Party Gaming flotation

[TightEnd]

I am meeting the senior management of Party Gaming next Tuesday in my professional capacity.

They are floating on the LSE in a fortnight, valued around 4-5bn

It's just me sitting across a room from them.

If it was you, what would you ask them?

[owner]

Ask Dikshit if he remembers that 10% he sold me of himself.

I'll have it back in a couple of weeks please

[Karabiner]

I would be interested to hear what they feel about large

US "blue-chip" institutions lack of commitment to investing in the float due to legal concerns.

And how much this might affect the success of the whole venture.

[tikay]

Nice post Owner!

Now, to answer TightEnd's question.

"Given that you are cash rich company, throwing off cash for fun, with no need to raise caspital for expansion, because software is cheap, decribing yourself as a growth company, yet proposing a dividend of 4% to 5%, and that going public is a pain in the ass because it makes you accountable to others, and that even after flotation, you will still own 70% of the Company, the float being in he UK because you could not possibly get it away in the USA, what good reason do you have for floating? Apart of course, from cashing in at the expense of others"

[TightEnd]

Nice post Owner!

Now, to answer TightEnd's question.

"Given that you are cash rich company, throwing off cash for fun, with no need to raise caspital for expansion, because software is cheap, decribing yourself as a growth company, yet proposing a dividend of 4% to 5%, and that going public is a pain in the ass because it makes you accountable to others, and that even after flotation, you will still own 70% of the Company, the float being in he UK because you could not possibly get it away in the USA, what good reason do you have for floating? Apart of course, from cashing in at the expense of others"

Do you want a job?

[AlrightJack]

I would ask them what they really think their company is worth.

[tikay]

What their company is worth? To whom?!

7bn to begin with, 4bn to 5bn bandied around now, the City, taking into account all the risks, & the credibility of the owners, may be interested at an implied valuation of 3bn.

Mind you, the institutions (american) forced Google to slash the float price, & look what happened to their shares! But that's a different animal entirely.

[tikay]

AlrightJack,

But that would be a bad question to ask - I mean, what answer wouild you expect them to give. An honest one?

[AlrightJack]

ah, but the tell would be in the way they answer it...they aggressively defend their flotation price and you'll know they ain't worth it.

[redsimon]

Would you buy shares in them? Seems unless US crack down that its a money spinner?

[tikay]

A money spinner for whom Red?

The owners? Yes. The public shaerholders, who I agree will be owners, but minority owners? Depends what price the shares are pitched at. It needs to be understood, that it is irrelative how profitable the company is, or proves to be. It's the price the shares are pitched at that counts.

Would tikay buy shares in them?

Years a million in not.

[redsimon]

Probably agree with you TK. The "valuation" seems to change a billion $ every time I see an article about them. I don't usually dabble in shares but I did notice the company that bought Paradise Poker increased its share value by a ridicolous amount and wondered if a short term punt before the bubble burst was worth a few thou?

[tikay]

The Paradise Poker deal was a good one for the buyers, with a compelling commercial logic, and at the right price.

Party is a different bag altogether. It's a cashing in exercise, and, taking into account the risks, the price is wayyyyy too high. IMO.