The increased volume is a positive sign prior to the results being published.

Does any one expect a sharp rise after the results, or will the price remain the same even after good results which has been the case with these shares for a while now.

I'd be interested to hear your views.

Cheers

Due on 10th March, I understand. Already signs of life in the price in gleeful anticipation. Up before the results........

The forward looking statement will be the key. This year's contract wins will soon be coming to fruition, and the recent announcements re W.H. Smith and Marks and Sparks needing upgraded systems should bode well too. (Rose, now Chief Exec of M&S, was with NSB prior to his M&S appointment).

The firm is in good shape. The overhang from previous dealings is steadily being whittled down. Also there has been some consolidation in their market already, and inevitably there will be more.

As a reminder of what is to come with this week's final results announcement.



RNS Number:9081H
NSB Retail Systems PLC
28 January 2005

28 January 2005

NSB Retail Systems PLC ("NSB")
Post close update

The Board of NSB Retail Systems PLC, a leading provider of software solutions to
the retail industry, is pleased to announce that operating profits (before
amortisation of goodwill, exceptional items and the gain on disposal of UK
assets to BT) for the year ended 31 December 2004 are expected to be not less
than #6.6m (2003: #2.9m).

Prior to the year end, the Group completed restructurings in both its North
American and UK operations. In North America, we reorganised into new business
units focussed on further improving the quality of service to existing and
prospective clients. In the UK, the loss making iSeries merchandising business
was closed with remaining customers now being supported from Montreal. These
actions resulted in 45 redundancies throughout 2004 and rendered two small
properties surplus to our requirements. The cost of these restructurings, net of
the contractual recovery from Cablevision described in the half year results,
will result in an exceptional charge of approximately #0.7m.

Cash balances at year end were #9.8m. As the majority of this cash (#7.5m) is
held in US dollars, the year end balance was impacted by the sterling US dollar
exchange rate of GBP1:USD 1.916 at 31 December 2004.

Software order intake in 2004 was higher than the previous year and we enter
2005 with an order book that is higher than it was at the comparable time last
year.

Full year results for the year ended 31 December 2004 will be announced on 10
March 2005.


Enquiries:-

NSB Retail Systems
Stuart Mitchell, Group Finance Director Tel. 0118 930 1522

Redleaf Communications
Emma Kane Tel: 020 7955 1410 / 07876 338 339


Notes to Editors:

About NSB Retail Systems:

* NSB is a global supplier of software solutions and services that help the
retail market create, manage and fulfil consumer demand.

* NSB was formed in 1995 and has been fully listed on the London Stock
Exchange since 1999.

* Further information on the NSB Group is available at www.nsbgroup.com.


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
TSTVDLFLEFBZBBX

A bit of activity from mid morning. L2 looking brighter at 2v1.

Well, an interesting set of results and useful commentary from key board members alongside them. Broadly as expected, hence the lack of fireworks (so far).

I see that the AFX version of events is purely historical, and it is a shame that one cannot infer from it that the company as of now is actually trading profitably.

The juiciest part of the RNS (third to be issued on my source)is that there will be no more goodwill amortisation which, while not being a cash item nevertheless had to be shown as it reduces the declared profit. So that is an immediate boost to future results from interims onwards.

Less agreeable is the situation with the Exchangeable shares now down from 131m to 94m. A key unknown will be the rate of further reduction in this factor, and reslting sales of shares into the market. Nevertheless it is not a new matter, and therefore it must be fully in today's pricing. As long as NSB continues on the right path I would expect the resulting increasing interest in the company to easily absorb this.

Yet to come are :-

1. Press comment - favourable
2. Broker revisions - upwards
3. New price targets - upwards

The company has now passed the key transition point from being unprofitable to profitable. The chart shows an upward trend, higher lows etc, etc, and all it needs now is time for the magic to work.