profits doubling and this should continue at a high %. We should get new projections following AGM and again once the Xmas season is under way.

I am looking for 1 on this run-up with strong publicity. We may also get one or more new business initiatives with the warehouse move out of the way. The cost of entry to the US market must be relatively low, relating to warehousing and marketing but you would expect their model to be very successful over there. John Marshall of Shares is a holder and a keen student of teh company and his comments will be pertinent. (sd: that has nothing to do with impertinence, so don't worry!)

Eric

Hi, eric - seems a long while ago since we first met on here last September.

I'm quietly confident we shall continue up to 85-90 by November/December. Whether we break 90p, in which case we could go 1+, or hit that resistance and retreat down another flag until March 2006 trading update can't be told from here. 1 around the March update at least - 33% over 6 months is quite respectable. That'll be about 73% over average a year for me - not too bad, but not exceptional. Can't see a reason to sell, if I'm going to get another 40% over a second year (and 25% over a third??) - low risk in old friends is quite comforting.

US could be tricky - fashion and shopping styles are quite different from here. But on-line retail in US is pretty strong and, if they get the merchandising right they could do well. That would keep the growth rate up.

Less keen on any other diversification - their product placement seems more of a diversion from the main event than a second profit stream - especially as film making in UK is in a decline currently. I'd like to see them stick to the single core business and expand geographically, rather than tack on also ran divisions.

2 by Xmas 2006 is a more interesting proposition than 1 by Xams 2005.

sd

eric shares are attending the agm so there will be update in shares seems a long time ago since the results?

Thanks, WOODIE, that'll be John Marshall so he is sure to get the full pciture. Do we know the AGM date?

Eric

Morning all,
Hemscott web site says agm 15 sept 05..............SD