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Quoted Micro 23 January 2023
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Oberon Investments Group (OBE) is acquiring 63% of Logic Investments Ltd, which provides back office services to investment managers. Logic has funds under management and administration of more than £275m and Oberon Investments will merge its own back office operations with Logic. A placing raised £1.75m at 3.5p a share. Chairman Alex Hambro subscribed for 1.14 million of the shares, taking his stake to 1.64 million shares. The cash will be used to accelerate growth.
GP IT systems supplier DXS International (LON: DXSP) reported a 2% improvement in interim revenues to £1.65m, while the loss was £131,000 due to higher depreciation and operating costs. There was £399,000 in the bank at the end of October 2022. Management options can be exercised if annual turnover reaches £5m in the next three years. Hybridan forecasts revenues 2022-23 revenues of £3.61m with a pre-tax profit of £86,000.
Cooks Coffee Company (COOK) says UK sales were 41% higher in 2022, while sales in Ireland were 91% ahead. The focus is generating better returns from existing café sites, although there will be some new openings.
Healthy snacks supplier S-Ventures (SVEN) says full year revenues were £8.7m, but the inability to obtain ingredients hampered sales income. The operating loss is £2.6m. The revenues were one-fifth down on initial expectations for the year to September 2022. Supply problems have eased, and price rises have helped to offset higher costs.
Marula Mining (MARU) has appointed Geofields Tanzania to commence copper exploration at the Kinusi copper project, where Marula Mining owns a 49% interest, and £80,000 has been raised from a warrant exercise. Initial exploration results should be published in the second quarter of 2023.
Hydrogen Future Industries (HFI) is investing in hydrogen production facilities developer Tower Green. It has spent £100,000 in cash and shares on a 20% stake and has the right to invest a further £50,000 for another 10% stake. Tower has an agreement with Element 2 to supply hydrogen fuel to fleet operators. Hydrogen Future Industries has developed wind-based hydrogen production systems.
Tap Global (TAP) continues to rise following the previous week’s completion of its reversal into Quetzal Capital last week. There was £3.1m raised at 4.5p at the same time, even though the market price had not been that high since May last year. Chief executive David Carr acquired 190,000 shares at 4.1p each and finance director Anthony Quirke bought 135,135 shares at 4.4p each.
Newbury Racecourse (NYR) lost money on the Great Christmas Carnival and the company is likely to make a small profit in 2022. The other parts of the business traded in line with expectations.
Quantum Exponential (QBIT) had £2.48m in cash out of net assets of £4.85m at the end of October 2022. There was a cash outflow of £313,000 in the previous six months.
Guanajuato Silver Company Ltd (GSVR) has restarted processing at the Cata mill at the Valenciana mine. The initial processing rate is around 8,000 tonnes/month.
Invinity Energy Systems (IES) says that its VFB technology has passed phase 1 requirements for UK government’s LODES competition, and it is submitting the application for phase 2. The competition offers £11m of funding to the winner.
AQRU (AQRU) says that Accru Finance is raising the threshold for minimum account deposits on its app to $250,000. This will reduce assets on the app, but hardly affect revenues. There will also be further cost cutting.
Rogue Baron (SHNJ) sold 930 cases of Shinju whisky in the fourth quarter of 2022. Revenues were $120,000.
Gunsynd (GUN) has raised £194,000 from partial disposals of stakes in three companies. Gunsynd has invested £150,000 in Strategic Minerals Europe, the holding company of Aberdeen Minerals, which is exploring for nickel-copper-cobalt deposits in north east Scotland. Shares were acquired at 2.5p each and Gunsynd has a 2.7% stake.
Hydro Hotel Eastbourne (HYDP) is paying a dividend of 23p a share, up from 21p a share last year.
AIM
Pawnbroker Ramsdens Holdings (RFX) did much better than expected in the year to September 2022. Group revenues increased by 62% to £66.1m, while pre-tax profit jumped from £564,000 to £8.27m. Net cash is £8.84m. The total dividend is 9p a share. Earnings forecasts for 2022-23 were upgraded by 5% following a 6% upgrade in October.
Regional legal firm consolidator Knights Group Holdings (KGH) reported a 19% increase in interim revenues to £71.2m and underlying pre-tax profit was also 19% ahead at £9m. This was achieved in a flat market. Net debt was £35.6m at the end of October 2022. The interim dividend is 153p a share.
China-based Hainan Mining is funding the Bougouni lithium project that is wholly owned by Kodal Minerals (KOD). A $100m investment will be made into a joint venture providing Hainan Mining with a 51% stake. The work on the construction of the mine will be overseen by Kodal Minerals. Hainan Mining is also subscribing $17.75m for a 14.8% stake in Kodal Minerals and that money will be spent on other projects.
Mirriad Advertising (MIRI) is launching a strategic review and potentially putting itself up for sale. The board of the programmatic advertising business believes that Mirriad Advertising is undervalued even though it continues to make heavy losses. Revenues were £1.51m in 2022 and there was £11.3m in cash, which should last until the third quarter of 2023. The strategic review will consider how the business should be funded from then on. In-content advertising is set to grow significantly, but Mirriad Advertising has to have the funding to take advantage.
Legal services provider Gateley (GTLY) generated organic growth of 10% and improved profit by 12% in the first half. In the six months to October 2022, group revenues were 22% ahead at £76.1m, helped by contributions from the new patent activities, while pre-tax profit improved from £8.5m to £9.6m. The dividend has been raised by 10% to 3.3p a share.
Musical instruments retailer Gear4Music (G4M) grew revenues by 5% in the third quarter despite strikes and weak consumer spending. UK sales were flat, and the growth was in Europe. Gross margins declined. A full year pre-tax profit of £1.1m, down from £5m, is forecast.
Inland Homes (INL) chief executive Donagh O’Sullivan has resigned after little more than one month in the job.
Panther Securities (PNS) is paying a special interim dividend of 10p a share. The property investor says that it expects net assets to increase by £19m in 2022, mainly due to the removal of two derivatives liabilities relating to interest rates on debt. Loan-to-value is less than 40%. Debt refinancing discussions will begin later this year.
Online women’s fashion retailer In The Style (ITS) was hit in December by price cutting by rivals and difficulties in delivering orders. Revenues in the quarter to December 2022 fell by 22%. Full year revenues are expected to be £46m, which is not much more than the £44.7m generated in the year before flotation. The EBITDA outcome is likely to be a loss of between £4.25m and £4.75m. There was £3.2m in cash at the end of 2022. On 8 December, In The Style launched a strategic review and that continues.
Rockfire Resources (ROCK) has entered into a joint venture with Sunshine Gold for the Plateau gold deposit in Queensland. Sunshine Gold will fund all exploration for three years. Rockfire Resources will focus on the Molaoi zinc deposit in Greece.
Circle Property (CRC) intends to return at least £30m to shareholders by March 2023. Three-fifths of the portfolio has been sold in 14 months. At 220p, the shares are trading on a discount to NAV of around 18%.
Upgrades for Equals Group (EQLS) continue to push the share price higher. The forecasts had already been upgraded in December and earnings per share have been increased by a further 4% to 4.8p, up from 2.8p in 2021. There was £15m in the bank at the end of 2022.
Crimson Tide (TIDE) revenues were better than expected and that reduced the forecast loss. The mobile as a service technology developer is still on course to breakeven next year. Annualised recurring revenues are £5.8m, which is more than generated in 2022. The US provides additional potential.
Shanta Gold (SHG) produced 65,209 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,270 at the New Luika gold mine in Tasmania, which is just below guidance. Capital investment means that it could produce 66,000-72,000 ounces of gold at an all-in costs of $1,200-$1,300/ounce.
MAIN MARKET
LED lighting and wiring accessories supplier Luceco (LUCE) as 2022 revenues and profit are at the upper end of guidance. Strong cash flow reduced borrowings with net debt one-third lower than expected at £24m. The finance director is leaving and being replaced with non-exec Will Hoy.
Medica Group (MGP) revenues and profit for 2022 should be in line with expectations. Improved radiologist capacity helped revenues improve from £61.9m to £77m, while pre-tax profit is set to improve from £7.4m to £13m. Acquisition opportunities are being evaluated.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 5 September 2022
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Cancer treatments developer Incanthera (INC) says that commercial discussions continue for skin cancer treatment Sol and there is potential for a Sol-based product range. There is still £295,000 of cash in the balance sheet at the end of March 2022. The Actino-Pro brand has been trademarked. There was a cash outflow from operations of £660,000 in the previous 12 months. Two directors have provided a loan facility of £190,000, of which £50,000 has been drawn. The directors have waived their remuneration and a payment to UOB has been deferred. Management believes that Incanthera will have enough finance until the fourth quarter of 2023. Potential partners could take advantage of the lack of cash when doing a deal.
S-Ventures (SVEN) has acquired Lizza, a wellness and free-from food brand, from Peter Cremer Holding. The Hamburg-based agricultural business is subscribing £2m for shares in S-Ventures at 70p each. The share price has never traded at that level. Lizza produces pasta and breads and provides S-Ventures with a base in the German market. Revenues were €4.5m in 2021. The initial cost of the deal is €1, but there is an earn-out based on a share of profit over ten years up to a maximum total of €2.366m.
Healthcare IT developer DXS International (DXSP) is reviewing its growth plans for the next 24 months. The new strategy will be designed accelerate growth and is likely to require additional funds. They will probably be raised through a share issue and that appears to have worried investors.
KR1 (KR1) has invested $300,000 in RedStone Finance, as part of a $7m fundraising. KR1 participated in the previous financing round. RedStone is developing RedStone Oracles, a provider of data feeds for crypto assets, and smart contract platform provider Warp Contracts.
Rent guarantee service provider RentGuarantor Holdings (RGG) published interim results showing a jump in revenues from £91,000 to £170,000. Higher admin expenses meant that the loss increased from £258,000 to £353,000. Revenues continued to improve in July and August.
Tectonic Gold (TTAU) says 40%-owned Whale Head Minerals has received a mining permit for its near-production minerals sands operation, which has an estimated NPV of £150m. Tectonic Gold has agreed to transfer a 30% stake to Whale Head Minerals’ BEE partners, which have mining expertise, and it will retain a non-diluting interest of 10%.
Invinity Energy Systems (IES) says contract manufacturer Baojia has shipped 1.1MWh of Invinity batteries from its factory in China designed for the project with Elemental Energy in Canada. Final assembly and testing will be done by Invinity Energy Systems at its factory before delivery.
TECC Capital (TEC) has invested a further £200,000 in convertible loan notes in EDX Medical. This takes the total investment in convertibles to £500,000, which is guaranteed by EDX Medical founder Professor Sir Chris Evans. Discussions continue about the acquisition of EDX Medical.
Vulcan Industries (VULC) has sold tacks and nails manufacturer IVI Metallics for £1. The business had net liabilities of £458,000 and it has struggled to rebuild its order book. Vulcan Industries still provides a cross guarantee for the CBIL liability of £739,000.
SuperSeed Capital Ltd (WWW) says that SuperSeed Fund II has led a $3.6m investment in brand advocacy platform Duel. The software-as-a-service platform helps retail brands grow via positive feedback from customers. ASOS, Unilever and Mint Velvet are among the clients.
Evrima (EVA) has an 8.93% stake in Kalahari Key, which has provided an update on the Molopo Farms Complex project. A diamond drilling contract has been signed with a Botswana-based company.
Yooma Wellness Inc (YOOM) increased interim revenues from $2.78m to $6.49m and the loss has been reduced from $5.57m to $3.83m. CBD product sales were strong in Europe and Japan. The company has been reducing its expenses.
Clarify Pharma (PSYC) had cash of £2.1m at the end of May 2022. It is seeking investments in the medical use of psychedelics.
Oscillate (MUSH) had £1.91m in the bank at the end of May 2022, although £600,000 has been invested in Aquis-quoted Psych Capital (PSY) and fully listed Dev Clever (LON: DEV).
AIM
Futura Medical (FUM) says that the clinical study for the MED3000 topical gel erectile dysfunction treatment has met its primary and secondary endpoints. The study showed an improvement in erectile function and a highly statistic improvement in the onset of action at 10 minutes. There were limited side effects with 4.3% of patient suffering headaches and a further 4.3% nausea, which is much better than rival treatment tadalafil. The next move is submitting MED3000 for FDA review as a De Novo medical device for the over-the-counter treatment of erectile dysfunction. This could lead to marketing authorisation by the first quarter of 2023. MED3000 has received the UKCA mark.
Neurocrine Biosciences Inc is making a recommended bid of 27.5p a share in cash for hormonal disease treatments developer Diurnal (DNL), which values the company at £48.3m. The April 2021 placing and open offer was at 70p a share and the share price has slumped since then. Revenues have not built up as fast as hoped and another cash raising is on the horizon if Diurnal stays independent.
Pharma software provider Instem (INS) has gained its largest ever contract. The deal is worth at least $12m over five years. The client is a contract research organisation and is for the company’s cloud-based Aspire clinical trial acceleration software, which will be launched with the customer in one year. There is $3m for implementation and the rest is paid in instalments of $2.25m a year over four years. The annual recurring revenues are $1m more than for the Instem system that is being replaced.
Egg-free cakes retailer Cake Box (CBOX) says trading is becoming more difficult and only part of the cost increases it is suffering are being passed on to franchisees. Sales are also under pressure with a like-for-like decline of 2.8% so far in this financial year. This means that full year profit will be much lower than the £7.2m expected. There is £6.7m in cash, although the £2m dividend will be paid in September. Chief executive Sukh Chamdal acquired 225,000 shares at 121.85p each.
Telephony services provider LoopUp Group (LOOP) has taken on a book of conference service contracts from a US competitor for no initial payment. There is a revenue share agreement for three years to October 2025. These contracts could generate cash of £5m a year, although it may reduce due to customer churn. This is much-needed cash flow for the business, which is still heavily loss-making. The new bank facility is £17m and that more than covers the expected net debt at the end of 2023.
Oil and gas producer PetroNeft Resources (PTR) has an oil storage and transportation contract with Nord Imperial for production from licence 61 in Tomsk Oblast, Russia at a cost that is far above standard market rates. PetroNeft has tried to change the contract and started paying reduced amounts, but Nord Imperial has suspended acceptance of oil. PetroNeft is shutting down its wells, which will hit income. Licence 67 is not affected and is producing 270 barrels of oil per day.
Independent directors of market research firm System1 Group (SYS1) are conducting a strategic review and the proposed tender offer has been postponed. This review will assess whether the company can grow faster if partners or an external investor are brought in.
MAIN MARKET
Zamaz (ZAMZ) joined the standard list last Friday and raised £3.69m. Cornerstone investor Atlas paid 10.45p a share, which is a 5% discount to the nominal subscription price. Most of the cash will go on expenses and repaying existing bonds. Zamaz believes that its technology platform can help to efficiently build direct to consumer brands via e-commerce. Amazon is currently the main marketplace used by the company. There is already a portfolio of brands in the group, but most are at an early stage of their development. There are plans to acquire more brands. Revenues are relatively modest and Zamaz is losing money. The share price fell to 9.48p (8p/10.95p) on the first day. There were 90,000 shares traded in one deal at 10.95p. The shares are tightly held and there is potential dilution from the convertibles worth up to £15m that could be issued to Atlas Capital Markets and the associated warrants.
First Tin (1SN) has announced positive intercepts at the latest two drill holes at the Gottesberg tin project in Germany. These and other results validate the belief that a higher grade core exists within the deposit.
Iconic Labs (ICON) has settled disputes and has finalised proposals for a company voluntary arrangement. If this goes ahead then the administration will end and trading in the shares may recommence once up to date results have been published. The shares have been suspended for around 15 months.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 22 August 2022
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Invinity Energy Systems (IES) has signed a memorandum of understanding with US Vanadium to create a US-based 50/50 joint venture to build and sell vanadium flow batteries. Arkansas-based US Vanadium produces high-purity vanadium pentoxide and electrolyte for vanadium flow batteries. Invinity Energy Systems has also delivered and installed a 1.8MWh VS3 flow battery system at the European Marine Energy Centre hydrogen R&D facility in the Orkney Islands.
Valereum (VLRM) is swapping its 20 bitcoin miners in the US for a 24% stake in new company Vinanz, which is conditional on the company listing on a recognised stock exchange. The final stake will depend on the money raised at the time of the listing. This will enable Valereum to concentrate on the Gibraltar Stock Exchange when the deal gets regulatory approval.
CBD and hemp products supplier Voyager Life (VOY) generated revenues of £178,000 in the period to March 2022. There is £1.43m in the bank.
DXS International (DXSP) has entered a licence and services agreement with Deontics, which is a clinical AI company. The technology will be integrated into the DXS clinical software.
Shares in TECC Capital (TEC) remain suspended ahead of a readmission document for the proposed EDX Medical acquisition. There was £1.03m in the bank at the end of March 2022.
Goodbody Healthcare (GDBY) increased revenues by £2.55m to £7.4m in the first half of 2022. This was driven by revenues from the testing clinics. The loss grew from £1.27m to £1.41m. There is cash in the bank of £3.74m.
Psych Capital (PSY) investee company Awakn Life Sciences, where Psych Capital owns 426,000 shares, has entered the US addiction treatment and relapse prevention market through a licensing partnership with Revitalist Lifestyle and Wellness Ltd, a ketamine wellness clinic chain. Awakn has a treatment that was validated in a phase II a/b trial, which delivered 86% abstinence for six months after treatment versus 2% before the trial. Revitalist will pay an annual fee and a revenue share per treatment.
Ingraine (KING) says AZD1656, which is being developed as a treatment for people with diabetes suffering from Covid-19, has shown evidence that it activates T-regs that might suppress the inflammation that is the prime cause of tissue damage in autoimmune disease. LANCET eClinicalMedicine is publishing the results of the phase II clinical trial. Ingraine owns 2% of Excalibur Medicines Ltd, which has exclusive rights to AZD1656.
Wishbone Gold (WSBN) has a second drill rig is on site at the Red Setter gold copper project in the Patersons Range area in Western Australia. The drilling has shown the intersection of multiple zones of quartz veining, carbonate and chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite.
Premium Nickel Resources Ltd, where Evrima (EVA) owns 1.11 million shares, has been readmitted to TSX-V after the reverse takeover of North American Nickel Inc. The first assay results from the Selebi nickel copper cobalt sulphide mine in Botswana have been published. There was a positive update for the Molopo Farms complex project in Botswana, where Evrima has an 8.93% project-level interest.
Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI) is starting a US roadshow from 22 August, following the start of trading of the shares on OTCQB Venture Market. Recent US legislation could increase investor interest in the clean energy market.
Altona Rare Earths (ANR) is raising £1.1m at 8p a share ahead of the planned move to the Main Market at the end of September.
Chris Akers has increased his stake in Oscillate (MUSH) from 13.1% to 14.25%. The share price fell 11%.
AIM
Fashion brand Joules (LON: JOUL) was the worst performer of the week, falling by more than one-third. Trading has deteriorated in recent weeks, although wholesale sales are higher. This means that it will not make a profit this year, even if second half trading improves. Peel Hunt has downgraded its forecast for 20222-23 from a profit of £4m to a loss of £4.2m. Jonathan Brown becomes Joules chief executive at the end of September. Talks with NEXT about a cash injection continue.
Agricultural products supplier and retailer Wynnstay Group (WYN) raised £10.5m in a placing at 560p a share, which was above the minimum price indicated of 550p a share. The plan is to redevelop the Calne feeds site that came with an acquisition earlier this year. This can be developed into a feed mill with a 185,000 metric tonne capacity that produces poultry and ruminant feed. There are also opportunities for further acquisitions.
Online fashion retailer boohoo (BOO) has made a strategic investment in cosmetics supplier Revolution Beauty (REVB), which recently announced a profit warning. boohoo has bought a 7.13% shareholding. Revolution Beauty products are sold through several of boohoo’s websites.
Frasers Group (FRAS) has bid 2p a share for MySale Group (MYSL), which values the retailer at £13.6m. The bid is not recommended.
Newcrest Mining is not taking up the option to acquire a further 5% stake in the Havieron asset, so Greatland Gold (GGP) will retain a 30% stake. The price for the 5% stake had been set at $60m and much of that cash was earmarked to pay off loans from Newcrest. Greatland Gold management says that it is happy to retain the larger stake. The latest mineral resource for the Havieron deposit announced by Newcrest is 5.5 million ounces of gold and 223,000 tonnes of copper.
AI product revenues at Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG) reached £300,000 in the first half. There were royalties from the GE deal and direct product sales. Full year revenues are expected to be £600,000. In the six months to June 2022, group revenues grew 62% to £5.9m, although that includes £1.4m of one-off ultrasound simulation orders from an NHS training initiative. There was a 13% decline in US revenues to £1.1m, but they should recover in the second half. The group remains loss-making and there is cash of £3.5m, which is expected to decline to £1.8m by the end of 2022.
MTI Wireless Edge (MWE) has been winning contracts that should benefit the second half. In the six months to June 2022, revenues improved from $21.3m to $22.7m, while pre-tax profit barely changed from $2.05m to $2.04m, due to a higher interest charge and amortisation related to the recent acquisition of communication and monitoring systems developer PSK WIND Technologies. Russia accounted for 6% of revenues and 5% of profit in 2021.
Full year revenues of digital services provider Made Tech Group (MTEC) were 120% higher at £29.3m and it moved into profit. There was cash of £12.3m at the end of May 2022. The contracted order book is worth £38.2m.
Flexible electrical connectors manufacturer Strip Tinning (STG) shocked the market when it revealed that a Croatian customer wants to terminate a contract from 1 October. This contract for cell management systems for electric vehicles was supposed to be worth €2m a year once peak volumes were hit in a couple of years.
Fishing equipment retailer Angling Direct (ANG) increased interim revenues by 1% to £38.9m, but they weakened in the second quarter and management says that full year revenues will be lower than previous guidance of £82m. That will lead to a sharp reduction in expected EBITDA to between £3m and £3.4m.
In-game advertising services provider Bidstack Group (BIDS) has extended its contract with Sports Interactive, which created the Football Manager game. This is a multi-year renewal of a contract that initially began in 2017.
Specialist recruitment firm Gattaca (GATC) says net fee income grew by 4% to £44m in the year to July 2022. There was an increase in permanent recruitment income offsetting a decline in contract income. There is good demand but a shortage of candidates for the roles.
Frontier IP Group (FIPP) has sold 391,200 ADSs in Exscientia at an average price of $11.97 each. This raised £3.88m. That is £1.85m below book value. Frontier IP still holds 782,400 shares in Exscientia. So far, sales have raised £9.96m compared with a cash cost of less than £2,000.
Property services provider Kinovo (KINO) nearly doubled its operating profit in the year to March 2022. Net debt was reduced to £340,000. First quarter revenues have risen by 28% to £14m and Kinovo has moved into a net cash position. The latest estimate for the liability for DCB, which has gone into administration, is that it will cost £4m plus expenses to complete work, which is lower than previous estimates.
Sustainable energy projects developer SIMEC Atlantis Energy (SAE) finance boss Andrew Dagley was voted off the board at the AGM on Thursday. There were 53.5% of the votes against his re-election. There were also 45% of votes against the audited financial statements for 2021 and 27% against the directors’ remuneration report.
MAIN MARKET
Private equity firm Thoma Bravo LP has made a preliminary approach to artificial intelligence (AI)-based cybersecurity services provider Darktrace (DARK) concerning a possible cash bid. Discussions are at an early stage.
Plant hire company Vp (VP.) has ended its formal sales process after the board unanimously decided to conclude the process.
Flavouring ingredients supplier Treatt (TET) says that profit will be below expectations in the year to September 2022. Restrictions in China have hampered progress, while costs have increased, and sales of iced and leaf tea in the US have been lower than expected. Currency movements have made things worse. The order book is ahead of this time last year.
Mears (MER) has acquired IRT Surveys, which provides data-led services focused on addressing fuel poverty and energy efficiency, for up to £4.1m. The initial payment is £3m, with the rest payable depending on performance over a two-year period. There should be a £200,000 profit contribution this year.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 27 June 2022
good,
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Resolutions 8-12 were not passed at the Good Energy (GOOD) AGM, which were mainly enabling the company to issue new shares or buy back existing shares. Resolution 12 would have amended the articles of association to permit hybrid meetings.
Cadence Minerals (KDNC) has agreed to sell its 30% working interest in the Yangibana project tenements for £5.1m in shares of the ASX-listed operator Hastings Technology Metals. Cadence reported an outflow of cash from operating activities of £751,000 in 2021, down from £1.36m the previous year.
Blockchain and cryptocurrency investor Coinsilium Group Ltd (COIN) increased 2021 revenues by 130% to £530,000. Net fair value loss on financial assets was £407,000, compared with a gain of £566,000, but realised gains increased from £199,000 to £1.52m. Overall pre-tax profit fell from £310,000 to £14,000. There is £1.51m in the bank at the end of 2021, while NAV is £5.84m. Coinsilium has entered a simple agreement for future tokens (SAFT) with potential Latin America- focused blockchain gaming hub GGs.io for $100,000 of its future tokens and is a strategic adviser.
Pluto Digital has repaid the loan, plus interest, of £5.18m owed to NFT Investments (NFT).
All Star Minerals (ASMO) is raising £200,000 at 0.02p a share and every two shares come with a warrant to subscribe for a share at 0.04p. The cash will be used to finance investment in the company’s exploration projects. A further share issue at 0.02p pays £102,000 owed to GMI, where the All Star Minerals chief executive is a substantial shareholder. Management says that it is planning a much bigger cash raise.
Gunsynd (GUN) has agreed binding heads of terms with Metals One to farm into the Black Schist nickel zinc copper cobalt projects in Finland. In return for £1m, Gunsynd will earn 25% of the company owning the projects.
In 2021, Startup Giants (SUG) moved from a loss of £188,000 to a profit of £44,000. Current trading is in line with expectations.
Gowin New Energy (GWIN) had cash of RMB2.33m at the end of 2021, but it also had net liabilities. There are plans to trade agarwood products.
Wishbone Gold (WSBN) says that drilling at the Halo project in north Queensland has discovered copper mineralisation in the majority of holes drilled. The 21 hole is apparently the most promising.
Western Selection (WESP) has taken advantage of the Northbridge Industrial Services share price rise to sell 35,500 shares at 200.87p a share. It retains a 3.86% stake in the loadbanks manufacturer and renter, which changed its name to Crestchic (LOAD) later in the week.
Bondholders have approved the plan by Eight Capital Partners (ECP) to modify the terms and conditions of its 7% bonds.
Vulcan Industries (VULC) has raised £74,000 at 1p a share and issued additional shares for the acquisition of Aftech Ltd.
The wife of DXS International (DXSP) chief executive David Immelman has acquired 845,000 shares at 10p each, taking their interests to 11.85%.
Mark Horrocks has increased his stake in Quetzal Capital (QTZ) from below 3% to 5.3%. Chris Akers has raised his shareholding in Oscillate (MUSH) from 11.4% to 12.45%. Dowgate Wealth has a 4.9% stake in Silverwood Brands (SLWD).
AIM
Springfield Properties (SPR) has acquired the housebuilding business of Mactaggart and Mickel Group for a total cost of £46.3m. The initial payment is £10.5m and the rest will be paid over the next five years as homes are built on the sites acquired and sold. This way the deal should be self-financing. Six existing sites are being acquired as part of the deal and eleven will transfer as more payments are made. These sites have a gross development value of £230m.
Springfield is also acquiring a timber frame factory as part of the deal. It already owns a timber frame factory and 90% of the homes it builds have timber frames. Springfield’s capacity will double to 2,000 timber frames a year, which is more than enough for existing building plans, so outside suppliers will not be required any more.
In the six months to March 2022, Team (TEAM) revenues improved from £610,000 to £999,000, although there was an increased loss. The wealth management and financial services company acquired financial adviser Omega Financial Services in the first half and bought investment consulting business Concentric after the period end. There are other acquisition opportunities. There are opportunities to win new clients, but weak markets are holding back growth. Executive chairman Mark Clubb bought 5,004 shares at 63.9p each.
Property investor and fund manager First Property (FPO) returned to profit last year. In the year to March 2022, revenues reduced from £12.1m to £8.65m. That was mainly down to the loss of rental income from the Gdynia property. Asset management fees edged up from £3.35m to £3.46m and performance related fees jumped from £40,000 to £578,000.
There was a reduction of £7.81m in the amount owed to ING Bank, relating to the Gdynia property, and this was taken as a gain. Last year, there was a £7m write down on the property. That is why a loss of £5.09m was turned into a £7.98m profit. First Property is set to sell its properties in Romania and its supermarket properties in Poland. That will reduce net debt, which was £17.2m at the end of March 2022.
Insolvency litigation funder Manolete Partners (MANO) expects that the rising level of insolvencies will provide additional potential cases. In the year to March 2022, revenues declined from £27.8m to £20.4m. The realised revenues fell more sharply from £24.4m to £15.2m, with the main reason behind this being the large case with realised revenues of £9.3m in the previous year. Unrealised revenues increased from £3.41m to £5.2m. Pre-tax profit fell from £6.99m to £4.51m. Cash generated from operations before tax and investment in cases increased from £2.79m to £4.42m, due to a small reduction working capital. Investment in cases moved up from £5.89m to £6.47m. Peel Hunt has reduced its pre-tax profit forecast for this year from £7m to £5m.
Restaurants operator Tasty (TAST) has repaid its £1.1m bank loan, leaving it with net cash of £8.6m. Annualised interest rate savings will be £57,000 and there was no early repayment penalty. There are plans to open five or six more restaurants this year.
Premier African Minerals (PREM) has signed a deal that can get the Zulu lithium project pilot plant up and running. The pilot plant has target annual production of 50,000-ton SC6 and there are binding heads of terms with Suzhou TA&A Ultra Clean Technology to take all of this production starting from the first quarter of 2023.
Shares in 4D Pharma (DDDD) declined 28.5% to 16.66p before trading was suspended ahead of administrators being appointed. 4d Pharma says Oxford Finance has demanded immediate repayment of the $13.86m it is owed. The company cannot afford this.
Paper and specialist fibres maker James Cropper (CRPR) reported a full year, underlying pre-tax profit of £4m. The paper making business is cyclical and it made an increased loss. The TFP Hydrogen division, which makes products for fuel cells, accounts for around 30% of revenues and its operating profit before group overheads increased from £6.48m to £8.68m. James Cropper has reinstated the dividend this year with a 7.5p a share final dividend taking the total to 10p a share.
Cancer diagnostics developer ANGLE (AGL) has signed another contract with its first large pharma services customer. The Parsortix system will be used to monitor patients with unresectable solid tumours in a new phase Ib dose escalation study using the pharma company’s drug in combination with immuno-oncology agents.
Provexis (PXS) has signed two agreements with DSM relating to Fruitflow, an ingredient that helps normal blood flow and circulation. DSM customers for Fruitflow will become direct customers of Provexis at the beginning of 2023. DSM will still receive a royalty on the gross profit of Fruitflow sales to customers it transfers to Provexis for four years. The deal means that, assuming like-for-like sales and margins, Provexis would make a higher net profit in 2023 and it would increase in subsequent years. There should also be new direct customers. Provexis is also partnering with DSM on a gut microbiome patent.
Investment management company Forward Partners (FWD) says that weak stockmarkets have hit the valuations of technology companies and thereby the valuations of its investments. This means that there is likely to be a mid-to-high teens percentage decline from the interim NAV of £108m.
Argentina-focused oil and gas company Phoenix Global Resources (PGR) says that it is in discussions with 84% shareholder Mercuria Energy Group concerning a cancellation of its AIM quotation and a cash offer to purchase shares from independent shareholders at 7.5p each.
Asia-focused investment company Jade Road Investments (JADE) is selling part of its stake in China-based wind turbine blade manufacturer Meize Energy Industries. It has a 7.2% stake and will receive $1.2m in cash in three tranches, leaving it with a 6.3% stake valued at $10m. The company has already received $400,000 with the rest due for payment in July and August.
Solid State (SOLI) has been awarded a contract by Transport for London for a new one person operation CCTV system for the Piccadilly line upgrade.
MAIN MARKET
Oil services provider Lamprell (LAM) has received a non-binding indicative cash offer from 25.1% shareholder Blofeld Investment Management. Lamprell requires funding of $75m over the next two months and that is making the board seriously consider the offer even though it is at a large discount to the previous closing price. Financing opportunities are being explored. An attempt to raise $150m via a share issue did not meet with approval by all the institutional shareholders.
Roquefort Therapeutics (ROQ) has announced its second acquisition in seven months. Cancer medicines company Oncogeni Ltd is being acquired for the issue of 50 million shares and there is a placing to raise £1.01m at 14p a share. Two pre-clinical families of innovative cell and RNA oncology medicines come with Oncogeni, as well as a laboratory facility in Stratford-upon-Avon
CYBA (CYBA) is changing its name to NARF Industries. Steve Bassi will become chief executive.
Fackelmann Gmbh has increased its stake in cookware retailer Procook (PROC) from 3.83% to 4.63%.
Slovenia-based Graft Polymer (GPL) has reached cash flow positive in its core business. New equipment has been ordered in order to double capacity.
OTHER MARKETS
Pacific Road Resources Fund II is making a 0.01p a share cash bid for former AIM company Firestone Diamonds (FDI), which values the company at £79,000. Pacific Road also owns all the Firestone bonds and hopes to restart production at the Liqhobong open cast diamond mine. Firestone originally joined AIM in August 1998 at 114p a share. Since 2020, the shares have been traded by JP Jenkins and the latest price is 0.2p. The bidder owns 30.4% with a further 4.25% owned by affiliated funds. Resource Capital, which owns 34.7%, intends to accept.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 29 November 2021
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Good Energy (GOOD) is selling its 47.5MW of renewable generation capacity and then reinvest the cash. The portfolio is valued at £56.8m, with £39.1m of related debt, and could be sold in the first quarter of 2022. Good Energy is investing in the latest funding round for Zap Map and the disposal cash may be received at around the same time. The company is investing in its decentralised energy services platform, and this will be rolled out next year. There will be further investments in these areas. Competition has fallen away in the domestic energy supply market and management believes that more normal conditions could return next spring. There will be £2.5m of additional costs to cope with the knock-on effect of higher prices and the exit of rivals. There is still a possibility of achieving full year expectations.
Oberon Investments (OBE) nearly trebled revenues in the first half with the growth coming from the broking business. In the six months to September 2021, revenues improved from £1.2m to £3.4m, while funds under management were £765m at the end of the period. Investment management fees doubled, but corporate finance income jumped from £89,000 to £1.56m. Oberon moved from a loss of £514,000 to a pre-tax profit of £128,000. New product launches should enhance growth in funds under management, while the broking side remains busy.
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) investor NFT Investments (NFT) is investing $250,000 in Afterparty Inc, a platform where creators generate revenues from music events. This was set up by former Disney executive David Fields.
Eastinco Mining and Exploration (EM.P) plans to acquire battery metals explorer Aterian Resources and move to the standard list. There will be a ten-for-one share consolidation and the company’s name will change to Aterian. AIM-quoted Altus Strategies (ALS) will become a major shareholder. A fundraising has raised £850,000 from convertible loans and £100,000 from shares at 1.5p each, which is the conversion price of the convertible loans. Aterian Resources has a portfolio of 15 exploration projects.
Investment company Gunsynd (GUN) had net assets of £6.3m, including £1.07m of cash, at the end of July 2021. Investee company Low6 still intends to float.
KR1 (KR1) has contributed 350,000 Polkadot tokens to the Acala Network auction. It already has more than 10.2 million Acala tokens and more will be received after 96 weeks, when the Polkadot tokens will be returned. A further 350,000 Polkadot tokens were contributed in the auction of smart contract platform Moonbeam Network. Again, these will be locked up for 96 weeks and a undecided number of Moonbeam tokens will also be received.
Newly crowned Aquis company of the year DXS International (DXSP) reported a small dip in interim revenues from £1.72m to £1.62m, while pre-tax profit fell from £151,000 to £21,000. The second half is expected to be stronger, although additional costs will hold back profit. The healthcare IT provider continues to develop its cloud-based product and it is accelerating the development of products aimed at long-term conditions, such as diabetes.
Rogue Baron (SHNJ) is closing its Bin 1301 bar in Washington DC and concentrate on the bigger De Rhum Spot site.
Pioneer Media Holdings (PNER) is planning to acquire NGMI Labs Inc in return for four million shares. Pioneer has 45 days to undertake due diligence. NGMI was founded by three people with significant experience in the decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) tokens sector.
Tectonic Gold (TTAU) expects to receive a tax rebate of $275,000 by the year end.
Yooma Wellness Inc (YOOM) has persuaded ASDA to stock 17 of its Vitality CBD products.
Scott Livingston has taken a 5.54%, not 5.16%, stake in Silverwood Brands (SLWD).
AIM
Marshall Motor Holdings (MMH) says that 64.4% shareholder Marshalls of Cambridge is thinking about selling its stake. Constellation Automotive has made it clear that it is interested.
Alien Metals (UFO) has acquired 30% of the Munni Munni project in Western Australia from ASX-listed Platina Resources for A$2.23m in shares and cash. This is one of the largest platinum group resources in Australia and it is near to the Elizabeth Hill project, which has platinum, silver, copper and nickel potential. Munni Munni has a historic non-compliant JORC resource estimate that suggests that there is 1.14 million ounces of palladium, 830,000 ounces of platinum, 152,000 ounces of gold and 76,000 ounces of rhodium. Artemis Resources owns the other 70%.
Telecoms billing and customer relationship management software provider Cerillion (CER) more than doubled its full year pre-tax profit from £3.7m to £8.5m, helped by much higher software revenues. New orders are building up and the order book is at record levels. The dividend was raised from 5.5p a share to 7.1p a share.
Driving safety technology developer Seeing Machines (SEE) has won its largest ever driver monitoring systems (DMS) order and raised £30.4m at 11p a share on the back of this announcement. The cash will be used for technology development and boost sales resources. The DMS deal, which has come through Magna International, is worth A$120m. In the year to June 2021, revenues improved from A$39.9m to $46.6m, while the loss was substantially reduced to A$16.7m.
Credit hire and legal services firm Anexo (ANX) has won a new contract with MCE Insurance to provide claims services for non-fault motorcycle accidents, which tends to be higher margin business. This will boost market share.
Appreciate (APPS) made the expected, although lower, loss in the first half, but the 50% increase in the interim dividend to 0.6p a share suggests confidence in the future. Revenues were 50% ahead at £41m with the faster growth coming in the consumer business even though the Christmas savings order book is lower. Appreciate has withdrawn from lower margin corporate business and there is volatility in bookings in recent months.
Asset management services provider MJ Hudson (MJH) achieved organic revenue growth of 14% and it is on course to grow full year revenues from £25.5m to £31m, helped by acquisitions, which would produce a pre-tax profit of £4m. Demand for ESG services is growing rapidly. On top of that, there is increasing outsourcing of the services provided by MJ Hudson.
Ashtead Technology (AT.) provides services and rents equipment to the offshore oil and gas and offshore wind markets. Services can be provided for installation, ongoing maintenance and decommissioning. It raised £15.5m at 162p a share to help it to grow internationally. The offshore wind services market is set to grow at 19% a year up until 2025. The shares ended the week at 162p.
Eneraqua Technologies (ETP) is well positioned to take advantage of the increasing focus on energy and water efficiency. It raised £12m at 277p a share and the shares ended the week at 285p. Eneraqua Technologies supplies and installs technology that improves energy and water efficiency in multiple occupancy social housing and commercial projects. The systems installed include the company’s Control Flow HL2024 technology, which will be manufactured in Spain. The order book for between August 2021 and January 2022 includes £22m of contracted revenues and there a further £21.3m of contracted revenues for the following two years.
Brickability (BRCK) is paying an initial £3.3m for HBS NE, which takes it into the renewable energy products market. It supplies and maintains solar, battery storage and electric vehicle charging. Brickability has relationships with housebuilders, which are being required to install EV charging points in new homes. Even before cross-selling, the deal is earnings enhancing.
Cyber security services provider Shearwater (SWG) reported a small decline in interim revenues due to lower services sales. Software revenues were flat, but margins improved. There is 50% visibility for second quarter revenues.
Treated sustainable wood producer Accsys Technologies (AXS) increased interim revenues by 31% in the first half. Accoya production remains limited because the new reactor will not go into service until next year. The Hull Tricoya plant will should commence production next July. The plans for the potential US Accoya plant are also progressing with a final investment decision expected in the next few months.
Omega Diagnostics (ODX) grew its health and nutrition revenues to pre-pandemic levels. Sales of the global health division also grew but Covid-19 test sales were disappointing. DAM Health has ordered £750,000 of tests since the end of the half year. Net cash was £3.9m at the end of September 2021. Omega remains loss making, and it is difficult to predict how quickly revenues will grow. There are some orders coming in for the VISITECT CD4 test.
Workflow technology provider ActiveOps (AOM) has improved gross margin and interim revenues grew by one-fifth. Annual recurring revenues are running at £19.8m.
MAIN MARKET
Packaging manufacturer and distributor Macfarlane (MACF) is trading ahead of expectations. Revenues are 25% higher than last year and the pre-tax profit is ahead of 2020. There are cost pressures and some customers have had supply problems elsewhere so their demand for packaging has reduced. Net debt was £2m at the end of October 2021.
BATM Advanced Communications (BVC) has announced a dividend of 0.74p a share.
JLEN Environmental (JLEN) is targeting a dividend of 6.8p a share in the year to March 2022. The interim dividend is more than covered by earnings. The portfolio of renewable energy and environmental assets has been diversified in recent years and that means that the company is not as dependent on revenues from wind power, which were hampered by low wind speeds in the period. Other assets performed well and there are plenty of investment opportunities in Europe. NAV is 98.4p a share.
Marine technology developer OTAQ (OTAQ) has secured a multi-year contract with Minnowtech. It will supply sonar technology for the jointly developed shrimp farming technology. Commercial launch is planned in Asia and the initial order will be more than $200,000. OTAQ owns 15.2% of Minnowtech. A major customer has given notice and OTAQ is seeking additional sources of funding.
Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies (OCTP) has signed an agreement with Dalriada Drug Discovery Inc of Canada, which will provide research and development services on compounds that Oxford Cannabinoid has access to via the Canopy Growth Corporation agreement.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 8 November 2021
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
There are three companies on the shortlist of the AQSE company of the year award at the Small Cap Awards 2021. They are medical IT provider DXS International (DXSP), oncology and dermatology treatments developer Incanthera (INC) and Kent-based wine maker Chapel Down Group (CDGP).
Brewer Daniel Thwaites (THW) was hampered by lockdowns in the six months to September 2021, but they were not as bad as in the first half of the previous year. Revenues increased from £221.8m to £47.8m, while the business returned to profit with £7.5m before tax. Net debt was £61.4m at the end of September 2021. Government support has come to an end and there are inflationary pressures, only partly offset by beer duty changes.
Quantum Exponential (QBIT) is a shell focused on quantum technology and predominantly companies in NATO countries. There are no other quoted companies offering a potential investment in this sector. The plan is to put together a portfolio of quantum technology company investments, which are most likely to be at the seed or early stage. Quantum computing uses the laws of quantum physics to increase the speed of computation. Nearly £2.5m was raised after expenses at 5p and the share price ended the week at 6.625p (6.25p/7p). The NAV is 1.65p a share, so the current share price is more than four times that level. Helium Special Situations has taken a 4.57% stake.
Kashei Holdings (KASH) intends to build up a portfolio of investments in cryptocurrencies and blockchain. The portfolio will include digital assets, listed investments, venture capital opportunities and staking digital assets into liquidity smart contracts and perform staking services. There should be around £3.7m available for investment, although 10% of that will be required for working capital, following the placing at 16p a share. The current mid-price is 20.25p (19.5p/21p). Pro forma NAV is 13.1p a share.
Samarkand Group (SMK) is acquiring Napiers the Herbalists, which it has been trading with for three years. The initial consideration is £1.7m in cash with deferred consideration of £100,000. There is also contingent consideration of up to $700,000. In the year to March 2021, revenues were £1m and EBITDA was £240,000.
All Star Minerals (ASMO) signed exclusive heads of terms with a company with gemstone assets and another company with diamond assets. It has terminated the gemstone deal and extended the potential diamond deal. The potential acquisition has white and coloured diamonds and an off-take and financing agreement. Ian Harebottle, the interim chief executive of All Star Minerals, owns 25% of the diamond company.
Vulcan Industries (VULC) has signed heads of terms to acquire Aftech, which is a sheet metal fabrication company that fits in with existing subsidiaries. Aftech has net assets of £780,000 and net debt of £90,000. Full year revenues are estimated to be £1m with EBITDA of £175,000. Vulcan will pay £1.55m in shares and this may represent 21.5% of the enlarged share capital.
TruSpine Technologies (TSP) has submitted a request to the FDA to consider the Cervi-LOK system as a breakthrough device technology. That would enable the device to generate higher margins.
Coinsilium Group Ltd (COIN) had crypto assets of $4.22m at the beginning of November 2021. That is more than double the value at the end of June.
Rutherford Health (RUTH) increased interim revenues by 36% to £4.85m in the six months to August 2021. September revenues were more than £1m. More oncologists have been trained to use the company’s technology. Rutherford Health will continue to lose money.
Pioneer Media Inc (PNER) has acquired CryptoPunk 8869 for $433,700.
Asia Wealth Group Holdings (AWLP) increased interim revenues from $894,000 to $940,000, while pre-tax profit improved from $117,000 to $123,000. There was $1.36m in the bank at the end of August 2021.
AIM
Online electrical retailer Marks Electrical (MRK) specialises in kitchen appliance, audio visual products and small electrical appliances and has been growing its share of the market. Since 2014, Marks Electrical has increased its market share from 0.41% to 1.22%. A placing raised £2.63m after expenses at 110p each and shareholders sold shares worth £25m. The company’s warehouse has enough capacity to cope with revenues of £180m, more than treble last year’s level. The shares ended the first day at 110.5p.
Devolver Digital Inc (DEVO) is the latest video games publisher to join AIM. The Delaware-based company’s original focus has been indie games produced by third parties, but more recently it has been acquiring companies with their own IP. The cash raised by the company in the placing will be used to acquire strategic partners and finance the development of third party and in-house games. Nearly £30m was raised after expenses and the price has risen from the placing price of 157p to 187.5p. The overall video games market is forecast to grow from $177.8bn to $218.7bn in 2024.
Escape rooms operator Escape Hunt (ESC) is acquiring Boom Battle Bars, which offers competitive socialising activities along with drinks and food. The total cost is £17.38m, with £9.88m in cash and deferred consideration of up to 25 million shares. The shares are subject to an earn-out based on revenues number of sites open. Escape Hunt raised £15m at 30p a share and could raise up to £2.2m from a one-for-12 open offer at the same share price. The acceptance date is 19 November. The enlarged group will be renamed XP Factory.
Self-storage sites operator Lok’nStore (LOK) had a much more significant than forecast uplift in its NAV at the end of July 2021. It increased from 555.5p a share to 731.1p a share. This year the dividend has been raised by 2p a share to 15p a share. The additional sites in progress will add 38% to space over the next few years.
Bleepa communications technology developer Feedback (FDBK) is raising £10m in a placing at 0.7p a share to take advantage of opportunities and finally build up revenues. There is also a one-for-15 open offer to existing shareholders that can raise up to £500,000 more. The CareLocker technology that is being piloted in Sussex could be a game changer. Combined with Bleepa it can store patient records individually in the cloud instead of in one place where it is easier to hack.
Gensource Potash (GSP) was already quoted on the Toronto Venture Exchange before joining AIM, and its focus is the Tugaske potash project in Canada. Gensource owns 67% of the vehicle that owns the project and has arranged finance to cover the C$352m cost of building the mine. The Tugaske project’s proven and probable mineral reserve is 14.1 million tonnes and there is a likely minimum expected mine life of more than 56 years, based on annual production of 250,000 tonnes of saleable muriate of potash. The share price ended the first day at 27.5p.
Remote tracking and monitoring technology provider Starcom (STAR) is changing its name to t42 IoT Tracking Solutions and rebranding its products. There will also be an eight-for-one share consolidation.
MAIN MARKET
In the six months to August 2021, Braemar Shipping Services (BMS) revenues grew by 11% to £47.4m, while pre-tax profit improved from £4.47m to £4.92m. The order book is 28% ahead at $55.5m. Net debt has fallen to £14.7m. There is a 2p a share interim dividend.
IT services provider Triad Group (TRD) reported a decline in interim revenues, but pre-tax profit jumped from £1,000 to £670,000. There is a 2p a share interim dividend. There is cash of £5.34m. high utilisation levels are continuing.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 23 August 2021
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Adnams (ADB) says that trading has improved since 17 May with strong demand for hotel accommodation. Interim revenues were flat at £20.5m, while the loss dipped from £3.87m to £3.34m. Net bank debt was £13.4m at the end of June 2021.
GP software provider DXS International (DXSP) increased its full year revenues from £3.28m to £3.61m, while pre-tax profit improved from £239,000 to £254,000 even though the amortisation charge was significantly higher. There was £1.24m of cash generated from operations, although that is less than the £1.5m of capitalised research and development spending.
Good Energy (GOOD) continues to reject the 340p a share bid by Ecotricity because it undervalues the company. Management believes that the company can grow significantly as an independent entity. They also point out that Ecotricity is loss-making.
Oscillate (MUSH) has made a pre-IPO investment in Psych Capital, which would be one of first quoted psychedelic healthcare companies. Oscillate has acquired a 10.4% stake for £300,000. The Oscillate finance director is also finance director of Psych Capital. Richard and Charlotte Edwards have increased their stake in Oscillate from 5.94% to 8.31%. Oscillate has a 24.6% stake in Igraine (KING) which says that the report on the ARCADIA trial – relating to a potential treatment for people with diabetes suffering from Covid-19 – will be published by Excalibur Medicines on 6 September. Igraine has a 2% stake in Excalibur Medicines and also a co-investment agreement.
Yooma Wellness Inc (YOOM) is making the first of its promised acquisitions. It is paying up to £10.2m in cash and shares for Birmingham-based Vitality CBD, which sells its products through Boots, Tesco and Asda. Revenues were £1.6m in the first half of 2021.
Clarify Pharma (PSYC) has also made its first acquisition since joining Aquis. It has contributed $700,000 to a fundraising by Beckley Psytech. This gives Clarify a 0.26% stake. Beckley is developing psychedelic compounds to treat neurological and psychiatric disorders.
Dispersion Holdings (DEFI) has invested $200,000 in Blimp Technologies Inc, which has a platform that rewards homebuyers and sellers for contributing value to a tokenised network established by Home Network Foundation. Dispersion has made a second investment in Defi Yield Technologies Inc. The C$800,000 investment follows an initial investment of C$200,000, which was at a lower share price. This takes the shareholding to 2.24 million shares.
Watchstone Group (WTG) reduced its underlying admin expenses but there was still a £2.31m cash outflow in the first half of 2021. NAV was £15.4m at the end of June 2021. Watchstone has £14.1m in the bank and £1.8m more in escrow. The focus is on continuing litigation.
Eastinco Mining (EM.P) had a £528,000 outflow from operating activities in 2020. There was £52,000 of cash at the end of 2020.
SulNOx Group (SNOX) reduced its loss from £1.81m to £856,000 in the year to March 2021. SulNOx intends to move to AIM.
Coinsilium (COIN) has invested £300,000 in shares in financial services firm Greengage Global and is subscribing for up to £200,000 in convertible loan notes.
Evrima (EVA) has completed its investment in Eastport Ventures Inc, which is planning a flotation.
Abdelatif Lachab has increased his stake in Helium Ventures (HEV) from 5.94% to 6.23%.
AIM
Floorcoverings distributor Likewise (LIKE) switched from The International Stock Exchange to AIM last week and raised £10m at 25p a share. The cash raised will provide working capital for growth and cash for acquisitions. There will also be investment in further distribution centres, including a larger site in Manchester. Likewise chief executive Tony Brewer joined Headlam in 1991 and became chief executive in 2000. He left the company in 2016. The plan is to be a national distributor with revenues of more than £200m and an operating margin of more than 5% are targeted. Trading has been ahead of budget in the first half of 2021. Daily revenues exceeded £250,000 in each of May and June. The share price has risen to 31p.
Interim figures from plastic packaging manufacturer Robinson (RBN) led to a sharp downgrading of the 2021 pre-tax profit forecast. Raw material prices have soared, and volumes have not grown as fast as expected. Interim revenues were 19% higher at £21.2m – there was modest like-for-like growth excluding the Schela acquisition. A slump in gross margins meant that the business fell into loss. An interim dividend of 2.5p a share has been announced.
Piling contractor Van Elle (VANL) lost money last year, but it should return to profit this year. In the year to April 2021, revenues were flat at £84.4m, which was a good outcome because revenues were sharply lower in the first quarter due to lockdown. The underlying loss was one-third higher at £1.2m. The cold winter also held back progress. Van Elle plans to pay a dividend next year if trading goes to plan.
SkinBioTerapeutics (SBTX) had more cash than expected at the year end and it has set the price for its AxisBiotix-Ps food supplement. In the UK, the psoriasis treatment will cost £1.50 per sachet, which is higher than expected. There was £4.6m in the bank at the end of June, compared with expectations of £3.4m.
Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG) AI technology has yet to make a significant contribution to revenues. GE is offering ScanNav Assist as an option on its SWIFT ultrasound machine, but first half revenues were minimal because of Covid-19 restrictions holding back marketing. Even so, interim revenues increased by 36% to £3.6m due to higher sales of training simulators. That growth is continuing and AI revenues will build up over the longer-term.
MTI Wireless Edge (LON: MWE) has continued to grow its profit and demand is improving for its antennas with new contracts from space and naval customers. In the first half of 2021, revenues improved from $19.6m to $21.3m, while pre-tax profit rose from $1.83m to $2.05m.
Engineer Tricorn (TCN) has appointed administrators because it is running out of money and the board is trying to sell the trading operations. Trading in the shares has been suspended and Arden has resigned as nominated adviser.
DBAY Advisors has decided not to bid for credit hire and legal services firm Anexo (ANX). Trading has been ahead of expectations at Anexo.
MAIN MARKET
Trading in standard list shell Pineapple Power Corp (PNPL) shares has been suspended following the announcement of the reverse takeover of BVP Investments and its sustainability-focused investment portfolio.
Canadian Overseas Petroleum (COPL) has completed the reverse takeover of Atomic Oil and Gas. This adds producing assets. Oil production is expected to continue to increase. Other potential asset acquisitions are being assessed.
Tirupati Graphite (TGR) is acquiring Suni Resources SA, which has a portfolio of graphite interests in Mozambique. They include the Montepuez graphite project which is already under construction. The acquisition will cost £6.6m.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 31 May 2021
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Pharma C Investments (PCIL) is a shell seeking to invest in medicinal cannabis sector-focused companies, particularly those that provide ancillary products and services to the sector, and it joined the Access segment on 26 May. The indication is that plant genetics, product testing, marketing, procurement services and cannabis consumption devices are areas that might be considered. There was £920,000, after expenses, raised at 0.7p a share. Cash is equivalent to less than 0.4p a share. The shares ended the first day of trading at 0.825p (0.75p/0.9p/) and maintained that price until the end of the week.
Dispersion Holdings (DEFI) has made its first investment. An equity investment of €250,000 has been made in SportsX SAS, which is a technology platform for amateur sports clubs, for a 25% stake. SportsX SAS helps clubs to create club-branded Ethereum-based tokens. SportsX SAS takes 18% of gross merchandising revenues and charges an annual membership fee. It also retains a 10%-20% interest in club tokens. These tokens may eventually be listed on an Ethereum-based exchange, such as Uniswap.
Valereum Blockchain (VLRM) expects to launch the first listed company non-fungible token (NFT) live on a crypto exchange in the next few weeks. This will be via Valereum’s Bridge financial platform and use the Mattereum Asset Passport.
GP IT systems supplier DXS International (DXSP) maintained its profit on slightly higher turnover last year. Pilots of new systems have been continuing but the pace is slower than originally expected. Progress should speed up when there is less pressure on GPs due to Covid. Formal NHS GPIT Futures accreditation should be awarded soon for the ExpertCare hypertension product.
Virgata Services has extended its bid for Walls & Future REIT (WAFR) until 10 June. Virgata argues that the 50p a share bid provides cash immediately rather than some time in the future, even though it is a big discount to NAV.
St Mark Homes (SMAP) reported a fall in full year revenues from £324,000 to £216,000 and there was a loss of £170,000, compared with a profit of £114,000. Management is planning to refocus on developing family housing. Net assets were £5.45m (123p a share) at the end of December 2020. The share price is 87.5p (85p/90p), which values St Mark Homes at £3.86m.
Arbuthnot Banking (ARBB) has originated new loans of £247m so far this year. That means that customers owe £1.8bn. In the four months to April 2021, customer deposits increased by 10% to £2.6bn. There were £1.2bn of assets under management at the end of April.
Capital for Colleagues (CFCP) increased its NAV from 50.17p a share to 61.05p a share in the 12 months to February 2021. That includes a revaluation that reflects the March disposal proceeds for Anthesis Consulting. Interim revenues fell from £271,000 to £198,000, while pre-tax profit fell from £1.28m to £1m, due to a lower level of unrealised gains. There was £1m in the bank at the end of February and this increased to £2.64m after the latest disposal.
Oberon Investments (OBE) has acquired financial planning services provider Smythe House for £300,000 in cash and shares. Up to £233,000 more could become payable dependent on performance. That increases assets under administration by £40m. At the end of March 2021, Oberon had assets under administration of £550m and it reached more than £600m by May 2021. In the year to March 2021, revenues were 240% higher at £3.75m and momentum continues. Broking subsidiary Oberon Capital has been adding clients, including finnCap and MyHealthChecked.
TruSpine Technologies (TSP) has completed its second round of testing for the screwless, spinal stabilisation system Cervi-LOK. It took two surgeons in New York an average of 15 minutes to implant Cervi-LOK on cadavers. That is one-third of the time for other technology. The feedback was positive. There is another round of testing and clearance could be obtained as early as September. An additional £78,000 has been raised at 10p a share.
CBD products supplier Sativa Wellness Group Inc (SWEL) increased first quarter revenues by 377% to £1.37m and gross profit by 234% to £707,000. The loss has been reduced to 0.3p a share.
Ben Richardson has been appointed chief executive of SulNOX Group (SNOX) and Tony Granger becomes full-time chief administration officer. Nigel Armit is no longer finance director. Radu Forescu becomes chairman.
Good Energy (GOOD) has repaid £11.5m of Good Energy Bonds II and that will save annual interest charges of £600,000. The remaining loans total £4.9m and these should be repaid by the end of 2022.
Love Hemp Group (LIFE) raised £2.35m at 3.5p a share. The cash will fund marketing for CBD and hemp products. Coinsilium Group Ltd (COIN) raised £1.16m at 7.5p a share (with a warrant exercisable at 15p attached). The cash will be invested in non-fungible token and open finance sectors.
Mayflower Capital Investments has increased its stake in Altona Real Earths (ANR) from 14.1% to 29.5%. Ashok Patel has taken a 5.03% stake in Quetzal Capital (QTZ).
Watchstone Group (WTG) is seeking shareholder approval to cancel its AIM quotation at its AGM on 29 June.
AIM
Trellus Health (TRLS) intends to provide personalised care for people with chronic conditions with the initial focus being inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It has an exclusive licence for the commercialisation of the GRITT (Gaining Resilience Through Transition) methodology developed by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The company raised £28.5m at 40p a share. The share price jumped to 65p on the first day of trading, which values Trellus Health at £105m.
Medical devices developer Belluscura (BELL) has gained FDA clearance for its portable oxygen concentrator (POC) and it raised £17.5m – the company was originally seeking £15m of new money at 45p a share, which was in the middle of the expected range of 42p-48p. The shares ended the first day of trading at 53p.
Trading continues to be ahead of expectations at franchised lettings agency Belvoir (BLV). Management service fees 22% higher in the first four months of this year, while financial services income is 24% ahead.
Iodine producer Iofina (IOF) reported an increase in 2020 pre-tax profit from $1m to $1.3m on barely changed revenues of $29.7m. Lower interest charges and higher iodine prices will help Iofina to improve profit to $4.4m this year.
Eqtec (EQT) has raised £16m at 1.5p a share. This will finance repowering of plants in Italy and Croatia using the company’s gasification technology, plus investment in UK projects. This has led to a 26% upgrade in 2022 earnings to 0.1 eurocents a share.
MAIN MARKET
Zegona Communications (ZEG) will return £335m in cash to shareholders following the takeover of Euskaltel. The stake Zegona owns in Euskatel is equivalent to 170p a share and the cash distribution will be 153p a share. The rest of the cash is likely to fund another investment.
Kanabo Group (KNB) is raising £1m at 22p a share, which was a 10% premium to the market price. Kanabo is investing £750,000 in a pre-IPO placing by Hellenic Dynamics, a medical cannabis cultivator. A reverse takeover of an AIM shell is envisaged. There is also an agreement with Northern Greece-based Hellenic that could lead to a deal to purchase up to 1,000kg a year of cannabis flowers with pre-defined THC or CBD levels.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 8 February 2021
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Clinical IT developer DXS International (DXSP) is encouraged by the initial results from pilots of the ExpertCare system designed to analyse the electronic records of people with hypertension. DXS is awaiting NHS accreditation.
World High Life (LIFE) has appointed Tony Calamita as chief executive. He is a founder of Love Hemp, whose vendors will receive deferred consideration of £2m in shares at 1.5p each. Calamita will hold a 13.5% stake. The company has raised £467,000 at 1p a share.
Juliet Davenport is stepping down as chief executive of Good Energy (GOOD) but will continue as a non-executive. Good Energy company Zap-Map has signed up ESB Energy to its Zap-Pay electric vehicle charging payment service.
Capital For Colleagues (CFCP) has sold its investment in civil engineering materials distributor Civils Store for £1m, which represents a profit of 150% on a £400,000 investment. The initial £500,000 will be received on 15 February and the rest by the end of July.
EPE Special Opportunities (ESO) increased its NAV by 38% to 437.63p a share during the year to January 2021. EPE raised £10m from the sale of LED lighting company Luceco (LUCE) shares and retains a 24.9% stake.
Belvedere Leisure (BELV) reported a loss of £499,000 for the year to June 2020. There were the costs of the flotation of the corporate bonds.
Rutherford Health (RUTH) has approval to treat patients at its North West cancer centre. The first patients should be treated in 2022.
Tectonic Gold (TTAU) has been promoted to the Apex segment of the AQSE Growth Market.
Eastinco Mining (EM.P) has appointed Novum Securities as its corporate adviser.
AIM
A higher interim profit contribution from fuels partly offset lower contributions from the rest of the NWF (NWF) businesses. Group revenues fell from £348.9m to £309.4m, while underlying pre-tax profit declined from £3m to £2.5m. The main decline was in food distribution where volatile demand hampered profitability. The cold weather will boost demand for heating oil in the second half.
Document management services provider IDOX (IDOX) improved revenues from £65.5m to £68m and pre-tax profit from £7.7m to £10.5m. There is further potential to improve margins. The order book at the end of October was £15.9m. Having sorted out the business, management is considering returning to the acquisition trail.
Mattioli Woods (MTW) is paying up to £2.34m for wealth management adviser Montagu. There are £80m of assets under advice.
STM Group (STM) expects to report a £2m pre-tax profit on revenues of £24m in 2020. There was net cash of £15.5m. Therese Neish is stepping down as finance director.
BlueRock Diamonds (LON: BRD) has revealed a significantly increased resource at the Kareevlei diamond mine in South Africa. There was a 49% increase in resource to 10.4 million net tonnes and a 53% increase in net carats to 516,200. The overall grade has edged up to 5 carats per tonne. There was 19% of the resource upgraded to indicated resources. BlueRock plans to mine one million tonnes per annum.
Strong first half trading at parcel and freight delivery company DX (DX.) has prompted finnCap to increase its forecast pre-tax profit for the year to June 2021 by £2m to £8.7m. The business continues to recover with profitability building up in the freight division.
Open Orphan (ORPH) has opened a new challenge study quarantine facility across the road from its existing centre in east London, which is already booked up for this year. This adds a further 19 beds.
Compliance and energy saving services provider Sureserve (SUR) has doubled its dividend to 1p a share. Less traffic on the road during the original lockdown helped to improve efficiency and margins. Shore has increased its 2020-21 pre-tax profit forecast by 16% from £9.4m to £11.9m.
Lexington Gold (LEX) has received environmental approvals for drilling at the JKL project in the US. Drilling should commence later in February. Pure Ice Ltd has increased its stake from 14.3% to 15.1%.
Advanced surface coatings provider Hardide (HDD) has raised £790,000 at 30.9p a share and secured a CBILS loan of £250,000. This will boost the cash position while the company waits for delayed work to come through.
Seeing Machines (SEE) says interim revenues will improve by 15% to A$18.1m. The driver safety systems developer’s annualised recurring revenues are A$15.5m.
Real-time software provider Checkit (CKT) has acquired its US distributor Tutela Monitoring Systems for £850,000.
Lok’nStore (LOK) acquired its Chichester self-storage site has been acquired for £4.2m, with the cash outflow offset by the £1.5m disposal of the Wolverhampton freehold and £1.7m sale of the vacant Southampton site – around £300,000 lower than book value. Contracts have been exchanged for a new site in Staines. Self-storage has proved to be resilient during Covid-19 lockdowns. Occupancy rates are rising, and prices have been stable at Lok’nStore.
Filtronic (FTC) made a small first half loss but the outlook for the full year is better. New defence contracts and increasing 5G-related demand will help the second half and the defence orders are at higher margins. Full year revenues are set to fall but pre-tax profit could treble to £300,000. Capex requirements are low so the business should be cash generative.
Bacanora Lithium (BCN) has raised £48.1m from a placing and retail offer at 45p a share. Ganfeng has also subscribed for £24m worth of shares. This will finance the development of the Sonora lithium project. It will pay for the 50% share of the cost of bringing stage one into production.
Evgen Pharma (EVG) has launched a placing and open offer to raise up to £11m at 8p a share. This will fund preclinical work on metastatic breast cancer and two other potential treatments, including glioma where there could be a clinical trial. The cash should last until the middle of 2023.
MAIN MARKET
Thalassa Holdings (THAL) is making a £2.5m investment in London Medical Laboratory. Thalassa will lend the company £2.5m to finance the opening of a phlebotomy clinic and increase capacity at existing facilities. The loan would be converted into shares if London Medical Laboratory floats on AIM. Thalassa also has warrants to subscribe for an 8% stake in the fully diluted share capital.
French Connection (FCCN) says Spotlight Brands and Go Global Retail are potential bidders for the clothing retailer.
Personal products supplier InnovaDerma (IDP) has rebuffed an all-share offer from Creighton (CRL) although the potential bidder is still interested in making an offer and has sent a letter to InnovaDerma. This suggests an offer of two share for every three InnovaDerma shares, which is equivalent to around 44p a share.
BATM Advanced Communications (BVC) says full year revenues were at least $180m, which is 45% ahead of the previous year. The diagnostics business is the main impetus behind the growth.
Argo Blockchain (ARB) has taken a 25% stake in Pluto Digital Assets. This cost £1m at 3p a share and there are also warrants exercisable at 6p a share. Pluto is a crypto venture capital and technology company.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 30 November 2020
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Healthcare IT supplier DXS International (DXSP) had £1.2m in cash at the end of October 2020. Net cash was £584,000, following the capitalisation of £568,000 of development spending. Interim revenues improved by 3% to £1.72m but progress was held back by Covid-19. Pre-tax profit jumped from £90,000 to £151,000 due to lower admin costs.
Imperial X (IMPP) is continuing its due diligence on previously announced acquisitions of mining and royalty interests and the plan is to apply for a standard listing when the acquisitions are completed.
TechFinancials Inc (TECH) has invested $148,000 in RenewSenses, which has developed a wearable device for the visually impaired. The cash will help to complete the development of the A.I. Cane product, which is a camera attached to a handheld device and this enables obstacles to be identified.
S-Ventures (SVEN) has invested a further £75,000 in a convertible loan note issued by vitamin-fortified juices and smoothies Coldpress Foods. The annual interest rate is 15%. S-Ventures has a 3.3% stake in Coldpress.
Primorus Investments (PRIM) has terminated options over 17.8 million shares held by three individuals and has paid a total of £140,000 in compensation. These options could have been exercised at 6p a share or 8p a share and were equivalent to 11.3% of the potentially enlarged share capital. Primorus has decided to drop the Aquis quotation on 24 December and keep the AIM quote. This and a reduction in director pay will reduce costs by more than £200,000 a year.
Formation Group (FRM) is withdrawing from the Aquis Stock Exchange on 31 December.
Good Energy (GOOD) has appointed Canaccord Genuity as joint broker.
Vulcan Industries (VULC) has raised a further £335,000 at 5p a share and 5.5p a share.
Aquis Stock Exchange has launched a market maker incentive scheme. The market makers will offer two-way prices for 505 of stocks on the Apex segment with a maximum spread of 5%. There should be 25 companies on the Apex segment. Market makers will receive warrants for shares in the Aquis Stock Exchange with the best performers gaining the largest percentage. They could earn up to 19.9% of the market over a three year period. Early adopters include Canaccord Genuity, Liberum, Peel Hunt, Shore Capital, Stifel and Winterflood.
Liberum Capital and Zeus Capital have been approved as corporate advisers for the Aquis Stock Exchange.
AIM
Kistos (KIST) began trading on AIM on 25 November. The investment company raised £30.2m after expenses and the market capitalisation was £40.3m. The plan is to seek acquisitions in the oil and gas sector. The team behind Kist is the same as for RockRose Energy. The share price has risen from 100p to 118.2p.
Cyber security software and services provider Shearwater (SWG) reported a slump in revenues, but the decline was in lower margin products. There were also overhead reductions. That meant that there was a profit before amortisation of acquired intangibles. Orders were delayed but there was still a £1.7m cash inflow from operations. Net cash was £3m at the end of September 2020. Two-fifths of revenues are recurring, and the long-term outlook is good.
Circle Property (CRC) reported a 2p a share decline in NAV to 283p a share at the end of September 2020. Loan to value is 42% and there is £37.7m of a loan facility still undrawn. New lettings have been secured since March and rent collections have been strong. The interim dividend is 2.5p a share.
Telecoms testing instrumentation supplier Calnex Solutions (CLX) has made an impressive start to its time on AIM with interim figures that show near-doubled underlying pre-tax profit of £2.3m. This has led to an upgrade of the full year profit expectations to £2.9m. The cash being generated is enabling additional development spending.
IG Design (IGR) benefitted from a full contribution from the CSS acquisition, which has also reduced the seasonality of the group. Even so, continuing operations sales held up well. There is still scope for additional demand for Christmas wrapping and gift products, but time is running out for any significant improvement. Full year pre-tax profit is expected to be flat at $35m, although shares issued to fund the CSS acquisition mean that there would be a one-fifth decline in earnings per share to 25.5 cents. There should be a significant improvement next year.
First Property (FPO) has significantly reduced its debt following the sale of a property in Poland. This puts it in a good position to take advantage of any opportunities over the next year or so. Short-term income has declined and there were no performance fees. NAV is 54.3p a share. The interim dividend is maintained at 0.45p a share.
Appreciate (APP) has reinstated its dividend and it proposes an interim of 0.4p a share. Interim revenues were 18% lower at £27.4m. There is always a first half loss and it increased from £1.2m to £4.6m, although that does not include the restructuring costs. The Christmas savings business held up and the corporate incentives operations were boosted by additional business due to free school meals vouchers. More business is being done digitally and there continues to be a monthly improvement in trading.
D4T4 (D4T4) is continuing its development into a business focused on recurring revenues. The data collection and analysis software provider lost money in the first half, but management remains confident that D4T4 will achieve the full year pre-tax profit forecast of £3.2m, down from £5m. Net cash is expected to be £14m. The interim dividend was raised by 5% to 0.81p a share.
LoopUp (LOOP) has not achieved the annual run rate than it expected, and it will fall short of 2020 expectations. The remote meetings technology provider has been generating less revenue from international calls, which has hit overall revenues. Trimming the 2020 revenues forecast from £54.8m to £50.1m leads to a one-fifth reduction in pre-tax profit to £8.4m. The lower run rate means that 2021 forecast revenues have been slashed from £56m to £35.2m, which leads to a small loss for the year.
Outsourcing Inc has sent out the document for the takeover of CPL Resources (CPS). It is offering Euro11.25 a share, which values the Ireland-based recruitment company at Euro317.8m.
Digital advertising technology developer Miriad Advertising (MIRI) has raised £23m via a placing at 40p a share. A further £3m could be raised via an open offer. In July 2019, £16m was raised at 15p a share. The first half cash outflow was more than £4.6m. The cash will be spent on growing US revenues and further technology development.
Ilika (IKA) has decided to manufacture its Stearex batteries itself rather than outsourcing the process. This is the quickest route to production and operating margins will improve. Full scale manufacturing will start by early 2022.
ReNeuron (RENE) is raising up to £17.5m at a heavily discounted share price of 70p. This cash will enable the company to complete the current clinical trial for the retinitis pigmentosa treatment and design a phase III trial.
The share price rise of Wynnstay Group (WYN) has led to DBAY Advisors reducing its stake from 6.12% to 5.33%.
Urban Exposure (UEX) plans a tender offer of up to £65m at 75p a share. There is cash in the bank of £81m.
Second half trading was always going to be weak for Tracsis (TRCS) because of its exposure to events in the traffic and data division. Recurring revenues from the rail technology division have helped limit the pre-tax profit decline from £9.5m to £8.3m. This year is also likely to be tough, although it will depend on trading next summer. The main recovery is likely in 2021-22.
Serinus Energy (SENX) has raised $21m and this will pay off the debt of $16.5m. The lender will also receive a 9.9% stake. The rest of the cash will be invested in increasing oil and gas production.
Digital financial services and products provider Tungsten (TUNG) says profit will be lower than expected this year. Transaction volumes have declined, and revenues will be flat. Winning new business has become more difficult. Annualised savings of £4m are being made.
Michelmersh Brick (MBH) says that 2020 revenues and profit will exceed expectations. Government support of £500,000 will be repaid. There will still be net cash at the end of 2020. A final dividend of 2.25p a share will be paid.
Benchmark (BMK) has completed its restructuring and is on course to benefit from the investment it has made in products and capacity. The BMK08+CleanTreat treatment should be launched by next summer and this could help the aquaculture company to move into profit. In 2019-20, revenues fell from £124m to £105.6m, but lower costs meant that the loss was reduced. Genetics was the best performing division due to initial sales of salmon eggs from Salten. Net debt was £37.6m at the end of September 2020.
MAIN MARKET
Jlen Environmental (JLEN) is paying a second quarterly dividend of 1.69p a share, the same as the first quarter. There has been a small reduction in NAV from 97.5p a share to 96.1p a share because long-term expectations for electricity and gas prices have fallen. The portfolio is 34% wind power, 27% anaerobic digestion, 22% solar power, 15% waste and wastewater and 2% hydro and battery. A decline in waste volumes hampered the Bio Collectors business and other feedstocks are being sourced. There is £127.6m available to finance further acquisitions.
CML Microsystems (CML) had a mixed interim period with total revenues holding up at £12.9m. Storage technology revenues were one-quarter higher, but communications revenues fell by one-fifth and are no longer the largest contributor. However, the development activities have been broadened through acquisitions and there is a bigger addressable market. Pre-tax profit fell from £907,000 to £771,000 and the interim dividend is unchanged at 2p a share. The second half should be better than the first half and a rebalancing of resources should make the business more efficient.
Ingredients supplier Treatt (TET) improved pre-tax profit from £14m to £15.8m, although there was a small dip in revenues to £109m. The total dividend is 6.2p a share. Demand is likely to remain weaker than normal. The move to the new UK premises should happen in the middle of 2021.
J Smart Contractors (SMJ) reported halved underlying full year pre-tax profit of £1.28m. There was a surplus on investment property revaluations of £3.18m. There is net cash of £12m. A final dividend of 2.27p a share has been declared and the total for the year has edged up from 3.19p a share to 3.22p a share. The completion of building contracts has been delayed due to Covid-19 restrictions. Contracting work remains below the level of the previous year and private housing sales will be limited in the year to July 2021. NAV is £99.3m, which is double the market capitalisation.
Triad (LSE: TRD) revenues declined from £9m to £8.7m, but the IT consultancy did move from loss to profit due to lower costs. Utilisation rates for IT consultants is relatively high and cash covers around three-fifths of the market capitalisation.
Gulf Marine Services (GMS) has suspended chief executive Tim Summers, who was no longer a member of the board, due to an investigation into a severance payment of £429,000 on 10 November. Hassan Heikal was appointed a director at the general meeting on 25 November.
Cardiff Property (CDFF) increased its NAV from 2285p a share to 2436p a share at the end of September 2020, against a share price of 1725p. This reflects an uplift in the valuation of JV Campmoss due to an increase in value of Clivemount House in Maidenhead which has been sold since the year end. The dividend increased by 3% to 17.6p a share. There is cash of £5.5m and no debt.
Affordable housing services provider Aquila Services Group (AQSG) reported a decline in revenues from £3.89m to £3.51m, although there was a small improvement in operating profit prior to restructuring costs of £175,000. The dividend has been halved to 0.15p a share. Cash has increased to £1.4m.
OTAQ (OTAQ) increased interim revenues by 16% to £2.03m and it is on course for full year revenues of £4m. The growth has come from the aquaculture operations. Furlough claims reduced the loss.