After a difficult trading year that has seen losses for CCT and the sp nose-dive to 25p at one point the solution to return to profits may come from the launch of electronic Sudoku games in time for Christmas. Character will launch two Carol Vorderman Sudoku products. For Sudoku fans on the move, there are two handy travel size products: a hand-held LCD game (19.99) with over 750 grids, and a touch screen version (29.99), with over 100,000 permutations of the game. A plug and play version, allowing addicts to play Sudoku on their home TV (29.99) will follow later this year. It won't take many sales to rack up good profits if these are anywhere near as addictive as the puzzle books have proved to be so far.
500,000 sold at guess 5 profit per item would rack up 2.5m, with less than 53m shares that is a healthy EPS of 4p on one item alone and my estimate is probably conservative? They also have licensing rights to Dr Who, Little Britain and Batman amongst others.
Also 70% of these shares are in the hands of Directors, Pension Trusts and Funds and as has been seen in recent weeks, moderate buying has pushed up the share price. It has all the hallmarks of a possible recovery stock as was IDS which I tipped last year at 81p and is now 382p. Not saying this will reach those heights but if Sudoku sells well this Christmas expect CCT to show a good start to their financial year. 2005 figures ending August 31st will not be good but we don't buy shares on the past, there is no gearing and 8m of shareholders funds available.
Take a look. The profits could be more pleasing than solving the puzzles.

This from another board (circular sent)

"The board has been delighted with the reaction to the new line up of products for the group's toys, games and gifts div at trade fair in Honk Kong earlier this month and at the London toy fair,which concluded on Sat 28 JAN.
The anticipated growth within the Toys, Games and Gifts div will require additional working capital resources to be drawn upon but, once the board has established the necessary level of capital to support the anticipated growth in the current calender year consideration will be given to the best means of utilising the excess capital generated from the sale of the Digital Business to best promote and enhance Shareholder value. This could potentially be effeted through a programme of buy backs of issued Ordinary Shares by the company in the market"

This share is like a coiled spring.

Agree Driver
Just been saying over on the other bb
that that 135k T trade goes through and up goes the offer
As soon as mr T has finished the sp will be released.
IMHO of course
I would like to see this around a pound by the end of the month.

Ted
It may be sooner than that.

Its nice to see this start to move away from 60p resistance level.
This has been a lot slower moving up than i thought it would be ,maybe now it will start to move to a level it deserves.
DB66

Broken through the 62 next stop 80p

Good news today!
Up she goes

Character Group PLC
15 February 2006

Issued on behalf of The Character Group plc
Date: 15.2.2006



The Character Group plc
("Character" or "Company")



The Board of Character has noted the recent rise in the ordinary share price.
The Board of Character announces that it has received approaches which may or
may not lead to an offer or offers being made for the entire issued share
capital of the Company.

Shareholders should note that discussions are at a very preliminary stage and
the level and form of any eventual consideration is presently unclear.

A further announcement will be made as soon as is practicable.

In accordance with Rule 2.10 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers, The
Character Group plc confirms that it has 52,830,909 ordinary shares of 5p each
in issue. (ISIN GB0008976119).

I like the sentence where "The Board of Character announces that it has received approaches"... Sounds like a number of companies are interested and this could make it interesting in the next few days. Anyone have an idea as to what price the offer could come at?

I dont like the sound of a price offer its to early CCT must be worth 150p to 200p IMO.

Character Group
Shares took on 9-1/2 pence to 76-1/2 after the toys and
games group announced it had received approaches which could lead to an offer,
or offers, being made for the company.
Following the takeover approach news, Character Group also issued an upbeat
trading statement this morning.
The firm said it expects to record "solid" growth in like for like sales in
its financial year to August, and also the calendar year of 2006.

We could be in for some good profits on our shares here folks.
I agree with Drivers estimation of potential value but it could be even higher if the trading update eventually produces H1 profits in excess of 3m added to the strong balance sheet. The thing to remember is to set a target price based upon an offer, if it happens you can sell up and then if the offer doesn't materialise you can always buy back later at a lower price because offers usually come in at a higher sp than what profits and sector PE would provide.
Whoever is sniffing around will have noticed a great recovery stock here with a good product range generating good profits in a difficult market.
Well done to anyone who got on board. Interesting times ahead, perhaps even more interesting and exciting than when I first invested and started this thread.

Completion of the Sale of the Group's Digital Business
http://moneyam.uk-wire.com/cgi-bin/articles/200602171031315726Y.html

That's more like it 200k buy
With a company that has confirmed that it had received approaches the sp should be rising faster than this.

I think taking the easy shares at as low a price as possible, remember not that many available on the open market unless one of the holders is prepared to feed some into the market. Interesting article in Shares mag this week about putting value on takeovers suggesting that any company trading on <10 times cashflow is a bargain. For last year, cash flow for CCT was 20m, OK Digital Division now sold but we know that CCT performing much better. Lets be conservative and say cash flow is 10m which with 52m shares gives sp 20x10 = 200p. Therefore anything less than 200p is considered a bargain for a takeover. I personally would be very disappointed if a take-over happened for anything less than 150p.
With those big buys, sooner rather than later announcements will have to made which will fuel the acquisition fire and send the sp higher.
Either way, interim results or takeover this share is heading for >100p

andy
I agree with your value of CCT for a take over the problem is the sp has a long way to go to get there, if the company is snapped up quickly we could see it go sub 100p and the small investor will be stuffed again.

Hopefully not, there are alot of shares to purchase yet. A large quantity are owned by current directors, I doubt they'll let them go cheaply when they are at the point of turning the company around?

Sat's F.T:
QUOTE:
Character Group, which makes and distributes toys such as Robosapiens(above), dolls based on well known Characters such as those from Little Britain and electronic Sudoku, jumped 12.7% TO 75.5P on Wed after confirming that it had received more than one take over approach. The company said that the approaches were at a 'preliminary' stage and that the value of any possible offer was still 'unclear'. The group has done particularly well over the past year out of its series of talking dolls, key chains and mugs based on the Little Britain series"

Minimum 1.00, would be upset if less than 2.00. A sure winner

Agreed peadar10, might be worth adding a few more, still plenty of shares to be snapped up by anyone trying a take-over. Size of some trades certainly suggests its on the cards. This will really take-off when a bidder becomes clear, RNS statements needed for every 520k shares under LSE rules. Might get one this week?

andy
Heres hoping the sp is struggling on non punters awareness.