(Anyone lucky enough to buy my 2003 share of the year enjoyed a roller-coaster. At one time Holllis Eden on Nasdaq reached 5 bagger status before falling back. i recommended selling at 2.25 bagger time but hey not bad!)
I don't expect this year's one to be quite so dramatic but here's hoping! I think it could easily be a bagger+ though!
Gladstone is a relatively little known software stock with solutions for internet and broadband that appears to be ahead of its competition. The market cap is 5.8 million but the total assets are 8 million. Anyone sneaking out results in Xmas week might well cause suspicion but GLD's were really good. It has turned a 1 million+ loss into a small profit and there is a lot more to come as the company has now a strong customer base. It looks like they are on the acquisition trail as a close reading of recent statements shows a Director taking a more active role in the search but they could easily become a target themselves. They have cut costs too and a very confident board paint a rosy but not rose-tinted picture of the outlook. A reorgnisation of the share capital will reduce the shareholder base from 8000 to nearer 2000. A sensible move as some paid several pounds a share in the dotcom days and they are now to be offered a return wothout costs on their investment.
At 12.75p they are in a narrow trading range which has lasted most of 2003 but when or if they breakout a substantial upside move is on the cards.
Undervalued. Buy.

Wrong thread oaky, woopsy! This one is about GLD, going well, up some 40% this year..

Sorry hawick - silly me - I am even more dizzy to-day as all of my stocks are in the blue

Well Hawick, how about that - a really nice upward bounce on the great RNS news. More to come I think.

Superb trading statement from GLD! Still holding. :)
Gladstone plc

Year-end trading update


Gladstone Plc ('the Company') today provides an update on its performance
following the end of its financial year on 31st August 2004. Quoted on AIM,
Gladstone (stock code GLD), is the leading provider of software and related
services to the leisure industry. It is headquartered in Wallingford,
Oxfordshire, with offices in Scotland, Ireland and Australia.

The company is pleased to announce that it expects its results to show
significant improvement on last year. Cash resources have grown to approximately
1.6 million at 31st August 2004. During the year the company purchased new
offices in Glasgow at a cost of 531,000. The Company also invested a further
240,000 in office equipment and computers. This included load-testing and call
centre support management software. The successful scalability testing of our
core application for large chains, with more than 500 concurrent users, has
enhanced our competitive positioning. Improving our day to day call centre
support will benefit all our clients.

The strong start to the second half of the year reported in our May trading
update has been maintained and private-sector chains that recently installed
Gladstone software include JJB (Fitness Club), Bannatyne's Health Clubs and
Miracle Light Ltd.

Councils that have recently installed our products include Salford,
Aberdeenshire, Plymouth, Walsall and Restormel. The Local Authority contractor
market has also been strong, with roll-outs continuing at Leisure Connection and
Parkwood Leisure.

Our office in Sydney, Australia opened this month and we are confident of
securing initial sales orders that will quickly assist us in gaining credibility
in this new market.

Our website
www.gladstonemrm.com
has been re-launched, and we have also
appointed Abchurch Communications Limited as our PR agency for investor and
trade promotional activity.

Preliminary results for the year ended 31st August 2004 will be announced by
22nd November 2004.

Ben Merrett, Chief Executive, said: 'The business has benefited from continued
investment and our customers are responding with good orders for our established
and new software product range. Our stand at the recent Leisure Industry week
conference was very well attended and I look forward with confidence to
Gladstone's continuing success.'

Yep, I am holding too. Bought in March and topped up at 16.75 a week ago.

Beaufort I think we crossed after months of no posts!!!!
posting this because i really believe this is an explosion about to happen, and I do not normlly get this excited, days or weeks not too sure but inevitable, that I am sure! Wow, some chart!!

Having got in to GLD in March I have been tempted to top up so many times on the dips but have always had other things in action. Won't be too disappointed with a dip in next few weeks ahead of results as now have funds to top up.
The question is whether the price will hold after the results? That leaves the question as to get out at a peak with a tidy profit and get back in later or hold and hope for an upward trend from then on.
Still don't know what I'll do yet!

Great to hear from you again Hawick. I am very positive about GLD on fundamentals, but why do you think it is about to blow? The good news has been there in the tea leaves for a long time.

Beaufort nice to know not everyone these days buys and then sells a fortnight later! My excitement is based on the chart, I think it could actually overheat to the upside, (not necessarily all good) as resistance has been cleaned out. It would take only a little to spark the long overdue surge. With markets rising too, any successful small caps could benefit and none are better placed after this week's statement than GLD.

And we are off.............!!!

Excellent year end trading statement and International expansion is now happening, so little reason to bailout for awhile yet:-

RNS Number:4818D
Gladstone PLC
29 September 2004



Press Release 29 September 2004

Gladstone plc

Year-end trading update


Gladstone Plc ("the Company") today provides an update on its performance
following the end of its financial year on 31st August 2004. Quoted on AIM,
Gladstone (stock code GLD), is the leading provider of software and related
services to the leisure industry. It is headquartered in Wallingford,
Oxfordshire, with offices in Scotland, Ireland and Australia.

The company is pleased to announce that it expects its results to show
significant improvement on last year. Cash resources have grown to approximately
#1.6 million at 31st August 2004. During the year the company purchased new
offices in Glasgow at a cost of #531,000. The Company also invested a further
#240,000 in office equipment and computers. This included load-testing and call
centre support management software. The successful scalability testing of our
core application for large chains, with more than 500 concurrent users, has
enhanced our competitive positioning. Improving our day to day call centre
support will benefit all our clients.

The strong start to the second half of the year reported in our May trading
update has been maintained and private-sector chains that recently installed
Gladstone software include JJB (Fitness Club), Bannatyne's Health Clubs and
Miracle Light Ltd.

Councils that have recently installed our products include Salford,
Aberdeenshire, Plymouth, Walsall and Restormel. The Local Authority contractor
market has also been strong, with roll-outs continuing at Leisure Connection and
Parkwood Leisure.

Our office in Sydney, Australia opened this month and we are confident of
securing initial sales orders that will quickly assist us in gaining credibility
in this new market.

Our website www.gladstonemrm.com has been re-launched, and we have also
appointed Abchurch Communications Limited as our PR agency for investor and
trade promotional activity.

Preliminary results for the year ended 31st August 2004 will be announced by
22nd November 2004.

Ben Merrett, Chief Executive, said: "The business has benefited from continued
investment and our customers are responding with good orders for our established
and new software product range. Our stand at the recent Leisure Industry week
conference was very well attended and I look forward with confidence to
Gladstone's continuing success."

For further information, please contact:

Gladstone plc Tel: +44 (01491) 201 010
Ben Merrett, Chief Executive
bmerrett@gladstoneplc.com www.gladstonemrm.com
---------------------------

Looking good! Sit back and watch the continued upsurge

nice chart.............wary of this as it was a malcolm craig tip on C5 text a few years ago and it bombed. things seem to have changed though...reasonably tight spresd for now for such a wsmall cap co......will deffo keep on my watch list

Hi Superrod, understand your caution but much slimmed down since those days and now profitable little business on a tiny market cap. Nice trading update recently.

Chart is looking very nice - set to make another new high?

30p very soon as results will please.

Hope so mackem but we have hit another quiet phase just as the chart was ready to burst. Patience, but no worries, value will out and I still think sooner rather than later!

Right again Hawick - chart still as strong as ever after another spurt upwards!
Looks like it could continue up to 30p

PS what's your share of the year for 2005????

This has been up all year slowly but surely - should be in the 30's after the figures come out.

LOL beaufort (but will see if i can come up with one if people want, a few candidates around!!).
Just one word of caution, yesterday's move might have been a few T-20s speculating on good results and one or two days after the numbers might be volatile, but the results will be great and 30p is a very reasonable - indeed modest - target over the coming months.