*** around the traps ***

We've been around so long we can remember when B&D Roll-a-Doors was listed in its own right as Byrne and Davidson and was run by a man called Mr Byrne and a man called Mr Davidson. The garage door has opened and closed on a lot of ownership arrangements since but the latest purchaser, ALESCO (ALS), is on a roll in the market.

It's up from $6.02 last Wednesday to $6.50 yesterday (a 24c rise for the day). It will have shareholders rushing for stock in the 1-for-5 issue at $5.90 a share, which will help fund the B&D purchase. Shaw Stockroking has given the stock the thumbs up.
It expects the acquisition to enhance EPS growth into 2005 by an incremental 12 per cent or so.
*****

Was this a profit warning from SENETAS CORP (SEN)?
Pointing out that the year's results depended on a small number of large sales, directors said they believed growth of the group would not be affected by the timing of the sales. " ... however, the impending year-end reporting deadline might cause the year's results to appear lower than expected." Appear lower than expected? ... we can't get our minds around that concept. The market appeared to knock 0.9c off Senetas shares, to 5.3c.
*****

REJECT SHOP (TRS), which has floated at the un-reject price of $2 a share, greets the judge today. The issue was oversubscribed and applications had to be scaled
back. But that means nothing for the share price these days. The company, modestly self-described as "one of Australia's fastest growing and most profitable discount variety retailers" has made an early forecast. Managing director Barry Saunders said the company remained confident of meeting or slightly exceeding prospectus
forecasts for the year to June. With the prospectus issue just closed it had better be.
*****

OCCUPATIONAL & MEDICAL INNOVATIONS (OMI) was a shot in the arm for the the well-tried retractable syringe sector. The market went mad when the company announced it had signed a heads of agreement with Terumo Medical Corp for distribution of the full range of the OMI Retractable Syringes in the US, Mexico and Canada. The shares shot up 76c to $2.46 and closed at $2.30. OMI says that with more than 83 years industry experience and operations in more than 150 countries, Terumo is a recognised world
leader in hypodermic needles and syringes.
As per usual, the company also points out the annual market for hypodermic needles and syringes in the US is more than 3 billion units.
*****

More woe for IAS shareholders after recent weakness in the company's shares. CBA has finally sued the betting firm over the $17 million stolen by a former bank branch manager for punting. After it's all over, maybe shareholders of CBA should sue the bank for incompetence in not noticing $17 million had gone missing.
*****

Last Wednesday's annual meeting of COMOPS (COM) has fired up the stock. The shares were 10c that day but by yesterday they were up to 15c, up 2.5c for the day. Chairman Geoffrey Wild geed up shareholders with talk that it now appeared that the downturn in the IT industry was "almost behind us and there are early signs that a minor recovery has begun". He said that as the company entered its 32nd year of operation "we have reason to be optimistic. We see more new opportunities than we have for some time, and we have a positive cash position."

Ace..