San Jaime
05 Jan 2018
Director Deals Maybe time to join the Chairman and start bailing out ?-----Philip Swatman, Chairman, sold 100,000 shares in the company on the 4th January 2018 at a price of 57.00p. The Director now holds 200,000 shares.-----Maybe he needed £50k + to pay for Christmas.....Outlook for car dealers not good going into the New Year.May be opportunity for more acquisitions ?2017 not a good year for shareholders. Will continue to hold a few....
San Jaime
22 Nov 2017
How abour a McLaren or a Bentley ? Good preliminary results considering the current economic environment, resulting in both new cars and used car numbers down. Therefore we do get a small dividend increase.Among the News update, I found this statement from CEO Mark Lavery of most interest :------Moreover, I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to develop facilities for such prestigious brands as McLaren and Bentley in addition to our already excellent portfolio of Brand partners. This is an exciting development for the Group and we are looking forward to working with our new partners. The new bank funding also gives us the required flexibility to deliver on the strategic investments that we are making in facilities and new franchise opportunities.-----Despite the CAM share price performance being disappointing again this year I continue to hold a few 'free' shares here, despite now being out of Inchcape and still watching Caffyns.Until winning the Lottery we are still stuck with a Volvo and Ford, rather than a McLaren or Bentley. Although at one time I thought my XEL shares in Bentley would enable an upgrade. SJ.
oilovlam
12 May 2017
Re: FROM THE BEEB I thought the second hand market for diesel cars would be effected by the VW scandal and the likely increase in taxation for 'dirty' oil burners. But as always I was totally wrong.
swisspaul
12 May 2017
FROM THE BEEB The value of finance deals used to buy new cars has soared to a new monthly record, according to latest figures.Motorists spent £3.6bn on car finance deals in March, a rise of 13% on the same month in 2016, the Finance and Leasing Association (FLA) said.The vast majority of the purchases were via so-called Personal Contract Purchases (PCPs).The Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) have raised concerns about such deals.The Bank's worry is in relation to levels of consumer borrowing.However Adrian Dally, head of motor finance at the FLA, said lenders were behaving responsibly."We do not share their concerns," he told the BBC. "Lending is responsible. This is a sustainable model going forwards."Popular dealsBoth new and used cars can be bought on PCPs, under which buyers effectively rent a car for up to four years.They can then pay a final lump sum or return a car at no extra cost at Including used cars, consumers spent a record £32.5bn on car finance deals in the year to March, the FLA said.March was a record month for car sales as a whole, as it came ahead of changes to Vehicle Excise Duty in April.The changes particularly affected luxury cars, boosting the value of sales. Following the introduction of the changes in April, sales fell back.the end of a contract - as long as it is within an agreed mileage and in good condition.Consumer groups said that motorists should think carefully before committing to PCP deals."Today's figures are a further indication of the popularity of car finance deals," said Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust - the charity that runs National Debtline."For many consumers this offers access to a car that would otherwise be unaffordable, however it is important that the affordability of offers is fully assessed and that consumers are clear on the terms so that they know from the outset what they are committing to, and can plan accordingly."The FCA is investigating car finance deals. It said it was worried about a "lack of transparency, potential conflicts of interest and irresponsible lending in the motor finance industry".But while some economists are worried about the growth in car finance deals, others say concerns are overdone.That is largely because motorists can hand their cars back if they can no longer afford payments.Ultimately it is the car manufacturers who carry the risk on such deals, as they guarantee second-hand values
PIE-EATER
01 Feb 2017
Re: Expecting a rise here... Have spoken at length to Cambria HO directly and matters being looked at by senior operations. I specifically said that I was not happy with the choice of the named Regional Operations Manager. IF and when there are any significant developments I will come back to advise. Having had experience of the main dealership in question, I suspect the only conclusion will be customer service needs to improve as does record keeping - with details having gone astray in systems migrations last year.....aka local whitewash!PE (washing his hands of Cambria......apologies to LKH for plagiarising his style!)
PIE-EATER
31 Jan 2017
Re: Expecting a rise here... 1st reply not accepted for some daft reason...Might contact him but probably just walk away, delete from watch list and shut the door. I am more than content there are plenty of other opportunities in the market for investors.GLA - hope for your sake I am wrong, but our cars will definitely be serviced / maintained elsewhere from now on and service plan cancelled.PE
claude reins
31 Jan 2017
Re: Expecting a rise here... Why dont you write to Mark Lavery direct. I met him some time ago and found him most approachable and very hands on. Also if you do contact him, ask him to make a public statement - perhaps on these BBs - as to what is happening and why and most importantly what he is personally doing to fix it!
PIE-EATER
31 Jan 2017
Re: Expecting a rise here... I think one reason why there may be a stalling, if our experience is anything to go by is the service plan and the servicing. I was considering this over the last year following tips / info by Simon Thompson in the IC, however following the atrocious experiences we have had with our Cambria dealers and servicing our Volvos then there were far too many concerns and so didn't invest....Local Cambria Volvo dealership lost numerous key staff last year and service fell dramatically....couldn't even book new Volvo in for warranty work as they had no-one to work on the service desk and no Master technician. Dealerships (2) cannot account accurately, even now, for monies paid into Cambria service plan and have failed to send "statements" when asked. Roadside assistance (which is part of lifetime service package on used Volvos) was overlooked for first 12 months. Having phoned and tried to book a car in for service TWICE, neither call was returned so that car is being serviced elsewhere. The Ombudsman will be contacted if no progress is made by end of Jan on the service plan monies.Another Volvo in the family, which was purchased new, is due to be serviced on a Volvo service plan (rather than Cambria) - it wont be going to Cambria.With this kind of customer service on after sales (where they have been making ALL their money - new cars now give nothing other than access to water sales profit) I now find it hard to justify any investment in this company and would actively SELLPE p.s San Jaime - next time you see Mark Lavery it might be an idea to ask why they are losing customers in this way?
San Jaime
05 Dec 2016
Expecting a rise here... Good to see the sp creeping back up after a disappointing and volatile year.Still holding. Having seen CAMB peak towards 90p back in January was expecting to see a ton by year end but no such luck, despite good results. Market sentiment being the reason I guess. .After paying out £850 for Motorparks to service my 6 year old Volvo SUV and also my daughter updating to a new Ford Focus on Black Friday from them - was expecting a rise here.Next time I speak to Mr Mark Lavery will ask why loyal CAMB shareholders don't get a discount on their Car Purchase or Service bills. "Sorry no perks for shareholders" we were told by both Volvo and Ford dealers.
forwardloop
01 Dec 2016
info Shares mag buy - courtesy of Alliance Trust emailCambria’s got gas in the tank Well-funded franchised motor dealer looks significantly oversold James CruxA sell-off at franchised motor retailer Cambria Automobiles (CAMB:AIM) looks overdone. A prospective price to earnings ratio (PE) of 6.7 discounts sector risks yet ignores the small cap’s cash generation and exciting future prospects. Motor retailers have de-rated since before the Brexit vote. Investors have priced in an uncertain consumer outlook and called the top of the new car market. Cambria’s full year results (22 Nov) showed 38% growth in pre-tax profit to £10.6m as sales topped £600m for the first time, as well as a reassuring £400,000 net cash position. Caution over softening new car margins prompted analysts to downgrade profit estimates, yet Cambria has a rock-solid balance sheet – 41p per share property asset backing according to N+1 Singer – and is steered by experienced management that has grown the business in conditions fair and foul alike. There should be more to come from recent acquisitions that have beefed up Cambria’s premium and high luxury business, while tougher market conditions are already increasing acquisition opportunities in a fragmented market. New forecasts for the year to August 2017 from N+1 Singer, which suggests fair value of 73p, point to slightly lower adjusted pre-tax profit of £10.4m (2015: £10.6m) for earnings per share of 8.2p and a flat 0.9p dividend. Shares says: BUY : A markdown to 55p presents a buying opportunity at Cambria Automobiles."
IB Investor
23 Nov 2016
Re: Uncertain Future just got back in - i had some reservations longterm about the sale of cars from abroad - but having checked the portfolio they sell a lot of prestige models made in Britain - recent results were good - i believe they have been marked down too much, but only time will tell
claude reins
23 Nov 2016
Re: Uncertain Future We investors are ficle, and there haqve been a series of negative conmments about Jaguar sales in the EU countries etc. The effect of these will only be exaggerated in high priced markets which tend to dominate their reporting - Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin whereas they have a good spread of other marques too. Words like 'softening' strike fear into investors' hearts. Did the same to MCS, the builders, earlier in the autumn before recovery soon after. Was looking to buy into these; will hold off a bit longer now.
MrMeerkat
22 Nov 2016
Re: Uncertain Future The market does seem to have read the worst into the uncertainties. But the results are solid and the management has shown itself to be adept and, I think trustworthy. I topped up this morning on weakness, although if I had waited a little longer, it would have been weaker still. Notwithstanding the traditionally cyclical nature of the business, the shift towards more aftermarket work, especially with growth of PCPs, does offer the prospect of better consistency. The excellent cashflow and ROE make it a long-term buy and hold.
SonOfBuffett
22 Nov 2016
Uncertain Future I guess it's the uncertainties about future trading that have negatively impacted the price today?
swisspaul
23 Aug 2016
MORE NEWS Second-hand car sales hit record level in first half[link] number of second-hand cars sold in the UK has reached its highest level yet.Just over 4.18 million vehicles were sold in the first half of the year.That was an 8% increase on second-hand sales in the first half of 2015, and the first time that any half-year sales have risen above the four million mark.The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the increase mirrored the rising number of new cars sold in the past few years.Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said: "The UK's used car market is at its strongest ever.""The growth in the used car market has reflected the record demand for new cars in recent years, but future growth in high-cost purchases will depend on stable consumer and business confidence," he added.OutstrippingCar sales are widely seen as a key indicator of economic activity and consumers' willingness to spend money.The half-year rise in second-hand sales was far in excess of the growth of the wider economy, or of people's incomes. It was also higher than the 3% rise in first-half sales of new cars.The trade body's figures show that in the first five years following the 2008 financial crisis, and the subsequent economic recession, second-hand car sales fell sharply, and then stood still. At one point the government had to bring in a scrappage scheme to encourage people to continue buying new cars, and to stop the industry from potential collapse.Since then new car sales have revived strongly, hitting a new record high in 2015, and for the past three years second-hand sales have been picking up too.The SMMT said that the most popular second-hand cars were those between one and three-years old, super-minis, and small family cars
