Main Web Site : http://www.firstartist.com/index.asp

20th June 2007 Broker Note : http://www.esnips.com/web/PPOtherStuff/


Major News/Events :

Trading Update July 2007


First Artist Corporation plc, is one of the worlds leading integrated marketing, sport and entertainment management businesses. Our companies are recognised experts in entertainment and sport representation, wealth and media management, advertising and events, and the complementary nature of their skills makes our offer truly exciting.

Group Web Sites :

MARKETING
http://www.sponsorshipconsulting.co.uk
http://www.newman-displays.com/
http://www.dewynters.com
http://www.theatremerchandise.com/
http://www.firstrights.co.uk/

SPORT
http://www.firstartistsport.com/
http://www.firstartistscandinavia.dk/

WEALTH
http://www.optimalwm.com/

EVENT MANAGEMENT
http://www.finishingtouchevents.co.uk/

ENTERTAINMENT
http://www.firstnci.com/

Broker Forecast 25th June 2007 :

2007 PTP 2.6m
2007 EPS 13.30p

2008 PTP 3.6m
2008 EPS 15.70p

4

5

DS Update on 30th July :



First Artist - BUY

Price: 94p Target price: 174p Analyst: James Hollins | 020 7776 6571

First Artist

Positive trading update

First Artist has released a positive trading update. Following a weak share price run, the shares are significantly undervalued.
The group highlights record trading during June for both The Finishing Touch (event management division) as well as its wealth management operations, Optimal.

The bullish tone encompasses all divisions, with Dewynters, the largest division, continuing to make a strong contribution, Newman Displays trading is very buoyant and First Artist Sport (sports agency) is performing well.
The Finishing Touch has exceeded the terms of its earn-out targets and First Artist is therefore issuing the second tranche of shares (43k shares) and 430k of loan notes.
Overall, management states that trading is strong and in line with its expectations.

On this basis, we retain our forecasts of 13.26p earnings to FY07E (August period-end) and 15.66p to FY08E. With the shares standing at just 7.1x FY07E EPS (6.0x FY08E), we retain our Buy recommendation and 174p target price (85% upside).

TW comment on 27th June 07

http://www.sharecrazy.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=393393&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1

Buy First Artist at 113.5p

I tipped this stock at 81p in March. It is now 113.5p but with a target price of 250p it is not too late to buy. AIM traded First Artist has come a long way over the past year. Starting life with just a single string to its bow, the group has been transformed from its days operating as a football agency, and now has financial services, an events business and following the acquisition of Dewynters, also owns the biggest name in theatrical and entertainment marketing. This has not been an exercise in diversification for diversification sake, this is about profit, and lots of it.

First Artist is now well on the way to delivering on its strategy of synergistic acquisitions supported by strong organic growth. Earnings are set to accelerate in the near term following the Dewynters deal. And what a coup that was. Dewynters is an icon in the entertainment and theatre industry representing many of the current hit West End musicals and plays. It owns a successful media signage business in London and a flourishing merchandising operation in New York and Las Vegas. This acquisition was a quantum leap for the First Artist Group. The many cross selling opportunities with other group companies will continue to create value for shareholders whilst the Dewynter's acquisition itself is set to transform the enlarged company into an international media and entertainment organisation, retaining a potent delivery of entertainment, sport, wealth and event management.

CEO Jon Smiths vision has now not only become a reality, but it has also heralded his arrival as a highly effective deal maker and integrator. People and companies like dealing with Smith, and so surely it is only a matter of time before he pulls off another earnings enhancing cracker.

In the meantime, First Artist is throwing off the cash at a rate of knots. On an annualised basis and incorporating a full year from Dewynters, the group should turn over somewhere in the order of 47 million this year, delivering an EBITDA of 3.7 million and earnings certainly into the double figures. Some in the City are talking about an EPS figure of 15p for the year to August 2007, but for the sake of caution, let us assume 12p. The risks with these numbers are most certainly towards the upside. Its the longer term where First Artists true potential resides. I would be very surprised if earnings do not hit 20p within the next 24 months, at which point I do not see how the shares could be trading at under 250p. At 113.5p, there is 120% upside here on a 2 year view. Of course with the summer transfer window now in full swing (Jon, please bring a couple of decent defenders to Upton Park), there is also the speculative possibility of an uplift on the back of a busy and active period. Buy.

What was the Dec '06 spike from 5.5p to 80p due to? Stock consolidation?

Yes, at the time of the acquisition then, a share consolidation too.

Am tempted with this one, but if there is a big market correction, I feel that this sector will not be immune.
On my watch list.

Papal, better header than my page with more research info, same conclusion though, this should be a double-bagger if not more once results are in. so much growth potential and cross-selling opportunities. FAN is on the up.

Bit of interest returning to FAN.

With a chart like this one Andy I would think you are going short.

Not likely, the forecasted earnings have FAN on PE <7. In the current market this is exactly the type of company to invest in. More likely to be adding.

I bought these for growth in the SIPP, but the trend changed to down so I flogged them a few weeks back. ;-(

So did I.

The sp dropped when the overall market wobbled and some people have banked their profits, I will never argue with that however nothing has changed with the company. Forecast earnings and growth are strong, once confirmed with results the share price will respond. IMO Under-rated on forward EPS.

Tomorrow is the last day of the financial year, so hopefully we can have a pre-close trading update soon, which should set the scene for results hopefully around late Oct or early Nov.

Given a trading update to come soon, we hope, I would suggest that FAN is now bottomed and ready to move on upwards.

Well, Footy may only now be 20% of what FAN do, but its nice to read this for the Football side of things :

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6976231.stm

Monday, 3 September 2007

TV deal 'fuels transfer spending'

Liverpool paid 20.5m for Fernando Torres this summer.
New owners and a massive television broadcasting deal have helped English football clubs spend more than 530m on players this summer, a survey says.

The study, by Deloitte............

First Artist Corporation PLC
06 September 2007

First Artist Corporation plc
('First Artist' or 'the Group')

The Finishing Touch Signs Major Contract with

The Training and Development Agency for Schools


First Artist Corporation plc, the integrated marketing, sport and entertainment management group, today announces that it has signed a three year contract through its event management subsidiary, The Finishing Touch, with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Included within the contract is the option to extend for a further two years.

The Finishing Touch will be responsible for delivering the TDA's training events programme aimed at 'securing an effective school workforce that improves
children's life chances'.

The Finishing Touch has an established relationship within the public sector,
having worked with a division of the TDA over the past four years. In the
Group's audited accounts for the 10 months to August 2006, the contribution to
First Artist revenues from the public sector totalled 1.4 million. Management
expectations are that this new enhanced contract, which will commence
immediately, will be materially larger than this on an annual basis.

The TDA is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for
Children, Schools and Families. It also has a close working relationship with
the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.

Richard Hughes, Group Managing Director of First Artist, commented:

'We are delighted to be awarded this contract as it represents a considerable
development in the relationship with the TDA and comes at the end of an extended and particularly competitive tendering process. It is a clear endorsement of the quality of work that The Finishing Touch undertakes and we look forward to further developing our successful partnership with the agency'.


- ends -

Look like upgrades will be coming, from the wording by DS this morning, they need to investigate how big this will be....... :)


First Artist - BUY

Price: 93p Target price: 174p Analyst: James Hollins | 020 7776 6571

Contract win

First Artist has announced a significant contract win with the Training & Development Agency (TDA).

The two groups have worked together before, but this contract augments the relationship.

First Artist, via its event management division The Finishing Touch, has signed a three-year deal (option to extend for a further two years) to deliver the TDAs training events in the UK.

Although currently unquantified in terms of scale and scope, the contract is forecast to deliver materially higher annual revenue than the 1.4m historically generated by First Artist from the public sector.

Ahead of clarifying the potential scale of the contract, this underpins our bullish stance on the group and we retain our Buy recommendation and 174p price target.

On existing numbers, the group is trading at 7.0x FY07E.

First Artist Corporation PLC 10 September 2007

First Artist Corporation plc

Director/PDMR Shareholding

First Artist Corporation plc (AIM: FAN) (the 'Company'), the integrated
marketing, sport and entertainment management group, announces that Richard
Hughes, the Group Managing Director, has today notified the Company that on 7
September 2007 he acquired, through his personal pension plan, an interest in
10,000 ordinary shares of 2.5p each in the capital of the Company ('Shares') at
a price of 101.25 pence per share.

Following this transaction, Mr Hughes now holds 136,799 Shares, which represent
1% of the Company's issued share capital.