Kool Keith
11 Aug 2015
Re: Ladbrokes to slump to loss following... Also noticed the Mr Bearbull income portfolio has sold Ladbrokes due to reduced yield however, on a plus note he did state Ladbrokes could be a good share for a speculative fund.
Punilux
11 Aug 2015
Re: Ladbrokes to slump to loss following sho... Looks like smoke and mirrors to me.The results coming out after a "review" ? Maybe.The results coming out for almost exactly the same period of time as merger negotiations with a junior partner have taken place? Possibly.Playtech came on board at 1.25 with all the facts known to them? Mmmmm.A downgrading of the estate prior to an investigation of the net worth of the combined group regarding monopolies and mergers? If these figures are accurate perhaps it might be worth asking how the Telegraph came across them. It isn't the fact that LAD made a possible loss in H1 (I've said it was likely many months ago) or the kitchen-sinking (Ditto). It is the very strange sequence of events. Could this just be part of a show for the DTI or is there something odd going on?
idontwanttolose
10 Aug 2015
Ladbrokes to slump to loss following shops write-down From the Telegraph,and it does not look wonderful!!The FTSE 250 bookmaker could record an impairment charge of up to £85m in its first-half results this weekInvestors in Ladbrokes are braced for the beleaguered bookmaker to slump to a loss this week when the gambling company takes after hit from writing down the value of its shop estate.The troubled FTSE 250 group will record an impairment charge of between £75m and £85m when it posts first-half results on Tuesday, pushing the bookie to a pre-tax loss.The majority of the charge is linked to a reassessment of the group’s betting shops in the UK and Ireland by Jim Mullen, Ladbrokes’s new chief executive. Mr Mullen, who took the helm at Ladbrokes in April, isattempting to revive the fortunes of the bookie and the write-down forms part of efforts for a fresh start under his leadership.Ladbrokes, which has fallen behind main rival William Hill in recent years, is already seeing drastic changes under its new boss.Last month, Mr Mullen announced that the bookie had agreed terms on a£2.3bn merger with smaller peer Coral that will create the country’s biggest gambling company by betting shops. Ladbrokes must now steer the deal through the competition authorities, who could yet scupper the tie-up.Separately, the bookie also unveiled a new strategy to boost the number of punters that bet with Ladbrokes both in its shops and online. Mr Mullen admitted that Ladbrokes had lost ground to William Hill in sports-betting and plans to close the gap with a three-year investment programme.Last Thursday, shares in William Hill tumbled when the bookie posted a 35pc plunge in first-half pre-tax profits to £78.7m after it was hit by higher gambling taxes, new restrictions on gaming machines, and one-off charges at its Australian business. Ladbrokes will also have been affected by the heavier tax burden and tougher gaming machine rules during the half-year.[link]
Punilux
27 Jul 2015
Re: I'm out as well Does anyone know what:A) The combined debt for the "merged" company would be?B) The basis for the new dividend?C) The possible regulatory timetable?D) The date for the results of the Malta appeal?E) The details of the new master plan are, other than "We'll try to make more money from our estate and the possibility exists of increasing digital profits" ? Apart from a few administrative savings, it is hard to see how anything other than bailing out of several thousand unprofitable leases is going to do anything significant to the bottom line. High Street locations can't really be shown automatically as assets any more and so resolving the problem of shop duplication is going to be a massive drain on resources.F) The pre-merger accounts for Corals are, and how will they be shown? Is it safe to assume that they were struggling even more than Ladbrokes?
axel27
27 Jul 2015
Re: I'm out as well I was out at the 135 after alot of averaging down. Held a few.The merger gives an excuse to cut dividends and with operational uncertainty progressing merger integration, the shareprice will likely await solid results showing profit/revenue progress.A
Punilux
24 Jul 2015
Re: I'm out as well What will be interesting is if the smaller chains and indy bookies, who lay off many of their bets into Betfair can devise a tax advantage.
Punilux
24 Jul 2015
Re: I'm out as well "I can see betfair taking a high street presence as consolidation occurs. "So they can be like LAD when they took over Betdaq?
okgetreal
24 Jul 2015
Re: I'm out as well I managed to get out at 135 and as a punter and investor I have to say Ladbrokes app is poor compared to other platforms. That said Corals is pretty good. Best of all is Betfair and having purchased their shares at £10 I can understand why they are now £27. With playtech now an investor they will want to lead the technology and Web piece. I will watch a while but I think there is an opportunity to come back in and make some money here particularly as they will have a shops and Web which is what betfair lacks for the moment although I can see betfair taking a high street presence as consolidation occurs.
the last night trader
24 Jul 2015
I'm out as well Got out and made 2% over 8 months, plus the div...... was hoping for a better deal, it sucks for existing shareholders and shows everyone what a mess LAD is in..... playtech clear long term players ...... LAD needs playtech cash, not a good sign, forget the gloss on what they are saying, this is a mess!
Frankers70
24 Jul 2015
I'm out! OK, I've sold up at a shade over £1.25 this morning making a gain of just short of 10% inclusive of dividend. My worry is the time, effort and cost of merging the two companies which may weigh on the share price and distract from the emerging strategy detailed today. Also, the cut in dividend makes opportunities elsewhere more attractive at this moment until the dust settles. May be back but in the meantime GLA that are still holding 
Ceylon Ern
24 Jul 2015
Response....? Well...a deal finally done but is it 'a great future' or 'what a dismal performance' ? It will be interesting to see the market response. There's a presentation at 8.30am today which will probably guide some analysts to making their decision.I'm in for the long haul, mainly because I'm still losing money on this 'investment'. However once my break even point is reached, my stake will be reduced by at least half.An interesting morning ahead....
Punilux
24 Jul 2015
Re: Interims Wow! What a disaster! It might even be argued that LAD have been trading at a loss for 6 months. Div. down and Playtech taking a stake. If there has been any formal government guidance I must have missed it. This certainly could leave a rather large policy hole in view of the reaction to the sale of The Tote.
idontwanttolose
24 Jul 2015
Half year trading update Trading for the half year ended 30 June 2015 demonstrates continued progress and the need for investment to accelerate progress The half year results do not look bright to me!! [link]
Punilux
21 Jul 2015
Britain At The Bookies On BBC or iPlayer.I think that there is at least one Coral shop boss in Huddersfield who might regret gloating over the closure of a local rival Ladbrokes shop. On the other hand, he is clearly such an excellent manager he won't need to stick around if the merger does take place.
Punilux
21 Jul 2015
Interims If Fitch are correct and Ladbroke's profitability is deteriorating, can they get away with not giving guidance on interims? The only remaining scenario is that they intend announcing their merger (or not) before early August when WMH have their 6 monthly figures. .With the 888 /BWin merger announced a few days ago, both LAD and Corals must be under a lot of pressure to overcome their obviously substantial differences.
