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

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

Retail is not looking good, therefore MPH remains a SELL!

tesco .... i recollect you telling me/us that we should buy at 200 too!

Yes and I believe all those that bought up to 2.00 will make a healthy profit in the short term (ie 2 years) Interims being good and visibility favourable and these will head back up imho.........tesco

rom the Sunday Telegraph

"CLOTHES RETAILERS HAVE WARM OUTLOOK

We have been bearish on most clothing retailers in recent months because of the slowdown in consumer spending that has affected all high street chains.

So we were intrigued by a note last week from Morgan Stanley called Apparel Retail: Surprisingly Attractive. The note said the outlook for British clothing retailers over the next 12 months "may not be as bad as the market expects". The bank said the past year had been so bad for clothing retailers thanks to poor weather and the lack of strong trends that comparative figures for the year ahead would be easy. This could lead to possible "upside surprise" in like-for-like sales over the next six months.

On a broader outlook, the bank's view is that the clothing sector is a very good defensive play. We have never seen it as such. We would, for instance, always advise readers to invest in supermarkets ahead of fashion retailers: should the apocalypse come, food will be more important than clothing.

However, Morgan Stanley has a different view. "We consider there to be as much upside risk as downside risk to near-term earnings," it said. This is all the more "exciting" given how much three of the sector's biggest stocks have been derated. Marks & Spencer, Next and Debenhams shares are down by 13 per cent, 7 per cent and 24 per cent respectively since May.

We think M&S and Associated British Foods Primark's owner are still worth picking up. But we remain sellers of Next."................tesco

i am more than willing to have a bet with you for say 50/100, to be lodged with a stakeholder, on MPH's sp at opening on first trading day of 2008 ....... i say <150 for sure ...... interested?

No need for bet Cynic, just be prepared to say you were wrong on here and I will do the same. I hope for all holders that I am including myself holding over 60,000 now having added all the way down. Good luck to you and perhaps you made a few bob on the way down shorting from 190 to 1.12, good luck to you if you did.........................................Tesco