"Alent is a leading global supplier of advanced surface treatment plating chemicals and electronics assembly materials. The principal end-market is global electronics production which accounts for approximately three-quarters of net sales value with the automotive and industrial end-markets the balance."

Both Vesuvius Plc & Alent Plc are seperate companies created from the demerger of Cookson Plc in Dec 2012.

http://www.alent.com/

StockMarketWire.com
Deutsche Bank starts Alent at hold, target 350p

28 March 2013 Announcement of 2012 full year results.
May 2013 AGM and Q1 interim management statement
June 2013 Final dividend payment
August 2013 Announcement of 2013 interim results
October 2013 Interim dividend payment
November 2013 Q3 interim management statement

Volatile little devil isnt it Harry. Held for about a week now.

Yep, good for you s/betters! I had Cookson shares which were subdivided into ALNT & VSVS and both are in the money, so happy to hold for the time being. I'm hoping that they will both do well when industry starts to come out of recession.

Yep so glad youve done well here.

And yes I have this one on a CFD derivative not a S Bet but could quite easily have been one.

ps, why dont you like them??.

I try to invest in sectors which I understand and have some history. ALNT doesn't fit into either of those categories so I am winging it atm!!!

Think itl come good in fact wouldnt rule out one of the tip sheets tipping it either this weekend or next.

01 Feb Alent ALNT Oriel Securities Add 334.00 334.70 - - Initiates/Starts

Starts coverage with an ADD recommendation.

286k shares traded & sp up 7%, which probably means it won't last too long! Currently 366p.

Now 408p and way beyond any broker target price.

28 March 2013 - Announcement of 2012 full year results
April 2013 - Publication of 2012 annual report and account

Results for the year ended 31 December 2012

2012: A resilient year with a strong platform for growth

Highlights:

§ First set of reported results for Alent plc, formed on 19 December 2012

§ A focused leading supplier of specialty chemicals and engineered materials

§ Assembly Materials outperformed the market

§ Surface Chemistries impacted by weaker global electronics and European automotive demand

§ Recommended final dividend of 5.5 pence per share, in line with guidance

§ Continued investment in future growth of the business

§ Well placed to make further progress in 2013

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4563609

INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
For the period from 1 January 2013 to 17 May 2013

Alent plc today issues its Interim Management Statement for the period from 1 January 2013 to 17 May 2013.

TRADING AND FINANCIAL POSITION
Trading for the first four months of the year was broadly in line with our expectations and there is no change in our outlook for the remainder of 2013.

Net Sales Value (NSV) in the first quarter was £101.8 million (2012: £108.1 million), 5.8% lower than the previous year. Lower smartphone, personal computer and semiconductor wafer start volumes in Q1 2013, and inventory build in copper damascene in Q1 2012, impacted NSV comparison year-on-year. Automotive end-markets remained in a similar pattern to 2012, with increased demand for our performance coatings products in Asia and the Americas offset by some weakness in European automotive production. Underlying NSV margin, excluding the effect of the Q1 2012 copper damascene inventory build, has continued to progress.

Electronics end-markets appear to be returning to a more normal seasonal cycle with a relatively slow first quarter following the traditional Q4 2012 build-up and reflecting the effects of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday season.

Looking ahead we are seeing end customers increase wafer starts. This bodes well for modest recovery in printed circuit board fabrication and printed circuit board assembly in subsequent quarters. Forecasts for global electronic equipment revenue growth have moderated since the start of the year but expectations remain for positive year-on-year growth.

In the Assembly Materials business segment, following the traditionally strong Q4 2012, the business experienced an expected seasonal Q1 2013 decline in product demand in the smartphone and personal computer end-markets, with customers preparing for new product launches in the upcoming months.

The Surface Chemistries business segment is experiencing increased demand for printed circuit board fabrication chemistries and is in early stages of the ramp in products feeding the semiconductor fabrication end-markets.

Our financial position remains strong. Working capital trends in the first four months of 2013 have reflected normal seasonality with a build-up of working capital expected in the first half of the year and a corresponding reduction in the second half.

OUTLOOK
Whilst some of our electronics markets have had a relatively slow start to the year, there is no change in our outlook for the remainder of 2013 from that stated in our 28 March 2013 full year results announcement. Whilst we expect our first half performance to be flat or slightly below H1 2012, we continue to expect a resumption of growth in the second half of the year.

Credit Suisse starts outperform on Alent, target 430p.

Missed this broker comment....

20 May 13 Alent Credit Suisse Outperform 355.05 - 430.00 Initiates/Starts

SP TARGET 430p.

MIDAS: Vanished stalwart Cookson is back and set to boom

By Joanne Hart, Investments Editor

PUBLISHED: 22:07, 1 June 2013 | UPDATED: 22:07, 1 June 2013


Cookson was one of the best-known names in British industry – until it disappeared from the stock market in December.


But unlike other stalwarts, it did not vanish because it collapsed or was sold to a foreign buyer.


Instead the group was split into two separately listed companies, engineering group Vesuvius and Alent.




In demand: Alent makes electronics for the iPad and other tablets

Alent makes complex products used in goods ranging from tablet computers to lipstick holders.


Having gained its independence just before Christmas, the business, based in Woking, Surrey, is expected to grow considerably over the next few years and the stock, currently 370½p, should gain ground too.


Half of Alent’s revenue derives from electronics, where it contributes to the inner workings of a wide range of devices, including deluxe fridges, TVs, tablets, mobile phones and personal computers.


Alent’s customers include some of the biggest names in consumer electronics, such as Apple and Samsung. The group makes copper wiring for computer chips, chemicals that protect circuit boards from corrosion and solder to meld the components of these circuit boards together. The business is highly specialised and Alent is one of the few global players in the industry.

Its products form a tiny proportion of the cost of making electronic goods, but they make the assembly process much more reliable. This is critical for manufacturers of electronics, who are making thousands of items a day and need to keep production levels as high as possible.


Alent is not the cheapest supplier in the market but it is one of the best so customers are prepared to pay a few pennies more for quality and reliability. As such, the group enjoys strong profit margins and long-lasting relationships with customers.


Alent also produces chemicals that protect metal and make it look shiny. Its coatings are used for chrome parts in top-of-the-range cars, as well as the metal parts of glasses frames, handbag handles and make-up containers.


Customers range from BMW to Hermes, but most are large, international and high-end. The Royal Mint even uses Alent coatings for coins.


At the other end of the scale, Alent makes Fernox, used to descale boilers and a well-known brand in plumbers’ merchants nationwide.


Alent’s chief executive is Steve Corbett, an American who spent 23 years with Cookson and who relishes the chance to run Alent as an independent company.


Last year, the business was affected by a general slowdown in the consumer electronics industry and weakness in the automotive sector, so turnover fell 3.8 per cent to £417 million. However, pre-tax profit rose by 2.2 per cent to £89 million and the group paid a maiden dividend of 5.5p.


Brokers expect turnover to increase to £444 million this year with profits rising to £98 million and a dividend of more than 8.5p.


Corbett is ambitious for Alent, hoping to expand it by selective acquisitions and organic growth. As the half-year approaches, conditions in the electronic sector look better than last year and there are high hopes for continued recovery in the second half, particularly as momentum tends to pick up in the approach to Christmas.


Looking further ahead, computerised equipment will play an increasing role in daily life and forecasts suggest the electronics sector is likely to grow at a healthy pace for many years. Alent should benefit from this and the group is also keen to increase its coating presence in the fast-growing Asian car sector.


Midas verdict: Alent is a newly independent business and Corbett is determined to make a success of it. At 370½p, the shares offer good, long-term growth prospects. Buy.

From the ft -


Consensus recommendation


As of May 28, 2013, the consensus forecast amongst 6 polled investment analysts covering Alent PLC advises that the company will outperform the market. This has been the consensus forecast since the sentiment of investment analysts improved on Feb 01, 2013. The previous consensus forecast advised investors to hold their position in Alent PLC.



On Friday, Alent PLC (ALNT:LSE) closed at 370.60, 10.37 % below its post-IPO high of 413.50, set on Mar 15, 2013.

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StockMarketWire.com
Alent posts adjusted pre-tax profits of £41.4m for the six months to the end of June - down from £42.4m last time.

The group described the first half performance as 'solid' in challenging end-markets and announced an interim dividend of 2.89p per shre - up from 2.75p last time.

Chief executive Steve Corbett said: "We are pleased to report a solid set of results in the context of end-markets that proved to be more challenging than were expected.

"The second quarter was better than the first, but underlying growth across the total electronics supply chain was more subdued. Declines in high margin copper damascene due to de-stocking were largely anticipated and should normalise in the second half, however lower sales to a single customer at the larger feature nodes compounded the impact on our NSV margin during the period.

"Against this backdrop we have outperformed a number of key end-market segments. We have maintained price and cost discipline whilst continuing to invest in our OEM marketing and selling initiative, and we are encouraged that our NSV margin, excluding the impact of copper damascene, remained flat despite lower volumes in the period.

"Our financial position has remained strong and free cash flow improved significantly against the prior year. Meanwhile our research and development team continues to deliver the new products required to meet the ever increasing demands of our customers. "We believe Alent has a strong foundation from which to grow. The long term drivers for this business are unchanged. We are confident of delivering further sustainable NSV and margin improvement from underlying market growth, improved product mix, focus on our OEM strategy and new product pipeline."

StockMarketWire.com
Alent's trading for the third quarter was slightly below its expectations due to the softer than anticipated demand in consumer electronics end-markets. Net sales value (NSV) in Q3 2013 was £105.6m (Q3 2012: £101.7m), an increase of 3.8% (flat on a constant currency basis), and broadly in line with Q2 2013.

NSV for the first nine months of the year was £314.8m, (first nine months of 2012: £312.4m) an increase of 0.8% (down 2.3% on a constant currency basis). NSV margin progressed in Q3 2013 versus H1 2013.

Looking ahead, the group says: "Visibility remains limited with end-markets showing more muted seasonal pick-up in consumer electronics demand. Assuming current foreign exchange rates, we now expect our full year NSV to be around the same levels as 2012 with slightly unfavourable product mix.

"The fundamental drivers for the business are unchanged. We have a strong foundation, including robust pricing discipline and cost and efficiency improvements, from which to deliver sustainableNSV and margin improvement from our four pillars of underlying market growth, improving product mix, focus on our OEM strategy and the development of our new product pipeline."

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4700289