Stockdog,

What do you think of the latest results??

I thought they were ok. Quite positive outlook from the Company!!
The retail sector seems to be improving. Like-for-like sales figures still down from '04 but then again that was going to be very difficult as 2004 was an exceptional year!
One point is that as long as nothing nasty happens in the High street, the next set of results can only look positive compared with 2005...!

The Gross margin is improving which is important + store openings are going ahead as planned so maybe 2006 will be a great year for Topps Tiles!
.....and as was hinted in the press, Topps Tiles might well become a Takeover Target within 12 months.

If that's the case, what's a reasonable Takeout price in your opinion?? 3-3.50?

Thanks for replying.

Oddie

I haven't really studied the fundamentals, other than to note that of any retailer TPT is probably one of the strongest and likely to survive. They seem to be keeping going with their roll out of new shops at quite a pace. I still believe the housing market has further to fall and that interest rates may rise to contain inflation imported by a weak currency in the mid term - neither good for retailers. Until then I'm following the chart as a spread better which tells me my buy order triggered at 202.90 on the last trading day of 2005 is so far correct showing me a 50% profit on my opening risk (using trailing stop loss). Let's see how long it runs before I'm stopped out. As I've said before, the double bottom at 160ish with intra-peak at 200ish, now that it has been proven by the break-out above 200 suggests we should be heading for 240 in the short term. That would give me a 120% profit. Thereafter, who knows where Mr Market will decide to take us.

sd

oddie - You've started 3 different threads for TPT this week. I'm all for coverage as I'm a holder and big fan but would it not make sense to have all posters' views on the one thread?

Thanks Stockdog.

Yes, a re-test of 240-250p seems to be the general consensus in the short term.

You use charts to signal Buys & Sells. I'm not that familiar with charts and how to use them for that purpose but I would like to....

...is there a particular book on charting that you recommend?

Many thanks for replying.

A much relieved and happier TPT holder.

Oddie

The following website I've found pretty useful as a basic starting point.

http://stockcharts.com/education/

Otherwise I'm using moving averages and seeing where a short term (say 20-30 dma) breaks up or down through a longer term (say 40-50 dma) to indicagte opening buys or sells on spread bets - so far with little success! but I'm slowly getting the hang of it and intend to persevere.

sd

Thanks for info Stockdog. Much appreciated!
Looked at website and found it a rather good introduction to technical analysis!

Unfortunately the SP is under pressure mainly since other retailers have come up with their (better than expected!) results, but all with rather cautious outlook for the next six months - SP has come from a high of 224p on Tuesday to today's 204 ish, that's almost -10% in less than 4 sessions!

......was wondering if the charts were showing a continuous downward movement to possibly re-test the 190s ??

Thanks for replying.

Oddie

p.s

Stockdog,
I guess that since SP has dropped 20p your trailing stop loss has kicked in...
are you out of TPT now? anyway, hope you've made some good money..!!

O.

Au contraire - I still show a modest unrealised gain, sine I have kept my stop loss at 199p, just below the significant 200ish level whilst this minor retracement passes through - or becomes a definitive reverse and does stop me out!

I got royally screwed by AGA yesterday. Having opened a sell at 320 on Wednesday with a stop at 331p, the SP rose within minutes of my trade to 330.75 and tipped over into 332 for a few minutes yesteday morning, before retreating to the mid 320's from where for all I know it will continue ots decline as I predicted -pooh!

sd

Hello all,

Great to see sp recovering back to 220p's (levels last seen on results day before dropping back to 190's). I guess Carpetright's figures were really quite positive and encouraging which helped sentiment + Mortgage approvals are at the highest levels. 250p-270p does seem achievable by next results in June. The charts must be looking really strong... does anyone agree?

Thanks for replying.

Oddie

Evolution add recommendation, with target price of 245p
2517

Indeed 2517GEORGE -

From THE TIMES today:

"Topps Tiles put on 10p to 220p as a move into positive like-for-like sales at Carpetright, off 13p to 10.88, prompted Evolution Securities to repeat its 245p target on the tile retailer. Nick Bubb, analyst, notes that Carpetright trades at a 20 per cent premium to Topps, even though the formers 30 per cent market share in the UK gives it less room to grow than the latter."

TPT is the recovery play for 2006 according to many analysts, brokers etc...

Good luck to all & well done to those who had faith and held tight through the turbulent times!!

Oddie

Hello all.

I've noticed that both AXA and FIDELITY have recently bought a sizeable stake in Topps Tiles.

At the current price, 225p, it is too cheap, it's obvious, and the broker's 245p target is too low I believe.

If you compare TPT to Carpetright, it's trading at a big (and unfair) discount, so I'm wondering if a re-rating is on the cards for TPT?

A takeover story would not be too bad either....

Any ideas?

Oddie

Thanks for replying.
p.s this board has gone quiet...

Oddie
I have also noted that there has been far more selling than buying over the last week or so, but the sp is solid around 225p.
2517

Break through today above the 230p resistance on trading update wihch seems to be well accepted by the market. More tomorrow?

Hopefully stockdog. The news on first reading didn't look overly good but a broker upgrade and rising sales line was enough to break through 230p. I think there may be a little bit of profit taking but I also think we will reach the 250-270p range of this thread title by the beginning of the summer.

Hope so, queen1 - my small up s/b was triggered by rising through 232p first thing, a couple of pence clear of the resistance line (the immediate retracement was a bit hairy, but we seemed to make it through the day OK in the end). Here's hoping I don't get stopped out before we hit 270p.

Fingers crossed!

Well we've entered the bottom of the range for the tread title (250p). Where to now I wonder?

And does anyone have any views on the 54p per share offer?

Topps Tiles reports modest progress

Topps Tiles said it expects its first-half pretax profit to be about 18.3 mln stg against 20.3 mln a year ago. The UK's largest tile and wood flooring specialist expects operating profit for the 26 week period to March 31, 2007 to be about 21.0 mln stg compared with 19.5 mln in 2006.

Overall group revenue is expected to be in the region of 101.8 mln stg, up 14.9 pct from last year, despite a continuing tough retail market, while like-for-like sales are anticipated to be up 4.4 pct.

Topps Tiles added its current period overall revenue reflects, for the first time, the revenue from the Dutch stores following the acquisition of its joint venture business in October.

The company also said its executive chairman Barry Bester will move to the position of non-executive chairman with effect from October 1.

Although down 1.75p I believe TPT has gone ex div today so a reasonable day for them, so far. I have been increasing my holding over recent months at these depressed levels, at some stage retail will be back in vogue, but maybe not until 2009. I'm content to wait and look forward to the decent dividends until the sp appreciates.
2517

Well after a promising start due no doubt to a favourable comment in the FT over the weekend TPT ended in the red, my top-ups were @ around 30p above the current sp so looks to have been much too early. Right across the sector prices are as low as they have been for years, and with good reason, but at some stage retail will recover.
2517

May be this is the start of that recovery, in the main retail is stonger today.
2517

This is quite some rise, any ideas.
2517

Dropped back to 140 ish from recent spike up to 170p (no idea why it shot up, has anyone else) and seems to be on the move again, maybe somebody stake building perhaps?

I thought of going onto the 'Talk to yourself thread' but looking at the posts it seems I'm already there. Ha! Ha!
2517

2517GEORGE
You still on these starting to look cheap.

Hi driver------yes I am, in fact today I purchase more through my monthly sharebuilder account with halifax, this will be the 7th month running I have bought them @ prices from 195p down to whatever today (falling knives spring to mind), I prefer (pound cost average). Retail is dismal atm and will be for some time to come, but nothing lasts for ever and when it turns I hopefully will reap the benefits. They do look cheap and decent divi still, but other than slowly climbing back to 85p-90p I don't see much improvement.
2517

Several directors thought TPT were cheap, picking up around 5m shares between them @ 75p each.
2517

Directors havve "probably" done the right thing, although I expect sp to fall further... as Retail woes abound.
- I think averaging down is a bad policy - far better to hold and watch, pouncing at a Low! ( that's if you can't bear crystalising a Loss, better to Sell part-way down, say at 1 when the writing was on the wall)....by share-building as you reported, you are creating a large holding that's increasingly overpriced. It will be years before your (average sp) is covered, since any sales are treated as those last purchased (Tax Rules)....so you pay the greatest Capital Gain. ( keep below the allowance!).
The advantage of sharebuilding is illusion - it suits Halifax because they can lend out your stock for greater profit. ( but check this aspect)...also you are paying more commission, I'll bet.
Topps is a well-operated business IMHO and I used to be a holder at abt. 3 some years ago. There seems to be a branch in every major town. However, as credit crunch affects folk, new tiles are not top of their list. Better to buy children their toys, then tv, computers and family cars - after that it's Tiles and Holidays, I guess.

I think this has got another 15-20p to fall...

its always hard to know when to buy at very bottom on exact day......and that means sitting watching a screen every day

I agree hangon that tiles will not be at the top of people's buying lists. However, I think the house sales slowdown may actually work in their favour. If people cannot afford to move they will be more inclined to improve where they currently live which is where I think TPT will benefit.

hangon----Good comments, if I like a co I will average down and obviously I am sat on a large loss atm, if I new where the low was (going to be) of course I would use your 'pouncing at a low' strategy, unfortunately as scotinvestor points out that is not so easy to do. Last 9 months have been commission free, but charges return next month. I also have been in and out of TPT over several years so agree they are a good co.
queen1, there's some merit in what you say re 'inclined to improve'.
Good luck all.
2517

TPT's demise is self inflicted they withdrew capital from the company by borrowing what a huge mistake the FD must feel really good although shareholders did cash in at that time so shouldnt be too upset just now.

queen1 - in general you are right, but I would counter that by suggesting folk do volume tiling when adding extensions - and these were popular when folk could borrow against the home ( second Mortgages, used for holidays and extensions).
-if this is correct and represented the bulk of Tops sales, then the current situation is far different.....with second mortgages the stuff of dreams and so on.

Sadly I think folk won't be buying tiles in bulk, ( gloss-paint maybe), but tiles have an amazing life, being so hard-wearing. Perhaps Topps needs to diversify, offering a wider range of refurbishment products, albeit in a smaller depth. Difficult to do in hard times, but better than doing nowt.

Look at the growth of Screwfix, to see a winning formula!

Let's hope I'm wrong, eh?

hangon-------- re screwfix, KGF own them and whilst screwfix themselves may be doing well (I have no idea), they aren't helping the KGF sp much.
2517

Fair points hangon. I've been in TPT twice in the past, both forays having been very profitable, and am considering a third go. Just trying to judge the bottom!

Well no doubt I'll have judged it wrong but I'm back in TPT. Let's hope they'll be profitable for me a third time!

Currently c.40p so the Directors were wrong! 75p- Ouch!
But no doubt they get some Options, or maybe 1+1, so we should never feel too bad about it. Considering how shareholders have fayred, Dirs are still being over-paid....factor 2x, 3x maybe ( Pensioners receive 6k pa, for living, rent, food, fuel, and clothing -pathetic really).

"When is the Low" - I agreee it's difficult to find - since by the time you really feel "better", plenty of others have pushed-up the price.

But "now" is not the time - look at the Banks pathetic efforts to grab shareholders for another round of "prop-up" money, much of which will go to Directors for meeting Targets ( of raising money at any price!)...Oh dear.

( Wisper:- TPT "bottom" will be when it reaches 21p mid., )

Only IMHO - - me and my big mouth, sorry folks.

I hope not hangon!

Hi All .................

How come you've gone all quiet ................. since the sp started creeping up?

I really enjoyed your exchange of views.

Now watching, with a mind to buy in.

More thoughts welcome.

Cheers
Amar

Sorry, I've been concentrating on my nose bleed, such dizzy heights for TPT. Seriously, I believe we will need to sit through the whole process of consumer weakness which may take anything up to 3 years to complete, and there are many nasty surprises instore (pun) for the average consumer. AIMO of course.
2517

Shares Mag has been a long-time fan of TPT but even they are saying sell now. So, to my mind, with most saying sell, now is the time to buy! A little like the peak reached of 300p for TPT. At that time everyone was saying buy. With hindsight, the smart thing to have done would have been to have sold!

sell down to 15p this is ex growth.

will this bounce?

Not if it joins the 90% fallers club.

Lump this stock in with Heywood Williams ( building accessories) and you have a belweather for the home-improvement/construction markets.

Unfortunately these are closely linked, mostly by the jobs-market and general fear.

I suspect this will fall further, at least until sales pick up - and - I guess most women will prefer to wear some new item as "feel-good" long before they suggest hubby strips the Bathroom, creates dust in preparation for new wall-tiles.

Unfortunately for tile-sales the product lasts nearly 100-years, so there is little in the way of "repeat-business" - hence I suspect they could use smaller outlets, reduce overheads, stock, etc.
However, Topps has always been ahead of the pack, so this is likley to be the first to benefit from any up-turn, provided they can stay the course.
- 25p soon, I fear...

split the difference say 20p would be fair value I am not impressed with Topps stores small and badly laid out.

22p now and I reckon 15p before Xmas they are going the same way as DSGI imo

Either it will go bankrupt or be taek over by a bigger tile company.

Mitzy, - a bigger tile co? Not aware of one, although some Spanish Co's must be - but, by doing nothing, (if Topps goes), they'll have whatever business they like, better to wait for Admin and pick the bones over.
HOWEVER, I'm not aware that Topps is heavily in debt - is this the case (ie payment for the Store-expansion)....weren't these profitable from Day-1? If so, then they've had quite a few years to repay....hence the high sp prior to the general Market-fall . . . . need to look at the detailed Accounts. Do you hold?

Today's Ann indicates Debt has been negotiated until 2012 and whilst at 92m it is high compared with the sp, that is "Markets"...the historic sp being much greater. So, what do you think?

Hi hangon.

I remember saying in January when the sp was 80p that it would fall to 20p by the year end so I was right there its the debt that worries me thats why I think it could fall to 6/7p .. perhaps a Spanish co will bid for them at some point..

I still hold these and sat on a large loss, hopefully the following extract will give some support :-Despite cutting their profit forecasts, analysts at KBC Peel Hunt reckon Topps Tiles has the potential to halve its net debt over the next three years.

'We believe Topps Tiles would still generate cash at a like-for-like sales decline of 27 percent, a point which gives us tremendous confidence in the outlook for the business,' they told clients in a note.
2517

Thanks folks, I wonder if Mitzy is right (and wrong at the same time)...?
Right that it's the Debt...despite Co telling us such things are OK
Wrong that it not the "debt itself", rather it's "the Banks" that find themselves unable to keep promises...they will recall a Loan at the drop of a hat (er, so it might seem).
It is this "uncertainty" that makes the Debt a problem, not the "Debt" itself.

Er, if that's clear...?



2517George, I'm not sure that 27% decline is spot-on ...odd number isn't it? I suspect that turnover is not the issue, rather it's Profits - and these are "made" on the little bit extra - so I suspect "profits" will suffer far more than sales decline,,,,and it will be this figure that Banks focus-on . . . .hence some shareholders are ahead of the game. Sorry to read yr loss, - if you believe in the Co (regarding the Debt reality), I guess you need to blow 10% of yr investment at "the bottom" which has a huge effect on yr Average.
I suspect it will be a long time before we see the peaks of 2007, when the Market was trying to deny things were bad....er, IMHO.

EDIT 27/28Nov08) Director-buying at 18-p ish up to 650k-worth. Well I don't know what this means - has the business suddenly found a whole wave of new customers?
Still, it shows these Directors are well-paid. These Buys have raised the sp 25% from an all-time Low . . . . . . . Currently 25p.

IC said sell on Friday and the shares go up.. best contrarian signal ever..

Big buys coming through time to buy I think

Always works..the minute IC say Sell do the opposite it works everytime..

Target 28/33p.

What supposrts this notion?
There will be plenty of time for this to fall sub 20p- before the customers come back in sufficient numbers to repay the rental costs....etc.

Nothing but a short term bounce this week I am betting they will be bought up by a larger company sometime in the future.

Moving in the right direction .

15% up today whats a reasonable take-out price 40p I believe.

mitzy - is this yet another stinker at which you intend to throw your dosh?

Hope not cynic I'm in @20p so a profit here also Pure (in @110p) now 160p and more to come.

I 'm also buying gold stocks.. POG for one..

Plenty of stinkers about I agree.

glad you got in at 20 and not at some silly much higher price ..... POG's little burst for glory suspect due to inclusion in FTSE gold mine index

what is PURE? ...... only know that as being the name given to fresh dog shit that was collected in victorian times for use in tanning high grade skins for gloves and similar!

I'm just a bottom feeder cynic..lol.

i can only think of an inappropriare response to that!

Up today with the market.

Those Carpetright rumours still persist.

What rumours?
2517

FT comment.. Carpetright could attempt to buy Topps Tiles...

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ebce28b8-db90-11dd-be53-000077b07658,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2F0%2Febce28b8-db90-11dd-be53-000077b07658.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ft.com%2Fsearch%3FqueryText%3D%2Btopps%2Btiles%26x%3D18%26y%3D9

Thanks mitzy, must confess I hadn't seen that, although I would have thought Carpetright had enough problems of their own.
2517

Well I would have thought the same George but looking ahead I guess it would might make sense.

I'm out but will take a look later.

Wow thats a bad chart glad I sold out now I had a lucky escape.

A bargain 10p.

Nice to see Brokers giving BUY recos in last couple of days....

Topps Tiles PLC

FORECASTS
2009 2010

Date Rec Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)

KBC Peel Hunt Ltd
18-05-09 BUY 10.13 4.11 11.47 4.66

Singer Capital Markets Ltd
18-05-09 BUY 9.00 3.60 9.30 3.70 1.90

smashed the KBC P H pre tax forecast by a mile.

Our current forecast PBT for Topps Tiles, of 10.1m for the full year and 5.7m for the six months to 31 March 2009, .............Adjusted they have done 7.5m pbt.

Plus debt under contol and have an eye on competitors going under.

Excelent results given the turmoil of the markets.

bullish analysis from Pro TAer Zak Mir across the road....

Zak Mir



Reged: 28/06/07
Posts: 834
Re: Topps Tiles.
#447051 - 27/05/09 07:13 AM Edit Reply Quote



Yet another stock with a May 50 / 200 day moving average golden cross, something which implies that above the 10 day moving average at 64p we could hit a line of resistance from March to 85p in coming weeks.

up 12.5% now @ 73

Long may it continue, as a long term holder and frequent topper upper @ a variety of prices this is good news, but there's some way to go before I am back in profit.
2517

Are we reading news from different companies?

The profit is terrible - and I see no improvement in housing, even if all the B2L properties were destroyed tomorrow . . . . like cars, there is an oversupply of property in the UK .. . . . Mortgages are tight and the likelyhood is that few will be spending money on their houses, unless the bathroon suddenly melts in the warm weather.
The sp should be sub-40p IMHO, as the prospects here are pretty dire.

Good luck, let's hope I'm wrong, eh.

hangon---------I agree the basic results look poor, albeit better than the city was expecting, which in some part is probably responsible for the rise along with the debt being reduced, and the tone of management re benefitting from weaker co's going out of business. Just a few months ago it was being bandied about that TPT could be a casualty, so in that context these were good imo.
2517

Profits warning & broker note from Shore Capital:
"Topps Tiles last reported Q1 LFL sales up 5.5% for the 14 weeks to 25th December and today has reported H1 LFL sales up 2.1% for the 27 weeks to April 3. This implies LFL sales were down 1.6% for the remainder of the period and have stalled. Like Carpetright and the DIY players, this confirms that hard-line retailers have seen more difficult trading conditions post Christmas whereas the clothing sector has been robust. Obviously the weather would not have helped in January, but in keeping with its peers, sales appear to have failed to pick up since.
Gross margin and costs on-track Management has confirmed it is still happy with its previous guidance on both gross margin and operating costs. The general promotional environment has been steady throughout the period. It expects H1 gross margin to be mid 58% and H2 gross margin high 58%. On the cost side, Topps Tiles is still quiet on the advertising front (it saved �3.5m last year when it cut its advertising right back) and given the subdued sales line, higher staffing levels have not been needed yet. 2010 PBT downgraded by 20% Due to weaker sales, we have cut our September 2010F PBT by 15% to �17.1m. This assumed flat H2 LFL sales growth. We are forecasting year end net debt of �51m, down from �76m at the end of September 2009, helped by its �12m capital raising last November and internal cash generation. Given the lower base, we have cut our 2011F PBT by 15% to �20.4m which assumes 2% LFL sales growth."

Back in on this a couple weeks ago and already breaking higher. Not sure what was driving it today unless it was the bullish UK data out??

Topps Tiles looks to be staging some kind of recovery over the last few days. One to keep an eye on..........



Look at the lower indicators just turning positive.

Might be against the market in general but also might be worth the risk so Ive had a few earlier on today.

Topps Tiles flags 4% rise in Q4 like-for-like revenue

StockMarketWire.com

Turning the tide hopefully here following recent retracement. Time to retest the highs after very encouraging results.

Oversold today.?

One of the few risers today.

buying nerw tiles for your bathroom is pretty low down on most folks list, esp at this time of year - then in Spring they think about summer hols.

This stock has been here before 2008 DYOR - and is probably good for the yield.
I don't hold.

I've bought a few at nearly 20p

Moving upwards and chart looks good.

Quarterly update on Wednesday - Topps Tiles, the tiles and flooring specialist which reported its interim results in May, it was named by Peel Hunt a few weeks ago as its top pick of potential recovery stocks: "In a sector not lacking in companies looking for recovery, Topps offers a stable balance sheet, no risk of internet disintermediation and a business that has continued to build market share

For many, the fortunes of Topps Tiles serves as a proxy for consumer confidence in general and the housing market in particular.
Homeowners’ propensity to re-tile their bathrooms is a fairly good indicator of disposable income and housing transactions.

In May, Topps said trading had improved markedly in the first seven weeks of its third quarter, up 4.5pc on a like-for-like basis.

The company would be thrilled if it could report that it had maintained this level of sales growth, despite there being precious few signs of an improvement in the consumer economy.

Interim Management Statement
RNS
RNS Number : 8067G
Topps Tiles PLC
04 July 2012







4th July 2012







Topps Tiles Plc



Interim Management Statement





Topps Tiles Plc (the "Company"), the UK's largest tile specialist, reports on trading for the 13 weeks ended 30th June 2012.




Like-for-like revenues across the full 13 weeks of the third quarter have increased by 2.1% (2011: down 1.9%).



The result for the third quarter is in line with management's expectations and, as we enter our final financial quarter, we remain comfortable with market expectations for the year as a whole1.



During the quarter we opened three new stores and are currently trading from a total of 322 UK stores. We continue to target a total of 325 stores for the year end.



There have been no significant or unexpected changes in the financial position of the Group since the publication of the Interim Report for the half year ended 30th March 2012.





1 The current range of analysts' estimates for adjusted pre-tax profit for the year ended 30 September 2012 is £11.5m to £14.0m, with a consensus of £13.0m.



- Ends -

Looking very good

Climbing steady

Sold my holding

Topps Tiles has had a good year of it so far, having hit nearly 52p recently for a 12-month rise of around 60%. But the price has fallen back a bit in recent days, dropping 3.6% to 47.5p on the day of the firm's pre-close trading update today, even though it looked fine.

Apparently the fourth quarter was strong, and a full-year performance in line with forecasts is still expected -- suggesting a pre-tax profit of between £12.7m and £14m. There's a dividend of a little under 3% expected, which is not great, but the shares are on an undemanding price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of under 10.

Gone long here bouncing along on short term rising moving average. Lower technicals look good aswel.

Trading update end of this month.

Reckon people buying new houses will help the company out.

sp spurt today?

CONVICTION BUY just placed on TPT......look at the Broker aswel..

15 Oct 2013 Topps Tiles PLC TPT Goldman Sachs Conviction Buy 84.88 85.00 115.00 160.00

SP TARGET almost double what it is now. 160p

final results 26th November 2013

From yesterday :- Final Result

Cantor Fitzgerald Sell 114.38 - 82.00 Downgrades

Goldman Sachs Conviction Buy 120.13 160.00 200.00 Reiterates

06 Dec 2013 Topps Tiles PLC TPT Liberum Capital Buy 127.88 127.50 - - Reiterates

TPT tipped as a buy in the SundayTimes ahead of Tues trading update. Librum 160p target, G.Sachs 200p target

Inside the City: Topps Tiles floors it

NOT every retailer has been upended by the internet. Topps Tiles, Britain’s biggest flooring specialist, is comfortingly old school.

Indeed, only 1% of its sales come from web-only shoppers. Most use the website but buy in-store — after all, how many people are going to splash out hundreds of pounds on prestige stone cappuccino marble without seeing it in person?

Yet its dependence on the high street didn’t stop Topps from having a barnstorming 2013. Its shares surged more than 130%, closing on Friday at 121½p, valuing the company at more than £233m. Sales increased, if only slightly, for the first time in six years.
The question is, can Topps keep its resurgence going? I say yes. We’ll get a good indication on Tuesday when the company reveals how it traded in its first quarter, which covers the final three months of 2013.

No other retail sector is as closely correlated to the housing market as flooring — the main reason why the last few years have been so lean.

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that the housing market has been jolted back into life. Last week Nationwide reported that prices surged 8.4% in 2013 thanks to the government’s Help to Buy financial doping programme. The research firm IHS Global Insight predicts another 8% jump this year.

The Bank of England may be forced to raise interest rates sooner than it envisaged given the gathering pace of the recovery, but that is still likely to be many months away, at least.

The housing boom thus looks set to continue, and Topps is primed to benefit. The broker Liberum Capital has set a price target of 160p — or about 30% above today’s figure.

The logic appears sound. Back in the good old days of 2007, Topps raked in earnings of £44m from 301 stores. The performance then fell steadily until last year’s slight improvement to £15.6m, generated from a larger estate of 328 shops.

There is no reason to think the company cannot inch back towards its pre-crisis health. The chief executive, Matthew Williams, has kept tight control of costs and expanded sensibly. Topps has opened 79 stores in the past five years but closed more than 50, to make sure it has the best locations. Its market share has grown.

The company may not be able to get all the way back to the chunky margins of its heyday, but if it comes close, this will show through in profits — and the share price. Buy.

www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/business/Companies/article1359024.ece

Q1 Interim Management Statement

Topps Tiles Plc (the "Company"), the UK's largest tile and wood flooring specialist, announces a trading update for the 13 weeks ended 28 December 2013.

Like-for-like revenues across the first 13 weeks of the current financial year increased by 9.3% (2012: up 1.6%).

Topps ended the quarter with a total of 328 stores.

There have been no significant or unexpected changes in the financial position of the Group since the publication of the Annual Financial Report for the 52 weeks ended 28 September 2013.

Matthew Williams, Chief Executive Officer, said: "Topps traded strongly over the first quarter, with an acceleration in like for like sales growth over the final month of the period. Whilst we are encouraged by this and remain optimistic about prospects for 2014, at this early stage in the year we remain cautious of projecting forward this level of performance. Trading over the second quarter will be key in this regard."

Topps will hold its Annual General Meeting on 24 January 2014, no further update on trading will be given at this point.

The Company will announce a trading update for the 26 weeks ended 29 March 2014 on 26 March 2013, prior to entering its close period.



- Ends -

Excelent Trading Performance............

On outlook at Finals we had this......

Current Trading and Outlook 26th/NOV/ 2013

· The Group is now trading from 327 stores (2012: 324 stores)
· In the first eight weeks of the new financial period, Group revenues, stated on a like-for-like basis, increased by 7.4% (2012: 1.0%)
· Trial of Topps Tiles Boutique, a new small store format to commence in second quarter....................ends.

As above posters have commented the last 5 weeks
of the trading 1/4tr must have seen like for like
sales increase of 13%, a truly outstanding performance.

Topps Tiles starts year with strong sales rise

07 Jan 2014 - 07:27
(Adds details, quote) LONDON, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Topps Tiles , Britain's largest specialist tile retailer, said a strong pick-up in trade over December had helped it to a better than expected start to its new financial year. The group, which has 328 stores and also sells flooring, said sales at stores open over a year rose 9.3 percent in the first 13 weeks to Dec. 28, ahead of analysts' forecasts for a 6 to 7 percent jump. "Whilst we are encouraged by this and remain optimistic about prospects for 2014, at this early stage in the year we remain cautious of projecting forward this level of performance," Topps Chief Executive Matthew Williams said. Topps posted its first rise in adjusted pretax profit since 2007 in November, and according to analysts, is well placed to benefit from an improving economy and recovering housing market. Britain's economy enjoyed some of the fastest growth of any major industrialised economy in the first nine months of 2013 and data on Friday showed that British lenders approved the highest number of mortgages in more than five years in November. [ID:nL5N0JA2PU] [ID:nL9N0IM021] Shares in Topps Tiles have more than doubled in a year to 129 pence, valuing the firm at around 250 million pounds. (Reporting by Neil Maidment; editing by Kate Holton) ((neil.maidment@thomsonreuters.com)(+44)(0)(207 542 2292)(Reuters Messaging: neil.maidment.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: TOPPSTILES/RESULT

said sales at stores open over a year rose 9.3 percent in the first 13 weeks to Dec. 28, ahead of analysts' forecasts for a 6 to 7 percent jump.Topps Chief Executive Matthew Williams said. Topps posted its first rise in adjusted pretax profit since 2007 in November, and according to analysts, is well placed to benefit from an improving economy and recovering housing market.

Cantor Fitzgerald Sell 133.00 82.00 100.00 Retains

N+1 Singer Hold 133.00 - 100.00 Retains

Yep amazed at those 2 brokers skinny.

Wondering if they know something we dont or is it the cautious statement by the CEO for the rest of the year.

Topps Tiles' fortunes follow housing market

by Harriet Green
January 7, 2014, 8:46am

Topps Tiles, the UK's largest tile and wood floorings specialist, saw a 9.3 per cent jump in like-for-like revenues over the run up to Christmas - in the 13 weeks ending 28 December.

For a company that helps people refurbish their homes, how well Topps does is closely linked to the housing market (people do up homes to sell and when they move in). So with house prices in December up 8.4 per cent from a year earlier, and set to carry on rising this year, its positive results could well continue.

Homeware specialist Dunelm has also announced upbeat results today, with like-for-like sales rising 2.9 per cent in the second quarter following a decline in the first three months of its financial year, owing to warmer weather.

Topps Tiles has 328 stores across the country, and saw shares soar by more than 130 per cent last year, despite trading taking a turn for the worse in May, on the back of low consumer confidence levels.

Shares opened up over six per cent this morning, following the interim management statement.

- See more at: http://www.cityam.com/blog/1389084376/topps-tiles-fortunes-follow-housing-market#sthash.TayYOviH.dpuf

Half Yearly Report

· First half sales increased by 11.7% to £97.7 million (2013: £87.4 million)
· Like for like revenues increased by 10.2% in the period reflecting strategic focus on market share gains and stronger levels of consumer confidence
· Sales growth believed to be ahead of the tile market, with market leading position strengthened further
· Gross margin increased to 60.8% (2013: 59.8%) reflecting further supply chain efficiencies and proactive management of cost base
· Adjusted EPS growth of 76% year on year
· Net debt reduced by £8.6 million year on year to £36.3 million at 29 March
· Interim dividend increased by 30% to 0.65p (2013: 0.50p)
· Encouraging initial results from trial of new smaller format "Topps Tiles Boutique" stores - trial to continue in H2, with a further two stores to be opened in and around the M25
· Current trading - like for like sales over 7 weeks to 17 May 2014 increased by 5.6% (2013: 8 weeks to 25 May 2013 decreased by 2.6%)

Cantor Fitzgerald Buy 123.75 120.00 145.00 145.00 Upgrades

Interim Management Statement

Like-for-like revenues for the third quarter increased by 6.3% (2013: decrease of 1.5%).

The third quarter performance is in line with management's expectations and we remain comfortable with market expectations for the year as a whole.

Topps is currently trading from a total of 330 stores.

Matthew Williams, Chief Executive Officer, said: "The like-for-like sales momentum we reported for the first seven weeks of the second half has been maintained for the third quarter as a whole.

"We firmly believe that Topps is continuing to grow ahead of the overall tile market. Whilst consumer sentiment remains favourable, this performance primarily reflects the focus we have placed on profitable market share gains, with Topps' authoritative range, outstanding service, multichannel convenience and value for money offering a compelling proposition to customers.

"We remain optimistic about trading conditions for the remainder of the year."

The Company has now successfully completed the refinancing of its loan facilities through to May 2019. There have been no other significant or unexpected changes in the financial position of the Group since the publication of the Interim Report for the 26 weeks ended 29 March 2014.


- Ends -

Berenberg Buy 104.88 104.00 - 170.00 Initiates/Starts

Trading Update & Appointment of Company Secretary

This sp has almost halved during 2014 - any thoughts, skinny?

Clearly "Retail" is being bashed and recent Dir-buying has been woeful; yet they fulfil a Building/DIY Market-need like no other.
..EDIT - sp ~88p =mid Oct14.

EDIT (10Nov2014)- sp on the Up, ~102p, -yet still Dirs are buying under £200-worth....Eh?
EDIT (15Dec2014)- later post "re Housing Boom" - I don't think Topps really services the building trade - surely it's the
secondary market, New kitchens/bathrooms for folks that stay-put?. . . . . nevertheless I'm pleased with the late-2014 upturn.
EDIT(27Jan2015)- Just checking Dir-Deals - FD seems to have sold-off £42k, and then same price; bought £50-worth (DYOR) which has shown a profit . . . . off finance it looks. Maybe TPT doesn't give him a car-allowance?

Final Results

Financial Highlights
· Total sales growth of 9.8% and 8.1% on a like-for-like basis
· Gross margin increased to 60.9% (2013: 60.2%) reflecting further sourcing gains and our focus on a differentiated product offer
· Adjusted profit before tax2 of £17.1million, up by 31.5%
· Increased final dividend of 1.60 pence per share (2013: 1.0 pence per share), making a total for the year of 2.25 pence per share (50% increase)
· Net debt5 at period end reduced to £30.5 million (2013: £36.6 million), a level the Board believes represents an appropriate balance of an efficient capital structure and financial flexibility

Operational Highlights
· Market share increased to 30.3%4 (2013: 28.5%) reflecting successful strategy of providing an inspirational shopping experience, unrivalled product range authority and multi-channel convenience
· Sixth consecutive year of market share gains - strong progress made towards target of taking £1 in every £3 spent on tiles in the UK domestic refurbishment market
· Trade sales increased to 46% of total (2013: 43%) as trend for "do it for me" gathers further momentum
· Sales benefiting from increased investment in new product development - 20% of tile revenues generated from ranges launched in the last 18 months
· Multiple initiatives to extend the appeal of the Topps brand being implemented, including
‐ a programme of 'all store improvements' which has seen our latest display and merchandising treatments installed across the entire Topps estate
‐ an extension of the Topps Tiles Boutique trial to a total of five sites, with a further 10-12 sites planned in 2015
‐ a new marketing campaign featuring Phil Spencer of "Location, Location, Location" as Topps Brand Ambassador
‐ a roll out of updated branding and external improvements across core stores planned for 2015


Current Trading and Outlook

· The Group is now trading from 336 stores (2013: 327 stores)
· In the first eight weeks of the new financial period, Group revenues, stated on a like-for-like basis, increased by 6.7% (2013: 7.4%)

Commenting on the results, Matthew Williams, Chief Executive said: "Topps had an excellent year in 2013/14 as our consistent focus on taking profitable market share helped the Group to significantly outperform the overall tile market and deliver robust increases in like for like sales, pre-tax profits and earnings per share. We are also delighted to be recommending to shareholders a 50% increase in full year dividend to 2.25 pence per share.

"Furthermore, we have made an encouraging start to the new financial year with like-for-like sales ahead by 6.7%. With a programme of initiatives to extend the appeal of the Topps brand well underway, we are confident that we will deliver further progress this financial year towards our goal of taking one third of the market."

TPT Topps Tiles, broken out through a downtrend line after recent strong results. Looking to break horizontal resistance at 122p 130p 136p and with heavy volume it should be able to navigate through these levels.

Trades on a forward P/E to 2016 of 13.2. Benefited from the housing boom of the last few years.

Gone positive now.

10 Dec 2014 Topps Tiles PLC TPT Liberum Capital Buy 117.00 117.00 - - Reiterates

it's a shame that NMX3720 (HG+HC Index) has such a wide spreead and is so heavily weighted with/by RB. as that would make a really good good spread across a sector that ought to benefit over the coming months

NMX2350 (C+M Index) should also do well, even if that tends to be quite dozy

Interim Management Statement

Topps Tiles Plc ("Topps" or the "Company"), the UK's largest tile specialist, announces a trading update for the 13 weeks ended 27 December 2014.

Like-for-like revenues across the first 13 weeks of the current financial year increased by 6.0% (2013: up 9.3%).

Topps ended the quarter with a total of 336 stores.

There have been no significant or unexpected changes in the financial position of the Company since the publication of the Annual Financial Report for the 52 weeks ended 27 September 2014.

Matthew Williams, Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am delighted to report an encouraging start to our financial year with like-for-like sales growth of 6.0% in the first quarter. This is particularly pleasing as it builds on our strong sales growth in the corresponding period in the prior year. We are confident that our plan for 2015 will see us further extend the appeal of the Topps brand and move closer to our strategic goal of taking a one third share of the domestic tile market."


Topps will hold its Annual General Meeting on 22 January 2015, no further update on trading will be given at this point.

The Company will announce a trading update for the 26 weeks ended 28 March 2015 on 25 March 2015, prior to entering its close period.



- Ends -

Date Broker Recommendation Price Old target price New target price Notes

07 Jan Liberum Capital Buy 112.88 - 160.00 Reiterates
07 Jan Cantor Fitzgerald Buy 112.88 125.00 125.00 Reiterates

Trading Statement

Pre-close period Trading Update



Topps Tiles Plc (the "Group"), the UK's largest tile specialist, reports a trading update for the 26 week period ending 28 March 2015, prior to entering its close period. The Board will announce interim results for the period on 19 May 2015.

Total revenues for the 26 week period will be circa £104 million (2014: £97.7 million), a 6.4% increase year on year. Like-for-like revenues for the 26 week period will have increased by circa 5.2% (2013: up 10.2%).

Matthew Williams, Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am pleased to report that trading has been encouraging and we have delivered a like-for-like sales increase of 5.2% for the first half of our financial year. These trading results compare to a particularly strong period in the prior year and reflect a two year like-for-like growth in excess of 15%. Looking ahead, while experience tells us that the forthcoming UK general election may add some short term uncertainty to trading patterns, rising levels of disposable income should support increased consumer spending on home improvements. The Group is well positioned to continue to grow market share as we accelerate our plans to extend the appeal of the Topps brand."

The Group is currently trading from a total of 339 stores.



- Ends -

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles, the UK's largest tile specialist, has reported that in the 13 weeks ended 27 June 2015 like-for-like revenues for the quarter increased by 5.9% (2014: increase of 6.3%), reflecting continued growth in market share.

The company said it continued to make good progress and management remains comfortable with current market expectations for the year as a whole.

Matthew Williams, chief executive officer, said: "Trading in the third quarter has been encouraging, with like for like sales growth at 5.9%, building on the positive trend we reported for the first half.

"With our plans to extend the appeal of the Topps brand well underway, we remain well-positioned to continue to grow our market share in the remainder of the year."

Topps Tiles Plc reports on trading for the 53 week period ending 3 October 2015.

Trading
Revenues for the 53 week period are expected to be in the region of £212 million (2014: £195.2 million over 52 weeks). Like-for-like revenues are expected to show an increase of c.5.3% on the prior year (2014: +8.1%), reflecting continued growth in market share. On a two year basis LFL sales have grown by c.14%.

Management remain comfortable with current market estimates for adjusted pre-tax profits for the year.

Strategic Progress
We continue to make good progress with our strategy of out-specialising the specialist, with specific initiatives in the period including:

· Inspiration - further development of our industry leading online "visualiser"; and plans in place for a roll-out of new merchandising treatments across the existing store estate during the year ahead following a successful trial in our latest lab store in Worcester.

· Range - in the last quarter 17 new ranges have been launched, with a focus on collaborative, exclusive innovations with leading manufacturers. Recent own brand developments have included a complete tile care range, and a unique new tile range, "Regional Reflections", which replicates natural stone from around the UK.

· Convenience - we opened 3 new core stores and 2 Boutiques in the fourth quarter. We are currently trading from 348 stores, including 13 Boutique stores, and expect to finish the year with 348 stores in total (2014: 335).

Matthew Williams, Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am pleased to report that Topps will complete a successful year, with good growth in profits and a record level of turnover, both of which are directly attributable to our strategy of out-specialising the specialist.

"As a result of this, we are confident of hitting our one third market share goal* by the end of this year and are well advanced on developing our next strategic goal for the organisation."

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles has improved its FY pretax profit to GBP17m, from GBP16.7m. Revenue was up to GBP212.2m, from GBP195.2m. Its final dividend was 2.25p a share, taking the total to 3p, from 2.25p.

The group, which was now trading from 346 stores, said in the first eight weeks of the new FY like-for-like revenues were up 3.3%, against 5.8%.

CEO Matthew Williams commented on the results:
"Topps delivered a strong performance for the year, with our focus on convenience, inspiration and range driving sales to a new record and enabling us to hit our strategic goal of a one third share of the domestic tile market a year ahead of schedule," he said.

"Our strategy of 'Out-Specialising the Specialists' continues to be very effective and will remain at the heart of what we do as we seek to build on these foundations and target further profitable sales growth.

"We have made an encouraging start to the new financial year, with like for likes sales in the first eight weeks ahead by 3.3%, in line with our expectations. The Group has entered the period in good shape and with a clear purpose, and we remain energised by the multiple growth opportunities open to the business in the years ahead."

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles said like-for-like revenues for the first 13 weeks of the current financial year, also known as Q1, were up 4.4%, versus a rise of 5.2% at the same time a year ago.

Topps ended the quarter with a total of 340 stores.

STRATEGIC PROGRESS
Topps Tiles continued to make good progress with its strategy of "Out-Specialising the Specialists", with specific initiatives in the period including:

Inspiration - during the period Topps completed its second "lab store" in Shoreditch, which features a range of new display & merchandising treatments. In addition, its industry-leading visualiser was further upgraded during the period with extra room settings and new personalised functionality.

Range - during the quarter Topps launched 17 new ranges, with sales from lines launched in the last 12 months accounting for 8.9% of sales.

Convenience - in the core estate the company opened two and closed two stores during the quarter. The Group is currently trading from 340 stores, including 13 Boutique stores (2014: 336 stores including five Boutique stores).

In addition, the Group has now concluded the two previously announced initiatives to streamline its business.

During the period seven Clearance stores have been closed and four remaining stores are currently being converted to our core format. In addition, all Group support functions have been consolidated into our main office in Leicester.

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles said its total revenues for the 26 weeks to April 2 came in at GBP108m, from GBP104m. Like-for-like revenues in the same period were up 4.7%.

CEO Matthew Williams said:
"I am pleased to report that the Group has continued its encouraging trading performance, with like-for-like sales growth accelerating to 4.9% in the second quarter.

"Our strategy of 'Out-Specialising the Specialists' is continuing to deliver profitable sales growth and we enter the second half of our financial year in good shape, confident that our plans to extend the appeal of the Topps brand will underpin our further progress."

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles has hiked its H1 pretax profit to GBP10.1m, from GBP9.1m, at the same time lifting revenue to GBP108m, from GBP104m, and interim dividend to 1p a share, from 0.75p.

CEO Matthew Williams described the performance as robust.
"Like-for-like sales grew by 4.7% in the period as initiatives to upgrade and rebrand our stores led more customers to reappraise the Topps brand and shop with us for the first time," he said.

"Further improvements are in development and will be rolled-out in the remainder of the year and beyond.

"The Group has made a strong start to the second half, with like-for-like sales growth of 8.4%5 in the first seven weeks of the period.

"We are confident our plans to extend the appeal of the Topps brand have significant further potential and are excited about the opportunities ahead."

HIGHLIGHTS:
- Successful strategy of "Out Specialising the Specialists" delivers profitable sales growth

- Multiple initiatives to strengthen Topps' position as the UK's leading tile specialist including development of exclusive ranges/brands, product innovation and exit from non-tile lines

- Two key simplification initiatives announced at year end - exit from the Topps Clearance format and consolidation of central teams into our main office in Leicester - now complete

- Seven new core stores opened (four new sites and three conversions from the Topps Clearance format), offset by nine closures (eight from the exit of the Topps Clearance format)

- Trade sales increased to 51.0% of total (2015: 48.3%) driven by accelerating "do it for me" trend and extension of successful trade loyalty scheme.

KEEP an EYE

99.75p ( 99.50 - 100p )

Signs of moving higher ahead of results soon. Has been well marked done after the Brexit and has not yet recovered like the House builders. Last update was bullish with revenue up by 6.2% the best for some time. Strong order book on the bid side and volume rising for the last couple days.

note: bought some at 100 and a bit

Six days old but worth remembering:
"Peel Hunt today reaffirms its buy investment rating on Topps Tiles PLC (LON:TPT) and cut its price target to 150p (from 190p)."

"Cantor Fitzgerald today reaffirms its buy investment rating on Topps Tiles PLC (LON:TPT) and cut its price target to 145p (from 160p)."

Last post from Directors Talk ...........

Topps Tiles plc (TPT) offers good value for money

Shares in Topps Tiles (LSE:TPT) released a third quarter trading update. That’s despite the company reporting like-for-like (LFL) sales growth of 6.2% for the period as its strategy continues to pay off. For example, Topps Tiles has focused on improving its range, offering more inspirational products through its digital brochure service as well as expanding its store estate through the opening of six new stores during the quarter.

With the company trading on a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 1.1, it offers good value for money.

Matthew Williams, chief executive, also put the performance down to efforts to attract new customers. Topps Tiles has been widening its ranges to include more wood- and stone-effect tiles, and introduced new services such as a “personalised digital brochure”.

“Our focus on the successful strategy of ‘out-specialising the specialists’ has enabled us to deliver healthy like-for-like sales growth in the third quarter, with initiatives to extend the appeal of the Topps brand continuing to attract new customers,” said Mr Williams.

Analysts said Topps Tiles had outperformed against a tough comparative. “Performance at Topps continues to be driven by self-help in the form of range innovation, customer service and improvements to the retail format rather than the underlying consumer environment, allowing Topps to put clear ground between itself and the competition, taking further market share,” said John Stevenson at Peel Hunt.
Shares in Topps Tiles — which have dropped more than 30 per cent since the eve of the UK’s EU referendum

Finally, the sp starts to move on quite heavy volume.

It seems the seller is done ( large trades ) and the share price is moving higher as predicted

Went ex-divi 9th June, so nothing now to halt the progress.

British bulls late yesterday.......

TOPPS TILES
Last Signal:BUY
Last Pattern:BULLISH HARAMI
Last Close:103.2500 Change:+3.7500 Percent change+3.77%

Signal Update Our system’s recommendation today is to BUY.
The BULLISH HARAMI pattern finally received a confirmation because the prices crossed above the confirmation level

ANALYST CONSENSUS TPT/ TOPPS TILES BUY
Target price 156.85P
Potential +50.10%

According to our calculations Topps Tiles plc is currently rated as BUY.

TOPPS TILES PROFILE
Topps Tiles PLC is a United Kingdom-based retailer of tiles. The Company's business focuses on wood flooring, and supplies tiles and associated accessories for refurbishment of domestic housing. Its principal activity includes the retail distribution of ceramic and porcelain tiles, natural stone, wood flooring and related products.

Its products include bathroom tiles, kitchen tiles, floor tiles, wall tiles, mosaic tiles, natural stone, and tools and essentials. The Company offers Regional Reflections, which includes ceramic tiles, such as Dwyran, Langport, Annan, Lowick, Cottesmore and Ashington. It offers tiles in various sizes, colors and material.

It also offers tiles in various tile effects, such as wood effect tiles, stone effect tiles, hexagonal tiles and geometric tiles. Its color range includes beige tiles, blue tiles, pink tiles, terracotta tiles and multicolored tiles. Its tools and essentials include trims, grout and cutters.

BRIEF: For the 26 weeks ended 02 April 2016, Topps Tiles Plc revenues increased 4% to L108M. Net income increased 13% to L8M. Revenues reflect an increase in demand for the Company's products and services due to favorable market conditions. Net income benefited from Finance costs decrease of 47% to L597K (expense), Sales and marketing costs decrease of 10% to L2.6M (expense). Dividend per share remained flat at L0.01.

Full year trading statement is due on the 5th Sept 2016.

108.75p +4.75p (+4.57%)

Just now is spiking up on stronger order book ,DEPTH of 21 v 17 on good size volume 500K+ for 30 minutes of trading

Yes looking strong I'm on these from 103

Hmmmm....I wonder if 130p is achievable, or is that being a bit greedy?

Investors Chronicle Pick up a bargain with Topps Tiles (TPT)

http://www.directorstalk.com/investors-chronicle-pick-bargain-topps-tiles-tpt/

TPT 107.50p +2.125p

Has spiked ahead of the 12.02pm order book UT

Daily volume seems to be decreasing, which is not helping the sp atm.

The HOT weather of yesterday and again today has had a big impact on the volume of all the stock and naturally a very low volume over here

Stock market VOLUME LAST 5 DAYS
----- Date --- hour --- No. Shares
20/Jul/2016 12:00 --- 275,548,834
19/Jul/2016 19:30 --- 828,640,861

18/Jul/2016 19:30 -- 1,018,408,701
15/Jul/2016 19:30 -- 1,075,111,423
14/Jul/2016 19:30 -- 1,117,907,960

UT @ 111p +1.50p (+1.37%)

A new high since the large drop

Seems to be gathering pace - hello by the way :)

Yes today was the day of breaking up after yesterday's pause

Tops!

a 10p rise on a couple days, that is what happens once it breaks.

On these from 103P Nice climb back..

Berenberg today reaffirms its hold investment rating on Topps Tiles PLC (LON:TPT) and cut its price target to 125p (from 155p).

Sold @ 121p

a gain of 20.91% on just over 5 weeks

Ment.
Not bad still holding.

Ment.
Not bad still holding.

Out 18.5 up

Very wise imo. Sp has run out of steam for the moment.

driver

at what price did you sell?

mentor

118.5

Market did not like the update by the reaction on the share price a drop of 10p.....
Will it be a bounce at 95p? a double bottom

Pre-close Trading Update
Record revenue and further strategic progress
Trading

Topps Tiles Plc (the "Group"), the UK's largest tile specialist, announces a trading update for the 52 week period ending 1 October 2016.

Revenues for the 52 week period are expected to be in the region of £215 million (2015: £212.2 million over 53 weeks). Like-for-like revenues are expected to show an increase of c.4.2% on the prior year (2015: +5.4%).

Like-for-like revenues in the 13 weeks ended 1 October 2016 were ahead by 1.4%. We estimate that the previously announced strategic decision to exit from the low margin wood flooring category during the quarter reduced Q4 like-for-like sales by c.1.5%. This impact will reduce over Q1 FY2017 as sales from our new range of larger format tiles build.

Adjusted pre-tax profits for the year ending 1 October 2016 are expected to be within the range of current market estimates.*

* The current range of analyst forecasts for adjusted pre-tax profits for the 52 week period ending 1 October 2016 is £22.0 million to £22.7 million, with a consensus of £22.3 million

1 LFL sales growth was impacted by the earlier Easter in 2016. We estimate this decreased reported LFL sales growth in Q2 by c.0.6% and increased Q3 reported LFL sales growth by the same amount.

2 Prior year numbers have been restated on a consistent reporting week basis due to the inclusion of a 53rd week in H2 FY2015.

Strategic Progress

We continue to make good progress with our strategy of "Out-Specialising the Specialists", with specific initiatives in the period including:

Inspiration - Topps trade loyalty scheme continued to grow with over 40,000 traders now regularly participating. We have now launched our new digital loyalty scheme which will increase opportunities to capitalise further on the "do it for me trend" in the UK tile market.

Range - As a result of in-store space freed up from the exit of the wood flooring category we are introducing new and exclusive ranges of tiles, such as our new XL range, which will meet the growing demand for even larger tiles and also allow us to improve overall returns. In total, more than 50 new ranges have been launched this year with sales from recently launched lines accounting for 12.8% of total sales in the period.

Convenience - In the core estate we opened 5 stores during the quarter. The group is currently trading from 351 stores including 15 Boutique stores (2015: 348 stores including 13 Boutique stores).
-------------------------
CEO comments ..... http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/matt-williams-of-topps-tiles-feeling-calm-post-brexit/story-29643060-detail/story.html
-------------
from FT
Topps Tiles shares fall after warning over market conditions
Quarterly sales growth of 1.4% is lowest in 2 years due to weakened consumer confidence - OCTOBER 5, 2016

Topps Tiles, the UK flooring specialist, has warned of weakening consumer confidence that dragged like-for-like sales growth to the lowest level for at least two years.

Shares in the group fell more than 9 per cent on Wednesday to 102p after the group said that like-for-like sales rose 1.4 per cent in the three months to the end of September — down from 6.2 per cent in the previous quarter, when late Easter sales helped boost revenues, and 5.2 per cent in the same quarter last year.

Matthew Williams, chief executive, said that “market conditions weakened over the final quarter as a result of reduced levels of consumer confidence”.

Mr Williams added that the company remained “confident in our ability to outperform the market and deliver our goal of further profitable sales growth”.

Topps said that full-year sales will be broadly in line with analyst expectations at about £215m, while adjusted pre-tax profit will be within a range of £22m to £22.7m.

The deterioration in consumer confidence noted by Topps — which supplies tiles and other flooring materials — is in contrast to the latest construction PMI reading, which suggested Britain’s challenged construction industry unexpectedly bounced back into growth territory in September as residential housebuilders felt confident enough to press ahead with projects.

The dip in growth for Topps comes after the company had shrugged off concerns over the impact of the Brexit referendum on the property market ahead of the vote.

Overall, the company performed relatively well for the full year, saying like-for-like sales were expected to grow 4.2 per cent year on year, only a slight drop from the 5.4 per cent growth seen last year.

As a mitigating factor, Topps noted that the decision to exit from the low-margin wood flooring category during the quarter would reduce the fourth quarter like-for-like sales by about 1.5 per cent. However, it anticipates growth in larger format tiles to grow in that period.

Analysts at Liberum said that the results were in line with full-year expectations. “Topps remains well placed to continue to gain market share,” the broker said.

KEEP an EYE
TPT 91.75p ( 91.50 / 92p )

Had a very large drop recently and that an Institution took advantage of that upping their holding, since then the shares have been going side way and looking to move forward now. Higher volume buying today as the price is rising.

-

The 3 days chart is showing a clear change of direction since yesterday morning early marked down, with support around the 90p

92.50 v 92.75 + 1.50 (+1.65%)

Slowly is improving on a higher volume than lately

Recent comments:
6th October 16 - Tempus Times said buy, looking cheap.
6th October 16 - Investors Chronicle buy again

Recently stock market research analysts have changed their consensus ratings and price targets on shares of Topps Tiles (LON:TPT).
The latest broker reports which are currently outstanding on Monday 10th of October
state
2 analysts have a rating of “strong buy”,
0 analysts “buy”,
1 analysts “neutral”,
0 analysts “sell”

Update

brokers: have targets of 125p 145p and 150p
Prospective PE: currently at 8.75
Yield : 3.80%

Candlestick pattern:
BULLISH PIERCING LINE

Some arly interest is getting the stock moving higher and following yesterday trend

94.675p +1.375p

The bounce goes on this morning as some steady buyers is pushing the price higher,
also to note the recovery on the charting front is more noticeable

Close bargain @ 93p for a little gain

tired of doing nothing and going nowhere, though the Housing market has well underperformed during that time

Peel Hunt today reaffirms its buy investment rating on Topps Tiles PLC (LON:TPT) and cut its price target to 140p (from 150p).

Severe dip after Banking crisis ~2008 and again with "Austerity" ~2012.... so I guess this present fall-off is the thoughts of Brexit ( Dip started mid 2016, IMHO). As folks fear Tiles won't be the most important purchase for a while.
Today 90p - ish.
EDIT ( 28Nov2017)- ~70p up from 68p earlier this month... maybe the worst is over?

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles has warned that it expects adjusted pre-tax profits for the full year to come in at the lower end of the current range of market expectations.

"Whilst we have seen a moderate improvement in trading in our final quarter, market conditions remain challenging," the company said.

Full-year revenue is expected to be in the region of £211.6m, marking a 1.6% fall from the £215.0m booked in the previous year.

Like-for-like revenue decreased 2.9% on the prior year, Topps Tiles said, while like-for-like revenue in the fourth quarter decreased by 3.0%.

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles booked a fall in first-half profit after UK consumers held back on big-ticket renovations.

Pre-tax profit fell 15.0% to £17.0m, as revenue fell 2.9% to £211.8m, in line with company guidance.

The company cut its final dividend by 8% to 2.30p.

In the first eight weeks of the new financial period, group revenues, stated on a like-for-like basis, increased by 3.2%.

"The business responded well to the more challenging trading conditions we experienced in 2017, maintaining tight control of costs to help offset the reduction in gross margin and continuing to make good progress with its strategic initiatives," chief executive Matthew Williams said.

"Trading in the first eight weeks of the new financial year has improved, with like-for-like sales increasing by 3.2%. While we are retaining our prudent view of market conditions for the year ahead, we are encouraged by this return to like-for-like sales growth."

"We are confident that the combination of the significant further potential in our strategy of "Out-specialising the Specialists" with our accelerated plan to grow in the commercial tile market will underpin our future success."

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles said it achieved like-for-like revenue growth in the first quarter of 3.4%.

The growth rate represented a significant improvement on the previous year, when first-quarter like-for-like sales grew by just 0.3%.

The company said it ended the period with 371 stores, having closed a net one store during the quarter.

"The group has made an encouraging start to the new financial year," chief executive Matthew Williams said.

"We believe this represents an outperformance of the overall tile market in the period, reflecting the continued success of our strategy of "Out-specialising the Specialists" and some further measured investment in both our trade and retail offer during the period."

"Our expansion into the commercial market is also progressing to plan, with the first investments made in the Parkside business adding new capabilities and resource."

"While we are pleased with the like-for-like sales growth achieved in Q1, we are retaining our prudent view of market conditions for the year ahead.

4 April 2018



Topps Tiles Plc



H1 Trading Update

Trading

Topps Tiles Plc (the "Group"), the UK's largest tile specialist, announces a trading update for the 26 week period ending 31 March 2018. The Board will announce interim results for the period on 22 May 2018.

Total revenues for the 26 week period were £109.4 million (2017: £106.6 million).

Like-for-like revenues for the 26 week period increased by 0.6%.

The Group ended the period with 376 stores, having opened 5 and closed 3 stores during the first half.

Trading in the second quarter has seen a slow down from the levels reported in Q1, with like-for-like sales down by 2.2%. While we estimate that short term weather factors in late February and March, and the timing of an earlier Easter, account for around 1.6% of the second quarter like-for-like sales reduction, it is also clear that that there has been a softening of the underlying market. We believe that we have continued to outperform the market which we attribute to the execution of our strategy and continued strong promotional positioning.

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles said its first-half profit slipped by a third after severe winter storms kept customers away and input and marketing costs rose.

Pre-tax profit fell by 33% to £6.4m, as revenue increased 3.7% to £110.5m.

Like-for-likes sales grew by 0.6%, reflecting strong first-quarter growth of 3.4%, offset by a 2.2% fall in the second quarter when the storms bit.

The company held its interim dividend steady at 1.1p per share.

In the first seven weeks of the second half, like-for-like sales were down 0.2%.

'While we are retaining a cautious view of market conditions for the remainder of the year, we remain confident in our ability to continue to extend our market leading position,' Topps Tiles said

StockMarketWire.com
Flooring retailer Topps Tiles said it expected to post a full-year profit ahead of market expectations after like-for-like sales improved in its fiscal fourth quarter.

Adjusted revenue for the year through 29 September was expected to rise moderately to £215m, up from £211.8m on-year.

Like-for-like revenue for the year was flat, though it improved by 1.2% in the final quarter.

'Trading over the fourth quarter has seen an improvement due to a combination of the continued effectiveness of our strategy and outperformance of our market,' Topps Tiles said.

'As a result, the board now expects adjusted pre-tax profits for the year will be slightly ahead of the top end of the current range of market expectations.'

'Looking ahead, the uncertainty in the UK economic outlook means we remain cautious and will be maintaining our focus on our industry leading gross margins, tight cost control and strong underlying cash generation.'

Liberum Capital today reaffirms its buy investment rating on Topps Tiles PLC (LON:TPT) and raised its price target to 95p (from 90p).

StockMarketWire.com
Topps Tiles said its sales had slipped in the first quarter amid a 'challenging market backdrop'.

Like-for-like sales for the 13 weeks through 29 December fell by 1.4%, the company said.

'Against a challenging market backdrop and a strong period of performance in the prior year we believe the business has performed robustly over the first quarter,' chief executive Matthew Williams said.

'We remain excited by both the opportunity for profitable growth that our expansion into commercial segment will bring and the continued opportunity to further strengthen our market leading position overall.'

Topps Tiles said it continued to make 'good progress' with its plans for commercial. For example, it had recruited an experienced salesforce and was evaluating opportunities to further strengthen the team.

'We are building an encouraging pipeline of future potential projects and are on track to open two new showrooms during the second quarter; bringing the total to four,' it said of the new commercial business.