Small Cap Feast

Freyherr International Group PLC the Medicinal Cannabis holding company established in 2016, is planning to list on the NEX exchange on the 13 August

Small Cap Feast

Network International Holdings—Pleading enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa region, operating across over 50 highly underpenetrated payment markets that contain a total population of 1.5 bn. 2018 rev $298m, underlying EBITDA $152m. Due April. No new funds to be raised. Secondary sell down. Targeting 25% of at least 25%. Techniplas –global producer and support services company providing highly engineered and technically complex components, making the supply chain to

Small Cap Feast

Techniplas –global producer and support services company providing highly engineered and technically complex components, making the supply chain to original equipment manufacturers more efficient. FYDec17 rev $515m. Diaceutics, a data analytics and implementation services company which services the global pharmaceutical industry, is looking to join AIM late March, offer TBC.

Small Cap Feast

Techniplas –global producer and support services company providing highly engineered and technically complex components, making the supply chain to original equipment manufacturers more efficient. FYDec17 rev $515m. Circassia Pharma (CIR.L) - specialty pharmaceutical company focused on respiratory disease transferring from the Main Market. No funds being raised. Due 4 Feb. Greenfields Petroleum (TSX-V:GNF) production focused company with operated assets in Azerbaijan seeking AIM dual li

Morning Song

Burford Capital (BUR LN) 5% placing suggests bigger opportunities | Clinigen Group (CLIN LN) Two acquisitions create European platform | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) Powerleague woes | St Ives (SIV LN) Name change reflects strategy evolution

Morning Song

Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS LN) Interims mixed | Dunelm Group (DNLM LN) Positive strategic update and multi-channel progress report | Findel (FDL LN) Positive take-aways from Xmas press show | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) Overcoming H1 setbacks to start H2 strongly | Medica Group (MGP LN) Buying opportunity in structural growth market leader | ReNeuron Group (RENE LN) AGM update highlights development progress & licensing discussions | Ten Entertainment Group (TEG LN) Resilient H1 with pos

Morning Song

Be Heard (BHRD LN) H1 shows strong revenue growth, but profit shortfall | dotdigital Group (DOTD LN) Another year of strong growth & cash generation | EKF Diagnostics (EKF LN) Manufacturing agreement with Oragenics Inc | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) Profit warning | LiDCO Group (LID LN) UK distribution deal with Maicuff Technology | Nichols (NICL LN) Solid interims with a 3% PBT beat | Speedy Hire (SDY LN) In line Q1 update, with ROCE continuing to move forwards |

Morning Song

Fulcrum Utility Services Limited (FCRM LN) Sector leading returns and earnings growth | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) Satisfactory AGM but weather impact higher than earlier guidance | Gresham Technologies (GHT LN) Positive AGM statement confirms Clareti momentum | Hill & Smith Holdings (HILS LN) Positive strategic US acquisition | Polypipe Group (PLP LN) Strategy update highlights growth opportunities | Rathbone Brothers (RAT LN) Q1 FuM -3.3%, flows remain modest in investment management

Key takeaways from the Consumer reporting season

With a busy reporting season behind us we use this note to take stock. Stepping back we pull out the key themes which emerged across the sub-sectors we actively follow in the consumer space. On balance there was more cause for optimism. This is supportive of our top-down view that there is scope for a better H2 for consumer related stocks as cost headwinds ease and pressure on disposable income moderates. We also take a close look at 7 stocks we actively research and which reported over March an

Value screen refresh and 10 focus stocks

We have completed another refresh of our value style screen, first established as of 12 May 2015. As usual the screen selected the 25 stocks exhibiting the most extreme value characteristics from our universe, and we have chosen 10 stocks to focus on. Since the last refresh, two days before the last general election, which resulted in a hung parliament, the screen has performed a little better than the small-cap index with our focus stocks outperforming by about 500bps. The weighting to UK consu

Morning Song

Brady (BRY LN) Full year results in line with downgraded expectations | Brooks Macdonald Group (BRK LN) Underlying progress, but alongside an increase in legacy provision | Burford Capital (BUR LN) Argentina case sold for $107m cash, $94m profit | Futura Medical (FUM LN) Supportive PK data for MED2002 | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) Positive underlying momentum temporarily derailed by snow hit | Gresham Technologies (GHT LN) Clareti-growth driving strong performance | PROACTIS Holdings (PHD LN)

Positive CEO appointment

Management related newsflow from Goals this morning. The vacant CEO role has been filled with appointment of Andrew Anson who joins from 23rd April. This news removes an area of uncertainty and should be welcomed. He has a good track record with various consumer facing businesses, most notably at Kitbag (ex Findel business) where from 2011 he led a successful recovery in profits and eventual sale to Fanatics Inc. With most of the strategic heavy lifting done at Goals, he has the platform to exec

Small Cap Lunch

TruFin—holding company of an operating group comprising three growth-focused FinTech and banking businesses operating in three niche lending markets: supply chain finance, invoice finance and dynamic discounting. Offer TBC, expected late Feb | Polarean - The medical drug-device combination companies operating in the high resolution medical imaging market. Offer TBC. Due 22 Feb | Block Energy—a NEX Listed UK based oil exploration and production company whose main country of operation is the Repub

Morning Song

boohoo.com (BOO LN) Buy into derating as brand momentum increases | Carador Income Fund (CIFU LN) Q4 dividend of 2.25c, total of 9c for full year | ECO Animal Health Group (EAH LN) Marketing authorisations for Aivlosin® in Ukraine | Elementis (ELM LN) Strategic progress not yet reflected in share price | Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL LN) 2017 falls short of expectations but turnaround green-shoots in evidence

Pinewood Technologies (PINE LN) - Driving growth in automotive software

Pinewood’s transition to a pure-play automotive SaaS business is now largely complete. Today we introduce summary forecasts out to FY26 and reiterate the investment case. We see significant opportunity for Pinewood to grow its user base in the UK and internationally whilst generating high EBITDA margins and cash conversion. With a 24.5p special dividend embedded in the current price (payable Q1/Q2), the effective price today is 12.3p. Based on the Group’s FY27 target of £27m EBITDA, we estimate

PROGRESSIVE: Vertu Motors: Traction control

Vertu is the fourth largest automotive retailer in the UK, with 188 sales outlets and a track record of cross-cycle growth, principally through businesses it has acquired, funded by equity, debt and most importantly cash generation. Vertu operates across the entire vehicle lifecycle, including new and used vehicle sales, and vehicle servicing, repair and parts. Service and repair is a 40+% gross margin repeating business. With economic headwinds, the transition to electric vehicles, recent overs

LIBERUM: The Liberum Leisure Digest: NLW increase - pricing power is key

PROGRESSIVE: Zoo Digital: Recovery underway and a significant contract

Today’s trading statement from ZOO highlights a ramp-up in demand following the end to the industry-wide strikes of last year. ZOO struck a note of caution in its January update regarding the timing of orders. However new productions are starting to translate into a healthy order pipeline, with a good recovery in revenue anticipated in H1 FY25. The update guides to revenue of at least $40m for the year to March 2024, ahead of our estimate at $36.8m. We have improved our adjusted EBITDA loss marg

Marks & Spencer+ (MKS, House Stock at 255p) - 7Y FS HSBC UK tie-up– another brick in the wall

React Inititation of Coverage

React Group is a well-managed, growing UK services business with a high degree of recurring revenues (c87%).

Judges Scientific+ (JDG, House Stock at 11,600p) - FY23A - solid organic order book

ME Group - Modernising and growing the estate driving growth

During 2023, ME Group commenced the deployment of its next generation photobooths, which are integrated with the group’s newly developed proprietary software, gained market leadership in the Japanese photobooth market with an acquisition, continued to roll out laundry units with existing and new location partners, commenced a share buyback programme and gained entry into the FTSE 250. 2023 was a year of significant strategic and financial progress, with sales up 15%, EPS up 31% and net cash main

Hardman & Co Healthcare Index: 2023 – Capital demands dent performance

The Hardman & Co Healthcare Index (HHI) has been running since 2009. Its main function is to highlight the attractions of life sciences investments over the long term. For the second year running, apart from global economic influences affecting world markets, performance in 2023 was dented by the capital-intensive nature of the sector. The HHI fell 3.7%, to 483.8, underperforming the main London markets – FTSE 100 (+3.8%) and FTSE All-Share (3.8%) but outperforming the FTSE AIM All-Share Index (

B90 Holdings (B90 LN) - Successful transition, outlook unchanged

2023 revenue is expected to be in line with expectations. Adjusted EBITDA loss is expected to be higher than we expected.

Inchcape (INCH LN) - Strong ROCE and FCF generation

Inchcape’s FY23 results were in line with Zeus estimates for most items. Underlying PBT increased by 35% to £502m (Zeus: £500.8m) as the Derco business was successfully integrated into the Group.

SSP Group+ (SSPG, House Stock at 218p) - Further progress expected in H1

FY23 results preview

Morning Note – 22 February 2024

Tasty - Trading update and restructuring plan

Trading conditions remained difficult in 2023, impacted by intense cost-of-living pressures, transportation strikes, and significant inflationary pressure on labour, food and utilities. In response, Tasty implemented various efficiency measures which helped narrow FY23 EBITDA losses to -£0.9m (FY22A: -£2.7m loss). With the economic environment remaining challenging, however, Tasty intends to implement a restructuring plan (funded by a new £750k loan with potential for conversion), which will inv