Anybody trading in these shares? I just bought some @ 204.72

what is going wrong?

halifax----Profits and EPS down 2/3rds, thinly covered dividend, UK construction underperformance, deterioration in Australia, challenging conditions. There is more but holders may get depressed if I continue.
2517

George it seems they need a serious board shake out.

halifax ----Last month they appointed 2 new non ex directors and a new UK construction CEO, so it will take time for them to make a difference. If the sp drops back around the 200p mark they will look interesting, should things not improve and perhaps the divi looks likely to suffer then I imagine Investec's 170p would be possible..
2517

JP Morgan Cazenove Underweight 0.00 200.00 180.00 Retains

Deutsche Bank Hold 0.00 220.00 220.00 Reiterates

Goldman Sachs Neutral 0.00 241.00 - Retains

Liberum Capital Buy 226.00 226.00 190.00 250.00 Upgrades

Excellent recovery.
2517

Contract win http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=4655605

Light at the end of the tunnel for Balfour Beatty?

Contract Win

BALFOUR BEATTY AWARDED £77 MILLION WILMINGTON BYPASS PROJECT IN THE US


Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, has announced today that its Infrastructure business, part of Balfour Beatty Construction Group in the US has been awarded the I-140 Wilmington Bypass project. This £77 million (US $124 million) project includes a 7,185-foot-long bridge over the Cape Fear River in North Carolina.

On behalf of the North Carolina Department of Transportation, Balfour Beatty will construct around 1.5 miles of a four-lane road in the southeast counties of Brunswick and New Hanover. Included in the construction are ten bridges, six of which are twin bridges. The bridge over the Cape Fear River will span a delicate wetlands area, requiring careful ecological management. The team will access the bridge construction via a temporary work trestle. This will mitigate temporary wetland impacts while providing safe access for the workers.

"The Wilmington Bypass represents further evidence of the improving outlook for our US business," said Andrew McNaughton, CEO, Balfour Beatty. "This project win perfectly fits our skill set in the US where we have broad experience with these types of jobs and an outstanding record working on projects that require exceptional environmental stewardship and sustainable practices."

When the project is completed, the bypass is expected to positively impact traffic flow and local economies. Traffic volumes are expected to more than double in the next 20 years (from 39,600 vehicles per day to 80,800 in 2035). The project has broad support from the community and is seen as a vital part of reducing the commute from Brunswick County into the City of Wilmington, as well as reducing overall congestion in the Wilmington area. The 54-month project is scheduled to begin in October 2013 and finish in April 2018 and is part of the Wilmington Bypass, identified in the early 1990s as a critical infrastructure need for south eastern North Carolina.

ENDS

Deutsche Bank Buy 274.45 268.50 280.00 280.00 Reiterates

Numis Add 274.45 268.50 285.00 315.00 Reiterates

Contract Win

BALFOUR BEATTY JV GAMMON WINS £148M RAIL CONTRACTS IN SINGAPORE


Balfour Beatty, the international infrastructure group, announces that Gammon Construction, a leading South East Asian construction company that is 50% owned by Balfour Beatty, has won two significant rail contracts in Singapore. Land Transport Authority has awarded an £87 million (S$174 million) contract for the design and construction of the Mayflower Station on The Thomson Line and SMRT Trains has awarded a £61 million (S$122 million) contract for track system replacement on the North-South Line.

The Thomson Line is a 30km underground train line that is expected to be fully completed in 2021 and is operated by the Land Transport Authority. Fully underground, the Thomson Line comprises 22 stations, including Mayflower Station and six interchange stations. When completed it will be the sixth Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line and run parallel to the existing North-South Line. Work is due to start in the first quarter of 2014 and is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

The second contract for SMRT Trains involves the changing of sleepers from timber to concrete as part of the renewal and upgrade of the existing North-South Line and is being delivered collaboratively with the UK rail team. Work on this contract is due to start in the fourth quarter of 2013 and is expected to complete by the end of January 2015.

Commenting on the contracts, Andrew McNaughton, Chief Executive Balfour Beatty said:
"We are excited to have been awarded these prestigious contracts and to be taking part in enhancing Singapore's strategic MRT system expansion.

"Rail is a key focus for the Group. We have great expertise in designing, supplying, constructing, maintaining and managing rail infrastructure. The key to our success is our collaborative approach and the sharing of the knowledge and technology across our business reduces the risk for our clients."

-ends-

BBY on verge of breakout.

BBY could motor up if it breaks the medium term resistance on the chart.

Long term chart showing gapped to be filled to 305p and ultimate target of 360p ish med term..........

Broker note out this morning....

23 Dec 2013 Balfour Beatty PLC BBY Deutsche Bank Buy

Lifted from across the road.... Galvan

Excelent write up.....

http://mycharts1.webs.com/bby20.JPG

BRIEF-Balfour Beatty wins joint contract for U.S. rail line project

23 Dec 2013 - 08:52
LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - * Balfour Beatty awarded 209 million pound joint contract for U.S. North Metro Rail Line Project Further company coverage: [BALF.L] (Reporting by Li-mei Hoang) ((limei.hoang@thomsonreuters.com; 020 7542 6513; Reuters Messaging: limei.hoang.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: /BRIEF

Questor share tip: Balfour Beatty still a long term buy


FTSE 250-listed infrastructure construction group will take time to recover but the signs are encouraging, says Questor

By John Ficenec, Questor editor6:00AM GMT 07 Jan 2014
Balfour Beatty
293½p+3
Questor says BUY

Balfour Beatty has won a £154m deal to transform London’s Olympic stadium, a contract that hints at the tentative UK recovery ahead of the group’s trading update next week.
Infrastructure construction has been a tough sector since the 2008 crash. Government budgets have been slashed and fierce competition has forced down profit margins. In some cases companies have even bid for work at a loss just to keep going.
Balfour generates 73pc of its revenue and about 40pc of operating profit from construction. Shares in the group are 40pc down from highs of 500p in 2007 and have largely traded sideways for the past five years.
However, there are some encouraging signs. Balfour said in November that profitability in construction services business improved during the third quarter. The UK was lifted by an increase in housebuilding and in the US the company reported construction revenue growth accelerating into the second half of the year.

The company is certainly winning more work. The Olympic stadium conversion contract comes in addition to £860m in new work announced since June. Analysts expect Balfour to announce a reasonably steady order book of about £13.5bn in next Tuesday’s update.
There could still be pressure on profit margins in the year ahead – an example of this is the fact that bricklayers have seen daily rates rise about 60pc during the past 12 months. However, new contracts signed by Balfour over the past six months should reflect this and other cost pressures.
“We see last year as the trough for construction services profit margins and expect things to get better this year, but not massively,” said Howard Seymour, analyst with Numis.
Balfour is also facing a cash squeeze in the year ahead. As work increases, money has to be spent to start projects, but the company has to wait until targets are hit to receive payment, meaning that, rather perversely, as Balfour starts to recover it goes through its tightest cash period. Cash from operations has fallen during the past 18 months and net debt has risen to £350m.
This tight cash situation has been exacerbated by delayed payment from a contract in Balfour’s professional services division, which manages construction projects. Investors will be expecting an update on the payment, thought to be in the region of £10m, next week. The division contributes about a third of group operating profit, but has suffered from a sharp decline in profitability during the past year as it is exposed to the Australian mining sector, which is suffering as the commodities boom wanes.
All this leads to the dividend payment, which is now under pressure because of the strain on cash. The company paid 14.1p in total last year, but the consensus for this year is for the dividend to be trimmed to 13.5p, with some analysts pencilling in a cut to 10p.
Balfour has taken action to improve the balance sheet. The sale of the Workplace division should bring about £150m, reducing net debt to £200m. The group’s investments in PPI projects are also performing well.
The shares have risen 7pc since Questor recommended them as an early stage recovery play at 273p in October. At the time Questor fully expected more pain in construction sector margins. There has been little to change this fundamental view, so the “buy” recommendation is maintained.

08 Jan 2014 Balfour Beatty PLC BBY Deutsche Bank Buy 274.00 293.80 280.00 280.00 Reiterates