Nice rises Friday and today,after being tipped up by Money Week magazine ,with first half sales up 86%,and a cheaper Broadband bundle than Car Phone warehouse,a forward p/e of 15.4 and a likely takeover target seems the one to be on in a guarateed consolidating sector.

I'm staying put anyhow!
conclusion during the summer they said, lets see

Pipex would be willing to consider break-up of assets - source
AFX


LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Pipex Communications would be willing to consider a break-up of its assets, according to a source familiar with the company - a move which analysts believe could make a takeover deal more feasible for debt-ridden Tiscali. Among the possible scenarios, one analyst believes Pipex could hold on to its hosting business and the complementary network services unit, while selling the broadband/voice business.

Tiscali financial director Massimo Cristofori told Thomson Financial News that the Italian group had held preliminary takeover talks with its smaller rival.

A second analyst said that funding could be an issue if Tiscali attempts to buy all of Pipex, as it is already debt-laden and the target would be unlikely to want shares. Tiscali would see 40 mln eur a year in interest on the 450 mln eur it raised in equity to buy Pipex, which is not that cash generative, the analyst continued.

Cristofori this morning noted that Tiscali has less debt than its competitors so has 'the possibility to carry out acquisitions'.

BT, for its part, would have no choice but to consider an offer, analysts insisted. Sources close to the situation told Thomson Financial News that BT had previously considered tabling a bid, but dropped out as it did not want to acquire Pipex's website hosting arm.

Calling BT the weakest of Europe's domestic operators in broadband, one of the analysts today said the group had to increase its presence in non-voice areas, but warned the UK operator would risk incurring the wrath of regulators if it bid on Pipex.

A recent Goldman Sachs research report valued Pipex's broadband/voice business at 211 mln stg based on an estimate of 300 stg per broadband customer, and the hosting/network services at 178 mln. The two figures give an implied value per share of the whole group of 15 pence.

BIG BUYS at end of the day

Time Price Volume Value Buy/Sell Type (key)
16:35 13.76p 3,500,000 481,733 Buy O
16:48 13.76p 3,500,000 481,733 Buy O
15:13 13.69p 2,500,000 342,250 Buy O
16:29 13.65p 2,500,000 341,250 Buy WT
09:26 13.00p 2,500,000 325,000 Buy AT

Shareshop - 17 May 2007 14:50 - 303 of 304
Pipex would be willing to consider break-up of assets - source
AFX

A recent Goldman Sachs research report valued Pipex's broadband/voice business at 211 mln stg based on an estimate of 300 stg per broadband customer, and the hosting/network services at 178 mln. The two figures give an implied value per share of the whole group of 15 pence.

LOL! No mention of Wimax, the real winner that BT et all are scared of.

i think you find that neither hosting nor WiMax are or were ever currently being offered .... if PXC can rid itself of the broadband biz to BT or Tiscali, then i think )(ut have nothing to support that) that Dubens may buy the hosting part for himself, leaving WiMax with plenty of potential but currently with unknown value.

Tiscali S.p.A.
18 May 2007



18 May 2007

Tiscali S.p.A.: Clarification


Tiscali notes the recent Italian and international press reports with regard to
Pipex Communications plc ("Pipex"). Tiscali clarifies that its current interest
is only in the Broadband and Voice Services division of Pipex. Discussions are
at a preliminary stage and may or may not lead to a transaction for such
division.

merely confirmation of what i have been saying here for weeks and weeks and again earlier today.

I don't fully understand the up-coming wimax license auction later this year. Is this for control of certain frequencies one of which pipex has already laid claim to and if so does this give Pipex any competitive advantage over new entrants or does it mean that other companies can buy a license and be on a level footing thus de-valuing Pipex's Wimax arm? Can anyone shed any light?

11:59 13.00p 9,000,000 1,170,000 Buy X

looks more like a sell to me.

very true - somebody sold and somebody was willing to buy - glad to clear that up for you

anyone knows if there is any news with tiscali's takeover.

Pipex plotting carve-up for Tiscali deal
Sale to be announced in weeks

By Chris Williams → More by this author
Published Wednesday 13th June 2007 12:15 GMT

Exclusive The breakup of Pipex and sale of its residential broadband customer base to Tiscali is looking increasingly certain.

Insiders at the takeover target say the terms of the deal will be announced in four to eight weeks.

In the meantime, managers are working out the personnel carve-up, with employees destinations in the split already decided.

Tiscali's poor reputation for customer service, worsened by its response to a recent extended email outage, is said to have set some Pipex staff against the sale.

The Register also understands that Pipex's WiMax licence, which complicated speculations over the UBS-brokered auction of the firm, will remain with the rest of Pipex, concentrated on business customers.

As part of the deal, Tiscali will provide the refocused ISP with access to its unbundled network, which is one of the most extensive in the UK and should lower its costs in providing broadband. Tiscali has unbundled more than 400 exchanges, compared to Pipex's 100.

Pipex has about 570,000 customers across its broadband brands, which include Toucan and Bulldog. Each of the big players in the dog-eat-dog communications market - Virgin Media, BT, Sky, Carphone Warehouse - have been linked with a bid for the firm, but have all fallen by the wayside amid rumours of an over-ambitious valuation and concerns over its diverse interests.

Italy-based Tiscali, which has almost 1.5 million subscribers in the UK, stepped into the spotlight in the middle of May when it confirmed it was in early discussions with Pipex.

Back then, Goldman Sachs analysts valued Pipex's telecoms business at 211m and the hosting and network services at 178m.

As middleweights lacking profile and resources compared to the bundling frontrunners, Tiscali and Pipex have similar problems in attracting residential customers.

Jonathan Coham, a broadband analyst at Ovum said: "This is an interesting move, but Tiscali needs more than just subscribers to maintain its position. They've typically been a low-spending broadband provider, with limited additional services...they'll need to follow this up."

Tiscali and Pipex refused to comment on this story. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/13/tiscali_to_buy_pipex/

thanks for the article, but the market looks underwhelmed ...... time will tell whether or not this is just so much wishful thinking

Come on guys look at the trading range over the years, this is dead in the water.

Highly recoomended when MW and Methuselah were school pals sitting together in class.

cynic and Dave...are you both joined at the hip.

These two are also appearing on COH.

No at the head, as two are better than one.

strange comment .... actually i have (misguidedly?) held these for a while .... could more sensibly ask why the pair of you remain in a permanent state of puerile bickering

YES I THINK THAT YOUR DISCRIPTION IS SLIGHTLY ABOVE ADEQUATE ON THIS ONE CYNIC

CYNIC whe face with a continued diatribe of ignorant ignorace, one has a choice either squash it, or squash it