Moving higher to 2.50, page-4

Just getting back to levels before the post-dividend profit strippers left and the doom merchants briefly arrived. A few months ago the company founder bought another million dollars worth of shares on-market at $2.20, and two other directors topped up in June when it dipped below $2.10 - hard to see this as a sign of anything but optimism from insiders. The company may be in a slow lead time sector but shipbuilding is not a sunset industry and it’s defence credentials and commercial track record are well established.

The company has plenty of cash and if the Subic Bay deal completes shortly - as diplomatic channels have long rumoured - with a competent and well capitalized partner alongside, then IMO Austal’s share price should get some good sustained uplift.