ComputerLand involved in talks over acquisition

Takeover Talk of selling causes shares to rise.

Nottingham-based ComputerLand saw its shares creep up three per cent in value last week after the AIM-listed corporate reseller revealed it was in 'talks which may lead to acquisitions'.

However, Charles Stanley & Co, brokers for ComputerLand, declined to say whether the reseller was being bought or would make an acquisition.

A representative at the broker said: 'This is price sensitive data - we will issue further statements as and when appropriate.'

ComputerLand's share price rose five pence to 220p when it admitted the talks, and finished up at 225p on 16 March.

There was speculation that Vanstar, the giant US reseller, could be in line to purchase the UK reseller. ComputerLand is a Vanstar affiliate and provides the fulfilment work for Vanstar's international clients.

This business is understood to account for up to 10 per cent of the company's z20 million sales.

In an interview with PC Dealer last year, Computerland UK MD and chairman Graham Gilbert said the reseller had no intention of selling up. 'I will be 34 in August and I am hardly ready to retire,' he said.

Gilbert also revealed his intentions to expand regional coverage: 'The North and Scotland look attractive, but this is very much in the future. If the right business came along, I would buy it. But I have never seen anything that was particularly attractive. We have always grown organically, and I see no reason why we should not continue to do so.'

Computerland has a market capitalisation of around z11 million. In the six months to 31 October 1997, the company produced a pre-tax profit of z398,000 (1996 z199,000) and sales were up 34 per cent to z10.3 million (z7.7 million). Service sales were up 67 per cent to z1.66 million.

The company has reseller branches in Nottingham, Leicester and London.

It has also invested heavily in a remote support centre in Nottingham.