This company sells at a ridiculously low price earnings ration of less than 12, it has tripled in price in the last 12 months and is extremely good value at 200p. It has been backed by the both Investors Chronicle and Shares magazine as a strong buy. The technical fundamentals from a charting viewpoint are second to none. The company is is the fast growth sector of childrens toys.

http://tallglic.blogspot.com/

Explanation falling sp.Dow closing down -360 won't help matters.Mattel hit by danderous toys made in China,CCT now directly involved though not responsible for manufacturing this particular toy.Banked profits some time ago & no longer a holder.


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/07/nxmas107.xml

Danger drug found in Christmas toy
By Harry Wallop, Consumer Affairs Correspondent, and Nick Squires in Sydney
Last Updated: 1:39pm GMT 07/11/2007



A popular toy has been withdrawn from shops because of fears it may contain a potentially lethal hallucinogenic drug.

Bindeez, which allows young children to make animals and other shapes from beads, were predicted to be a popular present this Christmas.

Retailers, including Woolworths and Argos, withdrew the sets after Moose Entertainment, an Australian company that designed the product, admitted that a "small number" of children in Australia needed treatment after swallowing the beads.

The beads, which are made in China, are supposed to be coated with a harmless glue to allow them to stick together.

Health authorities in New South Wales found they were covered in a chemical which, if swallowed, changes into a compound similar to GHB, a "date rape" drug. The reaction can cause seizures and unconsciousness.
A boy aged two and a 10-year-old girl were admitted to a hospital in Sydney last week after swallowing the beads.

advertisementA boy aged 19 months was treated in hospital in Queensland yesterday after eating some of the beads.

Richard King, the chairman of Character, which distributes Bindeez in Britain, said: "We've asked all our customers to take them off the shelf while we retest everything to make sure the toys comply with all regulations."

Moose said it had discovered that some Bindeez in Australia contained ingredients "that did not match laboratory-approved" products.
The Toy Retailers Association named Bindeez as one of their top toys for Christmas. Gary Grant, its chairman, said: "They have been selling very well in recent weeks."

It is understood that about 10 million worth of sets were due to be sold this year.

Character said it would take about four days to retest the products and no retailer could sell them until it received the results from the laboratory.

The retailers said it was "far too early" to talk about a product recall, which could see hundreds of thousands of the toys being returned.

http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/08/2084825.htm?section=justin

Fears of black market demand for poisoned Bindeez
Posted 3 hours 32 minutes ago


Poison fears: Bindeez beads (File photo) (Bindeez website)
There are concerns a black market might be developing for a dangerous toy that is known to metabolise into the liquid ecstasy chemical GHB when swallowed.

Nasty fall, hope holders are ok.

Toys are very dangerous these days.

OZ & now USA

radarlove - 8 Nov'07 - 07:51 - 7736 of 7766


The story continues to unfold.

On the TV programme 'ABC News', late last night, it stated a couple of children from North America were admitted to hospital after sucking on the contaminated Bindeez paint. The toy there is called 'Aquadots'.

It seems it may not be just a rogue batch confined to Australia, after all. The news programme went on to say that a batch of toys produced between May and November may hold the hallucinogenic paint.

I will attempt to contact 'Character' this morning and see if I can find out more

For adults over 21 years methinks not young kids able to put things in their young mouths.

don't forget Character's main assets - Dr Who which took them to new heights in the price charts

As I've said, toys can be a disaster...


Character Group PLC
17 December 2007

Issued by Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd, Birmingham
Date: Monday, 17 December 2007 IMMEDIATE RELEASE


The Character Group plc
Current Trading Update


The Board of The Character Group plc ('Group' or 'Company') provides the
following update to shareholders in relation to trading in the final run up to
Christmas.

The Directors have noted that retail sales for Christmas 2007 started late and
that the market has not recovered from this belated seasonal start. The current
difficult trading environment has resulted in toy retail consumer sales being
slower than anticipated and consequently, lower than budgeted levels of stock
replenishment orders have been received by the Company from its customers.

Against the backdrop of these unusually difficult trading conditions, coupled
with the lost sales of Bindeez products and the Group's recent product recall
already reported (viewed by the Board as a one off impact), the Company is
taking a more cautious view on revenue outcome for the first half of the current
financial year. The Directors therefore expect that revenues for the four months
to 31 December 2007 will be down by approximately 18% on the same period last
year.

As a major UK supplier, the Group is not immune to the effects of faltering
consumer confidence and this view seems to be supported by the heavy discounting
occurring on the high street. Whilst the trading situation is disappointing to
report, overall the Board continues to be encouraged by the growth in its
brands.

Currently, the Group's 2008 product range is being previewed by the major
retailers. To date, there has been a very positive reaction to the new product
portfolio and therefore the Directors expect revenue growth in the second half
of the current financial year ending 31 August 2008 to be ahead of the same
period in 2007.

I bought a few..

er, sorry - I thought Retailers had their Xmas stocks....so why would Character Group need to the second week before Christmas Day to release this bad news?

It must have been obvious their mix of toys was a no-no weeks ago; say by the beginning of Autumn, when their phones didn't ring all day?

I got-out ages ago, but feel for those who have suffered a 48% drop in one day. That smacks of carelessness, so I hope the Execs do the "decent thing" before closing the Office until 2008.

Took my profits back in April/May however this sell-off seems well over-done. Broker has revised profit estimates down from 11m to 8m which still has PE <8.0 with a good dividend and backed with 15m cash balance would suggest some bargain hunting buying available on this share at these levels. PANIC SELLING TODAY IMO.

Strange 1.4m shares bought 700k shares sold sp down 50%. MMs marking down aggressively suggests perhaps more bad news to come after Christmas.

That looks like someone's forgotten to put the stairgate across at rung 140 and the poor kid's tumbled!

Toy Fairs in UK, Germany and the US towards end Jan and Feb - where the big deals are done (or not, as the case may be).

what a disaster ..... made some money on this stock a year or two back ..... trouble is, there's no shelter when sp gets slugged like this, unless you happened to have a guaranteed stop

AVOID - at least for a good while yet

Agree, CCT is likely to be well shaken by mid-Jan08, when those close will be "in the know" and either: Buying like fury, or selling anything that smells of Character.

I used to hold, but disliked their Digital Camera forray - now gone, I understand.

Apart from their recent "bead" problem, I guess the Market "generally" has been speaking Volumes. But the "bead" issue shows a total disregard for their Duty of Care, for ultimately it is the Company's reputation that entices you to buy a toy.

Also made money on this sold at 155p on the way up, back on my watch list as with RNK and JRVS that have also crashed.

why not buy an ambulance maker?
perhaps TAN make an electric one

Made by Character

Looks like CCT is a strong buy at 93p now.

The market has been kind to CCT buying-back its own shasres - about 400k-worth - - - you'd think there were better things to do with shareholder cash, esp as they chopped the divi. .....will Execs similarly be denied any Bonus?
DYOR

The divi was increased. Rumours that at these price iii might increase their stake?

Character Group sees trading conditions hitting Aug, Christmas sales - AFX


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Toymaker Character Group Plc. said it is likely to see slower than expected customer intakes, which many have a 'significant' adverse impact on August sales as well as during the run-up to Christmas.

The company quoted the British Shops and Stores Association as saying sector sales for the quarter to June 2008 are estimated to be down by 7.5 percent.

However, the company said it continues to be cash generative and has cash at bank and substantial undrawn banking and invoice discounting facilities available.

In a trading update, Character Group said it remains confident it will be able to deal with the effects of the downturn and has ensured that inventory exposure is reduced in line with more conservative expectations for the lead-up to Christmas.

tfn.newsdesk@thomson.com

Whats happening today..?

not a bad days trade.

Mitzy, nearly 6-monyhs further on - what's your take on the 35% rise today?
Looked at [CCT]-Trades - under 3k Buys and slightly more Sells ( as of 17:15 Wednesday). That's barely 1000-worth in my estimation.
PS do you have any Bowleven ( up Lots, today! on news of 1.50 bid) - but shouldn't sp rise to near-bid, like 1.40....?

Hi hangon.. sorry only just seen your post today.


They are moving up my target is 70p.

One of the biggest risers today.

70p here we come.

Must be close to share of the last year. Incredible rise from a company who looked on very shaky ground when Woolies went bust.

Breakout today will it past previous highs tommorrows? the naked trader in also dividend paying also.

Final Results.

RNS Number : 9285S

Character Group PLC

29 November 2011

The Character Group PLC

designers, developer and international distributor of toys, games and giftware

Issued by Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd, Birmingham

Date: Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Embargoed: 7.00am

Preliminary Results

for the year ended 31 August 2011

-- Group Sales up 11.4% to GBP94.95 million (2010:GBP85.23m)
-- Group Profit before Tax up 19.8% to GBP9.05 million (2010: GBP7.55m)
-- Basic earnings per share up 41.5% to 28.47 pence (2010: 20.12p)
-- Final dividend - proposed: 3.00 pence +50%; Total for the year: 6.00p
-- Key ranges performed well in tough retail environment
-- New Product introductions through remainder of this financial year
"The Group's strategy of focusing on brands and licensed products, where the business can bring into play its expertise in character licensing, product & brand development and distribution, has enabled the business to report solid growth in both revenue and profitability."

"Looking ahead, whilst we cannot influence the overall toy industry, and retail spending in total, we believe that by continuing to 'refresh' our product lines at retail and by marketing our products in innovative ways, we shall be relatively successful when compared to the industry as a whole."

"Bearing in mind the tough economic conditions, we have reduced our sales forecasts for the current financial year and taken steps to reduce our total costs accordingly. We expect, however, to continue to be cash generative and provided we see no further deterioration in sales, we also expect to maintain our profitability for 2012 at a similar level to the financial year ended 31 August 2011."

Richard King, Executive Chairman

FULL STATEMENT ATTACHED

Character Group drops 11 percent as the toy and games developer, with licenses for TV characters such as Bob the Builder, says trading during the year has been disappointing, prompting Merchant Securities to cut back its estimates for the firm and downgrade its rating for the stock to "sell from "hold".

"We do not believe the group has the key blockbusters for the current calendar year, which could prevent revenue growth from being achieved in FY13," Merchant Securities says in a note also cutting its target price for Character Group to 119 pence from 170 pence

WATCH: Character Group - Toy industry recognise Character Options - top awards

Click here to watch

Shares - Analysts forecast a 50% upside to a share price of 300p.

Interactive investor - After a terrible 2013, last year was far better for Character Group (CCT). An update earlier this month confirmed that sales in the run up to Christmas were better-than-expected and up 28% in the current financial year. Profit in the year to August 2015 should "at least" hit current forecasts, said the company behind kids' toys from massive hits like Peppa Pig, Minecraft, Teletubbies and Scooby Doo.

Voted Toy Supplier of the Year at the recent Toy Industry Awards, Character had Charles Stanley analyst Peter Smedley running for his calculator. After upgrading forecasts for the next three years, Character shares still trade on less than 9 times forward earnings. It should be more. Says Smedley:

We believe, however, that the company's underlying fundamental momentum is so powerful, combined with both the scope for our still conservatively framed estimates to move up even further in 2015 and the increasing likelihood of significant share buybacks, that a PT of 450p, giving 50%+ upside, is achievable.

Recent broker upgrades result in the shares trading at a seemingly modest 9x forecasts earnings for the year ending August 2015, however we would suggest that this business is about a lot more than boring old earnings per share.

We have analysed the results going back to 2000 and can offer some thoughts. Read more at at http://www.investorschampion.com/research/ or http://tinyurl.com/pq4vlvc

Half yearly report

"Record performance- Revenue, + 24%, Profit before tax +178%, and Dividend +51.5%

30 Apr Charles Stanley 540.00 Buy

ST of IC today -

Target price

From my lens at least, Character's shares are lining up for another assault on the 430p intraday high hit on the day of the half year results at the end of April, a price level that coincides with the all-time high dating back to April 1999. I don't expect the resistance level to hold especially as we could be in line for some earnings upgrades when the company issues a pre-close trading update at the end of the summer.

So, with the shares on the cusp of breaking into blue sky territory, I feel buying now is a smart play and a target price of 525p should be achievable by the year-end, implying 26 per cent share price upside. Even then the shares would only be rated on a forward PE ratio of 11.5 for fiscal 2016. Buy.

ST of IC today - So ahead of the pre-close trading update, I would continue to run your bumper profits. Charles Stanley has a target price of 540p and Allenby Capital has a target of 575p, but I can see scope for both to be raised if Character beats its aforementioned profit estimates. Run profits.

ST of IC today - So with Character's shares rated on a reasonable 12 times' earnings for the fiscal year just ended, and offering a dividend yield north of 2 per cent, I feel there is scope for the share price rally to continue and take-out my 525p target price. Joint house broker Allenby Capital has a target price of 575p, or 15 per cent above the current share price.

Shares - Character's pre-tax profit is expected to rise by 9.8% to £12.1 million in the year ending 31 Aug 2016. Despite this attractive growth pile Character's 2016 price to earnings ratio is a mere 10.8which looks too cheap.

Preliminary results

1 Dec Panmure Gordon 635.00 Buy

ST of IC - New target price

So with Character’s shares trading on 10 times earnings, offering a 2.5 per cent prospective dividend yield, and the board committed to continuing its policy of making earnings accretive share buy backs, then I feel the upside from the Teletubbies toy launch next month is being seriously underestimated by investors.

In fact, having seen the shares hit my target price of 525p ahead of a pre-close trading update at which point I recommended running profits (‘Four small caps with further to go’, 10 September 2015), I now rate them an outright buy again on a bid-offer spread of 480p to 485p given there is almost 25 per cent upside to my new target price of 600p.

Naked Trader today - Moving away from new issues I've added some toy company Character (LON:CCT) shares.

Looks very cheap and with teletubbies going well, could be a decent statement coming soon. The shares tend to do nothing for ages then suddenly re-rate. And they have done nothing for ages!

Timing much to be desire by "naked traded" They could be on a breakout from the resistance, but the Indicators are already at overbought and soon exhausted, meaning that soon should be a better price to buy than the 507.50p.
I suspect some of the fans have already bought in today.

i also suspect that the buying is ahead of results in 3 weeks time

Notice of 2016 Half-Year Results

The Company will be announcing its financial results for the half year ended 29 February 2016 on Wednesday 27 April 2016.

Half Yearly Financial Report

27 Apr Panmure Gordon 635.00 Buy

ST of IC today -Valuation

The bottom line is that no matter which way I look at this Character Group's shares are significantly undervalued and there appears a strong likelihood of the price rallying in the months ahead of the pre-close trading update in early September as other investors cotton on to the good news story set to emerge.

A break-out above the 535p key resistance level would also confirm the multi-month share price consolidation period is over, a signal well worth following in my view. Trading on a bid-offer spread of 510p to 525p, I rate Character's shares a strong buy and have a fair value price range between 625p to 675p. Buy.

09:55 21/09/2016
Director Deals - Character Group (The) PLC (CCT)
David Harris, Non Executive Director, bought 4,597 shares in the company on the 20th September 2016 at a price of 435.00p. The Director now holds 56,000 shares. Story provided by StockMarketWire.com Director deals data provided by www.directorsholdings.com
09:55 21/09/2016
Director Deals - Character Group (The) PLC (CCT)
Mark Dowding, Financial Director, bought 10,000 shares in the company on the 20th September 2016 at a price of 435.00p. The Director now holds 83,841 shares. Story provided by StockMarketWire.com Director deals data provided by www.directorsholdings.com

Preliminary results ending 31 Aug 16

A long time from the last post.

proactive investor - Character Group jumps as UK business racks up record sales

10:53 14 Sep 2018

The AIM-listed toymaker said its established in-house brands, which include Teletubbies and Peppa Pig, together with its new ranges had been selling “extremely well”

Character's in-house brands, which include Peppa Pig, have been selling "extremely well"
Character Group PLC (LON:CCT) shares jumped in late-morning trading Friday after it said it will “comfortably” meet market expectations for the full year as its UK business delivered record sales.
In a trading update, the AIM-listed toymaker said its established in-house brands, which include Teletubbies and Peppa Pig, together with its new ranges had been selling “extremely well”, while its “craze” lines had added a successful supplement to its product portfolio.

Confident of prospects for Christmas season​
The firm added that it had continued to see positive listings and strong demand from its customers for core ranges and was confident on its prospects for the all-important Christmas season.
The update will come as good news to investors, as the group’s half-year results in April reported a pre-tax profit that was around 50% lower than the same period in 2017, however at the time, the firm said growth would return in the second half and it expected results to strengthen “significantly” for the full year.
Character will release its full-year results on 29 November.
Shares were up 8% at 540p.