Web Site : http://www.universe-group.co.uk/

HTEC Web Site : http://www.htec.co.uk/


Nov 2005 CNBC Interview with Ray Mackie (open the url below in Windows Media Player or equivalent)

http://www.universe-group.co.uk/news/media/ray_mackie_cnbc_111105_large.mpg


Half Year End 30th June
Full Year End 31st Dec
____________________________________________________________________

Latest Broker Forecasts

Charles Stanley 9th December 2005 BUY

2005 Pre Tax Profit 1.37M
2005 EPS 1.8p
2005 Div 0.75p

2006 Pre Tax Profit 2.03M
2006 EPS 2.3p
2006 Div 0.75p
______________________________________________________________________

31 OCTOBER 2005
UNIVERSE GROUP PLC

HTEC UPDATE
NEW HYDRAPOS INSTALLATIONS

Universe Group plc ("Universe" or "the Company"), the forecourt payment and
loyalty systems company, is pleased to announce that it has received a further
significant order for its HydraPOS petrol forecourt system. Following ASDA's
purchase of 12 former Safeway stores from Morrisons, which include five petrol
sites, in Northern Ireland, ASDA has placed orders with HTEC for HydraPOS to be
installed at each of the petrol sites on Toshiba TEC hardware.

This follows other recent forecourt industry developments which saw Fuelforce's
sale of 22 sites to Somerfield, 61 petrol sites to Murco and 25 sites to
Malthurst. As a result:

* Somerfield, and Malthurst, one of the biggest of the independent groups,
have now become significant customers of HTEC;

* HTEC, with Toshiba TEC, now has the largest presence in Murco's Point of
Sale estate. HTEC was already a supplier to Murco.

Commenting on today's announcement, Ray Mackie, Chairman , said: "It is pleasing to see continuing success from our efforts to gain an increasing our share of this dynamic market. HTEC is working closely in partnership with Toshiba TEC to give our customers the best service on the best equipment."

___________________________________________________________________



Universe Group PLC
09 September 2005

UNIVERSE GROUP PLC
UNAUDITED INTERIM RESULTS
FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 30 JUNE 2005

Universe Group plc ('Universe' or the 'Company'), the retail and information
systems company, is pleased to announce its Interim Results for the six months
ended 30 June 2005.

Highlights:
Continuing turnover of 14.7 million (2004: 11.0 million)
Operating profit on continuing business 1,229,000 (2004: 757,000)
Profit before tax 482,000 (2004: loss of 224,000)
Adjusted earnings per share 1.45p (2004: 0.84p)
Sale of First Remit completed on 12 August 2005
Unchanged interim dividend of 0.25p
Appointment of Bishopsgate Communications Ltd as Financial and Corporate PR.


Commenting, Ray Mackie, Executive Chairman of Universe said:

'In the first half of 2005 we achieved an operating profit on our continuing
business and before exceptional items which was 62.3% higher than last year. In the main this was the result of an excellent performance at HTEC. Continuing operating profits before exceptional items were 1,229,000 compared to 757,000 for the first half of last year on a like for like basis. Our continuing business is that of HTEC and the Paris shops of Master Change'.

'The medium term prospects for HTEC are excellent although the second half will
be quieter. With its shop closure programme completed there are signs that the
Paris shops will put in a strong performance for Master Change.'

.
______________________________________________________________________


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2740-1851929,00.html

The Times November 01, 2005

Smaller stock to watch

Universe Group, the AIM-listed provider of forecourt payment systems, added 2p at 19p on announcing further orders from Asda for its HTEC division. Universe, after the purchase by Britains second-biggest grocer of 12 former Safeway stores in Northern Ireland, is to supply the sites with its HydraPOS petrol forecourt system, in conjunction with Toshiba hardware. The company also said that Somerfield and Malthouse, the independent petrol retailer, have also become significant customers, while HTEC now has the largest presence in Murcos point-of-sale estate.

Updated forecast added

Charles Stanley 23rd September 2005 BUY
2005 Pre Tax Profit 1.37M
2005 EPS 1.8p
2005 Div 0.75p

2006 Pre Tax Profit 2.03M
2006 EPS 2.3p
2006 Div 0.75p

The news from RTD might be linked to UNG.

Is this why UNG sold off First Remit and have hinted at selling off Masterchange ? RTD would be very interested in the HTEC side of UNG and it could be merged in very easily I think.

Was rab12 an informed insider ? We might see Masterchange sold off from UNG (and the selling off of Masterchange has been inclined recently) as part of a deal for RTD to buy UNG (as RTD would want the HTEC side on UNG). Is this why UNG sold of First Remit recently ? It is possible.


rab12 - 16 Aug'05 - 22:16 - 227 of 341
As i have said previously on this thread ,UNiverse is ready to be absorbed by someone else. RTD is a possibility as they divorced years ago but could get into bed again with no great difficulty.

Card Clear demerged from RTD around 2000 and became the Universe Group. The RTD announcement yesterday means that UNG should be well on the list of potentials due to its previous links and now of course HTEC doing well and First Remit sold off.

Hi Papal ,i could do with some good news soon ,what a terrible couple of days the markets have had.
DB66

DB66 likely to be same again today but next week is the difficult one, it will either get much better and a rebound or much worse.

UNG still doing well, I am waiting for a top up chance under 20p, if there is one.

Universe Group PLC
31 October 2005
31 OCTOBER 2005
UNIVERSE GROUP PLC

HTEC UPDATE
NEW HYDRAPOS INSTALLATIONS

Universe Group plc ('Universe' or 'the Company'), the forecourt payment and
loyalty systems company, is pleased to announce that it has received a further
significant order for its HydraPOS petrol forecourt system. Following ASDA's
purchase of 12 former Safeway stores from Morrisons, which include five petrol
sites, in Northern Ireland, ASDA has placed orders with HTEC for HydraPOS to be
installed at each of the petrol sites on Toshiba TEC hardware.

This follows other recent forecourt industry developments which saw Fuelforce's
sale of 22 sites to Somerfield, 61 petrol sites to Murco and 25 sites to
Malthurst. As a result:

Somerfield, and Malthurst, one of the biggest of the independent groups,
have now become significant customers of HTEC;

HTEC, with Toshiba TEC, now has the largest presence in Murco's Point of
Sale estate. HTEC was already a supplier to Murco.

Commenting on today's announcement, Ray Mackie, Chairman , said: 'It is pleasing to see continuing success from our efforts to gain an increasing our share of this dynamic market. HTEC is working closely in partnership with Toshiba TEC to give our customers the best service on the best equipment.'

---ends---

Enquiries:

Universe Group plc 02380 689 200
Ray Mackie, Chairman

Bishopsgate Communications Ltd 020 7430 1600
Dominic Barretto / Maxine Barnes

Good news and its looks like a there was a number of people waiting to buy back in, the falls have been for no reason, so it is very much a bargain when on a standard pr PER of times 15 the price would be 35p.

Funnily enough i was thinking about buying some more Friday but didn`t.
Very good news today,lets hope its the start of a sustained rise up.
db66

Its very good news DB66 ! Tom from t1ps.com is very pleased with the news, says its big news for HTEC and the shares are cheap at present price.


From UK-analyst.com email;

Shares in Universe Group* rose 2.25p to 19.25p after the forecourt payment and loyalty systems company said that it had received a further significant order for its HydraPOS petrol forecourt system. Following Asda's purchase of 12 former Safeway stores from Morrison, which include five petrol sites, in Northern Ireland, it said that Asda had placed orders with HTEC for HydraPOS to be installed at each of the petrol sites on Toshiba TEC hardware.

Can someone check if the MM's are feeling ok, we have a rise up and also the spread as low as 5% (this is not normal on UNG for a spread so low, so need to check if they are ill or something ;-) )

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2740-1851929,00.html

The Times November 01, 2005

Smaller stock to watch

Universe Group, the AIM-listed provider of forecourt payment systems, added 2p at 19p on announcing further orders from Asda for its HTEC division. Universe, after the purchase by Britains second-biggest grocer of 12 former Safeway stores in Northern Ireland, is to supply the sites with its HydraPOS petrol forecourt system, in conjunction with Toshiba hardware. The company also said that Somerfield and Malthouse, the independent petrol retailer, have also become significant customers, while HTEC now has the largest presence in Murcos point-of-sale estate.

Same figures and same buy rating for 28th Oct update

203K "X" trade at 21p

We have some large buyer in the market for UNG shares on the cheap, so look for more on them and maybe a Holdings RNS in the next 4 to 8 weeks then.

Goes interim x-div on the 30th Nov (0.25p) and with a return to full year profits on the cards, a good chance of 0.75p full year div (forecast is 0.5p additional), sale of Masterchange on the cards and yet more excellent growth from HTEC, one would hope that the swings will become less and less and some solid support will come in now.

Latest broker rec. added to the header, same again with buy rating.

End of year mark down has made UNG cheap as chips again.

March 06 will see a return to full year profitability and during 2006 profits and turnover will increase. Its at bargain levels now I think as you look to 2006.

Latest Broker Forecasts

Charles Stanley 9th December 2005 BUY

2005 Pre Tax Profit 1.37M
2005 EPS 1.8p
2005 Div 0.75p

2006 Pre Tax Profit 2.03M
2006 EPS 2.3p
2006 Div 0.75p

Nov 2005 CNBC Interview with Ray Mackie (open the url below in Windows Media Player or equivalent)

http://www.universe-group.co.uk/news/media/ray_mackie_cnbc_111105_large.mpg

Universe wins contract for its electronic payment system, no terms
AFX


LONDON (AFX) - Universe Group PLC, which supplies electronic payment, transaction and loyalty systems to the retail sector, said the Anglia Regional Co-operative Society is to roll out the company's electronic payment system at its 11 petrol retailing sites.

The agreement with Anglia will be implemented over the next four months and will include an ongoing maintenance agreement.

No financial terms were disclosed.

newsdesk@afxnews.com

bam