The Hardman & Co Monthly: October 2022

Feature article: A glass half-empty view of markets - The 20s harder than the last decade This month’s feature article is written by Steve Clapham, who gives his view on the outlook for markets. He sets out one side of the current debate in markets. Steve is admirably experienced to express an opinion. Steve is the founder of Behind the Balance Sheet, an investor training consultancy. He qualified as a chartered accountant before moving into investment banking as an analyst in the 1980s. In

The Hardman & Co Monthly: September 2022

Feature article: Macro issues dominate investor sentiment - Some basics for investors The big topics in the investment world at the moment seem to be macroeconomic. With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to revisit some of the basics of the terms being used in the current environment, and to remind investors of the things to look out for (indeed, many younger investors may not have come across some of these influences in their investing lifetime): • Recession does not affect

Diurnal Group - Proposed acquisition by Neurocrine Biosciences

Diurnal has announced that it has agreed to an acquisition by Neurocrine Biosciences (US-based biopharmaceutical player) for a cash consideration of £48.3m or 27.5p per share. The proposed acquisition consideration is a c 144% premium to the closing price of 11.25p on 26 August. Although the acquisition is subject to shareholder approval by both companies, the transaction is likely to close by late October or early November. Neurocrine is also focused on the endocrine space (in addition to neuro

The Hardman & Co Monthly: August 2022

Feature article: Utility regulation – Changes afoot - Patching up a tainted model While the gas supply crisis – and its price implications – have dominated the UK price regulated sectors in recent months, other issues have arisen that have seriously tainted the price regulation system itself. Indeed, it is fair to ask whether it is ‘’fit for purpose’’. Back in 1984, price regulation, via an unsophisticated RPI-x formula, was introduced to prevent the privatised British Telecom (BT) from abusin

Diurnal Group - Alkindi sales underpin top-line growth

Diurnal announced a trading update for the 12-month period ending June 2022, reporting top-line results broadly in line with consensus estimates. While total revenue grew by 7.1% y-o-y (to £4.7m), core product sales improved 104% y-o-y to £4.62m (£2.27m in FY21). Licensing revenue was a modest £0.06m versus £2.1m in FY21 (comprising upfront and milestone payments from Citrine Medicine for China). Product sales momentum was supported by a 60.8% growth in Alkindi during the period as well as the f

Hybridan Small Cap Feast 26/07/22

Dish of the day Joiners: No joiners today. Leavers: Vivo Energy Plc has left the main market of the London Stock Exchange. What’s cooking in the IPO kitchen?** Inteliqo Limited, intends to join the Aquis Growth Market. Inteliqo Limited provides sales, marketing and distribution services to technology product owners under long-term distribution agreements. The Company has agreed its first such agreement in respect of the Ipedia iQ product range. The iQ product is a smart translation earphone (ear

Hardman & Co Monthly: July 2022

Feature article: Punching above their weight? The contribution of small- and mid-cap quoted companies to markets, employment and tax revenues Back in May 2019, Hardman & Co and the Quoted Companies Alliance jointly published a paper looking at the importance of small and mid-size quoted companies (SMQCs) to the markets, and their contribution to tax revenues and employment in the UK. This is a poorly researched area, and that paper helped frame the debate; it has been quoted from by bodies such

Diurnal Group - First patient dosed in the US CONnECT study

Diurnal has dosed the first patient in its pivotal Phase III CONnECT clinical trial assessing DNL-0200/Efmody in adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) for the US and Japanese markets, marking a key step in the asset’s clinical progression. The year-long trial is the first blinded study in CAH, according to management. Headline data are expected in 2024 and are material to Efmody’s prospects in United States. We also believe positive results from this study could potentially create an

Hardman & Co Monthly: June 2021

In terms of environmental policy, the quest to cut carbon emissions dramatically and to achieve net zero remains high on the political agenda, although the war in Ukraine – and specifically the issue of gas supplies – may weaken these commitments. In any event, the environmental performance of China and the US – responsible, between them, for around one half of global emissions – will be key. In Asia, where ca.85% of energy consumption is currently being met by fossil fuels – there are ca.4.6b

Hybridan Small Cap Feast 01/06/22

Dish of the day Joiners: No Joiners Today. Leavers: Innovaderma has left the Main Market. What’s cooking in the IPO kitchen? AssetCo plc, intends to join re-join AIM. The Company's strategy is to develop an agile asset and wealth management company that meets the needs of investors in the 21st century by acquiring, managing and operating asset and wealth management activities and interests, together with other related services. The Company is in the process of acquiring the entire issued share c

The Hardman & Co Monthly: May 2022

Feature article: Latest ONS survey: steady as she goes…and ignore retail investors at your peril The ONS (Office for National Statistics) has been charting the beneficial ownership of UK-quoted companies periodically since the early 1960s. The latest paper was published in March 2022, and considers the data for December 2020. At December 2020, “Rest of the World” investors owned 56.3% of the market, a further growth since the last survey, while UK institutions’ ownership edged up to 31.6%.

Diurnal Group - Leveraging the known pathway

Diurnal has announced the extension of its existing marketing and distribution agreement with EffRx Pharmaceuticals, to include Efmody (in addition to Alkindi) in Switzerland. The agreement is in line with Diurnal’s strategy to leverage Alkindi’s supply chain and distribution network for Efmody and we expect more such agreements in the near future. After filing a market authorisation application (MAA) to Swissmedic in H222, EffRx expects the product to be launched in 2024. Further, on 20 April D

Diurnal Group - FY21 results reflect puts and takes

Diurnal’s H122 results were hindered by COVID-19 pandemic restrictions muting the benefits from the H2 CY21 Efmody launches in Germany, UK and Austria. Further, the recent Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) decision to not recommend Efmody for automatic reimbursement in NHS Scotland poses as a headwind and has caused management to lower revenue guidance. Despite management’s focus on expanding into incremental markets, it now expects that for Efmody to become a profitable franchise, the product

Diurnal Group - The SMS decision, financial results and revised outlook

Although 2021 has been a period of significant regulatory and commercial progress for Diurnal, this performance has been overshadowed by the recent decision of the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) not to recommend automatic reimbursement of Efmody in CAH. This is disappointing and has blunted Efmody's immediate UK wide potential despite its clear benefits. Efforts are underway to address the SMC's concerns, with two trials ongoing in both AI and CAH. Elsewhere, despite the impact of the pande

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

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

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 - 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