Retail Decisions are market leaders in an industry which continues to grow exponentially. They produce payment fraud systems solutions for major blue chip clients globally, though the bulk of the business is currently coming from the major reatilers both in the UK and US. They are a Techmark 100 company which means that there will always be a level of institutional interest in the company. However, on top of this "forced" interest from the tracker funds there has throughout 2005 been sustained large buying from no other than Goldman Sachs and Barclays. These institutions together now have an investment of tens of millions of shares in RTD !

Website: www.redplc.comClick here to read the old thread

Shares Magazine had a cover feature back in early April entitled "ATOMIC! - Small is about to get VERY, VERY BIG - 7 stocks for the new technology revolution". It was no surprise to see Retail Decisions as part of the selection. Here's what Shares had to say: "Retail Decisions is a specialist software developer aimed at preventing credit card fraud. It owns a database of several million dodgy credit and debit card numbers against which it crosschecks transactions, but also has developed clever software which can spot strange patterns in your spending. This system is perfect for stopping phony credit card transactions. Investors could not ask for a better pure play on rising credit card crime. Perhaps the company's biggest challenge is scale but chief exec Carl Clump is attempting to address this with aquisitions, even if opportunities seem to be few and far between. In the meantime, Retail Decisions remains concentrated on developing in the card-not-present arena, where it already has fantastic experience and technology. The drive to win new customers should also be helped by the fact that it already serves so many blue-chip customers including Marks & Spencer, T-Mobile and, most recently, Federated Department Stores, the US owner of Macy's and Bloomingdales. Let's not forget, too, the company's highly profitable fuel-card business in Australia which grew 30% last year, making this year's forecast low single-digit earnings growth look on the conservative side." Retail Decisions have continued throughout 2005 to rake in very healthy profits from the Oz. fuel card business thanks to the "bonus" of high oil prices and favourable exchange rates. In addition, the extra revenue streams from new major US corporate clients will be starting to filter through. In the US, Retail Decisions appear to be chosen on many occasions over their main rival Cybersource which indicates just how well this company is doing. The demand for card-not-present (i.e. internet/phone shopping) fraud software is going to continue to grow and grow so RTD presents guaranteed success in this arena - backed up with the cash cow fuel card business which is being extended into locations other than Australia and we have a real gem of a company. Longer term target 1+.

Just been in - yep blank my end too - dont know why

Good to see you men working hard on the research.
Have you got that patio laid yet Fundy?

Opto

Patio laid and driveway finished - not by me tho!!

Just got a utility area to fit and a few bits of snagging and the job is done :-)

Excellent :-)

Retail Decisions PLC
02 December 2005


RETAIL DECISIONS PLC (the 'Company')

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES





1. Name of listed company

RETAIL DECISIONS PLC


2. Name of shareholder with a major interest

Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited ('CSFBEL'), a member of the
investment banking business of Credit Suisse.


3. Please state whether notification indicates that it is regarding the holding
of the shareholder named in 2 above; in respect of a non-beneficial interest; or
in the case of an individual holder if it is a holding of that person's spouse
or children under the age of 18

Interest under section 208(5) of the the act by virtue of the right to
redelivery of equivalent securities under stock lending arrangements.


4. Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the number of
shares held by each of them

NOT INFORMED


5. Number of shares / amount of stock acquired

NOT INFORMED


6. Percentage of issued class (any treasury shares held by the listed company
should not be taken into account when calculating percentage)

NOT INFORMED


7. Number of shares / amount of stock disposed

N/A


8. Percentage of issued class (any treasury shares held by the listed company
should not be taken into account when calculating percentage)

N/A


9. Class of security

ORDINARY 5P SHARES


10. Date of transaction

NOT INFORMED


11. Date listed company informed

01 DECEMBER 2005


12. Total holding following this notification

2,780,240


13. Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification (any
treasury shares held by the listed company should not be taken into account when
calculating percentage)

3.57%


14. Any additional information




15. Name of contact and telephone number for queries

RICHARD AMOS
(01483) 728700


16. Name and signature of duly authorised officer of the listed company
responsible for making this notification

RICHARD AMOS
FINANCE DIRECTOR


Date of notification

02 december 2005

IF I understand this properly they dumped about 8.5million shares (approx), which could be responsible for some of the funny prices since the placements.


The price is up. Monday will be interesting.

Understood it to be that they had increased their holding Fred, must check. Unless someone else has the info to hand?

New RNS just declared that they no longer have a notifiable interest.

Very strange considering the first rns clearly shows a purchase (buy - not informed; sale - n/a). Oh well, at least a blue end to the week.

From Sharescope director's holdings it appears that Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited held at one time approx 11.2mil shares. (This no. has not been updated yet.) Deducting the 2,780,240 said present holding from that gives approx above. Also noted that Gartmoor had bought about 8.5million on 8-9th/11/2005. and also some smaller buys buy a few senior directors. Looking at the trading volumes one can't tell but I guess they have been already distributed into the market.

Old army motto, I understand, "follow the last instruction".

Look at the dates at the bottom of the RNS. The later one (1.12.05) shows the positive holding. Maybe they are just moving funds within their organisation.

There may also be other adjustments due to the offer but I would have expected them to have been disclosed by now.

An interesting acquisition

Retail Decisions plc

Acquisition of E Com Industries Pty Ltd

Australia's Largest Stored Value (Pre-Paid) Gift Card Operator



Retail Decisions ('ReD'), the fuel card operator and a world leader in card
fraud prevention and payment processing, is pleased to announce that earlier
today it agreed to acquire, with immediate effect, the entire share capital of E
Com Industries Pty Ltd ('E Com'), Australia's largest stored value (pre-paid)
gift card operator.


ReD is paying Aus$30m (c.12.9m) for the business (net of expenses) and is
funding the acquisition through a mixture of existing cash resources and new
debt facilities. The acquisition is expected to be earnings enhancing in 2006
and extends ReD's exposure to a new, exciting and high growth market.


Stored value cards are payment cards where the consumer can spend a
pre-determined amount that has previously been loaded onto the card ('
pre-paid'). Stored value cards can be 'single use' or 're-loadable' and be
designed for use at the outlets of single or multiple retailers.


The directors believe that the E Com acquisition represents an important
extension to ReD's existing card issuing business and provides a number of
commercial and operational synergies. These synergies include migrating E Com's
stored value gift card offering across other ReD regions, particularly the UK
and the US, and also cross selling opportunities in Australia.


Over the last three years E Com has been highly successful in the pre-paid gift
card market in Australia and has launched more than 30 gift card schemes for
blue chip retailers such as Coles Myer and Woolworths, Australia's two largest
retailers, Dymocks, a leading Australian book-store, Harvey World Travel and
Crabtree & Evelyn. E Com also operates its own multi-retailer electronic gift
voucher programme aimed at both consumers and the corporate incentive market
which it sells through a proprietary website
www.giftvouchers.com
.


E Com will be integrated immediately into ReD's successful Australian Fuel Card
business. The combined operation will be managed by Rob Hillan, who has been
the MD of ReD's Australian operation since its acquisition in 2000. E Com is
based in Sydney, employs 19 staff and has been acquired from a number of private
investors comprising mainly third party business angels, the main shareholders
being, Fun Enterprises Pty Limited, General Play Pty Limited and Security Mail
Pty Ltd. It was founded in 1998 by its existing Chief Technology Officer (CTO),
Michelle Deaker, who will be joining ReD as Product Development Director of
ReD's combined Australian business.


E Com has grown rapidly since inception, with compound annual revenue growth of
93% over its last three financial years. In its last full financial year to 30
June 2005 E Com's revenue grew by 160% to Aus$5.9m (c.2.5m), achieving a gross
profit of Aus$3.1m (c.1.3m), representing a gross margin of 53% and delivering
a small maiden pre-exceptional operating profit of Aus$97,000 (c.40,000). E
Com had gross assets at 30 June 2005 of Aus$1.8m (c.0.8m) and net liabilities
of Aus$0.3m (c.0.1m).


Trading in the first four months of E Com's current financial year has been
strong with revenue up by over 90% compared to the same period last year and the
profitability of the business is benefiting accordingly from high levels of
operational gearing.


The market for stored value cards is growing rapidly. Industry research shows
that in the US, an estimated US$63 billion was spent on buying stored value
cards in 2004, which is expected to grow to US$257 billion by 2009. It is also
anticipated that around 10% of US gift sales in the 2005 Holiday Season will be
on buying gift cards (source: Giftex). The UK and European market is estimated
to be around five years behind that of the US but is expected to grow by around
30-35% annually over the next five years.


Half of the consideration will be funded from existing cash resources within ReD
Australia with the balance sourced from previously unutilised elements of the
18m facilities that were negotiated and announced at the time of the Group's
recent Fuelserv acquisition. To ensure the Group has sufficient working capital
in Australia going forward, the existing revolving credit facility with National
Australia Bank has been extended from Aus$17m to Aus$27m. The consideration of
Aus$30m is subject to adjustment based on the net asset position at completion,
but this is not anticipated to be material.


Carl Clump, CEO, Retail Decisions commented:


'We are delighted to be acquiring E Com. This is a very important acquisition
for ReD, which we believe will deliver significant shareholder value. In line
with our clearly stated strategy this extends our card issuing capability into a
new segment with excellent growth potential. In particular we are looking at
opportunities to combine E Com with both our Australian Fuel Card Operation and
our recent acquisition of Fuelserv in the UK. In addition we are already
working on launching E Com's services for our existing retail customer base in
the UK and subsequently the US.'

Strange that they buy this business outright having already had a rights issue to buy the Euro fuledcard business - I know the latter was more costly but I hope that there is no further share issue "on the side" to fund this acquisition.

Being funded by debt. Already arranged.

The new SETS/MM system is now in force on this and some other similarly sized stocks. Hasn't done the dealing sizes any good, and until a few minutes ago the spread was pretty lousy. Come back the dear old MMs?

Thanks 55011

Looking better now. The analysts phone in has got things going in the right direction. Spread and sizes much better.

55011, I am beginning to think you hold this share.

Hi Fred good news today ????? ;o\

I think it seems a sensible and hopefully a profitable deal.

...and so say all of us!