IG Group Holdings (IGG) on Thursday announced a new GBP125 million share buyback and said it was launching a strategic review of the business. The London-based provider of online trading platforms said the review will look at ways of maximising shareholder value, including acquisitions, IG’s domicile and listing venues, and potential combinations with other industry participants. The outcome of the review will be announced at a strategy update in the autumn, IG said. The news came as IG said pretax profit rose 15% to GBP563.7 million in 2025 from GBP490.2 million the year prior.
Comment: Given the recent massive financial markets volatility and the way that levels of taxation are at soul destroying levels, it is surprising that everyone with a beating heart is not just sitting at home spreadbetting than bothering to work for HMRC. Clearly, for IG current conditions are like falling off a like, with or without a strategic review.
Catenai PLC (CTAI), the AIM-quoted provider of technology and digital solutions, is pleased to announce that Alludium Ltd, its investee company and developer of a no-code AI Agent Operating System, has advised the Company that it has secured its first paying customers since the platform’s public-commercial launch on 10 March 2026 and following an initial seven-day trial period.
Comment: It is pleasing that since the company added “no-code” to the RNS announcements we have seen a decent uplift in the share price of CTAI. Having a real paying customer is certainly the icing on the cake as we look for the shares to return to 0.6p in coming weeks.
Synthomer plc (SYNTH) announced that the year to 31 December 2025 audit process is well-advanced, with no change to the expectations indicated in the 29 January 2026 trading update of continuing revenue of c.£1.74bn and continuing EBITDA in the range of £135-138m. Strong operational execution, together with expanded ‘self-help’ cost reduction programmes, enabled the Company to mitigate the impact of softer end-market demand since global tariff changes were announced and deliver resilient earnings and an increased EBITDA margin as well as positive Free Cash Flow in 2025.
Comment: Today’s update rather make it appear that the massive share price falls of the past three years were rather overdone for SYNTH. But that of course is the London market for you. The mention of free cash close should help reverse the trend from now.
Sancus Lending Group (LEND) announced its audited results for the year ended 31 December 2025. LEND said “I am pleased to report another encouraging set of results for Sancus and a significant uplift in profitability. More importantly, 2025 represents a meaningful milestone in the five-year journey to reposition and strengthen the Group. Since 2021, we have focused on rebuilding our platforms, enhancing leadership, improving credit quality and simplifying our capital structure. The progress we are now reporting reflects the cumulative impact of that disciplined work, delivered against what has remained a challenging market backdrop.”
Comment: RNS rule number one, never mention the overall economic / geopolitical backdrop. Firstly, it always sounds like a lame excuse, and second it can still haunt the share price even when such conditions have ameliorated.
Further to the Heads of Agreement announced on 11 December 2025, East Star Resources Plc (EST), the Kazakhstan-focused gold and copper explorer, to announced the formalisation of the joint venture agreement (“JVA”) pursuant to which Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services Limited will farm into the Verkhuba Copper Deposit, and advance it into production. Xinhai is a privately owned, global process engineering and contracting company that specialises in providing engineering design, procurement, construction (“EPC”) services and contract services to the mining industry.
Comment: Presumably Xinhai are all lovely people. But is it not the case that one of the reasons we have a supply crisis in commodities is because China is hoarding / blocking the supply of such things? But at least EST shareholders are benefiting from the situation, which is the main thing.
Botswana Minerals plc (BMIN) reported encouraging results from integrated geological and AI-enhanced initial exploration analysis across its copper prospecting licences in north-west Botswana. The analysis has identified several target systems within the Company’s licence areas, prospective for copper, silver, zinc, lead, nickel and cobalt.
Comment: It would appear that everything, including flushing the toilet, involves AI these days, so perhaps there is no need to even mention it. At least BMIN looks set to resume its recent share price recovery.
Strategic Minerals (SML), an international mineral exploration and production company, announce it has raised gross proceeds of approximately £4.7 million at a price of 3.5 pence. The Subscription was led by a prominent international investor who approached the Company, which the Board views as a strategically important moment in the Company’s development.
Comment: Everyone loves a prominent international investor, and one knocking on the door of SML certainly underlines the way that the company is a cut above the rest both in terms of prospects and funding.
Afentra plc (AET), an upstream oil and gas company focused on acquiring production and development assets in Africa, noted the recent media speculation and confirms that it has engaged with a limited number of counterparties with regard to a potential sale process in respect of the entire issued, and to be issued, share capital of the Company.
Comment: Shares of AET have certainly felt the benefit of the media speculation. Indeed, given the way that the stock is up 78% this year underlines the way that it was becoming hot property even before entering the limelight of late.
Vault Ventures PLC (AQSE: VULT), the technology development company focused on post-quantum security infrastructure and secure communications platforms, today commented on recent UK quantum investment initiatives which reinforce the long-term market drivers underpinning the Company’s established strategic focus. The Company also announces a forthcoming live investor and market broadcast. Vault is progressing £1.6 million development programme with Whitespace Global Limited to build a proprietary post-quantum secure communications platform aligned to emerging quantum networking priorities.
Comment: If Bitcoin Treasury and AI were the buzzwords last year, it is the case that Quantum is the hype worthy concept for 2026. The only slight downer here is that governments are notoriously bad at investment initiatives, being either too late, spending inappropriately, or just doing stuff for show. Hopefully, this is not the case with reference to Quantum.
