mark2017's Stocks to Watch

Think Childcare Ltd
(ASX: TNK)

One reason I’m particularly bullish on Think Childcare is its pipeline of newly developed, purpose built childcare centres around Australia which are waiting to be acquired progressively over the next five years from its incubators.

I believe this will provide it with a long runway for growth which makes this childcare provider a great buy and hold investment option. Right now its shares provide a market-beating trailing fully franked 4.2% dividend, but this could grow significantly in the future if its expansion goes to plan.

If you like dividend shares like Think Childcare and Tassal, then check out
these five dividend stars as well.



http://www.fool.com.au/2017/08/03/2-small-cap-dividend-shares-on-my-shopping-list/
 
Indutrade acquires manufacturer of tube components in the Netherlands

2017-07-17 15:28
Indutrade has today signed an agreement to acquire all of the shares in Tubeworkx B.V. (www.tubeworkx.com), with annual sales of approximately EUR 5 million.
Tubeworkx manufactures niche tube components for the Dutch industry. The company redesigns straight pipes to advanced components by bending, welding and cold forming. Customers are in industries such as ventilation, medtech, vehicles and hydraulics.
Possession takes place today and the company will be part of Indutrade Benelux, which in turn is part of Indutrade's Special Products business area.
The acquisition is expected to have a marginally positive impact on Indutrade's earnings per share.
Stockholm, 17 July 2017
INDUTRADE AB (publ)




•Indutrade acquires manufacturer of tube components in the Netherlands

http://www.indutrade.com/press/press...e-netherlands/
 
Think Childcare Ltd (ASX: TNK) — owner and acquirer of childcare centres

Relative to the two companies above, Think Childcare is a relative newbie. It has only been listed since 2014, which means it is only just getting to the point where investors have a decent little track record to look at. However, it does seem to be delivering on its promises, generating steady growth in profits, cashflow and dividends. The CEO and founder owns over 30% of the shares on issue, so he has plenty of incentive to treat shareholders well. Think Childcare is the most conventionally cheap of the companies on this list and I may well buy more shares after the upcoming results if the results are pleasing.

While I really like and own each of these companies, it has to be said that small-cap investing is not for the feint hearted. These stocks can be volatile and you should have the stomach to take significant volatility — and that’s even if things go well. For those of you that prefer attractive dividends, I recommend checking out the stock named in this free report.

I suggest you check out the company named in this this free report since my friend and colleague highly recommends it. Personally, I have recommended a similar company.

You might not know this market leader, but it's making waves in Asia and already boasts a term-deposit-crushing dividend of almost 5%. A debt free balance sheet and dominant market position at home and abroad mean this company offers investors income and some real-deal growth potential.

http://www.fool.com.au/2017/08/05/3-founder-led-small-caps-i-would-buy-right-now/
 
Think ChildCare. Baby Boom in Australia.


Australians are paying more for childcare than mortgages and food, leading to calls for action

Lanai Scarr, News Corp Australia Network

August 5, 2017 4:00pm

Subscriber only

CHILDCARE costs are driving Australian families to breaking point with an exclusive survey for News Corp Australia finding close to 40 per cent are paying more than or equal to their mortgage in out of pocket payments each week.

Close to a third are paying double their grocery bills — after the government rebate — and one in five are paying triple their weekly grocery shop.

Alarmingly 34 per cent of respondents in the survey conducted for News Corp Australia by
The Parenthood said they have been late paying their bills, mortgage or rent because of childcare.

A total of 21 per cent of respondents say they are basically working to pay for childcare with 57 per cent only marginally better off working.

Today News Corp Australia will shine a light on the pain parents are enduring to send their children to childcare and look at ways we can reform our “broken system”.

Despite the recently legislated changes to childcare to come into force in July 2018, which are a great first step, many hardworking professional families say childcare costs will still cripple their weekly budget and the system needs further root and branch reform.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/li...k=1ea9824b5665ec91d8e3ad090a2f3c54-1502117526
 
DFDS concentrates Russia services on St. Petersburg

Danish shipping company DFDS is concentrating its Germany - Russia ferry services on the Kiel - St. Petersburg route from September 1st. From that date company RoRo ships leaving the Ostuferhafen will sail non-stop to St. Petersburg and will no longer stop in Ust-Luga. The liner shipping service will leave Kiel every Saturday evening arriving in St. Petersburg on Tuesday afternoon.

Trucks, trailers, containers, agricultural and construction machinery, as well as export cars and project loads can be carried. The acceptance deadline for cargo is six hours before the departure of the ship. Dr Dirk Claus, Managing Director of the PORT OF KIEL (SEEHAFEN KIEL GmbH & Co. KG) said: “Traffic between Kiel and Russia has increased by a third in the first half of the year and DFDS is clearly taking this development into account by focussing on St. Petersburg”. The port of Ust-Luga has not been able to benefit from the positive developments of the last few months and will as a result initially no longer be served by DFDS. Despite the upward trend in the first half of the year absolute transport volumes in Russia traffic are still below those recorded before the imposition of trade restrictions.

“Concentration on St. Petersburg”, said Dirk Claus, “means that shorter transit times are now possible and it also offers potential for further growth in cargo volumes.” Services to the Baltic states and Russia are located in the Ostuferhafen, which is the port of Kiel’s cargo and logistics hub. DFDS RoPax ferries link Kiel every day with Klaipeda in Lithuania, while St. Petersburg is served once a week by RoRo ships trading with Russia. “The liner service to St. Petersburg is also an ideal starting point for on-shipments into the Russian hinterland”, said Dirk Claus. Goods shipped via St. Petersburg move on not only to Moscow but also to western Russia and as far as Kazakhstan.

Forestry products in particular are among goods imported in the opposite direction from Russia for processing in Kiel. A further 5,000 m² warehouse – Shed No. 12 - is currently being built in the Ostuferhafen to store sawn timber.

This press release and pictures are available for download:



http://www.en.portnews.ru/news/243453/
 
Paragon Care, strong growth



Paragon surges, with more upside possible

Published on: Aug 9, 2017 | by Trevor Hoey

Shares in healthcare equipment group, Paragon Care (ASX: PGC) spiked from Friday’s close of 81 cents to hit an intraday high of 93 cents on Monday. This occurred under the highest daily volumes recorded in the last five years. The intraday high was repeated again on Tuesday.

It should be noted share trading patterns should not be used as the basis for an investment as they may or may not be replicated. Those considering this stock should seek independent financial advice.

Interestingly, the provider of medical equipment, devices and consumables to the health care industry has traded as high as 94 cents during its circa 10 year history as an ASX listed entity, and it could be technical selling that is currently keeping a lid on the company’s share price.

Certainly, the result appeared to warrant a rerating as the impressive key financials below indicate.



While revenues were broadly in line with management’s guidance, there was a slight outperformance at the EBITDA line.

Brokers see further upside
As indicated by John Hester from Bell Potter, PGC is best assessed on its earnings per share performance. As a growth by acquisition story, the company has issued new shares over the last two years, effectively diluting earnings per share.

Consequently, using this measure takes into account the impact of issuing scrip for all or part consideration in relation to acquisitions.

Bell Potter is forecasting earnings per share to increase to 6.9 cents in fiscal 2018, implying a PE multiple of 13.4 relative to its 12 month high of 93 cents. This represents a 50% discount to the broader sector average PE multiple of 26.8.

Of course broker projections and price targets are only estimates and may not be met.

However, some of the larger blue-chip companies tend to push the average multiple higher than what is normally representative of the mid-tier players.

The broker reactions have been interesting with Bell Potter maintaining its buy recommendation and slightly increasing its price target to $1.02.

By contrast, Ian Christie from Argonaut views the current price as good value with his valuation of $1.12 implying upside of 20% to the group’s current trading range. He expects PGC to achieve organic growth of 10% per annum over the next two years with EBITDA margins of circa 15%.

Again, broker projections should only be taken into account with all publically available information.



PGC’s Managing Director, Mark Simari was relatively upbeat with his outlook statement, saying that the company is well-placed to deliver growth in future years, driven by a combination of organic and acquisitive growth with the e-health sector offering a new revenue stream.

The addition of services and maintenance contracts will also help, as they provide recurring income to complement revenues generated from the sale of new equipment.
 
Adjustment of VINX Benchmark Index due to special dividend in DFDS A/S (27/17)
August 16, 2017 13:11 ET | Source: Index DFDS A/S (DFDS, DK0060655629) will distribute a special dividend in the amount of 5.00 DKK, effective August 18, 2017. An adjustment to the price of the security will be made prior to market open on the ex-date for only the amount of the special dividend, which may result in a change to the divisor.

For further information concerning this notice please contact Nasdaq Global Indexes Operation Team, telephone US - + 1 844 717-0708 or International Callers – Non-US Callers - + 1 301 978 8311 or email at [email protected].
 
Record results DFDS


RECORD Q2 EBITDA,
6% UP TO DKK 738M



EUROPEAN GROWTH SET TO CONTINUE



DIVIDEND INCREASE & NEW BUYBACK




Q2 2017
· EBITDA up 6%
· North Sea freight volumes up 6%
· Passenger volumes up 7% driven by late Easter
· Profit before special items and tax increased 12% to DKK 495m
· ROIC of 18.1% (LTM)
OUTLOOK 2017
· EBITDA range of
DKK 2.6-2.8bn unchanged
· Total distribution to shareholders increased to DKK 1.7bn
"We are pleased with our steady progress and remain on track to improve on the record result of last year. The activity in our route and logistics network reflects Europe's growth. Prospects for continued growth in the key UK market remain positive and trading with continental Europe is increasing, especially UK exports.," says Niels Smedegaard, CEO.
Key figures DKK m Q2 Q2 LTM LTM FY Before special items 2017 2016 Ch % 2016-17 2015-16 Ch % 2016 Revenue 3,688 3,553 3.8% 14,058 13,757 2.2% 13,790 EBITDA 738 699 5.6% 2,637 2,365 11.5% 2,588 EBIT 502 454 10.6% 1,700 1,461 16.3% 1,644 Profit before tax 495 443 11.6% 1,668 1,373 21.4% 1,600
Revenue increased 2% in Q2 adjusted for non-comparable items. Reported revenue was up 4% to DKK 3.7bn.
EBITDA before special items increased 6% to DKK 738m following higher earnings in both divisions.
The Shipping Division's EBITDA before special items increased 5% to DKK 680m as North Sea benefited from continued growth in trading between UK, continental Europe and Scandinavia. The Baltic Sea route network also increased earnings and together offset a lower result in Channel driven by a weakening of the passenger market, following the depreciation of GBP, and a lower freight market share.
The Logistics Division's EBITDA before special items increased 5% to DKK 73m driven mainly by the Nordic business unit as well as acquisitions performing above expectations.
Distribution to shareholders
The planned extraordinary dividend of
DKK 5.00 per share is raised to DKK 7.00 for payment in August. Moreover, a new share buyback of DKK 300m is launched today; more information in separate announcement.
The raised dividend and new buyback increases the expected total distribution in 2017 to DKK 1.7bn from previously DKK 1.3bn.
Outlook 2017
The European growth outlook continues to support DFDS' infrastructure of ferry routes and the logistics operations.
The Group's expected revenue growth for 2017 is around 4%, excluding revenue from bunker surcharges. The range for EBITDA before special items is unchanged at
DKK 2,600-2,800m (2016: DKK 2,588m).
Contact.
Niels Smedegaard, CEO, +45 33 42 34 00
Torben Carlsen, CFO +45 33 42 32 01
Søren Brøndholt Nielsen, IR, +45 33 42 33 59
Gert Jakobsen, Communications, +45 33 42 32 97

https://globenewswire.com/news-relea...-PROGRESS.html
 
Northern Star resources


All You Need To Know About Northern Star Resources Limited’s (ASX:NST) Financial Health
Veer Mallick August 16, 2017
Stocks with market capitalization between $2B and $10B, such as Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX:NST) with a size of $2.94B, do not attract as much attention from the investing community as do the small-caps and large-caps. Surprisingly though, when accounted for risk, mid-caps have delivered better returns compared to the two other categories of stocks. Mid-caps are found to be more volatile than the large-caps but safer than small-caps, largely due to their weaker balance sheet. I will take you through a few basic checks to assess the financial health of companies with no debt.
Check out our latest analysis for Northern Star Resources


Is NST’s level of debt at an acceptable level?

ASX:NST Historical Debt Aug 16th 17


A substantially higher debt poses a significant threat to a company’s profitability during a downturn. For NST, the debt-to-equity ratio is 1.75%, which indicates that the company faces low risk associated with debt.

Can NST meet its short-term obligations with the cash in hand?

ASX:NST Net Worth Aug 16th 17


Debt to equity ratio is an important aspect of financial strength. But if the company has a substantial amount of cash on its balance sheet, that should allay some fear of a debt overhang and increase the chance of meeting upcoming liabilities. In order to measure liquidity, we must compare NST’s current assets with its upcoming liabilities. Our analysis shows that NST is able to meet its upcoming commitments with its cash and other short-term assets, which lessens our concerns for the company’s business operations should any unfavourable circumstances arise.

Conclusion
NST’s ability to meet its short-term liabilities is an indication of financial strength. Its debt level is also relatively low, which reduces some risk for the company and its investors. Now that you know to keep debt in mind when putting together your investment thesis, I recommend you check out our latest free analysis report on Northern Star Resources to see what other factors for NST you should consider.
 
Q2 Financial Results. Fagerhult ab


Fagerhult: Interim Report January - June 2017
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Fagerhult
05:52 ET
SHARE THIS ARTICLE

HABO, Sweden, Aug 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Order intake was MSEK 2,700.4 (2,349.5), which is an overall growth of 14.9% adjusted to 1.3% for acquisitions (MSEK 296.8) and currency effects (MSEK 24.6)
Net sales were MSEK 2,544.7 (2,172.6), which is an overall growth of 17.1% adjusted to 3.8% for acquisitions (MSEK 266.2) and currency effects (MSEK 23.3)
Operating profit was MSEK 313.3 (238.9), representing a 31.1% increase with an operating margin of 12.3 (11.0)%
Earnings after tax were MSEK 216.5 (173.9), an increase of 24.5%
Earnings per share were SEK 1.90 (1.53)
Cash flow from operating activities was MSEK 188.5 (39.0)
During the quarter the 3:1 share split was completed in accordance with the resolution taken at the Annual General Meeting
Comments from CEO Johan Hjertonsson:

The Group delivered a strong first half year with record second quarter results for order intake, net sales and operating profit.
For the six months, market activity in our main markets was positive and mixed in some other regions.
Order intake and net sales were ahead of the record setting first half year of 2016, operating profits increased 31% and a 12.3% operating margin was achieved in each quarter.
Earnings per share at SEK 1.90 is 24.2% ahead of the SEK 1.53 from the previous year.
The LED share of net sales continues to develop on a positive trend and the opportunity available to the Group from the low level of the installed LED base is significant.
We have good visibility for the third quarter with the order backlog at a high level.
As it integrates into the Group, we are pleased with the progress of WE-EF and the potential upside from the synergies are better than previously anticipated.
Following the acquisition of the Organic Response IP in April, I am pleased once again to service our customers with this unique lighting control solution through the Group's brands.
Our attention now turns to the second half year where we enter the period with strong forward momentum combined with a strong order backlog.
Disclosures may be submitted by

Johan Hjertonsson
CEO
tel: +46-36-10-85-00
mobile: +46-70-229-77-93
e-mail: [email protected]

Michael Wood
 
Top