SP Angel Morning View: Copper and gold pull back as Fed pushes back rate cut expectations

Epwin (EPWN LN) - Continuing to perform

Epwin’s AGM statement confirms it is continuing to trade in line with expectations despite the volatile operating environment. Competitors, as well as other building products peers, have warned recently that trading in the first months of 2024 has been below expectations, putting pressure on estimates. The fact Epwin has not warned is testament to how well the business has been managed. It came out of the pandemic in a strong commercial position providing flexibility to manage the business in th

Trading update: performance ahead of expectations

In an Update for the year to 30 April 2024 Cohort reports overall performance slightly ahead of market expectations. We note that the Group reports very strong order intake of c.£387m (compared to £218m in FY23) resulting in a closing order book which stood at c.£518m (FY23: £329.1m), inclusive of the March SEA Royal Navy £135m Ancilia contract. The group notes strong H2 performance, with overall growth in the Sensors & Effectors division, notably Chess and SEA, outpacing the Communications & I

PROGRESSIVE: SDI Group: Solid update reflects strong second half

SDI Group’s trading update for the year ended 30 April 2024 is in line with current guidance for FY24, with good momentum heading into FY25. This reflects the hands-on approach under the new CEO, addressing short-term issues that had led to underperformance in some businesses. The underlying portfolio performed well in terms of profitability and cash generation, with improved trading in a number of businesses. The increased cashflow in H2 and significant headroom within its banking facilities le

Mpac Group+ (MPAC, House Stock at 490p) - Clean energy advances

PROGRESSIVE: Oxford Metrics: Tracking nicely

Oxford Metrics held a capital markets day on 18 April at its recently opened office in Oxford. The event was well attended by investors who saw demonstrations of Vicon’s markerless technology within a 3D virtual reality entertainment environment and within an industrial environment in conjunction with Industrial Vision Systems (IVS), acquired in late 2023. The potential of markerless technologies, smart manufacturing inspection and the ongoing application of the £52m funds from Yotta’s disposal

Plant Health Care - Record start to the year, outperforming the sector

Plant Health Care has released a trading update noting that in the four months of 2024, revenue was approximately $4.3m, up 72% versus 2023 (2023: $2.5m). This is a record start to a year, with it substantially outperforming the wider agritech sector where larger peers are reporting Q1 revenue declines of 5-32%. We attribute this outperformance to the differentiated and highly attractive attributes of its biological solutions, which provide proven results to distributors and farmers. This start

LIBERUM: Eneraqua Technologies: In line earnings and strong cash as promised

SP Angel Morning View: Copper prices bounce of record highs following short squeeze

Judges Scientific+ (JDG, House Stock at 8,900p) - HY; strong order book, FY23F unchanged

LIBERUM: Eneraqua Technologies: Earnings in line, cash slightly better

Hardman & Co Insight: 2023 was an annus horribilis for Quoted UK Infrastructure and Renewable Energy

The focus of Hardman & Co Research is on the nine quoted Infrastructure Investment Companies (IICs) and on the 22 Renewable Energy Infrastructure Funds (REIFs): the stocks analysed are all members of the Association of Investment Companies (AIC). We are updating our publication of January 2023, assessing both the lacklustre share price performances during 2023 and the key issues, including interest rates, inflation and power prices. As a 31-strong group, its combined market capitalisation is no

SDI Group - Interims – Some destocking seen – FY24E EPS reduced by 19%

SDI released interim results showing mixed trading in challenging markets. As anticipated, the completion of the exceptional Covid-related camera orders resulted in a reduction at Digital Imaging, offset by Sensors & Controls revenue growth of 40%. Some customer destocking is being seen as well as softer markets in China and Germany. As a result, the outlook points to FY24E adj PBT of between £7.9m-8.4m. This leads us to downgrade our Adj PBT by 18% to £7.9m, with a reduction in adj EPS of 19% t

Morning Note – 31 January 2024

Empresaria - Offshore Services underpins upside in challenging markets

Empresaria’s FY 2023 results are in-line with the January statement. Recruitment markets remain challenging (a point also recently highlighted by peers) but Empresaria has taken action to reduce costs, complexity and sharpen focus on its core sectors. This puts the group in a good position to take advantage of any market recovery with management cautiously highlighting the expectation of an improvement from H2. We make no major changes to our forecasts except to rebase dividend expectations to t