Acal Temperature Sensor
The Nespresso coffee
machine is one of the most popular domestic gadgets of our time,
enabling consumers to enjoy cafe-style sophistication in the home. The
correct temperature is a vital part of the machine’s success – too cold
and the coffee will not blend with the water; too hot and coffee lovers
will scald their mouths.
Acal makes Nespresso’s temperature sensors, which are designed to be accurate and exceptionally reliable.
The firm, based in
Guildford, Surrey, focuses on niche electronic components for products
ranging from kitchen appliances to hospital computers and industrial
lasers.
Its
shares are 232p and should gain ground over the next few years.
Electronics play an increasingly important role in everyday life and
Acal is well positioned to benefit.
Chief
executive Nick Jefferies has ambitious expansion plans. The group
already has 25,000 customers, mainly in the UK and on the Continent, but
the European electronics market, valued at about £4 billion, is
fractured, so Acal’s share is only about 5 per cent. Jefferies is keen
to double that, even as the market expands.
Analysts
expect profits to rise from £6.3 million to £12 million in the year to
March 31. Earnings per share – profits divided by shares in issue – are
forecast to rise almost 30 per cent to 15.8p over the same period, while
sales are forecast to rise 33 per cent to £281 million.
Acal
has come on in leaps and bounds since Jefferies took the helm, but the
best is yet to come. At 232p, the shares are good value.
