Telecom Spiritualist
26 Feb 2015
Re: Divi held It's the 2014 div being paid in May 15. The 2015 div , which will be paid in May 16 or threabouts is the one they CURRENTLY plan to maintain. However, current CEO is leaving in 2015. New CEO may have different idea by time of next results.
dandigirl
26 Feb 2015
Re: Divi held Ex div date is 27/3. Pay date is 14/5.I really can't see a new CEO arriving in the next month and upsetting this arrangement.
FRTEB
26 Feb 2015
Re: Divi held Holding the divi seems crazy given the problems the company is facing and the fact the divi isn't covered. Telecom Spiritualist summed it up nicely: " The results actually say " **currently** plain to maintain dividend for 2015" This gives new CEO latitude to cut divi in order to fund improved online offering IMHO. " Good luck to those holding and those buying in at these levels but I can't see a good enough investment case here at present so I'll keep LAD on my watchlist.
Punilux
26 Feb 2015
Re: Divi held "...group said it will maintain an 8.9p dividend per share this year".Net EPS 4.4p."...Ladbrokes is confident in its plans for 2015," Glynn said."Does this mean that HIS plans for 2015 will be overseen by himself ? Doesn't look like there is much chance of a new CEO being in control in the near future. Oh joy!
Frankers70
26 Feb 2015
I'm in! Agree with the previous post on perhaps some doubt as to future dividend strategy but in the short term Ladbrokes is committed to paying 4.6p in May. You can't speculate as to the whys and wherefors of a new CEO's thought process as it's simply what it is, speculation. The city can only react to the news today which in general is positive. Although I said I'd wait for a 110p entry, I've decided to take the punt today at 117p and bought 12,000 shares. We can look back in 6 months and reflect on a wise decision or not. As ever, GLA that are holding 
Telecom Spiritualist
26 Feb 2015
Re: Divi held The results actually say "currently plain to maintain dividend for 2015" This gives new CEO latitude to cut divi in order to fund improved online offering IMHO.
Frankers70
26 Feb 2015
Dividend hold Well, I think it a good move by Ladbrokes to hold the dividend. The city has reacted favourably and at a price sub 120p, the shares yield a 7.5%+ return. If you believe that the majority of the bad news is already factored into the share price, then surely these look good value today.
gamesinvestor
26 Feb 2015
Divi held Bookmaker Ladbrokes said it will not cut its 2015 dividend, despite posting a 14% drop in annual profit.In 2014, revenue grew 3.8% to £1.16bn but due to a £8m hit on Boxing Day operating profit fell to £125.4m, falling slightly short of consensus forecast of £128.8m, while profit before tax fell 13.5% to £98m.A host of poor performances in its football market hit profit at the bookmaker’s UK arm, the company’s largest division, which saw profit fall 11%.However, the group’s digital business fared much better, reporting a 71% increase in profit.Britain’s second biggest bookmaker has struggled to keep pace with its rivals in the online sector and was forced to close 89 loss making stores in 2014, with 60 more closures planned for 2015 amid the he impending rise in Machine Gaming Duty and new UK regulations.In December, the group began a search to replace outgoing chief executive Richard Glynn with a figure capable of leading a greater push online.“We are increasingly confident that online can deliver underlying growth in the current year given the momentum it exited the period,” analysts at Shore Capital said in a note.“However, we remain cautious over retail and its ability to reposition towards football and so would expect further underlying declines.”Analysts had expected the group to cut its 2015 dividend to help fund marketing expenses, but the group said it will maintain an 8.9p dividend per share this year."Whilst recognising there are regulatory headwinds, Ladbrokes is confident in its plans for 2015," Glynn said.Ladbrokes shares were up 1.25% to 115.63p at 08:20 on Monday.
electrocash
25 Feb 2015
Re: Horse racing industry Betting patterns and the betting industry is going through the most fundamental changes it has ever faced. There are many very savvy operators out there and they are enjoying the success that enterprise deserves. Unfortunately, Ladbrokes were pathetically slow to recognise there was a paradigm shift and commit to the latest technology. Tshey are very much on a 'catch-up' mission. Problem is, they are striving to get to where the 'new boys' are today, but by the time they get there, the 'boys' will have evolved to a further level. I will admit, I only bought into Ladbrokes last December as I saw them as a distressed outfit, with an asset price so low it was appealing to one of the 'new boys' who will eventually buy them out. On my previous submission, I forgot to mention that the bookmaking industry realises an annual 1 Billion out-take from the horse-racing industry. Saw Tony McCoy at Bangor today, winning an 'ordinary' last race bumper, showing such appreciation of pace and artistry that we will sorely miss. What a man!!
axel27
25 Feb 2015
Horse racing industry Good points made on jobs, winnings... the industry.Several ways managing transition inlight of internet, and perhaps high street betting becomes more customer focused and earns revenues not only from betting? Perhpas Ladbrookes needs a tie-up with Costa Coffee? Those stores, even at £7/hour to staff are expensive compared to an internet shop front.What's needed is - visionary leadership in Ladbrookes and I took a bet on tomorrow's announcement? Even Arsenal might win tonight, but I wouldn't bet on that.....!A
electrocash
24 Feb 2015
Re: Dividend held but could be cut by ne... Racing provides 270,000 jobs in the UK (marginally more than farming). Additionally it supports 48,000 small businesses. It is the second most popular spectator sport in UK, obviously behind football. Fortunately, the popularity of football and it's huge revenue generating power means it needs no assistance from Government to thrive as a sport - even the much less than average get 'scraps from the table' enabling them to survive. The problem with racing is that it is dominated by a handful of massively powerful (mainly middle-east) owners. Such is the cost of racehorse ownership, there must be some prospect of even the owner of average ability horses having some prospect of retrieving a reasonable proportion of their costs. There is (normally) only one winner of a race and you need average horses to provide sufficient numbers for an attractive spectacle to maintain the annual UK racing betting turnover of £10 billion.
themanxman
24 Feb 2015
Re: Dividend held but could be cut by ne... " At present the average racehorse owner has the prospect of recouping about 20% of expenditure which makes the industry unsustainable."Being average at anything shouldn't give you a right to make money or indeed cover your costs. Horseracing is no different from any other sport.I don't see the government supporting football clubs because they are not good enough to be anything other than average?
electrocash
24 Feb 2015
Re: Dividend held but could be cut by ne... With so many bookmakers basing their business models offshore, the Government has to adopt a point of consumption tax to obtain realistic revenue. Much of this tax will go towards levy payments to support British racing (and the thousands of jobs involved in the industry ). At present the average racehorse owner has the prospect of recouping about 20% of expenditure which makes the industry unsustainable.
themanxman
24 Feb 2015
Re: Dividend held but could be cut by ne... The high street bookmaking model is under pressure full stop. No matter who you are.Stores are going to disappear off the high street. The company that manages the transition from the High Street to online is going to be the best place to grow in the long term.The reality is that a high percentage of shops (for WH and the rest too) are heavily reliant on people coming in and putting money in the electronic terminals on what amounts to casino style games.The problem with that is that these are now so easily available on your phone (as is any form of betting/gambling) that you are really looking at a very hard core set of punters that are generally old and eventually dying off.LAD can still do well but clearly there is a significant change to come in their business model and delivery.And for bookies in general it doesn't help that Government are not happy enough to take a slice of their profits in tax. They now want to further tax at the point of consumption on online gambling which doesn't help anyone in the industry.
dandigirl
23 Feb 2015
Re: Dividend held but could be cut by ne... Punilix: Glynn is an utter disaster. The sooner the better he is out of the door. sp should jump on any news of his replacement.
