NEX EXCHANGE
Hydro Hotel, Eastbourne (HYDP) generated a 10% increase in turnover to £3.52m, but there was a decline in pre-tax profit from £224,000 to £156,000 in the year to October 2017. This is blamed on the increase in the minimum wage and the fact that more bookings are coming from online travel agents. The total dividend was unchanged at 21p a share. There is £1m in the bank. The public rooms’ refurbishment is complete and the hotel has gained 4* status. Exterior repair work and bedroom refurbishments continue.
Coinsilium Group Ltd (COIN) has launched a private fund for digital tokens. The Gibraltar-based fund will hold tokens issued to Coinsilium. The value of the digital tokens received in 2017 is $822,000. If digital tokens that will be received over the coming two years are included the total value is $5.34m. The advisory business has advised on four token issues and there are four more to be completed.
Capital for Colleagues (CFCP) says that its investee company Cotswold Valves has acquired Flow Capital Company Ltd. Capital for Colleagues has made a working capital loan of £300,000, on top of an existing £50,000 loan. Capital for Colleagues also owns 49% of Cotswold Valves.
Ganapati (GANP) says that its slot game Pikotaro’s Pineapple Pen has been selected as one of the ten finalists at the Global Gaming Awards. The result will be announced on 5 February.
Globe Capital (GCAP) has raised £100,000 from a 6% convertible loan note. The conversion price is 0.5p a share.
AIM
MayAir Group (MAYA) is recommending a 120p a share cash bid from Poly Glorious, which is ultimately owned by Jiang Li. That is below the 130p a share floatation price less than three years ago. The air purification equipment manufacturer is valued at £50.4m. The current chief executive and other management are taking shares in the acquisition vehicle, which is already involved in air conditioning industry in China. MayAir has been hit by increased competition.
Learning Technologies Group (LTG) reports that 2017 profit and cash was much better than forecast. Pre-tax profit is set to more than double to £13m and net cash was £1m. The e-learning business appears to have made good progress integrating NetDimensions and it is assessing other international acquisitions.
The decline in underlying profit at compliance and energy services provider Lakehouse (LAKE) was slightly lower than expected. There was still a fall from £7.5m to £5.5m and a cut in dividend from 1.5p a share to 0.5p a share. Net debt was £1.3m but there might be additional working capital requirements this year. Profit is on course to recover this year but dividend expectations have been downgraded. Property services and construction remain the weaker parts of the business but the core operations are growing.
MYCELX Technologies (MYX) says that orders from Saudi Arabian chemicals company SABIC boosted 2017 revenues. These revenues were generated late in the year. This has increased estimates by 20% to 30%. This means MYCELX will be cash flow positive. This year’s revenues should at least be maintained at 2017 levels.
Castleton Technology (CTP) has won two contracts, one of which is a renewal with Places for People, worth £1.2m and both incorporate a range of the modules provided by the housing association-focused business.
Composite materials supplier Velocity Composites (VEL) sparked a 2017-18 earnings per share downgrade from 8.5p to 5.5p following its 2016-17 figures. This is due to cost increases with the concomitant revenues not set to show through for another year at least.
Ideagen (IDEA) grew revenues by 43% to £17.2m in the six months to September 2017. The document control and compliance software supplier is on course to increase full year profit from £6.9m to £9.7m. Recurring revenues generated 63% of total interim revenues.
MAIN MARKET
Blockchain Worldwide (BLOC), the renamed Stapleton Capital, has changed its investing strategy to cover the blockchain technology industry. Management claims to have already seen a number of exciting blockchain opportunities.
Standard list cash shell Derriston Capital (DERR) still had £2.17m in cash at the end of 2017. Derriston has been seeking an acquisition for more than one year but it has not yet identified a suitable target.
Avocet Mining (AVM) has delayed completion of the sale of Resolute (West Africa) for a further five days to 30 January.
Andrew Hore