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

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

ABOUT UNIVERSE GROUP PLC

The retail and information systems company whose main trade name is HTEC.
HTEC is an international supplier of electronic payment, transaction and loyalty systems to the retail and communication sectors.
HTEC is an international group, providing integrated technology based services to the retail, telecommunications and business sectors.

LOYALTY SOLUTIONS - EUROPE
HTEC has vast experience in all areas of customer loyalty from hardware, software and installation to polling, database management and reporting.
Utilising the latest techniques in datamining. HTEC extract the true value of customer loyalty programmes - providing information, not just data, to enable companies to improve their business by establishing longer, more profitable relationships with their customers.
HTEC caters for both magnetic stripe and smart card platforms, and multi-retailer schemes.
Solutions for magnetic cards can also include options to convert systems to smart card.
From complete stand-alone terminals to fully integrated systems that interact with existing EPOS and management systems, HTEC focuses on the smooth implementation of loyalty programmes, with minimum disruption to business.

ELECTRONIC POINT OF SALE (EPOS) SYSTEMS AND ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER (EFTPOS) - UK RETAIL
HTEC design and manufacture high quality, integrated EPOS and EFTPOS systems for the forecourt, hospitality and high street retail sectors. HTEC systems are designed to maximise speed at the checkout, minimise management effort and bring total compatibility with existing systems.
One such system is the EFT Gemini payment terminal - a single unit designed to accept virtually any non-cash payment and which is compatible with both magnetic stripe and smart cards. The Gemini EFT terminal can provide APACS 30 on-line authorisation from aquiring banks. It also provides a ready made, flexible loyalty infrastructure.

SPECIALIST TECHNOLOGY SERVICES - EUROPE
HTECS's specialist technology services offer design, manufacture and assembly of innovative products and new technology experts in PCB design, HTEC are at the leading edge of bespoke manufacturing cabability - delivering high quality products to meet a variety of telecommunications and international standards including BABT, CSA and FCC

Solid, 1.8p EPS last year, and an "excellent" outlook !!


RNS Number:6341A
Universe Group PLC
30 March 2006

UNIVERSE GROUP PLC

UNAUDITED PRELIMINARY RESULTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2005

Universe Group plc, ("Universe" or the "Company"), the retail and information
systems company, is pleased to announce its unaudited Preliminary Results for
the year ended 31 December 2005.

Key Points:

* Operating profit on continuing business #1,747,000 (2004: #1,356,000)
* Earnings per share on continuing business of 1.8p (2004: 1.3p)
* Profit before tax #1,201,000 (2004: #751,000 on continuing business)
* International money transfer business sold.
* Proposed final dividend of 0.25p making a total for the year of 0.5p

Commenting, Ray Mackie, Chairman of Universe said:

"In 2005 we achieved an operating profit on our continuing business of
#1,747,000 compared to #1,356,000 last year. We have adopted IFRS and group
operating profits on this basis are struck after what were formerly accounted
for as exceptional items but before the results of the International Money
Transfer discontinued operations.

"Our sales on continuing business were #17.6million against #16.6million for
2004. On this figure we achieved a profit before tax of #1.2million (2004 -
#751,000). Our earnings per share on continuing business are 1.8 pence per
share, against 1.3 pence last year on a comparable basis.

"While trading at our Currency Division remains satisfactory the prospects for HTEC are excellent. The newer Chip & PIN enabled products and our on-line
services are being established fast. These give us a growth platform in our main customer base of petrol retail and also other sectors."

Moving on to this current year (2006), I reckon that 3p EPS is achievable, so the current year PER rating is very low.

Agreed good results but shame they have cut the dividend down,

I like this bit the best and it could lead to big money.
They could fit all new pumps with there payment system at
the point of manufacture. The deals with asda morrisons and
clinton cards are the bread and butter so this deal with
the pump manufactures could give us the extra revenue we need.

Hydra OPT

The Hydra Outdoor Payment Terminal, the first fully approved OPT for use with
Chip & PIN, is in use at ASDA and, on a pilot basis, at Morrisons. Hydra OPT is
being converted to Chip & PIN across the ASDA estate. Important relationships
have been established with pump providers and anticipate that this will lead to
further Hydra OPT installations. In this regard we are working with Gilbarco and
Wayne, the two leading petrol pump providers to integrate HydraOPT into their
pump heads. This is a very exciting extension to our business.

Thus far we have an OPT fully integrated with Gilbarco's SK700 Euroline and
earlier this month, at the International Forecourt and Fuel Equipment Show, we
exhibited the solution for the Wayne 9000. An OPT integrated with the Wayne
Global Star will follow soon.

Ted, the Hydra OPT being installed by OEM's at pump manufacture is very exciting, its open many doors for HTEC and leads to possibly some decent revenue upgrades :)

Lets hope say hey PP.
Nice to see the tick up also this morning.

Full results statement at the link below :

http://www.investegate.co.uk/Article.aspx?id=200603300700316341A

Latest Broker Forecasts

Charles Stanley 30th March 2006 ACC

2006 Pre Tax Profit 1.7M
2006 EPS 2.1p
2006 Div 0.6p

2007 PTP 2.1m
2007 EPS 2.4p
2007 Div 0.7p

So why is this share going down.. when it should be going up ?
It's now down to it's lowest bid level... :(

End of tax year I think, last trading day tomorrow, so will be a few stocks hit with sells today and tomorrow.

Short term, give it some time and UNG will be moving back up into the interim results in September.

Ugh! it gets worse ! 15.5p bid now...

PP.. appreciate what you're saying and where your coming from but... it was meant to be moving up before the interims and didn't (well, not much anyway)...

Would not like to see this go down to say 12p during the summer, then creep up to 15p before next results so it can be said "there you are - it did go up")

Unless something exceptional happens, I can't see anything that's going to drive a much higher level.

UNG always does this skyhigh, if you look at a 2 year chart you will see the same pattern, small up for prelims, then down, stable and a big up for interims.

EPS was 1.8p, its now on a historic PER of less than 10, which means its cheap as chips really.

Came back in the end ,people getting in at 16.70 and 16.75 ! very good price to top up at.
I must admit i`m a little dissapointed with the price of UNG since i bought my first lot in Feb 2005 but have bought a further couple of times since and averaged down.This is one of those shares that requires patience , as stated in results the outlook for HTEC is excellent and it pays a dividend even if it has been cut down .

What we will really need is a couple of good contract wins between now and interims to give the SP some short term support.I feel like i`ve been in these forever but 15 months in the grand scheme of things is nothing.Investing i thought was not about the past performance but future growth and the indicators are pointing in the right direction for UNG .

Universe Group PLC
05 April 2006

Universe Group plc (the 'Company')
Placing of 2,379,410 new ordinary shares to raise 404,500

The Board is pleased to announce that Charles Stanley Securities has placed
2,379,410 new ordinary shares of 5 pence each (the 'Placing') with institutional investors to raise 404,500 before fees and expenses.

The shares were placed at a price of 17 pence per share. The Placing represents approximately 3.5 per cent. of the existing issued share capital of the Company.

The Company announced preliminary results for the year to 31 December 2005 on 30 March and stated that the group's Chip & PIN and on-line services are
progressing well and that prospects across HTEC are excellent. The proceeds of
the Placing will be used to augment the Company's existing working capital
facilities as the Company's rate of growth increases.

Application has been made for the new ordinary shares to be admitted to trading
on the AIM and dealings are expected to commence on 10 April 2006.

PP, what is your view now on the direction of the SP ?
I should think it will be positive ?

Should be positive, but we are talking UNG here ;)

No.....it was expected to some extent with the growth they are going through. What it will do is make UNG highly attractive now should Master Change be sold and what that would do for the balance sheet !!

Well bugger me !! I suppose the company outlined their intentions with the cut in the dividend but i wasn`t expecting this !

Up again and L2 2 v 1

55K and 50K buys behind the moves up today :)

50K buy, 55K buy, I wonder if we will get some director buy news tomorrow ? Always a chance as they like to keep buying the shares back and have a history of it.