Topic: How To Invest

Hi Pat: I’ve been following your advice for quite a while now and am very happy with the results. I would like to ask you about a stock: Serco Group plc. Thanks in advance.

Article Excerpt

Serco Group plc, 81.10 pence, symbol SRP on the London Stock Exchange (Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: 881.6 million British pounds; www.serco.com), is a British outsourcing company that manages public and private transport services, air traffic control, prisons and schools. The company’s main listing is on the London Stock Exchange. Serco is now selling its Business Process Outsourcing (“BPO”) division to private equity firm Blackstone for 250 million pounds ($384 million U.S.). The BPO unit runs IT and customer services for private-sector firms from its base in India. It’s also been a big money loser for Serco. The company will use the proceeds to pay down some of its huge debt of 1.5 billion British pounds, which is 1.7 times its market cap. The BPO sale will let Serco focus on government service contracts instead of the private sector. Serco is now trying to rebuild its reputation after having been involved in a number of problems and failures with contracts over the…