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Quoted Micro 20 February 2023
EDX Medical Group (EDX) acquired Torax Biosciences for the issue of 1.67 million shares at a notional 6p each. Torax provides development and pilot scale fabrication of immunochemistry-based assays and diagnostic testing services. The experienced team at Torax was an attraction.
Marula Mining (MARU) signed a co-development and relationship agreement with a subsidiary of South African mining and investment company Q Global Commodities, which had already agreed to subscribe £3.75m for shares. Q Global chief executive will become Marula Mining chairman, subject to regulatory approval and admission to AIM. Marula Mining is expanding its graphite interests through the proposed purchase of a 75% stake in ten licences comprising the Nyorinyori graphite project in Tanzania.
Electric vehicle drivetrains developer Equipmake (EQIP) reported more than halved interim revenues from £2.32m to £1.05m and the loss increased to £2.76m. There was cash of £7.44m at the end of November 2022. The contracted order book is worth £9.1m. That includes 100% of second half expected revenues as well. There have been delays in delivering vehicles to First Group, so these will be in the 2023-24 figures.
Energy supplier Good Energy (GOOD) has launched a new smart export product for Feed-in Tariff for FiT customers, which could help them to earn more from electricity they generate. There are plans for a new domestic export tariff for households in the next few months.
AQRU (AQRU) has incorporated the London Carbon Exchange and it has a wating list of investors interested in using the platform when it is launched later this year. The platform allows trading in the voluntary carbon market.
RentGuarantor Holdings (RGG) has entered a three-year agreement with X1 Property Management, a residential and student letting company, which hopes to generate secure tenants.
Digital asset investor Kasei Holdings (KASH) raised £500,000 at 12p a share from Aalto Capital. This is a 12.5% stake. ChallengerX (LON: CXS) raised £250,000 through a share issue to Aalto Capital at 0.45p a share. An equal number of warrants exercisable at 0.45p each were also issued.
Spirits company Rogue Baron (SHNJ) non-exec Charlie Wood acquired an initial 600,000 shares at 0.846p each. He also has an interest in the 1.1 million shares owned by Orana Corporate, where he owns 25%.
Hikmat El Rousstom has resigned as non-exec director of Ace Liberty & Stone (ALSP), while at British Honey Company (BHC) Sophie Guifang Luo stepped down from the board to pursue other interests.
Love Hemp (LIFE) has withdrawn from trading on the Aquis Stock Exchange as of 14 February. Trading in Pioneer Media Holdings Inc (PNER) will end on the Aquis Stock Exchange on 9 March.
AIM
Purplebricks (PURP) is launching a strategic review because the board believes the company is undervalued. The share price slumped to 7.86p, which is a new low. Changes to the estate agency business have disrupted the third quarter performance. Instruction numbers were lower than expected. Management has identified an additional £4m of annualised cost savings. There will be £1.2m of one-off costs in the second half. The full year adjusted EBITDA loss will be between £15m and £20m. It was previously expected to be around £10m.
Semiconductors designer EnSilica (ENSI) moved into operating profit in the first half and momentum has continued in the second half. A €5m contract has been won to develop a chip for the satellite communications market, which will start generating revenues in 2023-24. Interim revenues are nearly one-quarter higher at £8.59m. The growth came from design and supply. There was a pre-tax loss of £202,000, but R&D tax credits meant that there was a £322,000 profit after tax. A small full year pre-tax loss is forecast for the full year with a £844,000 post-tax profit.
Semiconductors designer Sondrel Holdings (SND) says the project design for a customer in the automotive sector has been delayed because project design will not be completed until the first quarter of this year. The payment for the first milestone was in January and the second will not be until May. The 2022 loss is higher than forecast and there will still be a small loss in 2023.
Esports company Gfinity (GFIN) raised £2m at 0.15p a share, having originally sought £1.5m. The cash should last for 12 months. Technology platform Athlos still requires a strategic partner and there is enough funding for this for around four months. If not, then it could affect the restructuring and other plans for the rest of the business. At 0.1575p, down 33%, the current share capital is valued at Gfinity at £2.1m. Each placing share comes with a warrant to subscribe for one share at 0.15p and these warrants are exercisable between six and 18 months after the placing shares are admitted to AIM.
Fertiliser producer Harvest Minerals (HMI) had cash of A$2.72m at the end of 2022. Sales of KPFertil are growing and that has enabled the repayment of A$1.2m of debt. A court ruling requires Agrocerrado to pay $463,000, because it failed to acquire the minimum tonnes of KPFertil required by the agreement between the companies.
Medical devices developer Creo Medical (CREO) raised £28.5m from the placing at 20p a share, which was more than the £25m initially targeted. The cash will be used for further development and commercialisation of Creo Medical’s minimally invasive electrosurgical devices. With up to £5.2m more to come from the open offer, Cenkos believe that this is enough cash to fully commercialise the current product portfolio. Revenues of £100m are forecast by 2027.
Clontarf Energy (CLON) is forming a joint venture with US-based NEXT-ChemX Corporation, which covers the deployment and marketing of the latter’s direct lithium ion extraction technology in Bolivia. There is limited water and energy consumption with this technology. The share price soared by 129% to 0.172p. Pilot testing and extraction starts in March. Clontarf Energy will contribute $500,000 towards the pilot plant for exclusive use of the technology. There will also be share issues to NEXT-ChemX.
Promotional goods supplier software platform provider Altitude (ALT) says results for the year to March 2023 will be much better than expected. Zeus has upgraded its pre-tax profit forecast from £500,000 to £800,000 and that is the second upgrade in three months.
Deferral of contracts by clients has led to forecast downgrades for Jaywing (JWNG) and 2022-23 pre-tax profit expectations have been more than halved to £1m, while next year’s forecast has been slashed from £3.7m to £2m. The digital marketing services provider won an Australian online education services contract which will help to offset some of the decline in forecast revenues in 2023-24.
Mkango Resources (MKA) raised £3.5m at 12.5p and this will fund further development of the Songwe Hill rare earths project. Talks with potential funders for the project continue. Mkango Resources will also provide a €2.5m loan facility in HyProMag, which is developing a rare earth recycling production facility in Baden-Wurttemberg. The company’s stake in HyProMag could increase to 66.8%. Chief executive William Dawes acquired 400,000 shares at 12.95p each and 400,000 shares at 12.75p each. He owns 4.42%
WH Ireland has reduced its forecasts for SaaS-based retail software provider itim Group (ITIM) because of contract delays. Revenues for 2022 will be slightly below previous forecasts and that increases the loss by £200,000 to £1.1m. The 2023 loss is expected to be the same. Annualised recurring revenues are £13m, which is lower than expected. Net cash is £3.9m.
Mark Horrocks has increased his stake in cloud-based international payments services provider Cornerstone FS (CSFS) from 8.66% to 13.4%.
Dekel Agri-Vision (DKL) achieved record local process for its crude palm oil in January and there were strong extraction rates from the fruit bunches. However, there were disappointing volumes because of aggressive rival bidding for fruit bunches, although this has eased this month. There no changes to 2023 expectations of a sharp rise in profit.
MAIN MARKET
The ignominious life of Hawkwing (HNG) as a quoted company appears to be coming to an end. Kroll Advisory has been appointed administrator to the company. Hanover Investment Management demanded repayment of £2.2m relating to a convertible loan note. Hawkwing is owed £13.7m plus interest and add-ons by IFG (SPP), where liquidators have been appointed. This is secured on two subsidiaries and their assets, but it is uncertain how much can be clawed back. The cash shell was formerly sports representation and marketing company TLA Worldwide, a past AIM embarrassment which released a profit warning after the market had closed for Christmas.
Zamaz (ZAMZ) has acquired Dallatte Italia, a manufacturer of dairy products. This fits with the Bella Dispensa subsidiary and its Made in Italy ecommerce service. Management wants to change the terms of its bonds by extending their life and increasing the interest rate.
Trading in Net Zero Infrastructure (NZI) shares recommenced last week following publication of accounts and interim figures. The share price fell from 2.2p to 1.55p.
RC365 Holding (RCGH) intends to issue 18 million shares to Hatcher Group Ltd and in return it will receive 38.64 million shares in Hatcher Group. The two firms will collaborate in research and development of smart algorithm technology and other fintech services.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 13 February 2023
Hemp and cannabinoid products supplier Yooma Wellness (YOOM) is restructuring its business due to the depressed market conditions. Unprofitable activities have been wound down and management is still trying to come up with a new strategy. The 2021 Vertex acquisition is being handed back to the sellers and $1.2m in receivables has been assigned to them. The subsidiary in France is filing for a bankruptcy procedure. Yooma Wellness requires more cash and other operations may need to be sold. If not, then there could be insolvency proceedings.
Love Hemp (LIFE) has appointed administrators. Secured creditors have issued a notice of default requiring repayment of the £1.92m debt facility. Sales have slumped and a dispute with former managing director Philip Small has not helped.
Walls and Futures REIT (WAFR) is holding a general meeting on 23 February so that strategic investor Vengrove can raise cash for the company through a share issue. The number of shares in issue will be ten times as many as currently in issue. This will help Walls and Futures REIT scale up. Vengrove SI-REIT Advisors will become manager of the portfolio of assets. Pax Homes will be sold to Joseph McTaggart, so the group will no longer be a developer. Investments will be made in affordable rental housing, education property, service stations and car parks and community buildings. A portfolio of assets has been identified. The company’s name will be changed to Social Infrastructure REIT.
Music artist management and services provider All Things Considered (ATC) is estimated to have generated revenues of £11m in 2022 and the loss should be slashed from £2.7m to £300,000. Increased touring by music artists helped the business to recover. The company could breakeven in 2023.
Emissions reducing fuel ingredients supplier SulNOx Group (SNOX) finance director Steven Cowin has given notice and will leave the board at the end of March 2023. Four directors have option agreements with 6% shareholder RemNOx Ltd, which would enable it to acquire a total of 24.08 million shares at 30p each between 6 February and 28 February. That would mean that RemNOx would own 29.9% of SulNOx.
EPE Special Opportunities Ltd (EO.P) had cash of £24.5m at the end of January 2023. NAV was 334p a share, down from 456p a share. The share price recovered 5.71% to 185p. The Luceco (LUCE) share price decline was part of the reason. The company bought back 5.4% of its share capital at an average price of 139p/share. A £2m investment was made in premium dog snacks maker Denzel’s Ltd.
There are further delays in the provision of the £200,000 bridge loan to TruSpine Technologies (LON: TSP).
Newbury Racecourse (NYR) is raising its prize money by 16% to £6.06m in the 2023 season. Chairman Dominic Burke bought 6,250 shares at 815p each, taking his stake to 6.42%.
Res Privata NV took a 3.83% stake in NFT Investments (NFT).
Oberon Investments (OBE) appointed Paul Sheehan to its investment management team.
Greencare Capital has changed its name to MaxRets Ventures (MAX).
Marula Mining (MARU) appointed PWC Kenya as advisor to its East Africa activities.
AIM
Managed IT and networking services provider AdEPT Technology (ADT) is being acquired by a private equity backed Wavenet, which also provides telecom services. The 201p a share bid is a 75% premium to the previous market price it is still well below past levels. However, shareholders will not get the 2.5p a share interim dividend. The bid values AdEPT Technology at £50.3m.
Hardide (HDD) revenues grew 39% to £5m with the prospect of another sharp increase this year. The advanced coatings company continues to broaden its sector and customer base in areas such as renewable energy. Hardide is expected to continue to be loss making but the cash outflow will reduce. There is enough cash following the sale and leaseback of the US facility for the immediate requirements of Hardide.
Communications sub-systems manufacturer Filtronic (FTC) has been hit by component shortages that held back progress in the first half and this will continue in the second half. The order book is worth £17m, which is more than the 2022-23 forecast revenues of £16.5m. A small pre-tax profit is expected for the full year and there should be a sharp recovery in profit as supply problems ease next year.
Alumasc (ALU) interim revenues were 5% ahead at £45 million, pre-tax profit fell 11% to £5.6 million. The corresponding period included high margin Chap Lap Kok airport project work for the water management division and the phasing of projects hit the latest figures. The figures exclude the loss making Levolux business, which has been sold. Management indicated its confidence in the future with the 1.5% increase in the interim dividend to 3.4p a share. The second half will be stronger than the first half, but pre-tax profit is expected to decline from £12.7m to £11.3m.
Songtradr Inc launched an agreed bid for music streaming technology developer 7digital Group (7DIG) and the 0.695p a share offer values the company at £19.4m. The share has not been at this level since September 2021. Songtradr is a music licensing company with a platform and technology that connects music rights holders to brands and content creators.
Clinical communications technology developer Feedback (FDBK) revenues are still modest, but they increased by 222% to £576,000. The £450,000 contract with a Sussex community diagnostic centre made a contribution to these revenues and is up for renewal. The new contract should be worth much more when it is renewed. This pilot project will help to show other potential clients that the technology works. Other NHS trusts are showing interest in the company’s services. There was cash of £9.23m at the end of November 2022, so Feedback can finance further development and cover losses.
WH Ireland cut its forecast for SaaS-based retail software provider itim Group (ITIM) because contract delays mean that revenues will be slower coming through. Annualised recurring revenues are £13m, which is lower than expected. Revenues recognised for 2022 will be slightly below previous forecasts and that increases the loss by £200,000 to £1.1m. The 2023 loss is expected to be the same. Net cash is £3.9m. The share price slumped by 24.8% to 37.5p. The June 2021 placing was at 154p.
The share price of credit provider Morses Club (MCL) fell a further 52.6% to a new low of 0.21p ahead of the cancellation of the AIM quotation. Asset Match will provide a matched bargains facility for the shares.
esports company Gfinity (GFIN) requires more cash by the end of March so management wants to raise £1.5m via a share issue. That will finance a corporate restructuring, invest in the Athlos technology platform and help the company to move towards breakeven. Gfinity has a market capitalisation of £3.1m, so the proposed share issue will be highly dilutive.
MAIN MARKET
Used car finance and property bridging loans provider S&U (SUS) continues to do well despite weak consumer confidence. Group net receivables have risen from £370m to around £420m in the six months to January 2023. Full year figures will be published on 28 March. Full year pre-tax profit is forecast to decline from £47m – due to low bad debt provisions – to £41.2m. Net debt was £192m at the end of January 2023, compared with committed facilities of £210m. The second interim dividend is 38p a share. The full year dividend total is expected to be 132p a share.
Hamak Gold Ltd (HAMA) has commissioned a geophysical survey for the Ziatoyah gold prospect in Liberia. This will map the mineralised sulphide bearing metadolerite units where high grades of gold have been intersected.
Andrew Hore
Quoted Micro 21 March 2022
AQUIS STOCK EXCHANGE
AIM-quoted OptiBiotix Health (LON: OPTI) plans to float its ProBiotix Health subsidiary on the Aquis Stock Exchange and distribute 35%-37% of the shares to its shareholders. ProBiotix, which develops probiotics for treating cardiovascular disease, is expected to have a pre-money valuation of £22.5m and will join the market on 31 March. There are plans to raise £2.5m. OptiBiotix will retain just under 50% of ProBiotix. Peterhouse is corporate adviser.
Oberon Investments (OBE) says revenues will be at least £6.4m in the year to March 2022. Funds under management have grown to more than £1bn and that has been wholly organic growth. Oberon is launching an EIS fund and an IHT service.
Natural food and snack products supplier S-Ventures (SVEN) has been making acquisitions since it floated. This means that the figures for the year to September 2021 are not a good indication of the group as it is currently made up. They show revenues of £1.53m and loss of £1m. Additional warehousing has been secured so that all the group’s requirements can be fulfilled by this site. Two centres have been closed.
National Milk Records (NMRP) has secured an exclusive licence for the exploitation of GenoCells technology in the US. The test can detect mastitis and is being piloted in the UK. The roll out of the test should start at the beginning of 2023.
SuperSeed Capital (WWW) says that SuperSeed Fund II raised £31m. There is a strong pipeline of investment opportunities.
Altona Rare Elements (ANR) is proceeding with phase 2 of the development of the Monte Muambe real earths project with resource drilling that will last for 12 months. This will produce a maiden mineral resource estimate and will cost £1.2m.
Semper Fortis Esports (SEMP) has set up a blockchain-based paly-to-earn gaming division called SMPR Guild. The subsidiary will buy in-game items in the form of NFTs, and active game players can access these items on a revenue share basis. Game-based token rewards are won during playing and they are split between the player and the company.
Cadence Minerals (KDNC) has completed the acquisition of a further 7% of Pedra Branca Alliance, which gives it a 27% interest in the Amapa iron ore project.
Clean Invest Africa (CIA) has raised £100,000 at 0.5p a share and for every two shares an investor receives a warrant exercisable at 1.5p. If these warrants are exercised, then another warrant will be issued that is exercisable at 3p a share.
Chris Akers has increased his stake in Quetzal Capital (QTZ) from 18.3% to 19.1%.
AIM
CleanTech Lithium (CTL) raised £5.6m at 30p a share when it joined AIM. The share price ended the week at 35.5p. The company has potential lithium projects in existing mining areas of Chile. This means that there is nearby infrastructure. CleanTech Lithium has an extraction process that is more environmentally friendly than alternatives. Owning 100% of each of the projects (there is currently an option over part of the Laguna Verde area) provides additional flexibility for financing. There should be updated resource figures during the summer and that will enable a pre-feasibility study to be conducted.
Ceramics and fragrance products manufacturer Portmeirion (PMP) returned to profit in 2021. Group revenues increased from £87.9m to £106m, while underlying pre-tax profit jumped from £1.4m to £7.2m. There was a rebound in revenues in South Korea. Total dividends were 13p a share. Long-term energy contracts have been secured to offset higher gas prices this year. Further profit improvement is expected this year. Healthcare had a strong year helped by Covid, but management believes that spending will
Recruitment firm Empresaria (EMR) bounced back in 2021 even though the aviation recruitment business remained in the doldrums. This shows the benefits of the wide spread of activities both in terms of sector and internationally. Revenues recovered from £54m to £59.5m, while underlying pre-tax profit jumped from £5.2m to £8.6m. This reflects the benefits of investment in group management and resources and there is more to come. Further roll out of IT will also help. Revenues and profit are well below the peak in 2018. The offshore recruitment services division is moving into the Philippines market. There has been a strong start to 2022.
Restore (REST) improved its pre-tax profit by 64% to £38.1m with demand for all parts of the business returning last year. Acquisitions did help the technology business to grow sharply but there was also 5% underlying organic growth for the group as a whole. There are spare bank facilities to fund more acquisitions this year as Restore moves towards its goal of £450m-£500m, which is double the 2021 level.
Packaging and automation equipment supplier Mpac (MPAC) did better than expected in 2021. The 13% improvement in revenues to £94.3m was mainly down to the acquisition of Switchback. Pre-tax profit grew from £6.3m to £8.6m. net cash was maintained at £7.6m. The focus on the healthcare and food sectors has helped Mpac to prosper and the international spread of business is another positive. There is a 26% like-for-like increase in the order book, which was £78.4m at the end of the year.
Tracsis (TRCS) is paying £10.9m, plus up to £2.1m deferred, for rail technology software provider RailComm, which generates revenues of £4.6m. Tracsis had already won a remote condition monitoring equipment contract in the US and the focus will be gaining further contracts for this technology, as well as for software.
Energy efficiency as a service provider eEnergy Group (LSE: EAAS) increased interim revenues by 42% to £9.6m, partly due to energy management acquisitions. Energy efficiency revenues fell during the first half because the corresponding period included work that had moved into that period due to lockdowns. Solar is a sector where management is keen to expand exposure.
Gfinity (GFIN) is raising more cash to cover its losses, but they be near to coming to an end. The esports business is raising a further £2.7m at 1.25p a share, having regularly raised money since joining AIM in 2014. A loss is expected this year, but a reduction in admin costs should help Gfinity to make a profit in 2022-23.
Corporation Financiere Europeenne has increased its bid for CIP Merchant Capital (CIP) from 55p a share to 60p a share. This is still a significant discount to NAV and the bid has been rejected, but the bidder already owns 35.2% and has acceptances of 1.3% of the share capital. Castellain Capital has doubled its stake in CIP to 11.1%.
MAIN MARKET
New Energy One Acquisition Corporation (NEOA) is a cash shell seeking to acquire a business involved in the energy transition sector. It raised £175m at £10 a share. The only real asset is the cash raised in the flotation. The current share price is 989.5p.
Cash shell CYBA CYBA) has acquired its first cyber security business Narf Industries for $25.6m in cash and shares. Narf provides vulnerability research and security protocol design, as well as developing its own cyber security software. A placing raised £6m to help finance the purchase. The placing price of 2p was above the market price, but by the end of the week the price was 2.3p. CYBA may also acquire Polyswarm, although the exclusivity period has ended. CYBA director Steve Bassi is the principal shareholder of the Polyswarm businesses. The estimated cash balance is currently £2.79m. The company is licensing SRI International’s IP that is used in the Narf developed threat intelligence for grid recovery product. SRI will take a stake in CYBA.
Housebuilder One Heritage Group (OHG) has issued £1.5m worth of unsecured corporate bonds and has obtained a standard listing for them. The bond has an annual coupon of 8% and matures in March 2024. The cash will be used to repay loans outstanding from One Heritage SPC, which have an annual interest rate of 12%. There will be a £1.2m loan left that expires in August 2023.
Property investor Town Centre Securities (TOWN) improved underlying net assets to 305p a share, from 284p a share – a 2.4% increase in portfolio value plus help from share buy backs. Three property sales generated £22.5m in the six months to December 2021. There have been subsequent deals. The current loan to value is 47.7%. A 2.5p a share interim dividend is being paid.
Raven Russia (RAV) intends to sell its Russian property assets but retain outstanding loans. Trading in the shares has been suspended and the listing will be cancelled so that the option to sell the assets can be triggered.
Path Investments (PATH) has published the prospectus for the reverse takeover of DG Innovate, which is developing drive and battery technology. The initial consideration is £32.4m in shares at 0.6p each. There is conditional deferred consideration of up to £5.4m depending on the signing of additional customers. Path has raised £2.55m at 0.5p each and warrants exercised at 0.25p each to raise a further £2.08m.
Andrew Hore
Andrew Hore – Quoted Micro 6 April 2021
Good Energy (GOOD) says that customer numbers have remained stable since September. The 2020 figures will be published on 13 April. There was £18.1m in the bank at the end of 2020. Good has restructured its two renewable generation debts into one debt facility of £39.8m.
Arbuthnot Banking Group (ARBB) has completed the acquisition of vehicle finance provider Asset Alliance Group for £10.1m, which is 50% of the estimated fair value of £20.2m. Arbuthnot raised £8.6m by selling shares in Secure Trust, in which it retains a 5.74% stake.
Greencare Capital (GRE) is investing £100,000 in Clearly Supplements in the form of a 5% convertible loan. The conversion price is a 30% discount to a listing price. Clearly has developed a range of products and is establishing distribution in Asia.
Gunsynd (GUN) has sold three million shares in Rogue Baron (SHNJ) and raised £120,000. Gunsynd still owns 25% of the spirits brands developer and Chris Akers has taken a 3.48% stake. It also has £111,464 of convertible loan notes in Rogue Baron.
TruSpine Technologies (TSP) has raised £585,000 at 10p a share with each share coming with a warrant exercisable at 15p a share. A further £165,000 may be raised. The cash will fund the FDA application and commercial launch for Cervi-LOK.
Interim revenues of Love Hemp Group (LIFE) jumped from £426,000 to £2.38m. There was a loss of £962,000. There was net cash of £79,000 at the end of 2020. The company is moving into new facilities in south London in the middle of this year. Capacity will increase to 500,000 units of cannabidiol CBD products each month.
Tectonic Gold (TTAU) did not generate any revenues in the six months to December 2020. There was a £60,000 loss, although cash used in operating activities was £141,000.
Altona Rare Earths (ANR) can acquire a 71% interest in the owner of the Nankoma rare earths project in Uganda. There is an option to acquire a 51% stake for £1 by the end of June. The option fee is £25,000 in cash and 250,000 ordinary shares. The stake can be increased to 71% by the issue of £15,000 worth of shares.
S-Ventures (SVEN) has reported figures for the period from its formation on 6 July 2020 to the end of January 2021. There was a £60,000 cash outflow from operations and the company made two investments with another one made since January.
Optiva Securities has been approved as a corporate adviser.
AIM
Parsley Box (MEAL) has got off to a disappointing start on AIM after raising £5m at 200p a share. The shares ended the first day of trading at 185p, before recovering to 187.5p. Parsley Box has a strong brand position in its market niche and Covid-19 lockdowns have helped it to grow its customer base. The company has a range of more than 60 single portion meals, that can be stored in a cupboard and do not have to put in a fridge or freezer. Parsley Box makes more than 900,000 deliveries per month and demand has increased due to Covid-19. There are more than 500,000 registered users and 154,000 of these active customers at the beginning of this year.
ActiveOps (AOM) is a supplier of management process automation software and it got off to a good start after it floated on AIM. The share price has risen from the placing price of 168p to 190p. No new money was raised in the float and there is £8m in the bank. ActiveOps is losing money but its is generating cash. Once customers are gained, they increase their spending over a number of years and this will be supplemented by new customer wins.
Destiny Pharma (DEST) announced positive results of the phase 2b clinical study on the use of XF-73 nasal gel for the prevention of post-surgical infections. The next step will be the design of a phase III study. Discussions are being arranged with the FDA in the US.
Gfinity (GFIN) has completed its strategic review and has decided to continue with its existing strategy of focusing on higher margin revenues. Interim revenues more than trebled and the operating loss fell by nearly three-quarters to £900,000. There is £1.8m in the bank.
Arena Events (ARE) has raised a further £11m at 14p a share, having raised £9.5m at 10p a share one year earlier. The cash will enable management to bid for strategic assets, including Aztec Shaffer, a US company in Chapter 11.
K3 Business Technology (KBT) has written £16.9m off its intangible assets. Ongoing revenues dipped from £50.1m to £48.8m and the software provider made a small profit in the year to November 2020. Recurring revenues are three-quarters of the total.
Itaconix (ITX) increased revenues from $1.29m to $3.29m in 2020. Increased use of its sustainable polymers in detergents, odour control and personal care products is enabling revenues to grow and they will rise further this year. Itaconix is still losing money but it has the cash it requires for the medium-term.
Lawyer Ince Group (INCE) has agreed a £17m, three-year financing arrangement with Investec which replaces the £10m facility with Barclays.
Recent AIM admission TEAM (TEAM) is proposing an all-share offer for Tavistock Investments (TAVI) and shareholders owning 14% of Tavistock have indicated support for the offer from the investment manager.
Energy supplier Yu Group (YU.) generated better than expected 2020 revenues of £101.5m and the loss was reduced. Net cash was £11.7m at the end of 2020. This leaves management in a strong position to increase the scale of the business. This year there will be full contributions from customer books acquired last year. Average monthly new bookings were £10.3m in the second half of 2020.
Time Out (TMO) has raised £17m at 35p a share. This should supply working capital until November 2022.
MAIN MARKET
Macfarlane Group (MACF) is paying up to £4.5m for Cornwall-based protective packaging supplier Carters Packaging. In the year to March 2020, Carters made a pre-tax profit of £500,000 on revenues of £4.2m.
MasMovil has launched a bid for Euskatel, in which Zegona Communications (ZEG) has a 21.4% stake. This values the target at €2bn and the Zegona shareholding at €428m. That puts a value of 170p a share on Zegona.
InnovaDerma (IDP) reported a one-fifth decline in interim revenues to £4.1mand a more than trebled loss of £1m. Management expects trading to be uncertain for the rest of the financial year. The recent fundraising will help to keep the business on a sound footing while it waits for a more substantial recovery.
Andrew Hore
Alan Green talks markets, Itaconix #ITX, AB Dynamics #ABDP & Gfinity #GFIN on the UK Investor Magazine podcast
Alan Green discusses markets, US Elections, Itaconix #ITX, AB Dynamics #ABDP & Gfinity #GFIN on the UK Investor Magazine podcast.
Alan Green talks Gfinity #GFIN, Mirriad #MIRI & Red Rock Resources #RRR on Vox Markets podcast
Alan Green discusses Gfinity #GFIN, Mirriad #MIRI & Red Rock Resources #RRR with Justin Waite on the Vox Markets podcast. Interview is 12 minutes in.