DES 10.6% 7.6¢ desoto resources limited

re: turnaround stock of 2006!/now 31.5c Destra Corporation Ltd...

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    re: turnaround stock of 2006!/now 31.5c Destra Corporation Ltd (DES) is a burgeoning internet and
    e-commerce company delivering internet business and consumer
    entertainment solutions through its two arms - destra Media and destra
    Business.
    The company seems to have a lot of potential, particularly
    in its media division which distributes a vast amount of digital music
    to clients via Intel's Viiv technology PC/home.
    The value of this part of the business is about its prospects,
    reflected by the half year result showing the Media division sales up 543
    per cent while the Business sales division rose 53 per cent.
    Yesterday Destra Corporation released its results for the
    December half year, reporting net profit surging 108 per cent above the
    same period in the previous year.
    Directors told shareholders that the first half of 2006 was
    one of continued growth for Destra, especially within the destra Media
    division.
    Net profit for the half year period to December 31 was $468,000
    (2004: $225,000) on total revenue of $12.167 million against 2004's
    $6.985 million.
    Increased revenues reflect continued growth in both the
    Business and Media divisions and the impact of acquisitions.
    The latest December half saw an expansion in the range of
    services offered to Business customers and greater advertising and
    content sales in the Media division.
    Directors said "The half result was in line with expectations and
    we remain on target to achieve earnings before interest and tax of $1.2
    million for the full year".
    The positive operating cash flow performance reflects
    underlying operating profits, seasonal factors associated with the
    Christmas trading period and favourable working capital movements.
    Cash at bank minus short-term bank borrowings was $2.2 million
    with total loan facilities approved to $3 million.
    Second-half earnings should be bolstered by a six-month
    contribution from the Rajon group (acquired in December) and also
    benefit from the increasing commercialisation of the destra Media assets
    through the partnerships formed with Intel, 3 Mobile, Harvey Norman and
    others.
    "We will continue to invest in these assets and make selective
    acquisitions of profitable and synergistic media businesses over the next
    year," directors declared.

    SHARE PRICE MOVEMENTS
    *********************

    Shares of Destra yesterday edged up 1c to 26c. Rolling high
    for the year has been 30c and low 9.5c. The high price was struck in
    February after a news letter wrote them up but soon after they were back
    to 22c. The company has 119.5 million shares on issue with a market cap
    of $29.8 million.
    The key to the company's improvement has been the growth in
    revenue from $7 million to $12.2 million for the half.
    During the period Destra purchased the business of GPM
    Internet in July.
    In December Destra purchased music business Rajon, through the
    purchase of 100 per cent of the shares in Rajon Distribution Pty Ltd.
    At its AGM in November, Destra announced it was looking for
    further acquisitions in this financial year.
    Work is continuing on this and announcements will be made
    when an acquisition has been reached.
    Probably the most fortuitous acquisition has been an
    agreement with Intel to distribute and sell destramusic.com's 1.3
    million digital music tracks via Intel's Viiv technology PC/home
    entertainment platform.
    Intel Viiv technology is focused on enhancing consumers'
    enjoyment, management and sharing of digital entertainment.
    Intel launched its Viiv technology at CES (Consumer
    Electronics Show) in Los Vegas in January and will be launching locally
    this month.
    "The Intel Viiv technology rollout is driving tremendous
    awareness for converged technologies in the home," said Domenic Carosa,
    Destra's CEO.
    "This agreement presents an outstanding opportunity for destra
    Media, as a digital integrator, to be a critical component within the
    growing number of households embracing digital entertainment," Mr Carosa
    declared.
    Devices based on the Intel Viiv technology platform are able
    to support surround sound, high-definition video and other enhanced
    features.
    "Our destra Media team is currently beta testing its
    destramusic.com and MP3.com.au Intel Viiv technology version and we are
    on track to have the service ready for the March 16 Australian launch of
    Viiv," said Mr Carosa.
    MP3.com.au's 100,000 tracks of independent musicians will be
    made available for free to users of the service while destramusic.com's
    1.3 million tracks from major record companies, including EMI, Sony and
    FMR, will require a fee to be paid.
    Destra has consolidated its leadership position in the digital
    music space having made significant technology headway and announced a
    number of global agreements over the last eight months.
    "Our relationship with Intel and the integration of our digital
    music technology into its Viiv platform, will allow a number of our
    retail and media partners to launch an integrated service on the new
    Viiv home entertainment devices coming to market in April," Mr Carosa
    said.
    "We will be announcing a number of very significant retail
    and media partnerships over the next couple of months which will take
    these services to the mass market at a level never seen before in
    Australia."
    Destra Media and 3 mobile recently launched Australia's first
    mobile subscription based digital music download service, offering
    3 mobile customers the country's largest digital music catalogue
    of independent artists.
    The $3 per month subscription service allows 3 mobile customers
    to download as many tracks as they want from MP3.com.au's extensive
    catalogue of songs as often as they want each month.

    BACKGROUND
    **********

    Destra Corporation is a leading internet and e-commerce company
    delivering internet business and consumer entertainment solutions through
    its two arms - destra Media and destra Business.
    The destra Business group comprises of two divisions -
    destra Business and TPP Internet.
    These divisions service the SME sector through mid-tier to
    large corporations delivering solutions and efficiencies in data
    connectivity, voice communications, managed and virtual hosting and
    domain name services.
    Destra Business is an established end-to-end managed service
    provider of comprehensive data, voice and hosting solutions to broad
    market segments.
    Destra Business services SMEs, large businesses, corporates
    and government Australia wide.
    The breadth and depth of destra Business services and products
    include voice and data communications, enterprise and co-located hosting,
    full managed hosting services for all platforms, domain registration,
    wireless and broadband connectivity, network integration and data centre
    facilities.
    TPP Internet is one of the top three domain registrars in
    Australia selling domain registrations directly and through its channel
    arm.
    TPP Internet registers domain names in many countries for its
    clients that include Telstra, News Interactive, NineMSN, Lend Lease
    Corporation and ANZ Banking Group.
    In addition, it is the exclusive international domain name
    registrar for the Solomon Islands.
 
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