Optare recently floated on Aim via a reverse takeover of Darwen Group (DHP) and a namechange (Optare being bigger and more established).

Website www.optare.com

I've chosen to refer to hybrids in the header because the emphasis will be on developing and marketing low-emission electric-diesel hybrid buses and coaches. At present Optare vehicles are predominantly diesel.

This morning's announcement was a formal one to the stockmarket. Presumably we might expect some lengthier press release later.

Meanwhlie two directors bought shares this morning

A NEW THREAD AND THE SHARES GO DOWN.

Bus maker Optare has received a 2.3m order from London United, an operating subsidiary of Transdev, for 19 midi buses. The deal, thought to be the first for fully integral, twin door midi buses from a Transport for London operator, is due to deliver in the Q4 of this year.

Interesting comments here, - - - but I wonder if this Co. is a good place to be for retail investors?
The sp graph says "stay away", although no doubt investors get a warm feeling whenever "green" is mentioned . . . . BUT this does not matter if the basic business is poor, either by Market, or Management.

Personally, I think a great deal neesds to be done to change UK-Public opinion to make us "take the bus" in preference to a car. For a start, bus-routes need to be better integrated and to run into the night. Also something needs to be done to allow shopping to be taken home - not exactly easy at present.
I don't hold, but use an Optare bus fairly regularly. Can't say it's any "better" than the alternative-made buses - I suspect OPE still need a USP to create distance between them and the competition AND I don't see this yet.

EDIT-(16Jn09)- down today Lots, sp=3.00-4.5 ( that's a bad spread!) - and I see Buys are greater - is this bad-reading on my part?
EDIT-(8Jy09)- up today on a mixed bag of trades. However, this promted me to look at the Co messages - and I see that directors have lathered themselves with Options starting at 1p ( er, that's a quarter of the lowest sp (averaged over any recent-month even less!). I think it demonstrates a lack of committment towards investors, since these Directors are well-paid and can easily buy shares themselves - - if indeed they are worth buying....with National Express making a fist of Railways, I wonder about UK-manufacturing esp when there seems little inovative news from this co.
EDIT-(14/07/09)-Director Purchases look OK, but I note that one Exec had no/or few shares beforehand. That was a disgrace; at least the low sp has encouraged them out.
EDIT-(13May2010),+30% rise ( today 5.4p) on bus-order almost half the one a year ago - and then it was 8p falling rapidly. Just hope sp can hang for a while this time, eh? I don't hold.
However, TANfield has dropped 4% today possibly as news of a 20m loss filters through - Optare/Tanfield traded together historically. DYOR.
EDIT (4Oct2010)- Sp up a tad today (along with TAN!)- yet Trades are showing 300k vol as Sells and zero Buys . . . ooer! They got another Order so MM's are pushing the price, yet the Trades are on a sliding scale.....bargepoles for the moment, I think.
EDIT (14Dec2010) - fall today (=3p15 mid.), Makes recent Dir Buys look a tad sickly (av. 5p). Still, few are investing in Stock; with Xmas, Presents etc.
EDIT(5Jan2011)-done some trawling and I missed(?) July2010 5m cash from Ankok-Leyland (India bus maker)....and now we have a further 300k expensive loan repayable quite soon . . . . this doesn't look good, where's the cash-flow going?
EDIT( 27Jan2011)-down 10%- Execs shares looking dire, having invested (under 150k2008++) they are well down....when will this blood-bath end? I guess they didn't see the cutbacks.
EDIT (22Feb2011)- Placing of 49% enlarged shares to raise 7m - doesn't look like a good deal for loyal shareholders,

totally agree, hangon.

Arrgh, raising �7m by way of discounted shares (=2.5p) is very bad for Loyal shareholders and "might" jolt slumbering Dirs that have bought irregularly in small parcels of shares. All previous purchases are diluted by this 49% influx.
-Anyone that bought at 5p (say) is now facing the reality they paid 7.5p - let's hope the Dirs don't lather themselves with Options, rather they dig-deep and try to mop-up these hundreds/millions shares, which will depress the sp for a little longer than the Olympics. (At least until these ordered buses are signed-off by the customer!
-It looks very bad that your loyal shareholders are looking now at 2.6p (mid) when they paid 8p inc charges. - Yikes! (the proposed March GM will be "electric").
+This company was associated with Tanfield (DYOR), where destruction of shareholder-value was to be expected....these guys have decent orders, yet still waste money on moving their plant from one side of Leeds......
Had they'd moved to Sunderland the Gov would have "given them" the factory and maybe a few coach Orders, to ferry MP to/from their Olympic boxes......Grr
EDIT (9Aug2011): Currently touching 2p, this is a woeful sp . Anyone here been to an AGM - mood, thoughts?
BTW did anyone think to notice the 2m share options (at 2p until 2021 DYOR) for Mr Phillips FD.....breathtaking, eh? ...and retail shareholders were expected to pay 6p not long ago. This is a long Bargepole stock, despite anything else. . . . IMHO.
EDIT (16Aug2011), Mr Phillips invested c. 40k in four buys recently at low prices. Maybe that should be equated to the Options as well.
EDIT (Nov2011) Moved offics sp 1.65p - oh woe - like waiting at a BusStop...
EDIT (Feb2012)-SP rises quickly from 0.24p + RNS:"Directors know no...."
EDIT (Feb2012)- about a quarter of the Nov11 price...Arrgh! (see later post)

Press Release from them today confirming completion of the move to their new production site. Daresay they will now be inviting analysts to come and take a look.

Not until the Exec have their thick carpets, eh?

Details of South Africa deal

Optare supplying 75% of parts for 190 buses.

Collapse..!

Recent Ann.

This similar activity needs investigating.
IMHO - a slight is being undertaken to circumvent the limits on sell shares cheaply - so more Hangers-on will be pushing pieces of paper about - in effect getting round the Rules...

That an investment represents 75% of new issued share-capital should be a worry enough - this is now practically a Private Company with Dumb Retail-Shareholders holding expensive certificated - valued by taking Dir-plans at face.

You'd think that in the face of a decent order they could secure Funding to build the buses without selling the Company. That used to be the function of Merchant banks... wasn't it?
This latest twist is just part of a pattern - see Feb2011 posts -
Good darn luck to all who propped up this leaker.

EDIT (13Jan2012)....Grief now 0,28p that's mighty weak.....what OPE needs is CONsolidation maybe 1000:1 and new Directors.
EDIT ( ....) Make that New Directors, then a CONsolidation.