In line with my thoughts of recent, stay well away from momentum stocks at the moment. Go into boring but stocks that can be seen to generate an increase in earnings. Ive been with this a few weeks and think a few may have picked up on that. Now breaking out and looking for further earnings enhancing Acquisitions.

Its a top notch architect company and not over exposed to the housing market. Has top management and is derd cheap on fundies, more to come on that . Any views appreciated, good or bad but I feel we could be onto a winner here.

Just look at this report from a tip sheet, all things checked out and OK........

Lifted this from another board..........

SMC stacks up - STRONG BUY
Companies: SMC
27/09/2005

Architecture and design group SMC, which works on major office, retail and residential projects in the UK, Eire and Europe, joined AIM via a 4.6 million placing in June with ambitions to consolidate this fragmented industry. Founder and chief executive Stewart McColl hopes that by creating a larger outfit, his company will be able to win bigger projects producing higher margins.

McColl founded SMC in 1996 and has delivered appetising organic growth in recent years by offering national coverage. This has allowed the group access to substantial and more profitable construction projects across a range of sectors and locations. Clients now include British Land, Canary Wharf Group, Morgan Stanley and Wm Morrison, amongst others.

We have already got the 100 million projects, explains McColl, but there is another step-change in scale to come that will allow us access to projects worth 200 million, 300 million, 400 million and even 500 million. Increased scale pays off because larger projects are higher margin, with higher fee levels and longer timescales, helping SMC plan staff requirements more accurately.

Last November, ahead of the AIM float, SMC appointed ex-Wembley stalwart Sir Rodney Walker, who has brought recent AIM success stories like Goals Soccer Centres and Spice Holdings to market, as non-executive chairman. His presence and contacts have boosted the groups cachet and, following the AIM listing, McColl is also keen to boost scale through acquisitions.

Shortly after the float, SMC completed the two acquisitions mooted in the prospectus Corstorphine & Wright Hills Erwin, a Manchester
and Lancaster-based commercial architecture specialist, and Philip Lees & Associates, an outfit based in Leeds city centre, with a bumper proportion of revenues wrought from repeat business.

We are one of the few consolidators that I know of in this market, adds McColl, and now that we are on AIM, we are after acquisitions that are far more significant in size.

SMC recently cheered followers with an update on new deals. Among a plethora of 100 million-plus projects was work on new headquarters for Deeley Properties in Coventry, Sports Centres for Warwick County Council as well as developments for Pillar Properties and Canary Wharf.

Overseas work included manufacturing and office units in Slovenia, as well as a 290-bed InterContinental Hotel in Pakistan. There was also news of planning consent for a 50 million British Land office campus at Coventry.

2004 was exceedingly strong for SMC, with turnover lifted by 43 per cent to 8.1 million and pre-tax profits sparking up from 100,000 to 1.1 million. Gross margins were a healthy 50 per cent.

More recently, SMC unveiled extremely strong maiden interims to June, sending the shares sharply higher to 70.5p. These revealed a 255 per cent profits jump to 1.1 million on a 47 per cent leap in sales to 5.4 million. McColl was particularly pleased with the 260 per cent vault in earnings per share and a 140 per cent surge at the EBITDA level to 1.45 million, especially since we only had 20 days worth of revenues from the two acquisitions completed at float in the numbers.

He says subsidiaries are already enjoying larger scale project wins as part of the larger AIM group. 'We are looking at a few businesses that we might acquire, and as the business grows bigger, we'll be more equipped to handle PPP and PFI projects'.

Analysts envisage further profits improvement this year to 2.9 million, with sales climbing to 12.8 million. On those numbers, earnings of 7.1p leave the stock trading on an undemanding multiple of 9.9. We believe SMC offers high earnings visibility as well as tasty levels of repeat business, and we are strong buyers.ENDS.

Worth doing your own research if you are interested.


DYOR

cheers GF.

Just bought into BNH - set up like SMC but only in the insurance sector. Cheap - increased EPS forecast since this morning to just over 13p and sector P/E is 16.

Noted. WUW. Cheers.

cheers GF.

It states that SMC is the 5th. best performing share on AIM in 2005. Not bad seeing it was only quoted for about 6 months.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pioneering EPIC wins third accolade as SMC Corstophine & Wright are recognised for their environmentally sound design

Leading architects SMC Corstorphine & Wright have won a prestigious green design award for excellence at the Birmingham Design Initiative (BDI) Industry and Genius Awards 2005 for their ground breaking and environmentally sound 7m Eliot Park Innovation Centre (EPIC) in Nuneaton.

Built to establish the areas first incubator office space for SMEs, EPIC is a three-storey office development funded by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and Warwickshire County Council with a 2.8m DTI/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant. The money went towards installing a photovoltaic energy system, which generates enough energy to power the equivalent of 10,000 energy efficient light bulbs or 700 PCs a year. Although this is probably the most striking element of the building, there are a number of other environmentally sound design features including photo electric sensors and presence detectors that automatically adjust lighting levels according to occupancy and the natural level of daylight. The overall design and orientation of the building also contributes to EPICs highly efficient handling of energy and waste.

EPIC is managed by Coventry University Enterprises Ltd who also offer business support to tenants.

Robert Gisby, lead architect on EPIC comments: This is the third award EPIC has received and it is fantastic to be nominated along with so many other innovative designs. It was an exciting project to work on and we are proud to have been responsible for one of the areas leading green designs that will hopefully become a benchmark by which other similar designs are measured.

Supported by sponsors including Birmingham City Council and Calthorpe Estates, the awards were held on Thursday 24 November at the IMAX theatre on Birminghams Millennium Point. Kevin McCloud from Channel 4s Grand Designs was on hand to present Robert Gisby with the award. With 130 entries competing in 13 categories from Birmingham and the surrounding area, EPIC fought off stiff competition in the Places and Genius Green Design category. SMC Corstophine & Wrights design for Stratford-upon-Avon High School was also short listed for the architecture category.

The BDI Industry and Genius Awards are held every two to three years to reward the ultimate in design and quality in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

cheers GF.

Talk of imminent upbeat trading statement on other boards.

cheers GF.

Looks like we have punters awaiting the update.

cheers GF.

From another board trading update tomorrow or thursday.

cheers GF.

Should have a trading update in the morning.

cheers GF.

Just ticked up into the blue. No trading statement yet. I wonder if the other board lot have got it wrong.

cheers GF.

No trading statement. ?

cheers GF. Might have been a ramp.

Still on a lowly forward P/E of only just over 11. Results next month could come in beating forecasts.

cheers GF.

Also a trading update to come before results.

cheers GF.

RSI looks fairly oversold. Trading update due february and forward P/E is on a conservative P/E of only 11, far too cheap for this one.

cheers GF.

Looks like a buying opportunity as opened up here. Shares down nearlly 5% on the day, trading update mid Feb I think.

cheers GF.

Since you seem to be all alone on this board Goldfinger I thought I'd join you.

I have spoken to the company and there will be a trading statement mid February. As usual, if it starts to fall small-time holders get panicky. I am very happy holding and looking forward to the trading update.

Good on you Sunners.

'Patience will provide wealth'.

ie, PWPW, a new ratio I have just developed alongside you this evening.

No Joking you want to get a copyright on that?????????????? sunners?.

cheers GF.

Pleasing trading statement this a.m along with 2 more earnings enhancing acquisitions.

Should be good for a run up to results in April

capa

I think forecasts will be beat. Looks very encouraging.............
Sunbury, oppologies re- my ratio above. Think I was under the influence of vino that night.

SMC Group Plc
03 February 2006


SMC Group Plc
('SMC' or 'the Company')

Trading Update and Acquisitions

SMC Group Plc, the architects and design business, today announces an update on
current trading and the acquisition of two architecture and design companies,
Ian Penrose Architects Limited ('Ian Penrose Architects') and Covell Mathews
Cambridge Architects Limited ('Covell Matthews').

Current trading

SMC has made good progress during 2005 and the financial performance of the
Group is expected to be in line with market expectations. All group companies
have increased their secured level of orders for 2006 and have a strong
prospective pipeline of work, expected to generate organic growth.

The outlook for the Group is encouraging and SMC is confident of the prospects
for 2006. The company will announce its preliminary results for the year ended
31st December 2005 on 27th April 2006.

Acquisitions

SMC Group Plc announces that it has agreed to acquire Ian Penrose Architects and
Covell Matthews, both architecture and design companies, based in the South West
and the East of England respectively. SMC expects both acquisitions to be
immediately earnings enhancing.

Ian Penrose Architects

The total consideration has been calculated by reference to a multiple of 3.5
times Ian Penrose Architects' profit before tax for the 12 months ended
31 December 2007.

2.0m is payable immediately (which includes an allowance for 160,000 of cash
left in the business) and will be satisfied by a cash payment of 1.5m and the
issue of 452,849 shares of 0.5 pence each in the Company ('New Ordinary Shares')
at a price of 109.3 pence per share.

Application will today be made for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to
AIM. It is expected that dealings in the New Ordinary Shares will commence on
8 February 2006.

The balance of the consideration will be paid in stages in June 2007 and June
2008, and will be calculated according to the future performance of Ian Penrose
Architects for 2006 and 2007. Ultimately, the total consideration will be
satisfied by a mix of cash and shares at approximately 50% cash/50% shares.

For its financial year ended 30 June 2005, Ian Penrose Architects' revenue was
1.5m and its profit before tax was 0.7m.

The acquisition of Ian Penrose Architects will increase SMC's exposure to the
architecture and design market in the South West of England.

Ian Penrose Architects' client list includes: Mercedes-Benz, Rok Group,
Norwich Union, University of Exeter, Redrow Homes, Crest Homes, Kier Group,
Devon County Council, British Gas, London & Devonshire Trust and Plymouth
College.


Covell Matthews

The total consideration has been calculated by reference to a multiple of 3.5
times the average of Covell Matthews' profit before tax for each of the 12
months ended 31 December 2006 and the 12 months ended 31 December 2007
respectively.

2.1m is payable immediately (which includes an allowance for 425,000 of cash
left in the business) and will be satisfied by a cash payment of 1.7m and the
issue of 386,204 shares of 0.5 pence each in the Company ('New Ordinary
Shares') at a price of 109.3 pence per share.

Application will today be made for the New Ordinary Shares to be admitted to
AIM. It is expected that dealings in the New Ordinary Shares will commence on
8 February 2006.

The balance of the consideration will be paid in stages in June 2007 and
June 2008, and will be calculated according to the future performance of Covell
Matthews for 2006 and 2007. Ultimately, the total consideration will be satisfied
by a mix of cash and shares at approximately 75% cash/25% shares.

For its financial year ended 30 April 2005, Covell Matthews' revenue was 1.8m
and its profit before tax was 0.5m.

The acquisition of Covell Matthews will increase SMC's exposure to the
architecture and design market in the East of England, East Anglia and the Home
Counties.

Covell Matthews' client list includes: Turnstone Estates Ltd, Wrenbridge,
Capital & Counties, Lothbury Property Partnership, AMEC, Anglian Water
Group, University of Cambridge and Kings College School.


The acquisition of Ian Penrose Architects and Covell Matthews will be the fifth
and sixth transactions completed by SMC. The SMC Group seeks to achieve
geographical coverage throughout the UK. SMC's strategy focuses upon organic and
acquisitive growth, aiming to acquire established companies with strong trading
histories and prospects, thereby gaining access to larger scale and higher
margin projects such as major town centre regeneration or large government
schemes such as schools and hospitals.

Commenting, SMC's Chief Executive, Stewart McColl said:

'We are delighted to welcome Ian Penrose Architects and Covell Matthews to the
stable of SMC companies. Both acquisitions will be earnings enhancing and we
expect them to generate value for our shareholders. They also increase our
geographic footprint, which has particular relevance to education projects,
specifically related to the Building Schools for the Future programme on which a
local presence is deemed advantageous. Our Group has already created a new
division, SMC Education & Community to focus on expected opportunities in this
sector, which will see 60bn invested in improving school infrastructure over
the next 10 - 15 years. Both new acquisitions will contribute to and benefit
from this initiative. One Group company, SMC Gower Architects based in Leeds has
recently been selected by the Investors in the Community and Land Securities
Trillium Joint Venture to assist them with their bid for Leeds City Council's
250m schools programme'.

For further information contact:

SMC Group Plc
Stewart McColl 020 7495 5335

cheers GF.

Recent broker note from Hardman shows just how cheap this one is.

http://www.armshare.com/assets/contributordocs/SMC%20Feb%2006.pdf

cheers GF.

Back to winning ways and no wonder with a prospective P/E of only just over 9, please see the note above.

cheers GF.

Another Bullish Broker note..........

http://www.edisoninvestmentresearch.co.uk/download/pdf.php?file=smc030206update.pdf

cheers GF.