Network Engines Inc (NASDAQ:NENG) has released its results for the quarter to December 31, 2008. We’ve adjusted our valuation down 7% from $25.5m or $0.59 per share to $23.8M or $0.55 per share. With the stock price at $0.51, we’re going to maintain our position for now, but we’re mindful that NENG is a perennial net net stock and so we might take the opportunity to exit if it gets to our target valuation of $0.55.
We started following NENG on January 13 when it was trading at $0.38, which gave it a market capitalization of just $16.5M. The stock is up 34.2% since our initial post to $0.51, which gives it a market capitalization of $22.0M. In November 2007, an activist investor, Trinad Management, pushed the company to “immediately [implement] a share buy-back program.” The company demurred and saw its stock sink to all-time lows.
The value proposition updated
NENG’s Q1 10Q shows an increase in cash, which seems to be largely as a result of reducing accounts receivable and inventories (the “Carrying” column shows the assets as they are carried in the financial statements, and the “Liquidating” column shows our estimate of the value of the assets in a liquidation):
Conclusion
We are inclined to exit NENG if it gets to our $0.55 valuation. It’s a perennial net net stock, so we think there’s a good chance NENG will be back in net net land again. As we pointed out in our earlier post, Jonathan Heller of Cheap Stocks-fame mentioned it back in October 2005 in a list of the Top 20 Market Cap Companies Trading Below Net Current Asset Value. It was then trading around $1.30 against a net current asset value of around $1.31. Investors buying back in October 2005 had plenty of opportunity to unload the stock at a profit while it traded up to $3.17 in March 2006. We’re planning to do the same again, but at $0.55.
[Full Disclosure: We do not have a holding in NENG. This is neither a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. All information provided believed to be reliable and presented for information purposes only. Do your own research before investing in any security.]
Greenbackd 
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