Stanley Gibbons has risen 300% this year and 30% in 6 weeks. Several institutions appear interested in building up a stockholdind. GET ON BOARD!

Amusing comment and recollection of stamp collecting youth prompted me to have a look. Not surprising they have calmed down after steep rise early 2004. Good brand name, established many years, could be attractive to a predator(market cap only 21M), no debt, good cash generation and profits growing. With interest rates looking to fall, property and stock markets uncertain, their forthcoming stamp investment fund might find a lot of takers (and hence good management fees for SGI). Not a steal on historic p/e 22, but I have locked a few away at just under 84p and expect them to pay for their keep over the next couple of years.

Already paying their keep on last two days performance - up to 96.5p!

Anyone ever thought of buying stamps as an investment?



http://www.stanleygibbons.com/investments/

Built up quite a decent collection as a child and wish I still had it - went missing in a move of house. Educational, interesting history and many stamps attractive to look at, but no income and wide dealing spreads. Definitely long term. Maybe SGI will provide my reward 50 years on!

See news today that Morgan Stanley has acquired 12%, so I am in good company (I think!)

Not much interest in this,even though it gets tipped somewhere,every year.
I have a target of 120p for this month,do you see that as unrealistic?Maybe,news of the Stamp Fund that they are taking a long time to open will boost the sp even further.As it is ,taking last year's chart as an example,the sp could drop back by end of August if there is no further news.
Surely a good investment as a hedge against bad times to come?
Chart looks good,so are we just seeing a little tree shaking,hope so.
LOL ETHEL

Still in these after a slow,non eventful six months.Not a volatile share but the fizz seems to have gone after the previous two years.
Waiting to see how many have bought into the new stamp fund which was finally introduced to the market towards the end of this year,later than expected by the market.However,Stanley is cautious,which is good.
On news that the Fund has got off to a good start,I expect to see the move up in the sp that I have been waiting for for 6 months.
The sp has started to tick up in the last couple of days.Here's hoping!

Hi Ethel,

You're not on your own in this one.I have dipped in and out of SGI a number of times in the past couple of years.I usually take up a position a before results and then sell soon after the announcement.Recently i have made two purchases and am currently in at slightly under 89p.I have a target price of around 107p by the middle of February 2006.
I think the key thing to realise with SGI is that they rarely say anything in between results so one has to be patient and put their trust in the management to deliver,which they have done in the past.Good luck.

Nice to meet you,Taurus5.
I am still hoping for more than 107p in the short term,otherwise it will mean that the normal annual increase in the sp will not have been achieved in 2005.
I still fail to understand why this company is'nt better supported by investors on this board.
It increases revenues and profits every year and the mms don't play horrible games with the spread etc.(Hopefully this will continue!)
It is in a niche market and is now a fund manager.All in all,I believe SGI is a relatively safe investment and hope to see a bit more action with the sp next year!
LOL Ethel

Still got mine Ethel. Not many posters as too many seem to think they can make money by punting on potential ten baggers - trouble is history shows 90% of these cost you a lot of money. Have bought a couple of tranches of SGI during last two years (average 75p) as they fit my criteria - profitable, cash generative, dividend paying and decent growth prospects.There are not many companies out there with a worldwide known brand and market cap just over 20m! IMO these will reward the patient.

What do you know...up 3p this am.Not bad on the last day of trading for this year.Bodes well for the new year methinks.

Today's optomistic trading statement seems to have done the trick,now up 4p!
LOL Ethel

Bread and butter trading looks strong - but perhaps taking longer than they had hoped for the new Stamp Investment Fund to find a lot of takers. Understandable for a new and very different product. Onus on them to show it can perform and future growth then likely to be easier. Happy to wait for the jam that will provide as the cake itself still rising nicely!

Ticking up nicely today ahead of results on 3rd March.Results should be good but i reckon any positive comments that come out regarding the new Stamp Fund could well set the price soaring.

All asleep here?
EXCELLENT RESULTS.
No specific mention of the Stamp Fund,which may disappoint some people.
Dividend of 2p payable to those on register by 17 March which is only two weeks away.Would hope to see the sp rise over this period....but the sell on results crowd might win. LOL

Morning all

Bought into Stanley as I thought it was undervalued and had been harshly treated by the market. Delighted by the results and the subsequent 25% rise, but must admit I am considering bailing out.

Would appreicate other peoples views on the potential upside here.

Prospector

Welcome Prospector. Results were even better than I had expected - made around 2m operating profit in second half of 2005 alone to give eps for the year just over 9p (no interest charged as no debt, so interest received boosts pretax figure) and whilst business has historically had some bias towards second half, I now expect eps in 2006 to come in at between 13 and 14p.For a business growing nicely, generating cash and committed to dividend growth it still looks a bargain to me below 150p. As always DYOR, but mine will be kept.

Partridge

Many thanks for your views. I remain a holder currently. This is certainly a niche company, which I like.

The Stamp fund could be a good earner for this company, but I am unsure how this has progressed, as there has been talk about it for a number of years without to my knowledge any real progress.

Prospector - Stamp Fund now should be up and running, shows on their website if you have 20K or more to invest, but curiously cannot see any mention in results RNS early March. SGI recommended in Saturdays Times as Share of the Month by Stella Shamoon. She tends to go for large cap global brands, so SGI only fits the bill on the global brand part of the equation - here's hoping it also becomes large cap!

Check that AGM statement today. This IMO looks a long term winner in what are currently quite frothy market conditions.DYOR