Hardboy
27 Sep 2016
Re: Fine £5m is probably getting off light - hence a nice rise today when markets are falling. Obviously there is an element of blame for the accident happening, but since it happened I think the BoD seem to have acted very well.
peterpiper313
27 Sep 2016
Trading update Merlin to issue Trading update onThursday 29th Sep according to companies financial Callander.
asianfriend
27 Sep 2016
Fine I note the company has been fined £5 million for the accident this morning which could have been worse. The civil damages will greatly exceed this amount with I would have thought the worst casualties each receiving around double that amount. Hopefully this will be covered by insurance but there may be an issue over gross negligence.
hostman
03 Jun 2016
What's making the shares move up today? No news ...
JR710
28 May 2016
The Petition is gaining support Apologies for board hopping but-The petition is going quite well; ~5150 signatures so far. Although it really needs a turbo boost.[link] petition was stalled in parliament since 12th Aug 15; finally green lit on 12th feb 2016.The FCA don't even reply on the matter, now is your chance to have your say.If you hate seeing buys reported as sells etc!!!!!!Has already been sent to Martin Lewis, Daily Mail, Moneyweek & Watchdog.My local MP supported this petition by writing to the petitions committee to help un-stall it.There’s 650 MP’s in Westminster, So have you written to your MP? 649 to go!If this petition doesn’t reach 10,000; then imo we might as well have not bothered as it will almost certainly be filed B1N; @ 10,000 the government should respond. We are currently getting approx. 100 new signatures a week, but need 3x that amount to reach the target with only 15 weeks to go.So – If you haven’t yet signed or indeed have but haven’t passed it on to others, then now’s the time to do so. If each person who has signed can get just one other person to sign then we will double the total immediately. I have posted to all aim listed gas n oilies, currently doing the footsy 100. But I can only do so much to push this. Really need you guys & gals to help. Thanks to all who have signed so far.
popes11
28 Apr 2016
Re: Alton Towers PS Nemesis Sub Terra closed as well.
popes11
28 Apr 2016
Re: Alton Towers Yep a whole week. The kids like it so made the most of travelling to the area. Yes I do know about the other parks as I have been a Merlin pass holder for years. With the terror risk abroad I actually think Merlin and others have a real opportunity of improving the product to attract those perhaps considering a stay at home holiday in UK.The splash landings part of Alton towers is a missed opportunity. If it were on a much bigger scale it would be a far better attraction. With the weather in UK a massive indoor water park would draw families from all over UK.That said I am a merlin pass holder and the family enjoy the parks on offer.
dubzy
28 Apr 2016
Re: Alton Towers Looks like you chose a bad week (really a whole week) to attend popes. I think there's a little bit more to MERL than Alton Towers. Not sure if you know but MERL operate quite a number of parks all around the globe.
popes11
28 Apr 2016
Alton Towers I spent a week at Alton towers recently with the family. If I were a shareholder I would be alarmed. The rides/experiences listed below not operating.Charley and chocolate factoryKids driving schoolKids indoor soft play area.Ripsaw Also Galatica seems to be a bit of a flop. Opinion appears to be that its okay but better off just not wearing the headset and experiencing the ride without it. The smiler not very busy for obvious reasons.I have been to Alton towers many times over the years but it appears to be going downhill.
Spain Fund
23 Apr 2016
CEO 'insulted' victim Disgraceful visiting her at home and telling her how much money the company lost after the crash. I remember interviews when the crash happened and he seemed more concerned in company losing profits Multi-million pound fine and millions in compensation payments to victims to follow
forwardloop
11 Mar 2016
info Shares mag buy - courtesy of alliance trust Merlin rides onRecovery set to continue as weak sterling boosts UK tourismEmily PerrymanThe share price recovery at theme park operator Merlin Entertainments (MERL) looks set to continue on the back of the £4.6 billion cap’s ambitious growth milestones and a bounce-back in visitors to London.Alongside a set of encouraging full year results (25 Feb 2016) Merlin announced three major targets which it intends to meet over the next four years. Analysts expect these will add around 4% to earnings per share in 2020.It plans to open 2,000 new accommodation rooms in its theme parks and Legoland parks – twice the number announced in its previous roll-out plan. These will cost around £200 million and, assuming a 15% return on invested capital, will deliver an extra £11 million of EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) per year.Four new Legolands are due to open, including the three already announced for Dubai, Japan and South Korea. The fourth is expected to launch in 2019 or 2020 and could add between 1% and 5% to group earnings depending on whether it’s managed, leased or owned. <GRAPH MISSING> ‘Encouragingly there are three different sites the group is looking into, suggesting the fifth and sixth openings are also fairly likely just after 2020,’ says Barclays Capital analyst Vicki Stern.Merlin plans to open 40 new attractions in its Midway division, which is home to tourist hotspots like the London Eye and Madame Tussauds. This is ahead of Citi’s assumption of 35 and the analyst says the incremental units should add between £7 million and £8 million of EBITDA per year.The group has also taken a 15% stake in Big Bus Tours, the owner-operator of Hop On Hop Off city tours, for $34.4 million. This should provide revenue synergies from cross-selling.A further boost could come from an increase in international visitors to Merlin’s London-based attractions, driven by the weakness of the pound against the euro. Langton Capital suggests the market hasn’t fully realised the benefits of recent currency movements.The biggest headwind is the ongoing impact of the Smiler rollercoaster crash at Alton Towers in June 2015. Merlin will be prosecuted for the accident, which resulted in revenue in the theme park division falling by 12.4% in the year to 26 December 2015.Barclays has increased its target price from 480p to 500p, saying Merlin is a ‘rare combination of defensive but high growth with longevity’. Shares says: "At 454.8p, Merlin has recovered from the negative sentiment that hit the leisure sector in January. We think this momentum will continue."
hostman
01 Mar 2016
This stock just keeps on going ... I bought in quote early and sitting on a 19% gain atm, I personally wouldn't buy in at this price though. Although I do expect it to get to 490
Spain Fund
25 Feb 2016
Re: Alton Towers is to be prosecuted Sky News:The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) says the owner of Alton Towers is to be prosecuted over last year's rollercoaster crash that left five people seriously hurt.The announcement was made hours after the Staffordshire park's parent firm, Merlin Entertainments, announced a slight increase in annual profits despite a substantial fall in visitor numbers to Alton Towers.Two guests each lost a leg in the aftermath of the accident on June 2 when a carriage containing riders collided with an empty one on The Smiler.The crash was the subject of an immediate HSE probe and was blamed on human error.The ride remains closed ahead of a planned reopening sometime this year.The HSE said: "We have today informed Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd that it will be prosecuted for breaching health and safety law."This was a serious incident with life changing consequences for five people."We have conducted a very thorough investigation and consider that there is sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to bring a prosecution".Merlin was yet to comment.More follows...
Spain Fund
25 Feb 2016
Alton Towers is to be prosecuted The Health and Safety Executive says the owner of Alton Towers is to be prosecuted over last year's rollercoaster crash.
dubzy
14 Jan 2016
Re: Recent Drop Hardboy, knee jerk reaction to a broker downgrade along with the usual profit taking following a decent run I presume.
