According to BB's, FTSE 100 - Compass Group, the group which took a tumbling in it's share price from 3.85p, may be the target of a takeover, though I read before sometime ago, this time, the time could be ripe.

Definately worth watching in the short and medium term.

Good Luck to all if it comes true.

Jules99

Interesting set up for a trader with the SP on the floor of the trend channel and the price positive this morning.

to back up the positive TA the brokers certainly are stacking up behind this stock cant remember seiing so manny brokers all so positive, not for a long time.

On a forward P/E of just over 12 to 2011 which looks far too cheap.

Compass Group PLC

FORECASTS
2010 2011

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

Exane BNP Paribas
31-12-09 BUY 821.00 31.88 13.99 913.00 35.50 15.39

SG Securities
30-12-09 BUY 32.67 15.00 37.55 17.00

Shore Capital
25-12-09 BUY 821.00 32.00 15.00 895.00 35.00 16.50

Oriel Securities
22-12-09 BUY 810.00 31.70 14.00

Investec Securities
17-12-09 BUY 775.00 29.28 14.00 830.00 31.26 15.10

Charles Stanley
17-12-09 BUY 832.00 32.50 14.50 894.00 34.50 16.00

Collins Stewart
14-12-09 HOLD

Evolution Securities Ltd
01-12-09 BUY 832.00 32.30 14.50 921.00 35.80 16.00

Numis Securities Ltd
26-11-09 BUY 866.90 33.80 13.86 962.90 37.50 14.55

Seymour Pierce
25-11-09 BUY 846.10 33.00 13.90 955.40 37.30 14.60

Eden Group
03-11-09 BUY

Nomura Research Institute
25-09-09 BUY

Fyshe Horton Finney Ltd [R]
04-02-09 BUY 704.00 27.40 14.00

2010 2011
Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax () EPS (p) DPS (p)

Consensus 826.66 32.29 14.32 905.48 36.15 15.97
1 Month Change -0.67 0.49 0.40 -15.25 1.15 0.97
3 Month Change 37.49 1.80 0.10 51.36 3.29 0.66


GROWTH
2009 (A) 2010 (E) 2011 (E)

Norm. EPS 43.44% 9.63% 11.95%
DPS 10.71% 15.48% 11.52%

INVESTMENT RATIOS
2009 (A) 2010 (E) 2011 (E)

EBITDA 1,104.00m 1,155.96m 1,247.69m

EBIT 872.00m 929.88m 1,006.40m

Dividend Yield 2.78% 3.22% 3.59%

Dividend Cover 2.38x 2.26x 2.26x

PER 15.12x 13.79x 12.32x

PEG 0.35f 1.43f 1.03f

Net Asset Value PS -82.91p 155.41p 177.05p

Blue Chip Bulletin: Compass acquires two US companies

http://www.whatinvestment.co.uk/trading/share-dealing/uk-companies/1608788/blue-chip-bulletin-compass-acquires-two-us-companies.thtml

Contract caterer Compass is also issuing a pre-close statement and Credit Suisse thinks it will reinforce its positive rating on the firm, "given low European exposure, the strength of its US market share gains which should offset any slower European employment trends and the scope for very material multi-year cash returns."

Ex-divi wed 22nd Jan 2014 (16p)

Panmure note summary:
"Compass holds significant upside from a global recovery due to rising employment, further margin improvement and higher cash returns to shareholders. With FX headwinds this year limiting profit growth, this could well turn into a tailwind in FY2015. Trading on a 2015E EV EBITDA ratio of 10.6x and an EV EBIT ratio of just 11.8x, in our view Compass offers good value for global structural growth, high return on capital, earnings upside risk (26% based upon our blue sky scenario) and accelerated shareholder returns (c22% of its market cap by FY2017E). We upgrade our recommendation to Buy from Hold and increase our target price to 1,100p per share (from 900p) reflecting an element of the upside potential in the valuation."

Half Yearly Report

Interim results announcement for the six months ended 31 March 2014

Ongoing operational delivery underpinning £1 billion return to shareholders

Positive first half year with good organic revenue growth
· Organic revenue growth of 4.2%, driven by strong new business growth
· Excellent performances in North America and Fast Growing & Emerging
· Economic conditions and new business growth in Europe & Japan starting to improve
· Healthy pipeline of new business across all regions

Further efficiencies enabling investment and delivering margin progression
· Operating profit margin increased by 10 basis points to 7.4%
· MAP programme continuing to drive operating efficiencies across all geographies
· Reinvesting for growth

Growth, performance & returns to shareholders: a proven & sustainable model
· £6 billion of announced returns to shareholders since 2006
· Proposed interim dividend of 8.8 pence, 10% ahead of last year
· Proposed capital return of £1 billion via a special dividend and ongoing £500 million share buyback
· Longer term, Compass remains well placed to capitalise on exciting structural growth opportunities in all its markets

Interim Management Statement

Final Results

StockMarketWire.com
Compass unveils strong first half results underlying operating profits up 6.5% at £688m.

Underlying revenues and pre-tax profits rose by 5.7% and 4.9% respectively to £9.1bn and £637m.

Underlying earnings per share rose by 12.3% to 28.4p and the interim dividend of 9.8p per share is up 11.4%.

Group chief executive Richard Cousins said: "Compass had a strong first half of the year. We have delivered excellent levels of organic growth in North America and emerging markets. Encouragingly, Europe & Japan has returned to growth despite a mixed economic backdrop in the region.

"We have also continued to deliver good levels of operating efficiencies, which have enabled us to invest in the many growth opportunities we see, as well as deliver an improvement in the operating margin of 10 basis points.

"Our expectations for the full year remain positive and unchanged. However, the economic environment in some of our emerging markets is uncertain, and lower commodity prices are impacting our Offshore & Remote business. Nevertheless, our pipeline of new contracts is encouraging, and our continued focus on organic growth and efficiencies gives us confidence in achieving another year of delivery.

"In the longer term, we remain excited about the significant structural growth opportunities globally and the potential for further revenue and margin growth, as well as continued returns to shareholders."

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The CEO of Compass Group Plc (CPG.L), the world’s biggest catering firm, and four of his close family members were among the six people who died when the seaplane they were travelling in crashed into a Sydney river on New Year’s Eve.
Cousins had been due to retire on March 31. Compass said the new chief executive, Dominic Blakemore, would now start on Jan. 1 instead of on April 1 as originally planned, following the news.

Sad news indeed.