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Quoted Micro 25 September 2023
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Aquis Stock Exchange owner Aquis Exchange (AQX) reported interims showing growth in all four divisions of the group and the Aquis Stock Exchange remains profitable. Group revenues improved from £7.85m to £9.34m, while pre-tax profit rose from £699,000 to £1.15m. Net cash is £13.9m.
Brewer Adnams (ADB) says trading improved in the second quarter and cost savings started to kick in. This partly offset the decline in revenues in the first quarter, but the interim revenues were still slightly lower at £30m. Operating costs and interest charges increased, and the loss trebled to £3.13m. Adnams is taking on new customers, but the average order size has reduced. Trading conditions are uncertain, but the new customer sand listings will help to boost the second half.
Africa-focused battery metals company Marula Mining (MARU) is considering moving to the standard list as an alternative to AIM. Management believes that this would not add any additional time to the process, and it believes that the proposed investment by Q Global Commodities will make Marula Mining large enough to be eligible for the standard list. It is also planning listings on the Nairobi Securities Exchange and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Warrants exercised at 4p/share raised £50,000. A shipment of 27.5 tonne high-grade material processed from stockpiles at the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine in South Africa has been delayed. The offtake agreement with Southern Jade Resources has been terminated and an alternative agreement is being finalised. Additional drilling at Blesberg is progressing and initial assay results should be published in late October.
Apollon Formularies (APOL) has executed a binding letter of intent with Sproutly Canada Inc, who will acquire the assets of the cannabis-based drug discovery company. After completion of due diligence, the assets will be acquired in return for shares equivalent to 49% of Sproutly. The effective valuation is C$7m (£4.2m). Sproutly has to go through audits and other regulatory requirements to become active and trading on the Canadian Stock Exchange.
Fuel additives SulNOx Group (SNOX) says it requires new equity investment from existing and new investors in order to achieve faster and sustainable revenue growth. There would additional industry hires for the board and sales personnel. There will also be increases in stock levels and new products will be developed. The board is seeking shareholder authority to issue new shares. Mohanned Nawaz Haq does not agree with the new strategy and the board recommends voting against his appointment at the AGM on 26 September.
Newbury Racecourse (NYR) improved interim turnover by 3% to £8.03m, but the company fell into loss because gross margins slumped. The nursery increased its contribution, but there were lower attendances at races. An event in July had the highest attendance for four years. Next year will get the full benefits of the media rights deal.
Broker and wealth management company Oberon Investments (OBE) has raised £2.5m via a placing at 3.6p/share and a retail offer could raise a further £500,000. The share price dipped 2.78% to 3.5p. The cash will fund expansion, including the recruitment of revenue generating teams. The Winterflood Retail Access Platform offer has a minimum subscription of £50. Investors can apply for shares via their broker or intermediary and the closing date is 4.30pm on 25 September.
Silverwood Brands (SLWD) has been given an extension of the time to deliver its defence to the legal action by Lush and VSA resigning as corporate adviser and being replaced by Peterhouse. Lush is refusing to recognise the transfer of a 20% stake to Silverwood Brands. VSA Capital (VSA) owns 0.88% of Silverwood Brands and says that the share price slump will hit its interim results to September 2023. It will make the loss larger than expected.
Property investor Ace Liberty and Stone (ALSP) increased net assets by 1% to £34.4m at the end of April 2023. Disposals meant that full year revenues fell 2.5% to £5.56m. There is £6.23m in cash available for investment. No final dividend is declared, partly due to the lack of distributable reserves.
Cadence Minerals (KDNC) investee company Evergreen Lithium has completed the final analysis of its EXOSPHERE BY FLEET Ambient Noise Tomography geophysics survey at Bynoe. Nine pegmatite targets have been identified. Approvals are required for drilling.
Watchstone Group (WTG) had net assets of £7.6m at the end of June 2023, including cash of £8.3m. By 19 September, cash had fallen to £7.6m. The claim against PwC was dismissed by the High Court and Watchstone had to settle legal costs. Canadian legal action continues.
Helium Ventures (HEV) has raised £250,000 at 4p/share. There are plans to move to AIM rather than the standard list, while maintaining the Aquis quotation. It hopes to do this by the end of this year. The potential acquisition of tracking technology company Trackimo is progressing, and Mark Notton has been appointed as its chief executive.
MBH Corporation (M8H) has acquired caravan and motorhome retailers Lincoln Leisure Vehicles and Golden Castle Caravans for an initial £400,000 in cash and £2.58m in loan notes. There will also be share issues totalling £2.24m over the next two years. The companies made an operating profit of £660,000 last year. These businesses will be integrated with the existing caravan and motorhomes operations.
Pharma C investments (PCIL) says that the general meeting scheduled for 27 September will not go ahead because the requisition has been withdrawn. The proposals were to remove Gavin Hilary Sathianathan and appoint Paul Ryan and Noel Lyons to the board.
Medical device developer TruSpine Technologies (TSP) has appointed Victoria Sena and Samuel Ogunsalu to the board. The company is not appealing the disciplinary notice from the Aquis Stock Exchange and the new appointments will improve corporate governance.
SuperSeed Capital (WWW) says that the SuperSeed II LP has sold Garvis, a SaaS company offering language model technology and AI-native demand forecasting. The original investment was in September last year. There was a triple digit IRR on the investment.
Lift Global Ventures (LFT) subsidiary Miriad has been appointed as corporate communications agency to Imperial Diagnostix Laboratories, which plans to float next year. Imperial Diagnostix Laboratories provides point of care testing products and has been granted access to the NHS supply chain.
Wishbone Gold (WSBN) says drilling has started at the Red Setter project in Western Australia. Initial targets are at a shallow depth and the company is seeking broad spreads of mineralisation. Drilling at the Cottesloe prospect reinforces previous findings. Additional drilling will be 50% funded by the Western Australian government’s EIS scheme up to a total of A$220,000.
Invinity Energy Systems (IES) says that Canadian company Elemental Energy has commenced operation of the company’s 8.4MWh Invinity VS3 vanadium flow battery. This is the largest operation so far.
Majestic Corporation (MCJ) reported flat revenues of $13m, while pre-tax profit dipped from $980,000 to $862,000. There was $680,000 generated from operating activities. The metals recycler has $1m in the bank. Rising interest rates have had a negative impact on commodity prices.
EPE Special Opportunities (EO.P) directors and the managing partner of EPIC Investment Partners bought a total of 16,837 shares at 160p each.
Kasei Holdings (KASH) has switched its corporate adviser to VSA.
AIM
International retailer Mothercare (LON: MTC) reported a decline in full year revenues from £82.5m to £73.1m. A fall in admin expenses and interest costs, partly offset this decline, but underlying pre-tax profit still slumped from £8m to £3.4m before restructuring costs. The lack of contribution from Russia was a factor in the lower revenues – this is part of the Alshaya franchise area. Middle East demand remains subdued since Covid. Net debt rose from £9.9m to £12.4m. The loan facility is being renegotiated. The current interest rate is 19.2%. Since the year end, a reduction in pension contributions has been agreed. In the ten years to March 2033 the total contributions will be £34.9m, down from £73.7m in the previous ten years. The revaluation of the pension fund shows a deficit of £35m.
Finsbury Food (FIF) is recommending a 110p/share bid by a company backed by DBAY Advisors valuing the cake maker at £143.4m. There is a non-voting share alternative to the cash bid for eligible investors. The bid is less than ten times prospective earnings. The share price has not been at this level since early 2019.
Renewable electricity supplier Good Energy (GOOD) had a strong first half due to higher tariffs and lower supply costs, but the second half will be tougher. Interim revenues were 46% ahead at £156.1m and the company swung from a loss to a pre-tax profit of £13.1m. The energy services business is losing money as it is being built up. The interim dividend has been raised by one-third to 1p/share. Tariff reductions are happening ahead of falls in supply costs for the company and that will lead to a second half loss, but Good Energy will still be profitable for the full year.
Orcadian Energy (ORCA) announced that it has entered non-binding heads of agreement with a North Sea operator to farm out the Pilot project for a full carry until first oil. Orcadian Energy would retain a 18.75% working interest. The agreement includes the drilling of five subsea wells. Orcadian Energy will receive $100,000 when the agreement is completed, plus $100,000 if it is awarded an additional licence. Field development plan approval would trigger a payment of $3m.
Trading has deteriorated since August at replacement windows supplier Safestyle (SFE) and it is expected to lose £10m in 2023. Order levels are falling short of budget. Net debt could reach £6m at the end of 2023 – the credit facility is £7.5m. Management wants to strengthen the balance sheet.
Harvest Minerals (HMI) reported interims showing a near-doubled loss as demand for fertiliser fell and pricing was lower in the period. The second half sales are normally much greater than in the first half, but they continue to be disappointing. Low crop prices mean that farmers are not investing to boost production. Cash has declined and the company has moved into net debt of £1.4m, partly due to a jump in inventories.
Eqtec (EQT) announced that the Billingham waste-to-energy project is not going ahead. Potential customers have closed facilities and the project is behind schedule. So far, £4m has been invested. There is a possibility of getting some of this cash back. Eqtec is also taking legal action against its partner in the Deeside project, seeking repayment of £4m of loans. The focus is other European markets. Forecast 2023 revenues have been slashed by more than three-quarters.
Scancell (SCLP) reports that early data from the phase II SCOPE study of SCIB1 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors as a treatment for advanced melanoma are positive. Tumour reduction at 13 weeks is 31-94%. This is for a relatively small number of patients, but it does indicate that there is strong potential for the treatment. The second stage of the study has a strong probability of success. This data will be available in the first half of 2024. Potential partners are likely to be interested.
Firering Strategic Minerals (FRG) raised £756,000 at 6.5p/share. This cash will be used to define identified pegmatite targets through a drilling campaign at the Atex lithium-tantalum project in Cote d’Ivoire. Firering Strategic Minerals holds 90% of the company that owns the Atex project. Firering Strategic Minerals also owns 75% of Bri Coltan, which owns the coltan rights for the Atex area. Coltan is composed of tantalum, niobium, iron and manganese. Nine target areas have been identified, including the six newer ones. The latest drilling is planned for the fourth quarter of 2023.
Alien Metals (UFO) says the latest drilling results from the 90% owned Hancock Iron Ore project in Western Australia indicate the potential for the project. There is high-grade mineralisation. The resource estimate will be upgraded.
Digital coupons and loyalty technology provider Eagle Eye (EYE) reported organic growth of 29% last year. International revenues grew strongly as new retailers were added to the service and when they sign up retailers tend to stay with the company. This year, pre-tax profit could improve from £4.3m to £6.2m. The cash pile reached £9.3m at the end of June 2023.
Cosmetics supplier Warpaint London (W7L) is bucking the trend of the consumer sector, where many other companies selling to the public are performing poorly. That is down to the fact that Warpaint London is in the value end of the cosmetics market. It is also adding retailers and benefiting from the international spread of the business. UK interim revenues were 28% ahead, while group revenues were 46% higher.
Structural steel supplier Billington (BILN) significantly improved margins in the first half and it still has a strong order book despite the contraction of the construction sector. This reflects the broad spread of projects being supplied. Revenues were 30% higher at £60.1m and pre-tax profit jumped from £1.3m to £4.59m.
There is not going to be a bid for Kinovo (KINO), which was not going to recommend the 56p/share offer and there was no increase tabled.
MAIN MARKET
Motor dealer Pendragon (PDG) plans to sell its entire core business to North American automotive retailer Lithia Motors for £250m. This would turn Pendragon into a software business and there could be a £240m payout to shareholders, equivalent to 16.5p/share. Lithia Motors would also subscribe £30m for 279.4 million shares and will roll out Pendragon’s Pinewood dealer management software to its existing 50 UK sites. However, there has been a bid approach for the whole company from Sweden-based Hedin Mobile and US transportation company PAG International. The initial 28p/share offer was turned down, but a higher bid of 32p/share is being considered.
First Tin (1SN) still has cash of £7.9m and that is enough to fund the DFS for the Taronga tin project in Australia. The cost of the project could be reduced by using solar power and more efficient processing. The mineral resource estimate has been increased by more than 240% to 133 million tonnes. The Tellerhauser project in Germany hopes to gain a mine permit in the third quarter of 2024.
Shipbroker Braemar (BMS) has reaffirmed that it will make an underlying pre-tax profit of at least £20m for the delayed results for the year to February 2023. The investigation into transactions between 2006 and 2013 is nearing completion. There may be adjustments to previous accounts.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 24 October 2022
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
Chapel Down Group (CDGP) had a bumper grape crop in terms of quality and yield. Chapel Down has 750 acres of vines and the harvest was more than 2,000 tonnes, up from 1,400 tonnes last year, with a particularly good crop for sparkling wines. The English sparkling wine market grew by 29% in 2021More than two million bottles of many types of wine can be made from the harvest. A further 38 acres of vines were planted this year with 118 acres planned. More land is being sought. Management wants to double the size of the business by 2026.
Property investor Ace Liberty & Stone (ALSP) launched an open offer to raise £4.56m at 25p a share, which is a big discount to the market price. The share price fell 25.8% to 47.5p. The open offer closes on 14 November and enables existing shareholders to finance the strategy to buy additional properties. Management believes that economic uncertainty will provide opportunities to acquire high yielding properties.
Ananda Developments (ANA) has changed the acquisition terms for the 50% not owned in DJT Plants. The purchase price has been cut from £7.3m to £3.2m, which is payable in shares at 0.925p a share giving the seller Anglia Salads 29.9% of the enlarged share capital. That is double the current share price. The chairman’s £2.3m loan to Ananda will be swapped for convertible loan notes and warrants. DJT is analysing its 2022 field trial crops to determine the amounts of cannabinoids and terpenes contained in the cannabis flowers. This will help the company to decide which cultivars to use. There are international growers interested in purchasing seeds from DJT.
Love Hemp (LIFE) says it will sell all LH Botanicals products and LH Botanicals Ltd, which is owned by Love Hemp chief executive Tony Calamita, does not sell these products and has never traded. An application has been filed to strike the company off the company register.
Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI) has secured a convertible loan facility with Conrad Griffiths, owner of 9.45% of the company. The €650,000 facility is interest free until the beginning of 2023 when the annual interest charge is 5%. The repayment date is 31 December 2025. The conversion price is 20p – based on the exchange rate of €1.14/£.
Invinity Energy Systems (IES) has secured the sales contract for a 10MWh VS3 flow battery system for a solar microgrid in southern California.
Goodbody Health Ltd (GDBY) has signed an agreement with Allied Pharmacies that will add 17 clinics to its network offering diagnostic testing and adds services such as ear wax micro suction.
SulNOx Group (SNOX) has signed up South Africa-based bus company Lowveld Bus Service, which will use SulNOxEco fuel conditioner in its fleet of more than 170 buses.
VVV Resources (LON: VVV) has appointed Jim Williams as an executive director. He was previously a chief executive of AIM-quoted Arian Silver Corporation, which is now known as Alien Metals (UFO). David Rigoll and Simon Clarke have left the board.
Chris Akers has upped his stake in Quetzal Capital (QTZ) from 22% to 23.4%. Investee company Tap Global has added GBPT stablecoin to its cryptocurrency trading platform.
Harry Hyman has increased his stake in Oberon Investments Group (OBE) from 3.08% to 4.15%. Phoenix Asset Management Partners has taken a 16.5% stake in Silverwood Brands (SLWD).
AIM
Semiconductors designer EnSilica (ENSI) generated more than 50% of its revenues from its design and supply division for the first time last year. Revenues increased from £8.61m to £15.3m with design and supply’s contribution jumping from £2.82m to £8.02m. This is down to contracts starting to move from the design to supply stage. A loss was turned into a pre-exceptional profit of £165,000. That is before R&D tax credits of £683,000. EnSilica capitalised £2.2m of development spending last year.
Latest new AIM admission Sondrel (SND) raised £20m at 55p a share and the price rose to 58p in early dealings. The semiconductor designer will spend the money on employing more engineers and accelerate sales. There are more than £300m of revenue opportunities for designing semiconductors. If selected, Sondrel can expect to supply the semiconductor for five years plus. The medium-term target revenues are in excess of £100m.
Revolution Bars (RBG) is acquiring Peach Pubs for £16.5m. Peach Pubs has 21 food-led pubs in the south of England and the Midlands. There should be £1.5m of cost savings from combining the businesses at a minimal cost, but they will not be fully achieved until 2024-25. finnCap has adjusted its 2022-23 forecast for Revolution Bars due to higher energy costs, so the earnings estimate has been reduced by 69% to 0.5p.
Affimer technology developer Avacta (AVCT) is acquiring in vitro diagnostics distributor Launch Diagnostics for £24m, plus up to £13m in performance related earn outs. This acquisition is part of the strategy to build up a European distribution business. Kent-based Launch Diagnostics is a profitable business that supplies diagnostic reagents and instrumentation for pathology applications. A placing at 95p a share will raise £7m and a three-for-365 open offer could raise up to £2m more. A £55m convertible bond issued at 95% of par could raise £52.5m and it is convertible at a 25% premium to the 95p a share placing price.
Gear4Music (G4M) edged up interim revenues by 2% with the growth coming from Europe and the rest of the world. The musical instruments retailer is upgrading its websites and trading is improving, although gross margins are lower.
Tatton Asset Management (TAM) generated inflows of £907m in the six months to September 2022. Assets under management have reached £11.3bn, with a further £1bn of assets under influence. There was an 11% improvement in earnings to 9.8p a share and the interim dividend 10% ahead at 4.4p a share. Inflows are expected to slow and full year expectations have been trimmed, but earnings should improve from 18.6p a share to 19.8p a share.
Logistics Development Group (LDG) has raised its stake in cakes maker Finsbury Food (FIF) from 4.4% to 6.77%. A further £4.17 has been invested at an average of 81p a share. The previous investment was at 69.5p a share, which was just above the low for 2022. Richard Griffiths increased his stake in Logistics Development Group from 7.04% to 8.71%. Logistics Development Group should have received more than £31m for its stake in CareTech.
Learning and development products and services provider Mind Gym (MIND) generated interim revenues 11% ahead at £26.8m with the majority coming from the US. Net cash is £4.5m. The interims will be published on 2 December. A full year pre-tax profit of £2.87m is forecast.
Advanced Oncotherapy (AVO) has raised £6m at 25p a share from Odey Asset Management. The subscription was at a 12% premium to the market price.
Mattress supplier eve Sleep (EVE) has appointed an administrator.
Anthony Laiker has left the Vela Technologies (VELA) board and sold his 6% stake. He was reappointed to the board in July having been a director between 2013 and 2020.
MAIN MARKET
Kitchenware retailer ProCook Group (PROC) says revenues continued to decline in the second quarter, but the rate slowed and there has been growth in early October. Freight costs are falling offsetting the change in exchange rates. Fackelmann Gmbh owns a 9% stake.
LED lighting and wiring accessories supplier Luceco (LUCE) says destocking has happened faster than expected, so the 2022 profit outcome will be lower than anticipated. Underlying operating profit is expected to be £20m-£22m in 2022. Net debt was £46.5m at the end of September 2022.
Carclo (CAR) says interim sales were ahead of the same period last year and slightly better than expectations. However, operating profit is slightly lower than previously. The life sciences division has grown even though two product launches were delayed. There was also increased demand from the aerospace sector.
Motor dealer Lookers (LOOK) outperformed the UK car market in the third quarter and pre-tax guidance has been increased to no less than £75m. Last year’s pre-tax profit was £90.7m, but that benefited from government assistance and a strong used vehicle market. However, a lack of available new cars to sell is holding back the performance of all motor dealers.
An administrator has been appointed to Toople (TOOP) after it failed to secure financing for a proposed acquisition.
Andrew Hore
Ian Pollard: ABF – Primark Faces 2% Like For Like Decline
Associated British Foods ABF expects a small reduction in adjusted operating profit as it enters the close period for its interim results for the 24 weeks to 2 March 2019. Despite this, sales growth is expected from all the businesses with the exception of Sugar but this is obviously not the ABF of old. For the full year results are expected to be in line with last year, That would have been unheard of and completely unacceptable even in the comparatively recent past. To add to the woes AB Sugar revenue from continuing operations is expected to be lower than last year with the result that the division will now make a marginal loss for the first half. Primark faces a 2% decline in like-for-like sales although sales are expected to be 4% ahead of last year and profit is expected to be well ahead of the same period last year but only because of a higher margin. The Eurozone has helped to save the day with sales expected to be 5% ahead of last year.
Bunzl plc BNZL has acquired a further safety business in the US. Californian based Liberty Glove & Safety, is engaged in the sale of a full range of personal protection equipment. No it’s not what you thought and its not knuckledusters either, it’s gloves, with revenue in 2018 of US$93 million.
Finsbury Food Group FIF Revenue for the 26 weeks to the 29th December rose by 0.5% on a like for like basis Total group revenue however fell by 3.5% reflecting the closure of businesses partially offset by acquisitions. Better news is that last years first half loss of £1.2m was turned into a Profit before tax of £7.5m and the interim dividend is being increased by 5.5% to 1.16p per share.The CEO describes the results as robust, delivered in a challenging period. A warning note is that wider market pressures will continue in the period ahead.
Dechra Pharma DPH Trading in the six months to the end of December was strong with group revenue rising by 19.1% and the interim dividend up by 29.6%. EBITDA increased by 27.7%, operating profit by 35.8% and diluted earnings per share by 47.4%
Dialight DIA found 2018 to be a challenging year but one in which the foundations were laid to drive growth and restore market share. The prospects of further progress in 2019 remain unchanged, but with a second half weighting. Three major products are to be launched which will significantly expand the Group’s market.and the company has two new facilities in Mexico and Malaysia, to provide sufficient capacity to meet growth aspirations.
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Ian Pollard: Dairy Crest Slightly Ahead At Half Time
Dairy Crest Group DCG expects profit for the half year to the 30th September to be slightly ahead of last year, with revenue driven by strong performances from its two largest brands, Cathedral City and Clover. Cathedral City continues to go from strength to strength reports the company and several new products will be released by the brand, over the coming months.
Finsbury Food FIF claims that its performance over the year to the 30th June has illustrated its resilience and ability to deliver against its strategic priorities.The dividend is to be increased by 10% after like for like revenue rose by 2.4% and on a statutory basis profit before tax, fell by 65.7% and basic earnings per share by 76.1%, whilst an adjusted basis they rose by 4% and 2.7%. respectively.
Christie Group CTG is raising its interim dividend by 25% for the six months to the 30th June after operating profit nearly doubled from £1.1m to £2. and basic earnings per share rose from 1.53p per share to 5.18p. Revenue for the half year rose by 10%.
Warpaint London W7L is increasing its interim dividend by 7% after sales for the half year to the 30th June shot up by 38.7%, or 7.3% on a like for like basis and gross profit rose by 30%. The order book as at the 30th June was significantly ahead compared to the same time last year
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Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 10 September 2018
NEX EXCHANGE
Ananda Developments (ANA) is acquiring 15% of UK-based Liberty Herbal Technologies Ltd, which is the owner and developer of hapac, a technology for vaping cannabis. The investment cost £460,000 and Ananda has the right of first refusal for any further fundraisings in the next two years. The technology can be used to provide a measured medicinal dose. A commercial launch is planned in Italy before the end of the year and in Canada next year. Ananda is holding a general meeting to extend its geographical focus to the UK and Italy.
Chapel Down Group (CDGP) is leasing 388 acres of land adjoining its existing vineyards on the North Downs. This site will be vined between 2019 and 2021 and with the rest of the land that has already been planted it will be the largest vineyard in England.
DagangHalal (DGHL) intends to leave NEX after less than three years on the market. Trading in the shares has been limited but this is not surprising given the problems the company has had. Shareholders owning 84.7% of the company are in favour of the withdrawal from NEX and this will happen on 1 October.
Trading in Etaireia (ETIP) shares was suspended because the annual report for the year to March 2018 was not published by the end of August. The results were released on 5 September and trading was restored. The loss was increased from £622,000 to £857,000, following a £434,000 write down on the value of land at Dalry. The NAV was £1.81m at the end of March 2018.
Milamber Ventures (MLVP) remains suspended with full year results due to be published by the middle of September. The audit of Essential Learning still needs to be completed.
Hot Rocks Investments (HRIP) had nearly £17,000 in the bank at the end of March 2018. The NAV was £722,000. The majority of the loss of £219,000 in the year was due to share-based payments. Hot Rocks has a stake in Minergy Ltd, which has floated on the Botswana Stock Exchange and has been granted a mining licence for the Masama coal project. Production could start by next February. Another investee company, Block Energy (BLOK) has floated on AIM and more than two million shares have been acquired in standard list flotation Predator Oil and Gas.
Ecovista (EVTP) has raised £550,000 from a convertible loan note issue, which has to be repaid or converted (at 0.0005p a share) by the end of August 2019.
AIM
Bilby (BILB) founder Phil Copolo and his son Leigh have left the board of the building and gas maintenance services provider and sold more than 31% of the company to institutional investors at a discount of around 6% to the then market price. Janet Copolo still owns 7.2% of Bilby and cannot sell until 3 September 2019, according to an agreement with Stanford Capital Partners, which was sole book runner of the placing. Miton has increased its stake from 15.1% to 19.8%, while MI Discretionary Fund has bought 8.19% and Ruffer has acquired 8%.
TLA Worldwide (TLA) published its latest profit warning at 10.35am on 4 September. At least it was while the markets were still trading rather than after they had closed for Christmas. Numis has had enough and resigned as nominated adviser. Trading is weak and TLA is set to breach banking covenants. TLA needs to raise cash.
Microsaic Systems (MSYS) is still building he base from which it can grow over the next few years. The interim figures do not reflect the progress that is being made. Revenues doubled from a low base, but higher costs meant that there was a flat loss of £1.5m. There is £6.96m in the bank at the end of June 2018 so the mass spectrometry technology developer has plenty of time to build up its revenues. The venture with a global bioprocessing partner is progressing and is in an integration phase. Commercialisation should be completed by early 2020. New agreements with two manufacturers and four distributors augur well for growth over the next 18 months. The target is revenues of more than £17m in 2022.
A full first half contribution from the Carlton acquisition helped Michelmersh Brick (MBH) to increase interim revenues by 43% to £23.1m and underlying pre-tax profit by 57% to £3.8m. The interim dividend has been raised by 51% to 1.06p a share. Demand for bricks remains strong and there is limited production capacity.
Tax Systems (TAX) continues to reduce its net debt, putting it in a good position to make further acquisitions. Net debt was reduced by 15% to £17.5m over a six month period. Interim revenues grew by 14% to £8m and order intake is 22% higher. The corporation tax software provider is broadening its range of software in order to make the most of the move to a digital tax system in the UK.
Filtration systems supplier Amiad Water Systems (AFS) grew its interim profit even though growth in revenues was modest. Stifel Nicolaus expects a stronger second half with full year revenues improving from $112.3m to $116.8m and then a further acceleration in growth to $123.4m. Although underlying pre-tax profit is expected to be flat at $5.1m, it is forecast to jump to $6.8m in 2019. A jump in 2018 dividend to 6.5p a share is forecast, despite relatively flat earnings per share. The dividend would still be more than twice covered.
Performance-based mobile marketing services provider Taptica International Ltd (TAP) continues to grow internationally and, via a combination of acquisitions and organic growth, interim revenues were 119% higher at $144m. Underlying pre-tax profit improved from $12.3m to $18m. An interim dividend of 3.98 cents a share is being paid. Net cash was $42.1m at the end of June 2018.
Mobile location data services provider Location Sciences (LSAI) increased revenues from £49,000 to £234,000 in the first half of 2018 but there is a lot more to come. New products have been launched and it will take time for them to make a significant contribution. Even so, 2018 revenues of £702,000 are forecast, rising to £2.2m in 2019. The loss will reduce but a profit is not forecast until 2020. There was £720,000 in the bank at the end of June 2018 and more funding will be required to achieve the expected growth in sales.
Finsbury Food (FIF) is acquiring Free From bakery manufacturer Ultrapharm for an initial £17m with more dependent on performance. The business made a pre-tax profit of £800,000 in 2017. The acquisition is earnings enhancing.
Safestyle UK (SFE) has settled litigation with former employees who set up in competition. They will change their brand name from SafeGlaze and promise not to use confidential information.
IFA Lighthouse (LGT) continues to prosper. Interim revenues were 5% ahead at £26.9m and pre-tax profit 12% higher at £1.26m. Net cash was £9.6m. and the interim dividend is two-thirds higher at 0.2p a share. Growth has been coming from the affinity business.
MAIN MARKET
Commercial aircraft lessor Avation (AVAP) reported a 16% increase in revenues to $109.1m in the year to June 2018. However, pre-tax profit dipped by 6% due to a gain on aircraft sales in the corresponding period. The dividend was increased by one-fifth to 7.25 cents a share. The NAV was equivalent to 283p a share. Cannacord Genuity forecasts a rise in pre-tax profit from $18.9m to $23.8m this year.
Dukemount Capital (DKE) has entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Rascasse Developments in order to expand into the Midlands.
Kavango Resources (KAV) has received a permit for an airborne electromagnetic geophysical survey of the Kalahari Suture Zone area, which covers 12 prospecting licences.
Haynes Publishing (HYNS) increased full year revenues by 13% to £33.8m and underlying pre-tax profit by a similar percentage to £2.9m. The total dividend is unchanged at 7.5p a share. Net cash was £2.5m at the end of May 2018. Growth in the sales of digital products is faster than the decline in other revenues.
Andrew Hore
Ian Pollard – Footasylum #FOOT impacted
Finsbury Food Group FIF has acquired 100% of the share capital of Ultrapharm Limited a specialist Free From bakery manufacturer with site in the UK & Poland. Finsbury claims that the acquisition supports the Group’s ongoing strategy to further diversify its product capability into high growth areas.
Tax Systems plc TAX enjoyed a strong first half with revenue growth of 14% for the six months to the 30th June.EBITDA for the half year grew by 9% and order intake by 22%.
Footasylum FOOT expects growth for the full year to be significantly lower than previous guidance with adjusted EBITDA down to less than half that for full year 2018. Revenue for the six months to the 25th August is expected to show a rise of 18.5% with online revenue in particular up by 28.5%. Trading has however, been impacted by weak consumer sentiment and more challenging conditions in July and August. Delays in store openings and upgrades.have also exacerbated the situation.
Biome Technologies BIOM delivered an exceptional start to the year and an outstanding first half enabled it to deliver a small operating profit of £0.2m. in the six months to the 30th June compared to last years loss of £0.2m. Group revenue for the half increased by 47% to £4.4m.
Safestyle UK plc SFE announces a comprehensive settlement of its claims against NIAMAC Developments Ltd (trading as SafeGlaze UK) for alleged trade mark infringement, passing off, misuse of confidential information, malicious falsehood and various other matters. NIAMAC has agreed that the existing court injunctions against it will be replaced by formal undertakings to the court. Steps have also been agreed to prevent the possibility of any acts of intimidation or harassment of Safestyle UK representatives and in addition, SafeGlaze UK will also change its trading name. A fairly comprehensive victory, if ever there was one.
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Ian Pollard – Finsbury Foods #FIF accelerates reshaping of Asset footprint !!
Finsbury Food FIF Once you read that the group has done well in accelerating the reshaping of its asset footprint during the year to the 30th June, you know that it has had problems. Meaningless jargon is always a sign of a management lost for words even if it does manage to claim that its performance has been resilient. In fact so resilient that sales, taking into account closed businesses, declined by 3.4% and even the 50% owned European business saw a drop of 0.7%. On a like for like basis group sales rose by 2.4% and FIF is confident that it will deliver profits in line with expectation. The trading environment was very challenging with unprecedented commodity and labour inflation.
Inland Homes INL updates that growth in both revenues and homes delivered and under construction was strong during the year to the 30th June. Good quality also helped customer demand to remain strong, as did an average affordable selling price of 293,000 per unit. Open market completions rose by 46.3% and revenue by 66.7% but as for the future there seems to be a cloud on the horizon, with forward sales as at the trading update down by 23.1%
Plant Health Care PHC Is on track to achieve full year revenue expectations, which would represent 30% growth over 2017. In Brazil, Harpin αβ was launched in February 2018 for use on sugarcane and demonstration field trials showed an average yield increase of over 20% whilst n the USA, an agreement has been reached which will give Harpin αβ access to the large corn seed treatment market. First sales will be in the second half of 2018. The planted area of corn has now reached 90 million acres and significant growth is expected thereafter.
TP Group TPG claims it has made a strong start to 2018 with the completion of a number of major contracts during the half yer to the 30th June. A new manufacturing facility in Manchester has also been completed and it continues to be active in the acquisition field.
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Ian Pollard – Will bullying Melrose #MRO shareholders win the day?
Melrose MRO Today the gloves are off as Melrose goes to war in its attempts to persuade GKN shareholders to abandon its company. If ever an example was needed as to how the City is no longer a place for gentlemen, Melrose provides it with a hectoring, bullying diatribe threatening GKN shareholders with the terrible financial consequences of their own folly if they are stupid enough to reject Melrose’s offer.There is only one problem and it is a problem which Melrose has created for itself. Its attitude and language is so extreme that it makes it appear that this is its last desperate throw of the dice after which its ammunition is exhausted.
Thus Melrose’s final offensive, attacks GKN’s “hastily assembled and ill considered proposals”, threatens GKN shareholders that “unless they accept our offer” there will be dire consequences and compares GKN rebuttal with what they laughingly call their own “measured approach”. In fact there is nothing measured about today’s response. Its warnings read like the last gambit of a contestant which is running scared and knows it has already lost the battle. Rarely in the world of takeovers has a company made such a disastrous tactical error. It deliberately chose to turn itself into the beast to be feared, a wolf without any sheeps clothing. People who are threatened and treated as stupid, tend to rebel. Melrose has only itself to blame if it is rebuffed.
Finsbury Foods FIF claims that half year results to the 30th December were robust and is increasing its interim dividend by 10% to 1.1p per share. Like for like revenue rose by 2.5% and profit before tax by 6.3% as the group showed resilience in the face of a sustained period of “market wide headwinds” which it says, will persist into the future.
Weatherly International WTI announces that it may have come to the end of a long and difficult road. It renegotiated its loans from Orion on the 31st August, 30th October and 31st December and it is now faced with repayments of $20m. by the 31st March. It admits that it is unlikely to generate sufficient surplus cash to be able to meet the repayment and its continued existence as a going concern will not be possible without Orion’s continued support, of which there is no certainty.
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Ian Pollard – Countryside Properties -A Lesson in Clarity and Profitability
United Utilities UU must have decided to make its half year report as obscure and meaningless as possible. Thus it is full of PR19S, ODIs, RCV Gearing and the latest craze, System Thinking. What it wont do because presumably it would make the figures for the 6 months to the end of September too easy to understand, is tell you the percentages by which mundane things like revenue and profit in all its various guises have risen. That is a fairly easy task for even the most junior office boy in most head offices – but perhaps I should not run the risk of being regarded as sexist when of course I should have said “junior person”. So you can have your profits four ways – underlying, reported, underlying after tax and reported after tax but what you are definately not allowed to see are the figures on a statutory basis. The figure all show reasonable increases and the interim dividend is going up from 12.95p to13.24p per share. What that rise means in percentage terms is however a closely gaurded secret, known only to that junior person at head office who is the only member of senior management with the System Thinking skills able to work it out.
Thomas Cook Group TCG has woken up to the fact that it is a “good thing” to claim to have a customer focused strategy. Not before time, some may say, after the traumas of recent years. How serious they are about it remain to be seen but having discovered that it can lead to profitable growth, there may be a fair chance that they will give it a go.
Their table of figures is not all that easy to understand but I think I have got it after the third reading. Profit after tax for the year to the 30th Spetember has risen from 1 to 12 which is clearly shown as a difference of 11 which in the last colomn becomes a like for like rise of 7 on a constant currency basis. If you would like to know what the 7 means you are invited to proceed to page 12 – clearly this must be part of the new customer focused strategy. Underlying earnings per share is understandable with a rise from 8.1p to 9.3p and there is an explanation that like for like group revenue on a constant currency basis has risen by 9%. The recommended dividend is 0.6p per share but we are not enlightened as to whether that is a rise or a fall on last year. Perhaps I should go back to page 12 to find out. And before I forget, cutting complexity is one way in which they intend to produce further growth. Some chance.
Countryside Properties CSP shows how it should be done. Simple. On an adjusted basis earnings per share rose by 71% in the year to the end of September, revenue was up by 32%, completion by 28% and operating profit by 34%. It was an excellent and record year and perhaps one of the most significant statistics (which will be very unwelcome to the competition) is that they reduced the average selling price by 8% which most housebuilders would regard as a criminal offence.
Finsbury Foods FIF announces that the UK retail food market hass moved from a deflatioary to an inflationary environment and thus helped to take the load off managements shoulders which is now finding it easier to run a bakery profitably. UK sales have risen by 5% whilst European sales are down by 3% despite all those fancy baguettes, brioches and black unsliced.
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Finsbury Food Faces Up to A Deflationary Market
Finsbury Food Group FIF claims it produced a strongly resilient performance in the year to 1st July, as it faced the challenges of a deflationary market which saw group like for like revenue remain flat. A final dividend of 2p per share is to be paid making a total of 3p for the year, a rise of 7.1%.. Sales and profit margins both increased and on a like for like basis adjusted profit before tax rose by 5.6%. The competitive success of the company is illustrated by a 15% rise in sales to continental Europe.
Dairy Crest DCG expects that profit for the half year to 30th September will be ahead of last year after Clover and Frylight showed strong volume growth and Cathedral City remained “the nations favourite cheese”. Problems remained with Country Life as sales volume was impacted by reduced promotional activity to try and mitigate the high price of cream. Seems a bit illogical to try and save money by reducing sales.
Hiscox HSX expects Hurricane Harvey will produce claims of some US$150m. which is within the range expected from a major hurricane. It is anticipated that 2017 will be a bad year for natural disasters. Harvey was the first major hurricane to hit landfall for 12 years and the aim is to pay claims quickly. Premiums, after a long period of decline, are expected to stabilise and then ti start increasing.
Petra Diamonds PDL Net profit after tax slumped by 69% for the year to 30th June as finances were impacted by delays in the expansion programme, the strength of the Rand against the dollar and rising costs, despite revenue for the year having rise by 11% on volume up by 8%. Basic earnings per share fell from 10.38 cents to 3.47cents. Net debt which is expected to start falling from the second half of 2018, rose from US$382m. to US$553m and lenders have agreed since the year end to waive two covenants. The signs for 2018 do not appear to be all that sparkling as like for like diamond prices fell by 3% at the first tender of the year.
MP Evans MPE is doubling its interim dividend after operating profit for the six months to 30th June more than tripled, following a 56% rise in crude palm oil production, at the same time as prices enjoyed a 10% rise. Crops rose by 26% as young trees began to mature.
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