They are a prime target for a takeover. A buy and hold jobby. DYOR

Will look much better at 640p again.

3 months should do it all imo and I am wishfully thinking.

I don't think we'll be seeing 640p again for some time, at least I hope not :-)

Never know.......

Solid results out today. And three months on SWW I'm pleased to see that we're nowhere near your 640p price hope!

Water and power group, United Utilities, posted a 14% increase in underlying pretax profits. Numbers were underpinned by a good financial performance in United Utilities North West.

For the six months to September 30th, the group recorded a pretax profit of 282m, up from 248m the prior year and in line with analysts' forecasts. The interim dividend was 14.63p per share, up 2.4% on a year earlier, while earnings per share reached 25.7p.

No harm in trying queen1.

It's a great stock and safe!

Handy dividend as well.

Yep!

Consecutive gains for a number of days now. Much more of this and we'll be testing recent highs of 800p.

Agree. Good share, good divi. A nice long term hold.

Indeed, with an additional whiff of sector consolidation in the air as well.

For those who like chasing dividends UU. goes ex-div tomorrow with a 30.30p per share pay-out

Thanks F, in a rising market I may have been on to this one but I'm "extra" risk averse at the mo.

Look at the downside on that, especially with the flood issues and supplies.

http://www.unitedutilities.com/?OBH=425&ID=1488

Flooding relief for Egremont residents 18 June 2007

Flooding in a part of Egremont should become a thing of the past thanks to a 180,000 investment by water company United Utilities.

Homes on Wodow Road have occasionally suffered because a nearby sewer was not big enough to cope at times of very heavy rain.

With more houses being built over the years and the increased use of hard surfaces which prevent rainwater simply draining away into the ground the sewers built in Victorian times are no longer big enough to cope with the demand 120 years later.

So now United Utilities is replacing the inadequate sewer with a new one which will take excess rainwater and discharge it through a new outfall into the River Ehen nearly a mile away.

The outfall, which has been designed after lengthy consultation with the Environment Agency, is specially designed to disperse the water without disturbing the river bed.

The work has already started, with the new overflow system being laid across farmland close to the river.

Late in June the work will move to the top of the Wodow Road (cul-de-sac), where a new manhole will be installed and about 50 metres of pipe laid before being connected to the existing network.

This will cause a little disruption to local residents, who for a short time will have to park their cars somewhere else.

Afterwards all roads, pavements and agricultural land will be reinstated and reopened.

United Utilities project engineer Simon Smith said: We are lucky that most of the work will take place on agricultural land, so there will be very little inconvenience to people living in the area.

Its not something we can do without causing any disturbance at all to local people, but we will do all we can to keep it to a minimum. We are sure people will agree that the end results will be well worthwhile.

The scheme is typical of the sort of quality-of-life improvements we are carrying out partly funded by customers bills.

Between 2005 and 2010 United Utilities is investing 2.9 billion across the North West to improve water quality and the environment.

Egremont weather forecast.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1398

Well it is a year ago and I was wishing to see 640 again, now it's here, I think I will wait a bit more......

I hope you got in seawallwalker as we've broken 700p again this morning:

United Utilities said it is on track with its expectations to deliver the first half results ended June 30.

The water and wastewater systems operator said its underlying operating profit for non-regulated activities in the first half is expected to show a modest decrease compared to year ago, although its regulated activities should demonstrate 'good underlying profit growth'.

The company said performance across the contract portfolio is in line with its expectations. 'Whilst new opportunities have been limited, the business continues to benefit from a strong order book and secured revenue streams', it added, in respect of its non-regulated activities.

I am still waiting...........

Where is the bottom?

2009 prelim results seem OK. No mention of final div yet. Assume sell off is due to uncertainty of agreement to new 2010/15 regs.

IMO this is being traded

Currently at March lows! Double bottom or falling knife gone for spec.long