One of the few software companies who pay divs and where the well known shorter EK is long .....

They have a whole range of products for the retailer market and big push on automated betting shop systems ....

H2 in the morning and I am hoping to see good progress and a cautious but positive forward statement.

They are way off their tech boom highs and around 30% off their December lows. There has been a pre results run but I am hoping this will be maintained.

A core holding for me at this time but do play around at the edges

Currently 58/60p


ains

MM's not open yet but we closed @ 55/58p and there are two trades premarket inclusding a buy of 20k @ 59p

Guardian this morning -

Meanwhile, betting software company Alphameric shed 2.5p to 56.5p despite talk that today's full-year results will impress.





ains


Summary
'2002 was a successful year for the Group in an uncertain and
difficult market. 2003 has started encouragingly with
continued high levels of interest being shown in all of the
Group's products and solutions.

I believe that we will continue to see more consolidation in
the markets we serve and that this will throw up opportunities
for strong businesses such as our own. We are the UK's pre-
eminent provider of software to the UK Retail Betting market
and are increasingly moving towards this position for the
retail market. I am confident that this presence, coupled with
our strong trading performance and financial position, will
enable us to continue to meet the challenges of the current
year and beyond'

Moving up pre market as mm's and analysts look through a good set of figures and very promising forward statement - now 60/61p up 7%



ains

Technology UK
02/11 07:37
Alphameric Has Full-Year Profit on Higher Sales of Bet Software
By Brian McGee


Guildford, England, Feb. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Alphameric Plc, a maker of betting software for clients such as Hilton Group Plc's Ladbroke unit, said it had a full-year profit due to increased sales.

Net income was 7,000 pounds ($11,400), or 0 pence a share, in the year ended Nov. 30, compared with a loss of 2.27 million pounds, or 2.2p, the year before. Sales rose 9 percent to 61.9 million pounds.

``We are taking advantage of the recent changes to the retail betting marketplace to increase our focus on smaller value, higher volume orders,'' Chairman Rodney Hornstein said in a Regulatory News Service statement. The benefits ``should be seen towards the close of the current financial year.''

The company's shares closed down 2.5p, or 4.2 percent, yesterday in London, giving the Guildford, England-based company a market value of 59 million pounds.

It said it will raise the full-year dividend to 2.4 pence a share from 1.5 pence a year earlier.

AFX-Focus) 2003-02-11 08:26 GMT: Alphameric FY profits, revenue growth good, margins higher; order book strong
LONDON (AFX) - Alphameric PLC, the information technology solutions provider to the retail sector, reported good revenue growth, higher margins and substantial improvements in both profit and cash flows for the year to Nov 30 2002.
Pretax profits, before goodwill amortisation, more than doubled to 9.0 mln stg from 4.1 mln a year earlier, which compares with consensus expectations for 9.47 mln.

After goodwill amortisation and exceptional items the group returned a pretax profit of 2.5 mln stg, up from a loss of 1.7 mln in 2001.

Turnover was up 9 pct at 61.9 mln stg from 56.8 mln and trading margins more than doubled to 14.1 pct from 6.3 pct in 2001.

On earnings per share, before amortisation of goodwill, of 6.4 pence compared with 2.9 pence, the group declared a total dividend of 2.4 pence for the year, up from 1.5 pence. This follows the strong performance and a review of dividend policy, said the board.

Commenting on outlook, chairman Rodney Hornstein said the group has entered the new financial year with an "excellent product set, order book and prospect list".

He said the group carries no debt, had year-end free cash balances in excess of 13 mln stg and is strongly cash generative.

The group is taking advantage of the recent changes to the retail betting marketplace to increase its focus on smaller value, higher volume orders with greater repetitive revenue streams, thereby reducing this imbalance and providing improved visibility into the future.

Hornstein said the board believes that this change in the division's revenue model is gathering pace and that the benefits of the move to a more balanced model should be seen towards the close of the current financial year.

Hornstein concluded: "Having due regard to the current uncertainties prevailing in the economy, the Board looks forward to the current financial year with optimism."

newsdesk@afxnews.com

A little bit of profit taking after a good pre-results run - not unexpected but now anticipate a general move forwards.

ains

from home page news


Profits boost for Alphameric
The future looks bright for this technology tiddler



Alphameric, the information technology solutions provider, provided proof positive that there is still life in the technology sector by turning in a healthy set of full-year figures with pre-tax profits more than doubled to 9m on turnover up 9% to 62m. Its shares rose 0.9% to 57%p.

The company, which provides IT solutions to the retail sector, backed up the profit and turnover growth with trading margins that more than doubled to 14%. Operating cashflow meanwhile increased to 11m from 3m in 2001.

Earnings per share before amortisation of goodwill rose to 6.4p per share from 2.9p per share and to put the icing on the cake, Aplhamerics board proposes a 60% increase in total dividend to 2.4p per share from 1.5p last year.

The group also pointed out, and who can blame it, that after goodwill amortisation and exceptional items it generated a pre-tax profit of 2.5 million against a loss of 1.7m last time.

Commenting on outlook, Rodney Hornstein, chairman, said: Alphameric has entered the new financial year with an excellent product set, order book and prospect list. The group carries no debt, had year-end free cash balances in excess of 13 million and is strongly cash generative.

The group was aided greatly during the year by a healthy performance by its retail betting division, which historically relied to a great
extent on the receipt of a small number of high value
contracts. Now though it focused on smaller value, higher volume orders with greater repetitive revenue streams.

The group believe that this change in the division's revenue model is gathering pace and that the benefits of the move to a more balanced model should be seen towards the close of the current financial year.

The division's growth this year is supported by a strong order book and level of interest from prospective customers and its strengthening position as one of the leading suppliers of end-to-end systems to European retailers.

Despite the current economic uncertainties, the group is optimistic about the outturn for its current financial year.

Alphameric tipperd in the Times by Tempus

AS A TECHNOLOGY company Alphameric is noteworthy because it pays a dividend. But yesterday it set itself apart from peers who are similarly positioned by increasing the payout by a whopping 60 per cent. To hear directors talk about rebasing dividend payments is normally enough to strike fear in the hearts of investors because to rebase is often used as a euphemism for to cut. But Alphameric is rebasing its dividend in a thoroughly encouraging way.

The challenge for Alphameric is to prove it can sustain the payments at the higher level. It says it will endeavour to have future dividends covered between two and three times by earnings per share and that is relatively generous in the context of current practice. The company also has a suite of products which generated decent levels of demand last year and is developing new kit which should enable it to maintain the profits growth. Profits last year were driven higher as the company found strong demand among bookmakers for a point-of-sale product. It is now rolling out fixed-odds gaming machines which it hopes will be installed in betting shops and pubs.

There remains a significant risk that Alphameric will be unable to sustain growth. If the experience of the last couple of years has taught investors anything it is that IT spending is cyclical. However, the company is doing enough to suggest it can maintain profit momentum in the medium term. It is also financially strong, with net cash in the bank. Meanwhile the yield, using the rebased dividend, is 4.2 per cent which, given the growth potential, makes the shares look cheap. Buy.

tempus@thetimes.co.uk

February 12, 2003

Results in brief TIMES



Alphameric (software) reported full-year pre-tax profits of 2.5 million (1.7 million loss). The total dividend is 2.4p (1.5p) after a final of 1.8p (1p), payable on April 17.

Alphameric remains a good bet Subscription site 2003-02-11 (Citywire)







Alphameric Cut to `Hold' at ING Financial Markets :ALM LN
By Jonathan Chambers
London, Feb. 11 (Bloomberg Data) -- Alphameric Plc (ALM LN) was downgraded to ``hold'' from ``buy'' by analyst Graeme Clark at ING Financial Markets.

250k cross @ 56p ..... clearly Tempus has lost his tipping touch .... down 1.7% with rest of market

I note the Telegraph also covered them in 'the market' but hasn't helped any - markets are sluggish and down - alm is down 2% on volume of 383K inc the big cross .....



ains

The Daily Mail on Saturday tipped Alphameric as a Buy.

premarket backwardisation stops anyone trading but looks like we will open higher


ains

From EJ's column in the S Telegraph


Two-thirds of revenues come from the US, where the extent of the consumer downturn plus the weak dollar are hurdles for a UK-quoted company. NSB also sounded cautious about prospects here, which clipped 2p off Alphameric's shares - Alphameric is a similar, if UK-orientated, group.

Now 52p, Alphameric also ought to benefit when recovery comes. But it is going to take time for any sustainable improvement in consumer confidence - whether here or in the US - to take place and filter down to influence retailers' spending on IT.

Thus, I rate both shares as "hold". With fresh money, they are well worth watching despite the uncertainties. If managements have cut costs but maintained competitive advantage, bargains can arise when prices drift in an impatient stock market.

Standard Life have reduced their holding by 1.1 million and now hold just over 3% or 3.2 million

get a life ainsoph

If you are offering yours ......... no thanks

THIS BOARD IS YOUR LIFE! Imagine that ainsey!

F

You seem to be saying the same thing on every bb on every thread Fugitive - are u really that sad .......

ains



At the Annual General Meeting of Alphameric plc, being held today, the Chairman,
Rodney Hornstein, made the following statement:

'The current financial year has seen the Retail Betting Division make
satisfactory progress in winning new orders from prospects in the bookmaking
sector. In particular, we continue to win business from the independent
bookmaking sector for our managed ALBOS display systems, an area we expect to
provide good growth this year. Sales of our Fixed Odds Betting terminals are in
line with our expectations.



'Our Retail Division is recognised in our market as one of the leading and most
capable providers of end to end solutions. Interest in our new product range,
Darwin, continues to be high and the prospect list very strong. We are well
positioned to maximise opportunities in this area.



'In the Hospitality sector we are encouraged by the progress we have made and
the interest the business is receiving from the marketplace.



'Economic conditions remain challenging. The timing of our customers'
investment decisions is influenced by the uncertainties surrounding the UK
economy and concerns over levels of consumer spending which has shown some signs
of decline over recent weeks. We are well placed in respect of our
competitiveness and ability to succeed as conditions improve.'