Marchpole is one of those stocks which have had a really bad time. Boardroom battles, losses, price collapse, profit warnings up the ying yang.

Now all of those things seem to be sorted out, new management are getting to grips, new contracts and the price is on the up. So much so that Monday ought to see a 50/200 day MA golden cross.

DYOR of course, but I think I will be putting a few of these away at the open.

Socco

shall merely watch with interest

Any idea of analyst expectations?

http://fool.digitallook.com/?action=financials&ticker=MPH&sub_action=forecasts
check it out................................tesco

it's the projection that should be noted, not so much the (historical) figures ..... these latter certainly should begood, but it may be difficult to determine what is organic growth and what merely from new acquisitions

Thanks guys

so the figures are out ..... don't know whether or not they beat expectations, but now look for what was NOT said! ...... there is no mention at all as to how current trading is going, which implies that it's pretty horrid, not helped by the loss of YSL, even if that was already well known.

time to take profits or perhaps even short

TESCO .... why so quiet? ...... btw, also did not care for that rag-bag of non-fashion items attaching to Castelbajac ...... what expertise does mph have in those fields? - none! ...... further evidence of eye off ball or cobbler not stickking to his last

Over reaction to non disclosure of forward trading news imo, but certainly not a good couple of days. The interims will be the time to see if you are right cynic and for all holders I hope your not, we shall see............................Quiet Tesco.

tesco ...... no forward trading info is a strong indication that all is not rosy in the garden ...... though Michael Morris will certainly be working on other licences etc, he has a lot lot of running to do to make up for the very significant loss of YSL ..... in addition, as has been well documented for months, the high street is dead on its feet ...... this awful june weather (thank goodness i missed 2 weeks of it in sunny france!) will have done nothing but bad for trade.

a month further on and sp is down from 190 (closing) or 200 (intraday) to 143/147 today, having lost just 4p this morning ..... perhaps the chickens are finally coming home

ask yourself
1) exactly why did FD suddenly resign?
i think he has only been there 6 months and also there was no mention of the reason.
therefore it is reasonable to assume that there was a major boardroom row between FD and MM ..... anything to do with sailing close to the wind on (non)disclosure of trading?

2) how do mph (or you) think the large hole caused by the loss of YSL will be filled?

3) just how dire is the current trading?

4) is MM happy to see sp fall away so he can try to buy back the company at a cheap price?

Agm statement solid with new licence agreement in Columbia and trading in line with expectations. Cynic if trading was that dire they would have to inform the markets and indications are they are good, having said that you have called the share price fall correctly and good luck to you........................tesco holding and adding

their statement was hardly bullish, and i don't recollect ever seeing what numbers were being forecast.

i still maintain that MPH have a very long way to go before they fill the YSL hole and any new licences they acquire take at least 2/3 years before they are established in the market and start making money for the company.

market remains underwhelmed by latest news

by the way tesco, trading in line with WHOSE expectations?
Also, EXACTLY WHY did John Hampshire (FD) resign? ...... bet it wasn't because he didn't like the colour of his coffee mug.

much more importantly to my mind is that the basic man-management at MPH is well known to be dire - i.e. they have a well-founded reputation of being unable to keep their design staff ..... surely no further explanation required.

Possible acquisition of 50+ menswear shops in the uk, my guess is the Envy menswear chain currently owned by Alexon, could pick them up for around 15 to 20 million, what a transformation that would make. Three pound will look cheap imho............Tesco
PS Sorry to be so upbeat cynic, I know it wakes you up at night.lol

street rumour says yet another key designer has left ..... what's the point of having all these labels if the designers cannot be kept? ...... as for buying high street shops, what a spiffing idea! .... just take a look down your own and see how many are for sale and how little biz the high street fashion shops are doing, Zara being an honourable exception.

it is now clear that a key designer has indeed left for a company that seems to care properly for its employees .... how many is that in the last 12 months? ..... certainly 2 and maybe 3 ...... surely the EGM just announced is not to discuss that!

cynic who is this key designer who has left please? Not sure why an EGM has been called, but I believe it is about increasing the nominal company value, just hope there is some good news, we need it.............................regards tesco

matters not, though it is true .... the point i make and do so frequently is that the management at MPH may be great at making deals but is a total disgrace at getting its priorities right - i.e. treating its key staff properly; as it stands anyone who stays more than 2/3/4 years is a rarity.

here's a chart to keep you amused ...... nothing at all good about it other than one could argue that there is some support at +/-105

The only way is up from here then, fill yer boots ...............................tesco