bought a few of these a week or two ahead of their Interims - have moved up ever since :-)) but believe there is still some way to go yet - currently 31/33p they go xd on the 26th feb.

I see capital group are still adding - another 2.7 million shares - making 20 million in total or 6.15%



ains

now up 12.5% on the day with over 7 million traded ..... looks like good news is on it's way



ains

Over 11 million shares traded now - still up over 9% but off the intraday high - should start moving north again after the expected profit taking has ended - now 8.5/9p



ains

Looks like the profit taking is over now ...... 13 million traded - 8.5/8.75p




ains

I think a little back-sliding may happen today/tomorrow, possibly down to 8p mid, prior to a boom up to 20p in a month or so.
I am happy with ains to hold my 3/4 million, and will make that up to a million or more ,if the price does fall to this level.

As I suggested - we are ticking up again - 8.85/9.25 14 million traded


ains

Oh, I was wrong ,good old ains, is he ever wrong?
My first batch are up seven and a half % already, yahoo.

March 21, 2003

By Nick Hasell

Bid speculation fuels interest in Ashtead



ASHTEAD GROUP continued to rally off last weeks low amid talk that the troubled, plant-hire operator has attracted a new venture capital bid approach.
The shares collapsed 83 per cent last week after Ashtead followed the admission of accounting irregularities at its US Sunbelt Rentals subsidiary with the revelation that it had defaulted on its banking facilities worth an estimated 230 million. Today, the company is due to meet its lenders, which are led by Lloyds TSB, the Bank of America and Citigroup, to find ways of restructuring its banking facilities.

However, Ashteads share price advance yesterday, up p to 8p, against last weeks 2p low, was fuelled by bid speculation. Ashtead disclosed in September that last April it had received an approach from two venture capital firms acting in concert, which the group had seen off without a firm offer having been made. Given that Ashteads shares now trade at one quarter of the level they were then, and that it is still expected to achieve sales of more than 500 million in the year to April 30, dealers reckon those original bidders have now returned. The FTSE 250 added 17.5 points to 4,051.8.

up over 17% intraday and 300% plus overall since the default :-))


ains

Market doesn't over like this at the moment


Ashtead Group plc Update

Ashtead Group plc announces that it has today paid the interest due under its
senior credit facility that was deferred last Thursday, 13 March 2003.

The Board is proposing to defer payment of the interest on the Rentokil
convertible loan note that is due on 1 April 2003 and has decided to withdraw
the interim dividend declared on 15 January 2003 for the six months ended 31
October 2002.

down around 25% in 45 minutes ..... waiting to stabalise and will buy




ains

ains, I see that your post number 76 quoted AVH being up +17%, however my screen shows them down -11%, surely you must be right and they haven`t fallen -28% in so short a time?

Have a look at my two posts 77 and 78 ...... a little clue there maybe

ah of course, you knew they were going to drop and were ready all the time, I`ll never be as good as you, never, what a champ.

oh, ains Ashtead are down by -17% now, when will you start to buy?

down 20% now, you must be going soon ains?

still falling with 18 million traded - sub 7p now


ains

now looks like a good time to buy a few intraday 6.9p



ains

nice timing :-)) ..... up over 10% already @ 7.75/8p

3:54pm (UK)
Ashtead Hits Investors with More Gloom

By John Bingham, City Staff, PA News


Troubled plant hire group Ashtead saw its share price fall again today after the company decided not to pay its interim dividend.

At one stage shares were 21% lower as Ashtead told shareholders it was withdrawing the dividend of 0.62p per share, set in January. The stock later recovered ground to stand 3% lower.

The announcement came as Ashtead said it had made an interest payment which it deferred last week because of an investigation into its books in the wake of a possible accounting blunder in its US business Sunbelt Rentals.

But the Leatherhead, Surrey-based firm also announced it was planning to defer a separate interest payment due at the start of next month to pest control group Rentokil Initial on a 130 million convertible bond.

The dividend decision comes as a further blow to Ashtead investors after the company decided to keep it unchanged at 0.62p.

Ashteads recent woes began earlier this month when it revealed that a senior member of its financial staff in the US had been suspended after costs appeared to have been understated by 5 million.

Share prices tumbled 67% on the news and took a fresh dive a week later to just 2.75p after it announced that it was defaulting on the interest payment which was eventually made today.

Share improved to 8.5p this week before todays news took off another 1.25p from the share price. It later rallied to stand down 3% off 0.25p at 8.25p.

Ashtead said earlier this month that the problems, coupled with difficult trading conditions at Sunbelt, meant annual profits for the group were likely to be well below market expectations.

The pressure on profits comes despite a healthy performance from Ashteads UK division A-Plant, which is on course for a small increase in year-on-year profits during the second half of the financial year.

Ains , you knew it would rise, you knew it would drop, and then , magically knew it would rise AGAIN, its really , really spooky how you do it, what a man.