I am happy with the way matters are moving here.

StockMarketWire.com
G4S said Wednesday it expected growth to accelerate in the second half of the year after organic revenue fell 2% in the first quarter.

The fall in first-quarter revenue was due to a tougher comparison as revenue in the same period a year ago was lifted by a large retail solutions contract in North America.

The firm said its North America retail cash solutions business had continued to build a large sales pipeline, making significant progress with pilot programmes at major retailers.

'We expect growth to accelerate in the second half of 2018 as the strong first-half comparatives from Retail Cash Solutions roll off, our new contracts mobilise and our productivity programmes deliver benefits to the bottom line,' said G4S Group Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Almanza.

StockMarketWire.com
Security company G4S reported Thursday a plunge in first-half profits and lower revenues as restructuring costs and poor performance in the Europe & Middle East and the Americas weighed.

For the six months to 30 June, reported profit before tax fell 36.5% to £139m from £275m a year earlier, revenue fell 7.5% to £3.67bn and operating profit fell 29.8% to £193m.

The company blamed the performance on restructuring costs, poor trading in the Europe & Middle East Secure Solutions region, and increased business development and operating costs in the cash solutions division.

Profits were also weighed down by an £8m hit from sold businesses.

The company said, however, that momentum should pick up during the second half of the year.

'Our contract wins and strong retention rate in the first half of 2018 provide good revenue momentum and this, together with an improving sales mix and planned productivity benefits in the second half of the year, underpins the Group's positive outlook for the full year,' said G4S Group Chief Executive Officer, Ashley Almanza.

You seem to like gaps skinny!..........................

Gaps apart - a bullish engulfing flag yesterday - the market looks to be opening @-55.

StockMarketWire.com
Security company G4S said Wednesday full-year profits would be flat year-on-year after third-quarter revenues were weighed down by weaker performances in Benelux and its conventional cash services business.

Pre-tax profit (PBITA) for 2018 was expected to be flat compared with the prior year following investment in new products and services, G4S said.

Organic revenue growth was 2.5% for the third quarter from a year earlier, resulting in growth of 1.1% for the first nine months of 2018, the company said.

Performance was weighed down by lower revenues in Benelux and conventional cash services offsetting strong growth rates in security services in North America and Asia and in cash technology solutions, the company added.

'We continue to exercise commercial discipline in markets where labour supply is tight and whilst this is expected to constrain revenue growth in 2018, our new contract wins and substantial, high quality pipeline provide good momentum into 2019,' said G4S CEO Ashley Almanza.

Stifel comment:
"The much anticipated pick-up in growth, which was key to our BUY thesis, has failed to materialise.
We believe the market's confidence in management's promises has been dented by yet another underwhelming update. The group is developing a reputation for over promising / under-delivering; it will take time to rebuild trust.
In the meantime we expect the shares to tread water. G4S has strong foundations operationally but so far has failed to translate these to sustained earnings momentum. This needs to change if the share price is to regain some positive momentum.
We downgrade to HOLD and cut our FY18 earnings numbers by c.7% (consensus likely to come down by c.3-4%). Our new 190p target price represents 10x 12-month forward earnings, at the bottom end of the group's trading range [11-18x] and represents a dividend yield of c.5% which we think is sensible."

UBS today reaffirms its buy investment rating on G4S PLC (LON:GFS) and cut its price target to 235p (from 300p).

MACD looks to be turning up.

Yes, I am watching this & WMH, both of which appear to be approaching a turning point.

Review of Separation Options for G4S Cash Solutions
The Board of G4S is today announcing that it is reviewing options for the separation of the Group’s Cash Solutions businesses from the Group, following the establishment of the Global Cash Solutions division on 1 January 2018.

Since 2013, G4S’s portfolio management programme has created a focused Group with two principal business segments: Secure Solutions and Cash Solutions. The Board believes that a separation of Cash Solutions has the clear potential to enhance the focus and success of both businesses and thus to unlock substantial shareholder value.

The review of separation options has commenced and is expected to be completed during 2019. An update will be provided with the Group’s full year results in March 2019.

HSBC today reaffirms its hold investment rating on G4S PLC (LON:GFS) and cut its price target to 220p (from 245p).