Tipped as a buy in the Independent today.

Poor skinny, me too if it helps. lol

Trading Update
RNS
RNS Number : 2491R
Sweett Group PLC
24 October 2013



24 October 2013



Sweett Group plc ("Sweett Group" or the "Group")



Trading Update





Sweett Group (AIM: CSG), the international construction and property consultancy, is pleased to provide the following trading update in advance of publication of its unaudited half-year results for the six months ended 30 September 2013.



Each part of the business has performed well and has contributed to a very positive overall performance in the first half of the year.



In Europe, of which for Sweett Group the UK is the major constituent, we have performed strongly. There have been clear signs of increased activity across all our markets. This has coincided with our continued diversification across a range of sectors. Our more traditional markets, including Retail, Commercial and Healthcare, have all demonstrated improving momentum. Our strategy to develop market share in the Transport, Energy and Infrastructure sectors is proving well judged. The financial close of the Leeds Social Housing project, which was announced in July, has contributed additional profits in the period in our Investments operation.



Our Middle East business, which is concentrated mainly in the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has had a steady start to the year. The region is experiencing a resurgence in terms of activity and, through careful targeting and strong client relationships, we are steadily growing our order book. We have followed a strategy to target clients in sectors where our offer is the most compelling.



The Indian business continues to grow at a healthy pace serving both local developers and international corporate clients. We have recently established an office in Kolkata, our fifth in the country.



Our Asia Pacific business is trading in line with management's expectations while continuing to invest in service diversification and geographical expansion into further Asian hub cities. Operations in China have successfully moved emphasis from the residential sector into commercial and hi-tech sectors and we have commenced delivery of a combined Project Management and Cost Management Service in China principally servicing international corporates and foreign direct investors. In Hong Kong we are engaged in the very active infrastructure and engineering sectors providing cost management, programming and scheduling, contract advisory and claims services and across all offices in Asia and Australia we are growing a combined regional Project Management service structured to provide the international delivery standards required by our multi-national client base.



During the period, predominantly in the second quarter, the Group has unwound the whole of its Australian dollar derivative contract. The financial impact of this is a credit of approximately £1m to finance income which is virtually free of corporation tax and will be reflected in the Group's half-year results for the six months ended 30 September 2013. This is in excess of management's previous expectations and more than recovers the costs expensed in respect of this contract in previous years' financial statements, which totalled £874,000.



The Group's performance since the trading update at our AGM on 30 August has continued to be strong. For the reasons described above, trading operations have maintained the positive momentum referred to at the AGM. As a result, the Board anticipates that the Group's results for the year ending 31 March 2014 will be slightly ahead of management's expectations. Furthermore, the full year profit before taxation will also be increased by the £1m referred to above. Our efforts to achieve the objectives of our 3 year plan of turnover growth and margin improvement remain firmly on track.



The Board expects to announce the Group's unaudited half-year results on 3rd December 2013 and looks forward to providing a further update at that time.

I've been there many times with other shares skinny and probably quite a few that you have in your portfolio at the moment!

Westhouse Securities target 70p.

24 Oct 2013 Sweett Group PLC CSG Westhouse Securities Buy 52.00 48.50 58.00 70.00 Retains

Half year results due out on 3rd December, so judging from the trading statement today the share price should continue on its journey North up to that date. A very nice looking chart over the last four months.

Flying higher today.

Next target on the chart looks to be in the region of 75p.

Half year results due out on 3rd December. Let the trend be your friend!

skinny I have to thank The Independent for flagging this one up in March when I started this thread and bought in at 24p. Great recovery play when you look at the chart and where the sp was in 2008 = 120p.

Continues on the upward trend, next immediate target on the chart 75p.

Finished up 7.50% - pretty good!

Off on another flier this morning. Half year results due out early December.

In IC this week - Sweet still looks to cheap.

Thank you for that dreamcatcher, I don't get IC.

Reads well doodlebug4. The share price is just keeping up with the pace at which city analysts are upgrading their forecasts. There may be more good news when the group reports first half results next month, so there is still value to go for. Still a reasonable share rating 13.5 times forecast earnings for the current year, comfortably below average for the support services sector. And the speed at which earnings are growing means there will be scope for smart dividend growth. Buy.

Nice intraday reversal and I should have topped up on the 6p dip over the last two days - damn! Half year results out next week.

Interim Results

Operational highlights

· Diversified order book which stands at £101m, 61% of which represents orders from outside Europe;
· Positive contributions from all businesses;
· Continued diversification of revenue across all regions - Europe 56%, Asia Pacific 32% and MEAI 12%;
· Integrated approach to global clients;
· Significant new commissions in energy and infrastructure sectors;
· Frameworks representing an increasingly significant contribution;
· Increase in staff numbers by 9.5% to just over 1,500 over the last 12 months, reflecting ongoing investment in people to enhance our global footprint;
· Net debt down 25.2% to £7.1m (H1 2013: £9.5m);
· Successful unwinding of Australian dollar derivative contract resulting in £1m gain;
· Global banking facilities re-negotiated.

Is share price ahead of events?
@ 67.5p are on a historic PE of 17, taking the basic earnings 4p not the more diluted 3.4p

Adjusted earnings per share were 4.0p (2013 H1: 2.2p) and adjusted diluted earnings per share were 3.9p (2013 H1: 2.2p). Basic earnings per share were 3.4p (2013 H1: 1.8p) and diluted earnings per share were 3.4p (2013 H1: 1.8p).