Optima Health Limited, a UK provider of technology enabled corporate health and wellbeing solutions, announced its planned demerger from Marlowe PLC and its intention to seek admission to AIM. The company said it is the leader in the management of workplace and employee health. Optima Health offers a comprehensive range of flexible and progressive occupational health services supported by statutory driven workplace health requirements, and it is proud to help people and the organisations they work for be the best that they can be, working across a range of sectors, both public and private, from manufacturing, construction, professional and transport and logistics services to the UK’s Blue Light organisations, Civil Service and NHS.
Comment: While we all presumably want to be the best we can be, Optima looks to be a company perfect for the snowflake generation. It also looks to be riding the gravy train of the big state, such as the civil service and the NHS – so it must be a winner.
Electric Guitar (ELEG), the digital marketing and advertising company providing first-party data solutions, announced that Electric Guitar and Digital Alchemy will be co-hosting an event in Singapore to launch the collaboration between the two businesses. The event will take place on 25 September 2024 and will be attended by senior representatives of existing clients and prospective clients of both businesses.
Comment: It is perhaps a shame that the event is down in Singapore, but at least we are reminded that ELEG is an international, scalable prospect, in the new railroad of first party data.
Avacta Group (AVCT), a life sciences company developing innovative, targeted cancer treatments and powerful diagnostics, said it will announce its unaudited interim results on 30 September 2024 for the six months ended 30 June 2024. Christina Coughlin, MD, PhD, Avacta’s CEO, will discuss the results and the Company’s operational and clinical progress via the Investor Meet Company platform on 30 September 2024 at 11:00 BST.
Comment: Shares of AVCT are currently once again right on their 200 day moving average at 73p, the dividing line between being bearish and bullish, after the rebound from 40p in June. It will be interesting to see if there is a further squeeze higher as the bears fear the company will announce meaningful progress later this month.
MyHealthChecked (MHC), the consumer home-testing healthcare company, said it will announce its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2024 on Thursday 26 September 2024. Penny McCormick, Chief Executive Officer, will provide a video update relating to the interim results which will be available to view on the day via the Company website and the Investor Meet Company platform.
Comment: MHC shares have made a tentative rebound of late, but it may be that its cashed up position is key going forward, as this may enable it to finesse the launch of its wellness tests.
Novacyt S.A. (NCYT), an international molecular diagnostics company, announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2024 on Thursday, 26 September 2024. An investor webinar presentation by Lyn Rees, Chief Executive Officer, and Steve Gibson, Chief Financial Officer, relating to the HY 2024 results will take place at 11.00am BST on Thursday, 26 September 2024.
Comment: Shares of NCYT are now back at being half last month’s 137p peak, helped by the VAT win and Mpox. There will be everything to play for in the forthcoming presentation, one which will be a challenge for management, unless they can point to positive non one off share price drivers.
HeiQ (HEIQ), a company involved in materials innovation and hygiene technologies, announced a trading update for its extended financial year ending 30 June 2024. HEIQ said that challenging market conditions continued throughout the period, as pressure on consumer discretionary spending impacted our textiles, flooring, antimicrobials and other established revenue lines. Despite these challenges, the Company has managed to maintain relatively stable revenue generation over the past 24 months and expects to report total revenues of approximately US$62 million for the 18-month period (FY 2022 12-month period: US$47 million).
Comment: HEIQ is one of those companies whose revenues at least are rather more impressive than one might have expected. Nevertheless, so far today the market has given the company the thumbs down as the company continues to remain in the red.
Andrada Mining (ATM), a critical raw materials producer, provided results from its inaugural drilling programme undertaken at the historical Brandberg West mine, situated within the EPL5445 exploration licence. The objective of this programme was to provide an initial indication of the grade potential and geology of the historical open pit area and to investigate the potential mineralisation of the northern extensions. These results constitute the first batch of samples from this programme, representing ten (10) out of the twenty (20) holes drilled. ATM said the Brandberg West project’s initial drilling results are highly encouraging featuring significant high-grade intersections of tin, tungsten and copper. These intersections, with grades of up to 4% for tin, over 2% for tungsten and typically 0.5% – 2% for copper, underscore the licence’s commercial potential.
Comment: ATM shares are making some tentative efforts to recover, after what has been a bruising bear run from the 8p zone this time last year. Nevertheless, this sprawling business is not an easy one to get a handle on, and more efforts should be made to communicate the reality, to investors and those thinking about taking the plunge.
Oriole Resources (ORR), the AIM-quoted gold exploration company focussed on West and Central Africa, announced an update for its 82.2% owned Bibemi orogenic gold project in Cameroon, where the Company announced an updated MRE of 375,000 ounces grading 2.30 grammes per tonne gold in January of this year. BCM International Limited is currently funding up to US$4 million in exploration expenditure in return for up to a 50% interest in the Project. ORR said the first tranche of results from the Phase 5 drilling programme have delivered up to 4.10m at 7.99g/t Au close to surface. This supports its belief that there exists the potential to increase the Mineral Resource Estimate tonnes and contained ounces of gold nearer to surface and within the current open pit design. It looks forward to reporting the next tranche in due course.
Comment: ORR seems to be shaping up well, especially given the backing of its sugar daddy BCM. Given that this is the case one would expect the shares to continue to re-rate and get to the £20m market cap plus that it deserves.
Aquis Exchange (AQX), the creator and facilitator of next-generation financial markets, announced its unaudited results for the six months ended 30 June 2024. AQX said it was pleased with the progress made by Aquis in the first half of 2024, as it continues to deliver against it strategy at pace. It has made meaningful progress across all of its divisions, the majority of which have increased revenues and maintained stable PBT, reflecting the investment plans its communicated last year. There is real momentum across the business. Its pipeline in the Technologies division has increased materially since last year and now stands at record levels, with notable growth in the quality of the pipeline as well. Its strategic investment in this division demonstrates its commitment to strengthen the Group’s ability to capitalise on this pipeline, and drive further scale.
Comment: While AQX remains somewhat smug regarding its progress and strategy, it would do far better to fully invest in changing the present market perception that the Aquis Exchange has the liquidity of the Kalahari and is not the place to be as compared to AIM / LSE. If it did this successfully one would assume that its PBT would be rather more than £1m. That said, it is not easy competing with the LSE’s effective monopoly.
Windar Photonics (WPHO), the technology group that has developed its WindEye and WindTimizer LiDAR wind sensors, announced its un-audited results for the 6 months ended 30 June 2024. Revenue for the 6 month period of €2.3m represents 71% growth on prior year revenue of €1.3m, which with a concentration of sales following April 2024 capital raise, is in line with expectation to achieve targeted full year growth. The market will be updated as the expected significant orders are received.
Comment: Perhaps rather unfairly given the improvement we have seen so far this year, WPHO shares are still down some 10% on the year. Presumably, fresh orders will rectify this state of affairs.
Mast Energy Developments (MAST) announced an update regarding its Pyebridge 8.1MW flexible power generation asset. MAST said it was very pleased with the ongoing performance of Pyebridge’s first 2.7MW refurbished genset. Not only has it seen a 16% increase in July’s final revenue tally, it has also seen a marked improvement in the gross profit margin and market outperformance. It expects Pyebridge’s performance to improve as it grows the generating capacity.
Comment: Although the company has been one of the small cap space’s less illustrious contenders, there are some signs that a turnaround in capacity will feed into the share price and the £700,000 market cap.
Fevertree Drinks (FEVR) revealed its FY24 Interim Results to 30 June 2024. FEVR said the Fever-Tree brand performed well against a tough market backdrop. Whilst the first half was challenging, it was controlling the controllables. It has delivered substantial margin improvement, resulting in a c.80% increase in EBITDA year-on-year, as well as driving share gains against the competition across all our regions, demonstrating the growing strength of the Fever-Tree brand.
Comment: Of course, selling overpriced tonic water that no one notices after a few drinks, has been a proven business model. That said, there is a hint here that the company has hit the ceiling in terms of how far it can stretch the concept.
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