I here a whisper that Ashtead may become the target of a takeover bid. Anybody have any further news on this? I've been holding this little gem for a while now. Got in at 11.25p and then sold 2/3rds of my stock at 18p to break even. Can't quite decide when to take my mega profit. 1 by Christmas? Here's hoping.

Any investors got any views on this company, reading the above they should continue doing well for a few more years. Then you have sell recommendations due to the company reporting record trading in its first quarter to july. They have always run side by side of united rentals and they have announced results missing market expectations.
The worry is that the softer outlook for the second half that has hit united, will it hit
Ashtead. Hmmmmmmmmmmm decisions?

Sold my holding in AHT.

Up 5.4% today.

AHT Ashtead.

Sorry if this has already been posted.

Ashtead upgraded by Panmure Gordon

Panmure Gordon has upgraded its recommendation on the industrial equipment hire firm Ashtead [LON:AHT] to ‘buy’ from ‘hold’ after the company reported better than expected first half results.

The City broker has increased its share price target by 30 per cent to 447 pence from 344 pence.

Broker Forecasts consensus data shows a massive 93 per cent of brokers have positive / buy recommendation on the stock with the remainder maintaining a neutral stance.

Analyst Paul Jones said: “Following some sparkling first half results we increase our full year forecasts for both this year and next.

“Ashtead has some clear momentum going into the second half, even before the benefits of additional hurricane-related work, and strategic moves made over the last 3 years are clearly paying off.

“This is before any potentially additional benefits if US GDP (and particularly residential construction) recovers with any menace.

“We increase our target price to 447 pence (from 344 pence) and switch our hold recommendation back to buy.”

AHT Ashtead

A full pack of broker Buys thats
rare these days.......

Forward P/E of just 12.9 to 2014,
looks very cheap given actual P/E was
25.6 for 2012.

Ashtead Group PLC

FORECASTS 2013 2014
Date Rec Pre-tax (£) EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax (£) EPS (p) DPS (p)

Panmure Gordon [A]
12-12-12 BUY 206.00 26.00 5.20 236.00 29.80 5.96
Peel Hunt [A]
11-12-12 BUY 185.00 23.58 4.10 208.03 26.00 4.50
Canaccord Genuity Ltd
11-12-12 BUY 186.30 23.50 4.00 225.00 28.30 4.50
Seymour Pierce
11-12-12 BUY 218.80 28.50 3.90 246.00 32.10 4.20
Numis Securities Ltd [R]
10-12-12 BUY 149.60 19.50
Westhouse Securities [A]
06-12-12 BUY

2013 2014
Pre-tax (£) EPS (p) DPS (p) Pre-tax (£) EPS (p) DPS (p)

Consensus 202.55 26.00 3.95 235.50 30.20 4.35
1 Month Change 7.49 0.91 -0.05 13.80 1.73 -0.15
3 Month Change 8.62 1.11 0.00 13.38 1.75 -0.00

Notes to forecasts
(04 Sep 2012) A flag refers to outlook


GROWTH
2012 (A) 2013 (E) 2014 (E)

Norm. EPS 360.00% 70.54% 16.15%
DPS 4.78% 28.66% 10.13%

INVESTMENT RATIOS
2012 (A) 2013 (E) 2014 (E)

EBITDA £370.60m £482.60m £542.35m
EBIT £167.70m £252.95m £285.10m
Dividend Yield 0.78% 1.01% 1.11%
Dividend Cover 4.97x 6.58x 6.94x
PER 25.65x 15.04x 12.95x
PEG 0.07f 0.21f 0.80f
Net Asset Value PS 28.64p 170.80p 212.40p

Hemscott Premium.

Well done on these those long - I've had them on my list for a while, but never got around to them!

From this mornings UBS Broker breakfast note.......

􀂄 Current Most Preferred List Our European Small and Mid Caps Most Preferred List now comprises: Arbonia Forster (Buy, PT CHF30), Ashtead (Buy,
PT 470p), Flughafen Zürich (Buy, PT CHF480), Moneysupermarket (Buy, PT 170p) NH Hoteles (Buy, PT €3.5)and Spectris (Buy, PT 2300p).

ASHTEAD SP TARGET 470P

Still time Skinny, broker forcasts are huge.

AHT ASHTEAD GROUP PLC

Companys with a BUY note on
AHT and SP Targets.

Date Company Name Broker Rec. Price Old target price New target price Notes

13 Dec Ashtead Group PLC UBS Buy 0.00 470.00 470.00 Retains
12 Dec Ashtead Group PLC HB Markets Buy 0.00 - - Reiterates
12 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Barclays Capital Overweight 0.00 352.00 434.00 Retains
11 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Panmure Gordon Buy 0.00 344.00 447.00 Upgrades
11 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Prime Markets Buy 0.00 420.00 420.00 Reiterates
11 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Peel Hunt Buy 0.00 - 400.00 Reiterates
11 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Investec Buy 0.00 475.00 475.00 Retains
11 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Seymour Pierce Buy 0.00 460.00 460.00 Reiterates
03 Dec Ashtead Group PLC Bank of America Merrill Lynch Buy 0.00 - 460.00 Initiates/Starts

NORWICH & PETERBOROUGH BUILDING SOCIETY

A late comer here , sold half today +27.

Hey skinny a profit is a profit.

Looks like you did well.

Unfortunately, they've been on my watch list since August, but I've only recently bought.

Results Tuesday I think , might sell Monday had a good run on these and that's a bloody big cliff to fall off.

Decisions decisions !

Don't fall.

Jump!

8-)


Looks fully valued.

3rd Quarter Results

Highlights

· Strong momentum continued with 26% revenue growth1 in the quarter, giving 19% for the nine months to date

· Record nine month pre-tax profit2 of £194m (2012: £105m)

· Group nine month EBITDA margin rises to 39% (2012: 35%)

· Net debt to EBITDA leverage1 reduced to 2.2 times (2012: 2.5 times)

· Board anticipates full year profit ahead of its earlier expectations

Closed the remainder.

Panmure Gordon Buy 566.00 524.50 447.00 626.00 Upgrades

Oriel Securities Buy 566.00 524.50 550.00 550.00 Retains

Cantor Fitzgerald (formerly Seymour Pierce) Buy 566.00 524.50 500.00 600.00 Reiterates

I'm out too now.

Probably keep running to 700p knowing my luck.

Gone long here after those non farm pay rolls figures from US

Already nearly breaking even.