Frasers Group (nee Sports Direct) raises stake in Hornby to 9%

[1andrew1]

Looks like Game could become a more important outlet for Hornby. Not a scenario I would have predicted. Maybe Game are the future partner for more WonderWorks?

Share price now up to 29p.

Quote

Mike Ashley’s retail empire Frasers Group has significantly increased its stake in model railways manufacturer Hornby.

The owner of Sports Direct and House of Fraser has acquired more than 11 million shares in the Kent-based company, taking its total holdings to more than 15 million, or 8.9 per cent.

More than 70 per cent of Hornby’s shares are held by Phoenix Asset Management Partners, with Artemis Investment Management the next largest shareholder on 16.2 per cent.

The investment from Frasers Group means it is now Hornby’s third largest shareholder.

Chris Wootton, CFO of Frasers Group, said: “Frasers Group has a vision to build the planet’s most admired and compelling brand ecosystem.

“Hornby’s portfolio of unique heritage brands are already part of Game’s product offer and we look forward to exploring opportunities to further leverage our scale in retail logistics and distribution.

“This is consistent with our strategy of pursuing strategic interests to enhance value for all stakeholders.”

Olly Raeburn, CEO of Hornby, added: “Frasers Group has built a powerful ecosystem through its brand partners, scaled shared services, and distribution channels.

“We have long admired their approach to merchandising and logistics and welcome them as a supportive shareholder.

“We look forward to exploring commercial opportunities in working together to unlock the full potential of Hornby’s much loved brands.”

https://www.cityam.com/mike-ashleys-frasers-group-significantly-ups-stake-in-model-trains-maker-Hornby/

 

 

Edited February 23 by 1andrew1

[BachelorBoy]

[Legend]

Interesting . If it increases availability and gets Hornby brands into the High St , got to be good . 

[Steamport Southport]

If so, will you get one of those huge mugs for free?

 

 

[Matt]

What they need to do is convert some of those empty HOF stores into model shops- Jenners in Edinburgh would be a good start. I’m sure it would work……

 

There’s a reason I don’t work in retail….

[adb968008]

i guess Soon i’ll be able to buy a 1970’s era box van and a US style base ball to throw through those coupling loops…. Just do it.

 

 

[Mike Bellamy]

12 hours ago, Matt said:

What they need to do is convert some of those empty HOF stores into model shops- Jenners in Edinburgh would be a good start. I’m sure it would work……

 

 

Jenners is undergoing a major renovation and most of the building is to become a luxury hotel - owned by a Danish billionaire. Although the shop was part of the original House of Fraser group long before Ashley took over, the building was actually sold back in 2005.  Detailed BBC report in link below

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-68153251

.

[russ p]

I know it's good for Hornby but Ashley??? One of the most hateful people in public life

[gwrrob]

17 hours ago, Legend said:

Interesting . If it increases availability and gets Hornby brands into the High St , got to be good . 

 

I just can't see this working somehow , it doesn't seem to be a good fit for either brands.

[Pmorgancym]

17 hours ago, Legend said:

Interesting . If it increases availability and gets Hornby brands into the High St , got to be good . 

Then all they need to do is get shoppers back into the high street.

[MikeParkin65]

Right. - let’s get onto Mr Ashley about moulded smokebox door handles on the latest 8F and over scale lamps on Black 5’s! If he thought Newcastle Utd fans were hard to please he ain’t seen nothing yet 🤣

[darrel]

After what he did at Newcastle and Rangers I'm not sure this is good news. 

[Fair Oak Junction]

They're also busy running GAME into the ground, sad to see what has happened to that company.

[russ p]

Problem with having Ashley involved is that if Hornby is doing well like it appears to be at the moment he likely to try and increase his share of the company.  Unfortunately when Hornby catches a cold as it often does he's not the kind of person that would show any kind of sympathy to the company and there would be a real danger of it closing completely 

[micklner]

God help Hornby  cause Ashley wont !! . Hated by one and all.

 

If ??  House of  Fraser are doing so well !! how comes it has just shut the Frasers store  in Lakeside Essex, which was losing money for years . He buys up loss making companies and then shuts or sells them at a loss or whatever.

 

 

Nothing good will come of it !!

[GMKAT7]

Good afternoon folks,

 

'Cashley' bought the formerly Ricoh, now Coventry Building Society, Arena from the bankrupt Wasps Rugby Club.

Then promptly told the only tenant, Coventry City FC, to 'foxtrot oscar' with minimal notice.

 

What he thought he was going to do with the Arena for 10 months a year nobody knows but him.

Having seen the light the Frasers Group relented and gave the City a 5 year lease.

 

I thought the stories from Newcastle United fans were exaggerated, but it seems not.

 

Still, his Hornby shareholding is currently only less than 10%, so others still have control. For now.

 

Cheers, Nigel.

[adb968008]

I’m more interested to know whom he bought from…

 

[ColinB]

Ashley is not good news for any company, nor their employees, talk to anyone who has a relative that worked for the Sports Company he owned. What defeats me is why is he interested, do they own something that might be useful if they go bust? I thought they had mortgaged everything their owned. Interesting about the Coventry City Stadium, I remember the saga but didn't realise it was him. The guys on the Hornby forum think it is wonderful news but then a lot of people don't see the bigger picture. He is a gambling man, remember the High Court Action, so who knows what he is up to?

[ColinB]

On 24/02/2024 at 13:08, micklner said:

God help Hornby  cause Ashley wont !! . Hated by one and all.

 

If ??  House of  Fraser are doing so well !! how comes it has just shut the Frasers store  in Lakeside Essex, which was losing money for years . He buys up loss making companies and then shuts or sells them at a loss or whatever.

 

 

Nothing good will come of it !!

Interesting you say that, a few years ago I was talking to one of the staff and she was saying it made more profit than the Bluewater store. Now whether he ran it down to close it, probably because of the rent, who knows. Not good news for Hornby. Years ago companies used to buy lower league football clubs, force them into bankruptcy then sell the ground for housing and make a fortune. They even tried it with Chelsea until Denis Wise had the bright idea to sell it in small plots to the supporters. Some naïve people think that having someone with money invest in your business is good news without thinking "how did they make all that money?".

[micklner]

23 minutes ago, ColinB said:

Interesting you say that, a few years ago I was talking to one of the staff and she was saying it made more profit than the Bluewater store.

Interesting the Lakeside branch before and after Ashley was always a bit of a white elephant , stock either overpriced or total rubbish if priced cheaper. Being local to me, there was never many customers in there at any time.

Bluewaters branch is much larger and not any  better in stock or customers , I was surprised to see it still open on my last visit, I had presumed Frasers shops had all gone.

 

Both shopping centres are barely half full of shops/units in actual use . I doubt if either Centre are charging very much for shop spaces/rentals.

 

Perhaps Ashley wants the Hornby old factory !! 🤣

Edited February 25 by micklner

[JohnR]

Although I share peoples concerns about Ashley's business practices, we do need to get it into perspective. He has simply bought 9% of the shares. That does not entitle him to tell the Hornby Management how to run the company. It might, jut might, be enough for him to get a single director on the board. But even then, that individual would be easily outvoted by the other board members.

 

Its clear that the two biggest shareholders (Phoenix Assets with 73.4%) still have confidence in the company, although it appears that Artemis Investment (the second largest shareholders) are the ones to have sold shares to Frasers - their shareholding is now only 9.7% 

[micklner]

1 hour ago, JohnR said:

Although I share peoples concerns about Ashley's business practices, we do need to get it into perspective. He has simply bought 9% of the shares. That does not entitle him to tell the Hornby Management how to run the company. It might, jut might, be enough for him to get a single director on the board. But even then, that individual would be easily outvoted by the other board members.

 

Its clear that the two biggest shareholders (Phoenix Assets with 73.4%) still have confidence in the company, although it appears that Artemis Investment (the second largest shareholders) are the ones to have sold shares to Frasers - their shareholding is now only 9.7% 

Dont hold your breath on what the next move by Ashley, maybe ????.

[JohnR]

16 minutes ago, micklner said:

Dont hold your breath on what the next move by Ashley, maybe ????.

 

If Phoenix dont want to sell, theres not a lot he can do. But already he's sitting on a paper profit as the share price is currently 35p (although down from a high of 41p earlier)

[Sjcm]

If Ashley's mob are after it, they must be on their uppers. I wonder just how overextended they are with the whole TT project? A year down the line and they still only have 4? different loco's available? Shouldn't have done the dirty on Heljun methinks.

[ColinB]

13 minutes ago, Sjcm said:

If Ashley's mob are after it, they must be on their uppers. I wonder just how overextended they are with the whole TT project? A year down the line and they still only have 4? different loco's available? Shouldn't have done the dirty on Heljun methinks.

Trouble is they can't help it. Perhaps they should read how the shipping container became so popular, from what I read the design was given away for free, to make it universally accepted. You can make just as much money by being first in the market. There is an interesting conversation on the Hornby Forum with yet more assassination of Sam of Sam's Trains for stating what most sensible people are thinking. Hornby have a whole lot of OO releases that they have not made yet, add to that the TT range and a company with limited assets, what could go wrong?