The AIM-listed construction consultant isn't really dead, of course. But although the firm is alive and well, its share price has been in a vegetative state for the past 30 days, hardly moving from 50.5p.
I draw this to you attention because it's a little surprising that some life wasn't breathed into it last week – when it announced that former Atkins board member David Ridley was to join as an executive director.
Ridley is well regarded in the sector, having built quantity surveyor Faithful & Gould into an international business prior to its takeover by Atkins. But the market doesn't seem to care. Like a patient resigned to swallowing bad medicine, NBA finance director Peter Brazier shrugs his shoulders: "We're just a small company with limited liquidity."
To be fair to NBA, it didn't really miss out on much. Last week was deadly dull for most of its rivals in the support services sector. Consultants White Young Green and Capita recorded rises of less than 1% to 128.5p and 246.5p respectively.
One of the healthier performers in the support services sector was WSP. Its positive statement on Friday had a proved a powerful tonic, and the share price soared 15.7% to 99.5p.
No comments yet