http://business.scotsman.com/technology.cfm?id=406502005

CVC. more shares on the QT

28 April 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THUS Group plc ('THUS')

THUS was today informed by Columbia Ventures Corporation that on 27 April 2005
it had a notifiable interest in 111,150,000 THUS Group plc ordinary shares
(representing approximately 8.24% of the THUS Group plc ordinary shares in
issue). These shares are held through Chase Manhattan Bank and Interactive
Brokers LLC.

For further information:

THUS
Kathryn Rhinds 020 7763 3126

SMITHFIELD
Tehsin Nayani 020 7360 4900

Despite this welcomed build up in thus stake ,the share price just does not seem to get out of the 13/14 pence range,what do you think guys?

I think it is a most odd situation, 23% now held by institutions 8%+ by CVC alone and as you say capetown the price is stuck! Surely the small selling will dry up soon as it does appear that the stock is being taken up (very nicely and at a low price by these chaps) Also shorting the stock must now be a very risky business so hopefully the flow of buyers taking a long position will return and push the sp up to a more realistic level.

Hey optimisic!!!

Positive on thus too,it WILL be a winner!!

Now folks what are your views with 52.5 million shares traded on Friday.
What do you think will be the outcome on Monday?

I hope it will be heading north,but the comment on telecoms in shares magazine in which thus is mentioned is negative,but stake building going on?

Must be stake building, probably by CVC. The question is who is the seller of those large blocks. Has to be another 'Fund', perhaps one that is having to balance its books or perhaps it is being done under a prior arrangement.
I do think that early next week will clarify the situation.
Whatever, we holders are due for a change in fortune! hopefully for the better.

Hey optimitic,holding thumbs here too!!!!,i have found your comments MOST encouraging.

capetown, I do hope my 'encouraging' comments prove to be on target.
regards
opto (easier pseudonym must change sometime)

May 9, 2005 - THUS plc today announced that it has won a new contract with
Standard Life to supply and manage its voice and data communications network.
The deal, which is worth more than five million pounds, will see THUS deliver a
range of solutions including a number of high speed ISDN circuits to the ten
sites that constitute Standard Life's Head Office Network in Edinburgh. These
lines will handle both inbound and outbound traffic to Standard Life in the UK
and the rest of the world.

et. etc. etc.... Should help the sp move upward. :-)

Looked to me as though there was a large forced seller on friday. Some news appeared about large margin calls over the w/e and forced selling of other positions as a result.

Might see that GS have counter hedged their long position by selling shares.

On the other hand could always be CVC topping up further.

CVC now hold 140,000,000 shares........... 10.38%

So CVC topped up then!

Just the odd 28.8 million! I find it incredible that the share price is glued down to this level with this sort of interest in THUS by a company in a similar field of operations. IMO THUS shares should be in excess of 20p if only for the speculation interest at the present time and looking to the region of 30p on a bid.......... Ah well here's hoping.

Indianna and optomistic,it is INCREDIBLE that the sp is still 13pence,unlucky number for some!!,heres hoping!!!

That's the power of short positions.
It will move when they start to close. QXL is a good example from 20 to 31 in two days.. I think MS sold a couple of 100k shares at 150p

This from the Scotsman on Sunday

Sun 22 May 2005



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Thus shares buoyed by merger talk

TERRY MURDEN
BUSINESS EDITOR


THUS, the Scottish alternative telecoms carrier, is expected to announce this week that trading remains tough as analysts await potential bid action.

With the squeeze on pricing and margins showing little sign of easing, the company is nonetheless generating cash and has become a target for Columbia Ventures, a US private equity company.

Columbia has built up a 10.4% stake to become the single biggest shareholder in the company. Ken Peterson, chief executive, told Scotland on Sunday last month he wanted to combine Thus's UK network with his company's undersea transatlantic cable to supply telecoms services to both sides of the Atlantic.

It is understood that Thus chief executive Bill Allan has met Peterson but no formal talks on a merger have taken place.

Ahead of tomorrow's full-year results, Sam Morton, an analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, said: "Operational performance remains weak but further downgrades could trigger a bid." Bid speculation is likely to support the share price, which rose 9.43% on Friday to close up 1.25p at 14.5p. Turnover is expected to rise from 332m to 360m.

I think it will breakout

Well you have brought the thread ttt tarzan, that's a start :-)