FY23 results: consolidation and cash generation

For the year to 30 September 2023, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue FY23 of £169.6m, +7.5%YoY (currency adjusted +7%YoY) which was 0.7% below our outlook, and adjusted EBITDA of £35.5m, +9%YoY, 5% above our outlook. Net operating cash of £20.0m was almost double FY22 (£10.8m) with a notable improvement in working capital management from £(12.0)m to £(1.0)m underlining efforts to control costs and improve operational efficiency. Net debt was £45.6m, with year-end cash at £36.5m. The Group rep

A strong performance in the year-to-date

For the three months to 30th June 2023, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue of £34.3m, -5.5%YoY (currency-adjusted -1%YoY), as 10%YoY growth in Genetics (42% of total) was offset by the impact of reduced demand in global shrimp markets, resulting in a 17%YoY decline in Advanced Nutrition revenues (47% of total). Adjusted EBITDA1 declined 23%YoY (£5.1m), a 14.8% margin (Q3 22: 18.1%); on a currency-adjusted basis -13%YoY. Net operating cash inflow of £1.7m contrasted with £(1.0)m outflow in Q3 22

H1 23 results: a robust base for expansion

For the six months to 31/3/2023, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue of £98.9m, +24.8%YoY (currency-adjusted +19%YoY), and (adj.) EBITDA1 of £22.1m, +39.2%YoY (currency-adjusted +36%YoY), a 22.3% margin. Adjusted for the fair value of biological assets, the increase in (adj.) EBITDA was 47%YoY. Underlying the strength of H1 performance, net operating cash inflow of £9.5m was almost 5x H1 22 levels, with net debt reduced to £44.5m (FY22: £47.5m) and cash including facilities at £53.9m. As CEO Tro

Benchmark Holdings: Q1 23 results: consistent growth continues

For the three months to 31 December 2022, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue +36.2%YoY at £54.5m, and (adj.) EBITDA +47.7%YoY (excluding fair value adjustment for biological assets, +61%YoY), to £11.0m reflecting the combination of strong top line growth, capacity utilisation and cost control. As a result, (adj.) EBITDA profitability continued to improve, from an average of 19.7% through FY22, to 20.1%. The operating loss was £0.12m (Q122: £1.46m loss), on an adjusted basis, a £0.85m profit. Th

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 17 Feb 23

17 February 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objec

Benchmark Holdings: FY22 results deliver sustainable growth

For the year to 30 September 2022, Benchmark Holdings reported revenue of £158.3m, +27%YoY and (adj.) EBITDA of £31.2m, +60%YoY. The Group highlighted 14%YoY growth in the Advanced Nutrition business area, as shrimp market demand continues to recover, and 24%YoY growth in Genetics as the new Iceland salmon eggs facility came on stream. FY22 EBITDA (adj.) was in line with the upper end of the Trading Update of 24 October; revenue was 3% above our October estimates, EBITDA (adj.) 14% higher. EBITD

Update says a strong Q4, continuing into FY23

In a Trading Update Benchmark Holdings reports a strong fourth quarter with trading better than expected across each of its three business areas. Consequently – subject to audit – the Group expects (adj.) EBITDA, for the year to 30 September, to be in the range of £30.0m - £31.0m, i.e. up to 14% above of our estimate of £27.3m. The Genetics business area closed the year ahead of management expectations due to strong Q4 demand for salmon eggs; Advanced Nutrition delivered revenue ahead of plan

SkinBioTherapeutics - FY23 results

SkinBioTherapeutics has published results for the 12-months to June 2023, reporting AxisBiotix-Ps revenues up 77% YoY to £132k and an improved gross margin of 65% (FY22A: 61%). Operating costs were stable and the operating loss was flat YoY at £3.0m. Cash at the year-end was £1.3m and subsequently the company raised c£3.3m gross via a placing and retail offer. We have introduced FY24 forecasts with this report, expecting continued growth in AxisBiotix-Ps revenues supported by territory expansion

Fundraising looks well supported

RUA have announced, subject to shareholder approval at a General Meeting, the intention to raise equity via the combination of an institutional placing of shares, a subscription by certain directors and a retail offer. While the minimum gross proceeds are expected to be at least £4.1m, the full amount raised will be fluid until after the retail offer and shareholder approval. The final proceeds raised should be known after the outcome of the Retail Offer is announced on 8 December, and sharehold

RUA Life Sciences - Billion-dollar markets

RUA Life Sciences is developing products targeting billion-dollar global healthcare markets, which, if successfully commercialised it will generate significant value for the company. The current raise will support the business as it seeks to deliver the growth opportunities within its Contract Manufacturing business unit and commercialise and partner its lead vascular graft products and its heart valve leaflet composite material. We believe the company offers an attractive combination of establi

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 01/12/23

1st December 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment obje

LSE AIM Market Screener - 22 June 2023

 The market capitalization of 806 AIM stocks was £89.3bn as of 20 June 2023. FTSE AIM All Share Index was down 5.55% YTD to 785.2 as of 21 June 2023. There were 32 companies delisted from AIM over the period December 2022-June 2023. Among the top YTD winners, there were Celadon Pharmaceuticals (up 209%, MktCap £95m), Vast Resources (+211% YTD, Mkt Cap of £15m), B90 Holdings (+200%, MktCap £22mn), Verditek (154%, MktCap £6mn), Star Phoenix Group (+162%, MktCap $1.6mn), Inspecs Group (+162%, Mk

Cambridge Nutritional Sciences - H1 2024 interims: Executing a newly focussed st

Cambridge Nutritional Sciences (CNS) has published its H1 2024 results to end September 2023. Group revenues grew 44% to £4.9m and gross profits increased by 63% to £3.1m, with the company benefitting from newfound operational efficiencies. With its now streamlined strategy focussing on the core Health & Nutrition business and the initial signs of an encouraging uptick in sales momentum, we believe the company is well positioned for growth that will help create future value for shareholders. We

5 Small caps to Buy - August 2021

Historically, small caps stocks have outperformed larger listed companies after economic downturns and this trend is ringing true once again, with smaller stocks offering better returns in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is currently an exciting time to be invested in smaller companies and for those with a keen eye for detail that can identify companies with financial strength and strong management teams, there is potentially lots of upside available.

Bio-detection becomes a commercial reality

Recent new contracts show that Kromek’s investment in bio-hazard detection technology is becoming a commercial reality. On 26 October the Group received a US$5.9m (£4.84m) contract from the US Department of Homeland Security Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office - the first for Kromek - to research and develop technologies for agent-agnostic bio-detection. On 31 October Kromek announced 3 more orders for CBRN detection worth a total of US$1.0m (£0.82m), most of which is expected

4basebio - Interims – scaling to meet anticipated commercial traction

4basebio’s half-year results for the period ended 30 June 2023 reflect continued progress towards its main objective of producing GMP-grade synthetic DNA, with a focus on building out its commercial footprint. It generated revenues of £0.24m (+57%, with all growth coming from the sale of DNA and Hermes™ nanoparticles) with an adjusted net loss of £3.5m (H1 2022: £2.4m, +46%) and period-end cash of £3.6m, having drawn a further €4m from its €23m loan facility that gives it a cash runway into 2025

Morning Note – 1 December 2023

UK market leader Holland & Barrett is now distributing SlimBiome

OptiBiotix ("OPTI") has announced that Holland & Barrett, a global nutritional food and supplement retailer, has launched a new product range under the SlimBiome brand. The weight management products, which contain OPTI's proprietary weight management formulation, will initially be available on the Holland & Barrett website and physical stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden. The deal marks the 22nd commercial partnership for SlimBiome and the first wi

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 09 Feb 23

09 February 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objec

Hybridan Small Cap Feast - 15 Mar 23

15 March 2023 @HybridanLLP Status of this Note and Disclaimer This document has been issued to you by Hybridan LLP for information purposes only and should not be construed in any circumstances as an offer to sell or solicitation of any offer to buy any security or other financial instrument, nor shall it, or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied upon in connection with, any contract relating to such action. This document has no regard for the specific investment objectiv

Centene Corporation: Initiation of Coverage – Recent Restructuring & Other Drivers, Financial Forecasts, DCF & Comparables Valuation, ESG & Other Risks (03/23)

This is our first report on Centene Corporation, one of the largest health insurance players in the U.S. Centene had a successful year in 2022 and ended it on a positive note with an all-around beat. The company faced a number of difficulties, including a leadership transition, organizational structure change, modernization of corporate governance approach, concentration on core business, better operations and quality, and on-time financial obligation fulfillment. Total revenue grew by $3 billio

Cenkos: Healthcare Sector -- Ward Round

Weekly round-up of AIM-listed healthcare news. Agronomics, Eden Research, IXICO, HeiQ, Trellus Health, NetScientific, Circassia, 4basebio, Fusion Antibodies, Surgical Innovations Group, Yourgene Health, Abingdon Health, Verici Dx, Poolbeg Pharma, Omega Diagnostics