AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Hemp and cannabinoid products supplier Yooma Wellness (YOOM) is restructuring its business due to the depressed market conditions. Unprofitable activities have been wound down and management is still trying to come up with a new strategy. The 2021 Vertex acquisition is being handed back to the sellers and $1.2m in receivables has been assigned to them. The subsidiary in France is filing for a bankruptcy procedure. Yooma Wellness requires more cash and other operations may need to be sold. If not, then there could be insolvency proceedings.
Love Hemp (LIFE) has appointed administrators. Secured creditors have issued a notice of default requiring repayment of the £1.92m debt facility. Sales have slumped and a dispute with former managing director Philip Small has not helped.
Walls and Futures REIT (WAFR) is holding a general meeting on 23 February so that strategic investor Vengrove can raise cash for the company through a share issue. The number of shares in issue will be ten times as many as currently in issue. This will help Walls and Futures REIT scale up. Vengrove SI-REIT Advisors will become manager of the portfolio of assets. Pax Homes will be sold to Joseph McTaggart, so the group will no longer be a developer. Investments will be made in affordable rental housing, education property, service stations and car parks and community buildings. A portfolio of assets has been identified. The company’s name will be changed to Social Infrastructure REIT.
Music artist management and services provider All Things Considered (ATC) is estimated to have generated revenues of £11m in 2022 and the loss should be slashed from £2.7m to £300,000. Increased touring by music artists helped the business to recover. The company could breakeven in 2023.
Emissions reducing fuel ingredients supplier SulNOx Group (SNOX) finance director Steven Cowin has given notice and will leave the board at the end of March 2023. Four directors have option agreements with 6% shareholder RemNOx Ltd, which would enable it to acquire a total of 24.08 million shares at 30p each between 6 February and 28 February. That would mean that RemNOx would own 29.9% of SulNOx.
EPE Special Opportunities Ltd (EO.P) had cash of £24.5m at the end of January 2023. NAV was 334p a share, down from 456p a share. The share price recovered 5.71% to 185p. The Luceco (LUCE) share price decline was part of the reason. The company bought back 5.4% of its share capital at an average price of 139p/share. A £2m investment was made in premium dog snacks maker Denzel’s Ltd.
There are further delays in the provision of the £200,000 bridge loan to TruSpine Technologies (LON: TSP).
Newbury Racecourse (NYR) is raising its prize money by 16% to £6.06m in the 2023 season. Chairman Dominic Burke bought 6,250 shares at 815p each, taking his stake to 6.42%.
Res Privata NV took a 3.83% stake in NFT Investments (NFT).
Oberon Investments (OBE) appointed Paul Sheehan to its investment management team.
Greencare Capital has changed its name to MaxRets Ventures (MAX).
Marula Mining (MARU) appointed PWC Kenya as advisor to its East Africa activities.
AIM
Managed IT and networking services provider AdEPT Technology (ADT) is being acquired by a private equity backed Wavenet, which also provides telecom services. The 201p a share bid is a 75% premium to the previous market price it is still well below past levels. However, shareholders will not get the 2.5p a share interim dividend. The bid values AdEPT Technology at £50.3m.
Hardide (HDD) revenues grew 39% to £5m with the prospect of another sharp increase this year. The advanced coatings company continues to broaden its sector and customer base in areas such as renewable energy. Hardide is expected to continue to be loss making but the cash outflow will reduce. There is enough cash following the sale and leaseback of the US facility for the immediate requirements of Hardide.
Communications sub-systems manufacturer Filtronic (FTC) has been hit by component shortages that held back progress in the first half and this will continue in the second half. The order book is worth £17m, which is more than the 2022-23 forecast revenues of £16.5m. A small pre-tax profit is expected for the full year and there should be a sharp recovery in profit as supply problems ease next year.
Alumasc (ALU) interim revenues were 5% ahead at £45 million, pre-tax profit fell 11% to £5.6 million. The corresponding period included high margin Chap Lap Kok airport project work for the water management division and the phasing of projects hit the latest figures. The figures exclude the loss making Levolux business, which has been sold. Management indicated its confidence in the future with the 1.5% increase in the interim dividend to 3.4p a share. The second half will be stronger than the first half, but pre-tax profit is expected to decline from £12.7m to £11.3m.
Songtradr Inc launched an agreed bid for music streaming technology developer 7digital Group (7DIG) and the 0.695p a share offer values the company at £19.4m. The share has not been at this level since September 2021. Songtradr is a music licensing company with a platform and technology that connects music rights holders to brands and content creators.
Clinical communications technology developer Feedback (FDBK) revenues are still modest, but they increased by 222% to £576,000. The £450,000 contract with a Sussex community diagnostic centre made a contribution to these revenues and is up for renewal. The new contract should be worth much more when it is renewed. This pilot project will help to show other potential clients that the technology works. Other NHS trusts are showing interest in the company’s services. There was cash of £9.23m at the end of November 2022, so Feedback can finance further development and cover losses.
WH Ireland cut its forecast for SaaS-based retail software provider itim Group (ITIM) because contract delays mean that revenues will be slower coming through. Annualised recurring revenues are £13m, which is lower than expected. Revenues recognised for 2022 will be slightly below previous forecasts and that increases the loss by £200,000 to £1.1m. The 2023 loss is expected to be the same. Net cash is £3.9m. The share price slumped by 24.8% to 37.5p. The June 2021 placing was at 154p.
The share price of credit provider Morses Club (MCL) fell a further 52.6% to a new low of 0.21p ahead of the cancellation of the AIM quotation. Asset Match will provide a matched bargains facility for the shares.
esports company Gfinity (GFIN) requires more cash by the end of March so management wants to raise £1.5m via a share issue. That will finance a corporate restructuring, invest in the Athlos technology platform and help the company to move towards breakeven. Gfinity has a market capitalisation of £3.1m, so the proposed share issue will be highly dilutive.
MAIN MARKET
Used car finance and property bridging loans provider S&U (SUS) continues to do well despite weak consumer confidence. Group net receivables have risen from £370m to around £420m in the six months to January 2023. Full year figures will be published on 28 March. Full year pre-tax profit is forecast to decline from £47m – due to low bad debt provisions – to £41.2m. Net debt was £192m at the end of January 2023, compared with committed facilities of £210m. The second interim dividend is 38p a share. The full year dividend total is expected to be 132p a share.
Hamak Gold Ltd (HAMA) has commissioned a geophysical survey for the Ziatoyah gold prospect in Liberia. This will map the mineralised sulphide bearing metadolerite units where high grades of gold have been intersected.
Andrew Hore
