• Investment banking

Raider Brierley tastes life as prey

Guinness Peat Group is known for its activist approach. Over the years it’s made a name for itself by inching up the share register of numerous companies, attempting to force change and unlock hidden value.

• Sep 23, 2010

Windfall makes eServ happy as Larry

eServGlobal chief executive Richard Mathews is sitting on a $114 million cash war chest thanks to Oracle boss Larry Ellison, but that doesn’t mean he’s in a hurry to spend it.

• Updated Sep 1, 2010
• Julian Bajkowski

• Acrux Limited

Small caps on the radar

It’s not the time for making easy gains, but our stock pickers see value emerging in select small-cap stocks.

• Updated Jun 19, 2010
• Tony Featherstone

Oracle pays the bills for eServGlobal

Software entrepreneur Richard Mathews has a gift for unlocking unrecognised value in languishing technology players.

• Updated May 27, 2010
• Julian Bajkowski

• Market Wrap

Register raises eyebrows

Picking technology stocks that have real earnings growth potential can be a tricky business if the number of stagnant microcaps is any yardstick, so it's worth looking at what seasoned investors are backing

• Sep 4, 2009
• Julian Bajkowski

eServGlobal (ESV)

Telecommunications billing software developer eServGlobal has been the beneficiary of an investor-led management shakeout that has resulted in Kiwi technology entrepreneur Richard Mathews buying heavily into the stock

• Sep 3, 2009
• Julian Bajkowski

New eServ team averts bigger slump

An investor-led management takeover at telecommunications billing software developer eServGlobal in June has precipitated a minor turnaround after a broom was put through the business

• Aug 26, 2009
• Julian Bajkowski

• Bluescope Steel

Briefs

eServGlobal tips loss eServGlobal expects full-year revenue of between $150 million and $155 million, down from $177

• May 26, 2009
• Ben Woodhead; Ayesha de Kretser; Michael Vaughan; Paul Garvey; Michael Smith; Tracy Lee;

• Adacel Technologies

Fast facts

Lift in sales Redflex reported a rise in first-half sales from $42

• Feb 25, 2009
• Ben Woodhead; Paul Smith

• HFA Holdings

Positive update fails to impress

HFA Holdings (HFA)

• Sep 18, 2008
• Brendon Lau

Fast facts

Arasor inks a sale

• Jul 25, 2008
• Ben Woodhead

Fast facts

eServGlobal lands deal

• May 22, 2008
• Ben Woodhead; Renai LeMay

• GBST

Fast facts

CBA's Morris at Nous

• Feb 20, 2008
• Renai LeMay, Tracy Lee

• Market Wrap

What the charts say

Good round for steady growth

• Feb 12, 2008
• Colin Nicholson Source: BeyondInvest. Colin Nicholson can be contacted at colin@bwts.com.au. Stocks the author has an interest in are listed on bwts.com.au

What the charts say

Patience in Lion Nathan (LNN)pays off Lion Nathan is a large company capitalised at just under $5 billion. It produces, markets, sells and distributes beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages in Australia and New Zealand. It is listed in both countries and is 46 per cent-owned by the Japanese Kirin Brewing Company. A quick glance at the Lion Nathan chart from 2000 shows that it has been an ideal investment for patient, long-term investors. The key feature here is the absence of any evidence of the market shake-out in 2001 or the bear market in 2002-03. Moreover, the recent market turbulence has produced no more than a normal fluctuation in the price chart. The fast rise from the 2000 low was a reaction to a moderate decline prior to the start of the chart. By 2001, the price had settled into a steady rate of ascent. It mostly closed each month above the long-term moving average line, which shows a satisfactory capital gain with low volatility. The year 2004 saw an acceleration, which might have been a sign that the run was over. Instead, Lion Nathan's price has settled into a slightly more sedate rate of growth. The recent dip has bought it back to the moving average line, which is as good a buying opportunity as we might see for long-term investors looking for steady growth with a good dividend yield. - - - - Aquarius Platinum (AQP)may pay for some Aquarius Platinum is a large company with a capitalisation of just under $4 billion and is listed in Australia, London and Johannesburg. It is an explorer, developer and miner with a focus on platinum group minerals. Its operations are in South Africa and Zimbabwe, where it is a low-cost producer using capital-intensive methods. Aquarius Platinum has provided amazing returns for loyal shareholders. When 1999 opened, its shares were trading around 13c (adjusted for the recent three-for-one split). By the end of 2000, it had rocketed to a high of $3.43. However, that was to be as good as it would be for a while. For the next five years it was stuck in a sideways pattern, struggling to rise above $3. Starting in 2005, it began another massive rise, reaching a peak of $14 early in 2007. The price then traded sideways through the rest of 2007. This month, Aquarius Platinum has broken out upwards from that pattern, trading recently as high as $16.10. This suggests that a new upward trend may unfold. Valuing a mining company is not an easy task and is best left to the experts. However, Aquarius Platinum pays a good dividend, which is well covered. Investors looking for exposure to strong resources stocks may do worse than to research Aquarius Platinum to see if it fits into their investment profile. - - - - eServeGlobal (ESV) may be climbing eServeGlobal is a company which most investors would never come across. It is relatively small - a capitalisation of $220 million - and is listed in Australia and London. It provides smart communication and payment systems for telecommunications service companies through 14 offices around the world. Product development to meet requirements in this fast-changing environment is its key strength. The chart gives a good idea of the history of eServeGlobal. It listed at $1.60 in September 2000 when the technology bubble of the 1990s had passed its peak. From there it was all downhill, as the market mercilessly punished new businesses that were not yet profitable and had been floated at prices based on the wildest estimates of blue-sky expectations. By mid 2003, eServeGlobal's share price had plumbed a low of 7.5¢. However, it was to be a survivor, and the chart paints a picture of its struggle to claw its way to profitability. By August 2005 the price had reached $1.16. However, a setback ensued, with the price slipping to 50¢ a year later. Since then earnings have continued to grow and the price has trended higher, reaching a recent high of $1.35 after a quite muted fall during the January turbulence in the market. The low dividend yield and high price-earnings ratio indicate that this is not a stock for the risk-averse investor. *Colin Nicholson is a renowned technical analyst and an expert in strategic investment.

• Feb 11, 2008
• Colin Nicholson*