A recent aquisition for Intelliplus Group plc and new contracts for this company are coming in thick and fast. Result - share price is consistently heading north - Up 46% since 1/10. Perhaps one to quietly be a ten bagger over the next few months. DYOR

LOL

tick up again!!!

MMs are having a laugh now!!!

any substance to the carphone warehouse bid rumour? looks like someone took the op to take a few profits.

Bonfield - looks like there may be quite a lot of substance following today's announcement. This is obviously good news but for someone who bought in at 15p, an offer around 11-12p doesn't do me too many favours.

this is great stuff. my avg is 8.5, glad I topped up last week.

Citywire
Edmond Jackson: Eckoh bounces back
Published: 09:23 Fri 22 Oct 2004
By Edmond Jackson, Columnist

With the Aim-listed shares in developer of speech recognition services Eckoh Technologies up 2p, or 25%, to 11p this morning, on news of an approach, albeit early stage, there are some useful pointers generally.

First, the timing of bid approaches for emerging companies tends to be when they are finally moving into useful profit, after shareholders have endured a few bumpy years. This group, capitalised at about 20 million, posted normalised losses of 14.7 million in its year to the end of March 2000 and 11.4 million in 2001/02, then spent the last two years at roughly break-even. Evolution Securities, Eckoh's broker, projects a near 2 million pre-tax profit in 2004/05, for earnings per share of 0.7p.

Second, this is a market leading company - as affirmed by Trinity Mirror in selecting Eckoh (ECK) as its primary partner for interactive services in the UK. A strong position enhances takeover appeal.

Third, smaller company valuations can easily drift and attract an approach. A difficulty for any company below 50 million capitalisation is getting on the radar of institutional investors. Although Herald Investment Trust (a technology specialist) owns 8.2% and UBS Global Asset Management 4.6%, Eckoh's volatile share price may reflect trend chasing by smaller investors. This year it has slumped from 17p to a low of 7.75p. It is worth being aware for value opportunities when companies get marginalized like this, and not to fret if you own the shares and are confident about its prospects. Eckoh is not really my cup of tea, but I recognise a classic chain of events.

A final yet key point and indicator is that approaches tend to leak. Eckoh's jump from its 7.75p low this month, above 9p the other day, now looks a bit cute to be coincidental.

Although Eckoh has yet to define a proper earnings record, its 28 July annual general meeting statement was positive - with the chairman summing up 'a number of large client wins in our speech solutions business, extension of an alliance with BT, expansion of speech-enabled call processing and the prospect of new contract announcements'.

Now is the logical time for another operator to make an approach, although today's announcement makes plain 'discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that an offer will ultimately be made'.

The August Trinity Mirror partnership involves competitions, votelines, games, dating and astrology - with Eckoh credited with 'the capacity to handle the volume of traffic that a group like Trinity Mirror develops'.

In September a train information service was announced with BT, enabling callers to select relevant train stations by speech recognition or touch-tone entry.

I find it speculative to buy on this news, as if the approach cannot agree terms then the shares will fall back - albeit unlikely back to their recent low.

This is good news for Eckoh holders: hang on to your shares.

Current mkt cap 24m, 10m in bank, gives an EV of just 14m. Forecast profits 1.9m. Value must be nearer 40m so any bid would come in around the 20 pence mark.

The first half ended on 30th September. ECK will already know how they have performed, these need the auditors to look at them before their release which is why there is always a couple of months before they are published. ECK like all companies will produce results at least monthly and they will know within reason the performance well before they make any results public so they do not need to wait until December to decide whether the offer is reasonable or not.

I would have thought they would be more than one party interested and others may become interested after the disclosure today in that case a bidding war could erupt.

BT, Carphone Warehouse, Pipex Communications could be the touted ones.

Why all the profit taking was absorbed by the market makers today?

A big buy order had to filled in tranches at 11 pence....most likely given to the MMs this morning at 10.30am which caused the offer price to rise to 11.50 pence from 11.00 pence on nothing much in terms of buys that were coming through. The below buys were being filled in the background hence the jump on the offer this morning :

500,000 T BUY at 11.00 pence
250,000 T BUY at 11.00 pence
250,000 O BUY at 11.00 pence
900,000 BUY at 11.50 pence

The press will be all over this at the weekend. Monday could bring another healthy markup. Very good volume today.

1.25 Million Broker BUY trade has also just come through at 11.40 pence....

Press mention : will appear in tomorrow's Daily Mail Newspaper.

Beyond the Footsie: Friday close
22 October 2004, This Is Money

UK SMALL caps closed higher today, outperforming their blue-chip peers as bid speculation surrounding Eckoh Technologies and Prestbury Holdings boosted sentiment.

The FTSE Small Cap index ended 4.7 points higher at 2,595, while the FTSE 100 index closed 2 points lower at 4,615.4.

Eckoh Technologies remained sharply higher, up 2.13p pence at 11p, after the voice recognition group confirmed it has received an approach from a third party, which may or may not lead to an offer.

It said discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that an offer will ultimately be made.

http://www.thisismoney.com/20041022/nm83841.html

Mention on Shares, Channel 4 Teletext, Page 513.

Eckoh Tech 11p 2.13p +24%

(Bid approaches received)

Press Mention : in today's Guardian Newspaper...no specific mention about the bid though has Eckoh mentioned.

Carphone Warehouse, up 6p at 160p, is thought to have run its slide rule over the business in recent weeks but no bid is believed to be imminent.

As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service.

"As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service".



Is the above paragraph trying to put Carphone Warehouse as one of the companies that might be interested....

Press mention : in Financial Times Newspaper.

2. UK small cap opening - Eckoh Technologies gains on bid talks
AFX UK (Focus), Oct 22, 2004
LONDON (AFX) - Buyers came in for Eckoh Technologies after the voice recognition group confirmed it has received an approach...

3. Eckoh Technologies in talks after possible bid approach from 3rd party
AFX UK (Focus), Oct 22, 2004
LONDON (AFX) - Eckoh Technologies PLC today confirmed it has received an approach from a third party, which may or may...

Press mention : in today's Guardian Newspaper, does actually cover the bid news as well.

Frothy Friday has traders on the run

Market forces

Richard Wray
Saturday October 23, 2004
The Guardian

Traders did not know which bid situation, or phoney bid situation in some cases, to watch yesterday - what with talk that HBOS was bidding for Prudential, approaches being made for Kidde and Eckoh Technologies, another player appearing in the Manchester United saga and stake-building by Icelandair in easyJet.

Elsewhere among the second liners, speech recognition software specialist Eckoh Technologies - what remains of former dotcom darling 365 Corporation - rocketed 23% to 11p after the company said it had received a bid approach.

Carphone Warehouse, up 6p at 160p, is thought to have run its slide rule over the business in recent weeks but no bid is believed to be imminent.

As well as its voice recognition business, which does everything from automated cinema listings to train timetables, Eckoh recently bought telecommunications service provider Intelliplus. The business would fit well with Carphone's Opal Telecom, which lies behind its successful Talktalk home phone service.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,3604,1334278,00.html

Press Mention : in today's Daily Telgraph Newspaper.

Mentioned in the TELEGRAPH that the ECK directors reckon this is worth at least 15p even though 11p has been mentioned as a possible bid offer BY Carphone Warehouse.Other parties will be interested they reckon!

Here it is: -

"Carphone listening to Eckoh
(Filed: 23/10/2004)


Carphone Warehouse's golf trip in Dublin teed off to an interesting start yesterday as traders speculated that the mobile phone retailer could be mulling a takeover offer.

The talk was fuelled by speech recognition technology company Eckoh Technologies confirming it had received a bid approach from a third party. Traders have speculated for the past week that Carphone Warehouse is considering making an offer at around 11p a share.

Although Eckoh did not name the predator, traders put two and two together, noting the early departure of Carphone Warehouse finance director Roger Taylor from a company golf event yesterday. Eckoh surged 2.13p to 11p on chatter that it is about to spurn the approach, because its directors believe that it is worth 15p a share. A second bidder is also rumoured to be in the frame. Carphone rose 6 to a three-and-a-half year high of 160p."

Two bidders can only be good news.

I reckon the shares could close 13-14p on Monday. 11p is too low, plus the takeover talk in the paper will increase interest. if carphone warehouse does bid, then BTs move will be intresting given that carphone warehouse now offer a competing service and they have a partnership deal. One bid will force any other serious interested parties to show their hands. 15p is probably the lowest the bid will come in at in my opinion, add another bidder and 18-22p.

Hope your right about 18-22p bit, as got in yesterday at 11p. Are you sure this is going to start a bidding war, rather than just fizzle out ?

Lifted the following from ECKs website

Looks like we can expect a Trading Update within next 5 weeks?

Any predator will probably want to agree a takeover before this date as the results can only be extremely good off the back of recently signed contracts, particularly the ITV and Trinity Mirror deals...

Calendar of Financial Results

2004 Annual General Meeting 28 July 2004

2004/5 Half Year Results November 2004

2003 Annual General Meeting 27th August

2003/4 Half Year Results November 2003

RNS Number:4038E
Eckoh Technologies PLC
25 October 2004


25 October 2004



Eckoh Technologies plc ("Eckoh")


Rule 2.10 Announcement - Relevant Securities in Issue


In accordance with Rule 2.10 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, Eckoh
confirms that, as at close of business on 21 October 2004, it had in issue
271,206,588 ordinary shares of 0.25p pence each ("Eckoh Shares").



The International Securities Identification Number for the Eckoh Shares is
GB0033359141.




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END

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I would personally be disappointed if the company is sold for anything below 20p.
WHY?

On fundamentals alone based on previous estimates/balance sheet I believe current share price should be around 16p but then if you add goodwill and on assumption growth/profit can be improved (based on current expectations by analysts why not) then 20p it not unreasonable.

I realise my analysis is 'back of a matchbox' but I do think ECK management will be selling themselves short by saying 15p is fair price as it does not take into consideration IMHO goodwill,potential,return on capital,p/l credit they currently have etc.

twiddling my thumbs waiting for move north.......its the only way it can go...