Apologies for longwinded post.
This company does not seem to be on any thread on this board, but I think worth a look.
ALTHOUGH INVOLVED IN ARMS THE PRODUCTS ARE FOR DEFENCE PURPOSES such as decoys
I have bought and sold shares in this company a few times since November 05.
Its rate of growth have be tremendous as has the share price. Approximate rate of growth for last year was 90% p.a.
I paid it another visit after reading the Times article and followed it initially with view to buy as shares bets or shares. The spread is a bit wide and unsuitable for SBs about 0.7%, but as a long term hold may be useful. BUT DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK.
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AFX News Feed
CHEMRING 25/4/07
LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Chemring Group PLC said first-half trading was in line with its expectations, adding that full-year prospects are good as its order book continues to grow. The military manufacturer said the first month performance of Italian munitions firm Simmel Difesa SpA, which it acquired on March 30, has been encouraging. Chemring added Simmel's acquisition for 49 mln stg is expected to be accretive to its earnings in the first full financial year post-completion. First-half results are expected to be announced on June 26, Chemring said. TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com ukn/ic COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.
Friday, 30/03/07, 16:01
LONDON (AFX) - Military manufacturer Chemring has acquired the entire issued shares of Italian munitions specialist Simmel Difesa SpA for 77 mln eur, as part of its ongoing strategy of expanding its presence in the munition and explosive ordnance disposal markets.
The acquisition was funded by the issue of 373,551 new Chemring shares, and a cash payment of 67 mln eur funded by new bank facilities. newsdesk@afxnews.com bsd/nes COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
22/03/07, 14:58
LONDON (AFX) - Military manufacturer Chemring has acquired the entire issued shares of Italian munitions specialist Simmel Difesa SpA for 77 mln eur, as part of its ongoing strategy of expanding its presence in the munition and explosive ordnance disposal markets.
The acquisition was funded by the issue of 373,551 new Chemring shares, and a cash payment of 67 mln eur funded by new bank facilities. newsdesk@afxnews.com bsd/nes COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited
From The Times
February 16, 2007
US defence giants hunt British takeover targets
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are eyeing British defence companies worth more than 5 billion
David Robertson, Business Correspondent
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are eyeing British defence companies worth more than 5 billion in an attempt to win orders from the Ministry of Defence, The Times has learnt.
The American defence giants are understood already to have independently approached, and been rebuffed by, Ultra Electronics, the 800 million battlefield-IT specialist.
They are also thought to be weighing potential bids for Cobham, Meggitt and Chemring.
The interest being shown by the Americans has put British defence companies on a collision course with the Government over the industrys future.
BACKGROUND
Airbus weighs up factory spin-offs in restructuring
Cargo carrier struggles to stay airborne
Industrialists, including Sir John Rose, chief executive of Rolls-Royce, and Allan Cook, chief executive of Cobham, are concerned that UK plc is being sold off to foreigners.
The crisis of ownership is being particularly felt in the defence sector after the introduction last year of the Governments Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), which sets out the future for the military-in-dustrial complex in Britain.
Lord Drayson, the Defence Procurement Minister, believes that who owns a defence contractor is less important than where it is based. The DIS states that, as long as the scientists, engineers and technicians that build and maintain Britains military infrastructure remain in the country, it matters less where their employer is from.
American companies wanting to win Ministry of Defence (MoD) orders are therefore having do so through a UK subsidiary.
Both Boeing and Lockheed Martin have set up UK operations and are expanding these organically but they are also looking for acquisitions.
Lockheed Martin, which had operating profits of $4 billion (2 billion) last year, said: We are a growing company and an ambitious company and we will look to move in the direction of acquisitions if it is appropriate to do so.
Boeing, which had profits of $3 billion last year, said: We are mindful of the DIS and the need to keep intellectual property in the UK but we need the capability to do so. We are looking at the option of acquisitions. Last week Sir John Rose gave warning that UK plc was under threat from foreign companies using the country as an aircraft carrier and raiding profits without investing in the future.
Allan Cook, chief executive of Cobham, told The Timesyesterday: This is about national defence and it does matter where the shareholders are.
We have to maintain core skills in aerospace and defence.
The American invasion has already begun with GEs acquisition of Smiths Industries aerospace division last month. Analysts have been speculating for some time that Cobham, Meggitt, Ultra and Chemring could be the next targets.
None of these companies was willing to comment.