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Andrew Hore Quoted Micro 12 August 2019
NEX EXCHANGE
Imperial X (IMPP) non-executive director Melissa Sturgess has sold 4.615 million shares at 2p each and she retains an equal number of shares. The total stake was acquired at 1p a share, so she has effectively made her money back. Imperial X is moving into the cannabis sector. Charles Morgan, a relation of Melissa Sturgess, converted £46,150 of loan notes into 4.615 million shares.
NQ Minerals (NQMI) has invested a further £150,000 Tasmania Energy Metals through a convertible loan, taking the total investment to £450,000. The exclusivity period relating to the acquisition of an option over the company’s assets has been extended to the end of October 2019. NQ would have nine months to exercise the option in return for shares worth £5.5m. The latest investment will be used to develop a facility that would produce nickel and cobalt salts for electric vehicle batteries.
Founder Stephen Minion has resigned from the board of Ashley House (ASH) so that there are no conflicts of interest between his role as a director and his other interests. He is chairman and major shareholder of Invescare, which has provided a loan to Ashley House.
iGaming software developer Ganapati (GANP) says that its Malta-based subsidiary has signed a resale agreement with BetConstruct, which will provide the company’s slot games to its integrated operators via its platform. Another deal is with PG Entertainment and this will make Ganapati’s games available in Latin America via a smartphone platform.
Asia Wealth Group Holdings Ltd (AWLP) improved pre-tax profit from $150,000 to $268,000 in the year to February 2019, partly due to a reduction in impairment losses. The company is looking at fintech acquisitions.
The conversion of loan notes in Equatorial Mining and Exploration (EM.P) has led to the issue of just over nine billion shares. There are 24.2bn shares in issue.
Valiant Investments has changed its name to Eurocann International (BUD).
AIM
Oil and gas company Amerisur Resources (AMER) has effectively put itself up for sale and multiple companies are interested in bidding. They are being provided confidential information. The formal sale process continues.
Execution only broker Share (SHRE) made a first half profit even though stockmarket trading conditions and volumes have been poor and the dividend from Euroclear was moved to the second half. Revenues increased 9% to £11.1m as interest income grew. Account fees have been increased. Share is benefiting from its digital investment. The 20,000 accounts being taken on from JP Morgan will contribute from September. A full year profit of £400,000 is forecast.
Credit hire and legal services provider Anexo (ANX) is trading more strongly than expected, even after previous upgrades. Management has managed to reduce insurance costs. The full year pre-tax profit forecast has been increased by 15% to £23m and next years by 14% to £25m.
Artificial intelligence-based physician platform DocDoc, where Adamas Finance Asia (ADAM) is an investor, has raised $13m. Adamas led the convertible loan note financing for the Singapore-based company. DocDoc operates in eight countries. Hong Kong-based CASIL Clearing has reduced its stake in Adamas from 6.9% to 2.9%. Pello Capital has been appointed joint broker.
Presidential Energy (PPC) is not making the progress it hoped to, but profit is improving. The share price of the Argentina-focused oil and gas company has been declining. finnCap describes its estimates for average production and EBITDA as “challenging” due to delays and disruptions. It has been forecasting EBITDA of $27.9m due to an oil price estimate that is above current levels, whereas the company believes it could be around $20m. There are no plans to change the forecast until the interims are released in September.
StatPro (SOG) increased organic annualised recurring revenues by 3.2% to £56.5m in the first half. The asset management performance software provider increased interim revenues £27.2m to £28.3m, while pre-tax profit improved from £2.37m to £2.66m due to flat operating costs. Net debt is £24.2m.
Richard Bernstein has increased his stake in Ultimate Sports Group (USG) from 27% to 29.8%. Bernstein has an agreement with Ultimate where he would receive 1% of the value of the first acquisition he introduces to the company as long as it is completed by 30 September. Matthew Farnum-Schneider has been appointed chief executive of Ultimate. He has been granted a range of options. Some are exercisable at 20p a share, which is just below the current share price, some at 40p a share and others at 60p a share. Geoffrey Simmonds has left the board.
Urban Exposure (UEX) is not going ahead with a proposed issue of 6.5% secure sterling bonds 2026 because of market conditions.
MAIN MARKET
S and U (SUS) says demand for motor finance has been strong in the first half, even though the quality of business has been increased. The Aspen property bridging finance business has net receivables of £24m and is growing gradually in a weak housing market. Borrowings are just over £125m and there are additional facilities of £35m. The interims will be published on 24 September.
Construction company nmcn (NMCN) increased interim revenues from £161.2m to £184m, while pre-tax profit improved from £2.5m to £3.5m. The former North Midland Construction had net cash of £15.6m at the end of June 2019. The order book is worth £456m with the main increase coming from the built environment division, which accounts for one-fourth of the order value. A full year profit of £7.4m is forecast.
Iconic Labs (ICON) is making its first acquisition since transforming itself from stem cell services provider WideCells into a social media marketing business. Iconic has agreed to acquire social media agency Social Alchemist. Iconic Labs is still in a poor financial state. There are £600,000 of legacy debts that have to be paid, plus £400,000 that is disputed. The European High Growth Opportunities Securitization Fund will provide up to £1.375m in six tranches in return for loan notes. This is dependent on a prospectus being issued within six months. This prospectus will enable warrants to be attached to the loan notes. There are also more shares to be issued under the previous financing agreement.
Argo Blockchain (ARB) generated 163 bitcoins in July and these are valued at £1.36m. They were mined at a margin of 80%. More mining machines have been ordered and will be up and running by the fourth quarter. This investment will quadruple capacity. Argo could be highly profitable in the second half with a full year pre-tax profit of £6m.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 10 June 2019
NEX EXCHANGE
Proton Partners International Ltd (PPI) has asked Woodford Investment Management to subscribe for £25m worth of shares at 176p a share. This is part of an agreement with Woodford that was outlined in the prospectus and it comes at a time when the fund manager is coming under pressure for poor performance and it has closed redemptions from one of its funds. The cash will pay off a loan and provide working capital.
NQ Minerals (NQMI) is making a £155,000 investment in Tasmania Energy Metals and the two companies will evaluate whether they should develop an integrated facility for the treatment of metal concentrate. NQ also has an exclusivity period until the end of July during which to decide whether to acquire Tasmania’s assets.
Sativa Investments (SATI) has signed an offtake agreement with a Swiss supplier of cannabis oil. This will be used to manufacture cannabidiol products.
AfriAg Global (AFRI) has invested £300,000 in Apollon Formularies for a 0.71% stake. Apollon plans to open a licenced retail medicinal cannabis dispensary and processing facility in Jamaica by the end of the month.
Newbury Racecourse (NYR) says that it is unlikely to return to paying dividends or return capital to shareholders before 2022 at the earliest. There is uncertainty about future revenue streams from fixed-odds betting terminals and how this could impact UK betting. It could reduce prize money levels. The onsite hotel has increased revenues by 15% so far this year.
Trading in shares of Equatorial Mining (EM.P) has been suspended ahead of publishing accounts. They should be published at the time of the general meeting to gain approval of the acquisition of Rwanda-based miner and explorer Eastinco. A £1.2m fundraising is also planned.
Altona Energy (ANR) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Shaanxi Qianyan Vanadium and Magnesium Mining, which owns a vanadium mine in China. The plan is to forma joint venture where Altona will be the controlling shareholder. Due diligence will take up to six months and there will be a JORC-compliant mineral resource classification report. The estimated reserve is 190,000 tonnes of vanadium.
Formation Group (FRM) has secured a £10m subscription at 7.71p a share through the acquisition of Zandra Holdings, whose asset is £10m in cash. This takes the Kennedy Private Trust stake in Formation to 89.99%. A £10m loan facility ahs also been secured.
The Little Bear mine area has been transferred to Panther Metals (PALM) and the Little Bear vein is a high priority drill target in order to see if the bonanza grade gold mineralisation still exists at depth. Panther has also applied for a licence over the Annaburroo gold project in Northern Territory, Australia.
Walls and Futures REIT (WAFR) has secured a £600,000 secured revolving credit facility and spent £465,000 on a bungalow in Didcot to be redeveloped into a home providing specialist support for four adults.
Valiant Investments (VALP) is raising £263,000 at 1.5p a share and it is changing its name to Eurocann International as an indication of the change in strategy to investment in the medicinal cannabis sector. Jeremy Rose will become chief executive and he has a number of directorships including of Speakeasy Cannabis. Burns Singh Tennent-Bhohi will become a non-executive.
EcoVista (EVTP) had £419,000 in cash at the end of February 2019 and it is seeking further investment. The interim loss declined from £238,000 to £202,000. Net assets were £1.19m at the end of February 2019.
Share trading in Wishbone Gold (WSBN) has been suspended because it has not published its 2018 accounts.
AIM
The smart machines division of Vianet (VNET) is going to be the source of profit growth for the coming years. Profit can be improved by converting the vending machines that came with the Vendman acquisition to Vianet’s contactless technology, as well as winning new business. The smart zones pub dispensing technology division should be able to maintain its contribution with lower UK profit due to pub closures being offset by an improved performance in the US. Pre-tax profit is expected to improve from £2.7m to £2.9m, although earnings per share will be hit by a higher tax charge.
Interim revenues at smart home devices supplier LightwaveRF (LWRF) increased 120% to £2.5m, although there was still a pre-tax loss of £1.35m. New distribution channels are helping to accelerate growth in revenues. The company could move into profit next year
Bad weather in the US has hampered the progress of Somero Enterprises (SOM) and led to forecast downgrades. Demand for concrete levelling equipment is normally stronger in the spring. This year’s earnings have been cut by 12% and next year by 11%. This will also reduce the potential dividend. The forecast 2019 normal dividend plus payout of surplus cash has been cut from 27.8 cents a share to 19.8 cents a share.
Waste-to-energy technology developer EQTEC (EQT) is acquiring a 19.99% stake in North Fork Community Power, a biomass gasification power project in California. EQTEC will supply $2.5m worth of equipment from its Newry site in return for the stake. It also expects to generate €2.2m from selling additional equipment.
Microsaic Systems (MSYS) has signed a distribution agreement for the Microsaic 4500 MID MS detector with CM Corporation for the South Korean market.
A shareholder owning a 17.2% stake in Rurelec (RUR) intends to propose an AGM resolution for the appointment of Gordon Fisher as a director. He is a former boss of a freight forwarding and customs brokerage. The electricity generator reduced its pre-tax loss from £5.8m to £600,000 in 2018, mainly due to lower overheads, exchange gains and a disposal gain. NAV is 4.4p a share, which is more than four times the share price.
Driver (DRV) had already said that its interims would be disappointing and pre-tax profit slumped from £2.11m to £762,000. The Middle East and Asia Pacific were tough markets with lower contributions. The expert witness operations made a reduced contribution. A 0.5p a share interim dividend was announced, and the ex-dividend date is 19 September. The company is also buying back shares in order to put a floor under the share price.
Chemicals-focused shell Wilmcote Holdings (WCH) is in exclusive discussions with Arclin Inc for a potential acquisition. Trading in the shares has been suspended.
Acquisitions consultancy K3 Capital (K3C) has confirmed that trading is in line with previous guidance and EBITDA is at the upper end of the range of £4.5m to £5m. An 80% payout would mean a reduction in dividend from 11.2p a share to 7.2p a share.
Osirium Technologies (OSI) has won a contract with a European telecoms services provider. The three year contract covers cyber security software and services.
MAIN MARKET
A strong first half has continued into the second half trading for automotive information publisher Haynes Publishing (HYNS) and pre-tax profit for the year to May 2019 is expected to exceed expectations by 10%. This suggests pre-tax profit of around £2m. The results will be announced on 12 September.
Caffyns (CFYN) reported a small improvement in underlying pre-tax profit to £1.45m in the year to March 2019. New car sales were 10% lower, which is more than three times the market decline. However, there was growth in used car sales and aftersales revenues.
Positive news from Argo Blockchain (ARB) where results for May were well ahead of the company’s budgets. New cryptomining hardware has started contributing faster than expected and rising cryptocurrency prices have improved mining yields. A further £2.85m is being invested in equipment. There was £685,000 generated in May, based on a bitcoin price of $8,575, while cash operating costs were £280,000. Second quarter figures will be better than expected. If the bitcoin price is maintained, then there will be £2.85m of crypto assets at the end of the second quarter.
BigDish (DISH) has raised £2.1m at 7.2p a share and this should be enough cash for the restaurant platform until 2021. The UK rollout will be accelerated.
Pembridge Resources (PERE) is acquiring the Minto mine from Capstone Mining. Pembridge will pay up to $20m out of future cash flows. Commercial production could recommence before the end of the year. A $10m loan has been secured.
Symphony International Holdings (SIHL) has made an investment in Soothe Healthcare, which manufactures feminine hygiene products under the Paree and Pariz brands.
Andrew Hore