The H1 20/21 beat was driven by a strong market rebound, robust commercial execution and the successful launch of Paradise. The hearing aid wholesale business fared better than retail, though cochlear implant was a drag. Geographically, Asia-Pacific led the recovery with positive sales growth in Q2. Importantly, group sales were up in a high single-digit in September and, despite headwinds from the newly-imposed lockdowns, management has reiterated its full-year guidance on the back of the better momentum of Paradise.
Companies: Sonova Holding AG
Sonova has reiterated its mid-term growth strategy and financial targets. On the hearing aid wholesale side, the recovery has been faster than expected and the new product launch, Paradise, will be backed by robust commercial execution. On the retail side, store network optimisation and the omni-channel strategy will be at the forefront. The group will also focus on process improvements to generate cost savings. However, the recovery in the cochlear implants segment has been slow.
Benefiting from a faster than expected improvement in the hearing aids marketplace – the elderly population was more comfortable in going back to retail stores than anticipated – Sonova has upgraded its outlook for H1 20/21. Good reception of its recently-launched product, Paradise, also played a part. Assuming no further major lockdowns and sturdy demand for Paradise, Sonova expects to return to growth in H2 20/21. With the market stabilising, Danish rivals Demant and GN Store Nord should also benefit.
With the gradual re-opening of the markets, Sonova’s sales run-rate reached 59% (in Q1) vs. 35% in April 2020. The recovery was faster than expected and management has guided for a 65-75% sales run-rate and single-digit EBITA margin for H1 20/21. Interestingly, Sonova has accelerated its structural optimisation measures – streamlining of the retail network and optimisation of non-customer facing functions could lower the headcount by 4-5% – and these initiatives have the potential to generate annual cost-savings of CHF50-70m.
H2 was better than expectations, led by a sturdy show in wholesale, though retail and cochlear implants lost pace due to the ongoing pandemic. Higher volumes and ASPs bolstered EBITA, though these were partly offset by an increase in the allowance for bad debts. To ensure adequate liquidity, the share buy-back programme has been suspended and management has proposed a stock dividend. Given that Sonova’s sales run-rate for April 2020 was better than Demant’s, it could be a key beneficiary when economies restart.
Sales momentum accelerated significantly in H1, led by broad-based growth across businesses. While wholesale benefited from the success of Marvel, the momentum in cochlear implants was driven by the MRI-compatible implant. Retail was fuelled by effective lead generation management and in-store execution, leading to the financial guidance upgrade for FY19/20. Nonetheless, higher than expected R&D and sales and marketing expenses and a new restructuring charge took away some of the sheen.
After a slow start, organic sales growth accelerated significantly in H2, led by the successful introduction of the next-gen MFA product, Marvel. Geographically, Europe was the principal growth contributor which overshadowed a weak show in the US. Profits also witnessed a substantial increase, benefiting from higher volumes, favourable ASPs and supply chain optimisation. For FY18/19, organic revenue growth came in at the higher end of the guidance range and profits were in line with expectations. Guidance for FY19/20 is also encouraging.
CVS, one of the largest healthcare and pharmacy chains in the US, has announced the closure of all of its hearing centres in the US. With the over-the-counter/OTC hearing aids regulation set to become law in 2020, the requirement of hearing loss testing and support care would be done away with and thus there would be no need for an audiologist in the new set-up, the company said. Also, as lower-priced products would dominate the market, dedicating space in stores to audiologists won’t make much business sense. As a reminder, CVS piloted its first audiology centre in 2015 and currently has c.50 stores in the country, a small size in comparison to Amplifon (1,500 franchise-owned stores in the US) and Costco (greater than 500 hearing centres). Nonetheless, CVS’s decision to shut up shop signals that the retail space, which accounts for c.70% of c.$18bn hearing aids marketplace, would face severe headwinds from 2020 onwards. From our coverage, Sonova Holdings and William Demant have a strong presence in the US hearing aids retail market and they are likely to face the heat in the foreseeable future. Whether these upcoming regulations, which would pressurise profitability, would lead to consolidation in the highly fragmented retail marketplace, remains to be seen.
Revenues were in line with expectations as a deceleration in sales growth in the hearing instruments wholesale business was offset by a pick-up in momentum in the retail division. However, declining ASPs, resulting from a mature product portfolio and stiff competition, suppressed profitability. With a new product now out in the market, ASP’s should improve and thus bolster the top-line as well as profitability in the second half of the year.
Impacted by challenging market conditions in the US wholesale (competition) and retail business (repositioning of stores), Sonova reported FY17/18 organic sales growth (+3.8%) below the mid-term target range of +4-6%. However, as the next-gen SWORD product (launch expected in Q4 18/19) is likely to be a game-changer, we anticipate an acceleration thereafter.
Though the H1 17/18 results were slightly below the street’s estimates, we believe that the launch of the 2.4GHz MFA platform should provide the much needed push to organic growth in the short term and help the company achieve its FY17/18 revenue and profitability targets. However, the mid-term growth prospects hinges upon the success of the next-gen product (likely in FY18/19) which is likely to address the shortcomings of the current product offering (ear-to-ear streaming and rechargeability).
Sonova’s H1 16/17 numbers (slightly below consensus estimates) confirmed continuing sluggishness due to AudioNova’s acquisition and an ageing product cycle. Sales grew at a slower pace of 5.5% in LC (6.7% in CHF) vs. 6.7% in H1 15/16 to CHF1.1bn, albeit slightly better than the 4.8% in H2 15/16. Even this growth primarily (3.5%) came from acquisitions, while the organic number languished at 2% (H1 15/16: 2.6%). On a segmental basis, Hearing Instruments (HI) and Cochlear Implants (CI) grew by 5.4% and 7%, respectively. Within HI, the premium category (25% of H1 16/17 sales) grew the fastest (6.4% at LC), outperforming the standard devices (29% of H1 16/17 sales) that inched up 5.1% in LC. Meanwhile, advanced instruments (20% of H1 16/17 sales) grew by just 1.5%. On the profitability front, reported EBITA declined 2.5% in LC (flat yoy in CHF) to CHF195.8m (margin down by 1.2pp) due to higher sales & marketing costs and one-time costs of c.CHF10m related to the AudioNova acquisition; adjusted EBITA margin fell 27bp yoy to 19.2% and the adjusted net margin fell c.60bp to 15.1% in H1 16/17. Geographically, the EMEA region (44% of sales) continued its strong momentum (+c.12% at LC vs. c.9% in H1 15/16) supported by an uptick in the UK, Nordics, French and Italian markets despite continued headwinds in Germany. Retail growth backed by acquisitions (primarily AudioNova), wholesale expansion due to new products and CI growth momentum on increased system sales contributed to the growth. On the other hand, the US (36% of sales) was flattened (-0.1%) by lower Unitron sales on the ageing platform and the ongoing consolidation of retail activities, while the rest of Americas increased modestly by 3.1%. Asia-Pacific rose meagrely (+1.6%), following a decline in demand in China before the anticipated launch of the Venture platform at the end of H1 16/17 and the trimming of activities in low-margin tender businesses related to CI in both India and China, despite sturdy growth from Australia. Including the AudioNova acquisition impact, management pegs revenue growth at 14-16% in LC and an EBITA increase of 8-12% in LC (excluding one-off charges) for FY 16/17 (previous guidance in LC: 4-6% sales and 3-7% EBITA expansion, excluding the contribution from the AudioNova acquisition).
Sonova completed the acquisition of Europe’s second largest hearing aids retailer AudioNova (Amplifon remains the largest retailer in the hearing aids industry), earlier than expected, in September 2016. Sonova acquired AudioNova from the investment company HAL Trust, pipping the likes of WDM (William Demant) and Sivantos. The acquisition brings >1,300 retail stores spread across eight European countries, further fortifying Sonova’s hold on its distribution channel (as a reminder, with >2,000 retail stores Sonova already has the largest retail network amongst the big six hearing aids manufacturers), a crucial requirement in the prevailing pricing pressure environment (William Demant guides for 1-2% ASP decline annually). With AudioNova in the kitty, the share of the retail is set to increase to c.38% (vs 25% for WDM) of total sales (c.15% volume) from the earlier 27% (c.10% volume). From a financial point of view, the deal is expected to be earnings accretive in the first financial year after closure. As a consequence of the acquisition, Sonova has suspended the ongoing CHF500m share buy-back programme (of which CHF229m had been completed to March 2016). Furthermore, for FY 16/17, management sees revenue growth of 4-6% at LC and an EBITA increase of 3-7% at LC (excluding contribution from AudioNova acquisition), below its medium-term target of 5-7% sales (includes c.1% growth from acquisitions) and 7-11% EBITA growth. Separately, in its investors day held recently, Sonova provided an update on its strategy for the next five years wherein the focus continues to be on vertical integration primarily through retail network integration and expansion (to be further supported by continued bolt-on acquisitions), and strengthening its e-solutions across the hearing aids related services spectrum. As a result, management expects retail sales to outpace wholesale (+6-8% compared to +3-5%) in the mid-term. The company also unveiled new products across segments and, more importantly, confirmed that it will be launching a made-for-all (MFA) 2.4GHz based platform in 2017, an urgently needed push in our view.
Sonova’s H1 15 results were rather soft (consensus miss on profitability), dragged down by currency fluctuations (following de-pegging of the CHF) and weakness in the Cochlear implants (CI) business. Sales were up by 6.7% at LC to CHF1bn (+1.3% in CHF), with a strong performance from Hearing instruments (+8.7% at LC; +2.9% in CHF) being partially negated by the protracted sluggishness in the smaller CI segment (-11.2% at LC; -12.9% in CHF). Profitability fared worse with EBITA increasing by just 0.7% at LC to CHF196m (+4.2% excluding non-hedged currency losses on working capital; -9.3% in CHF). Following the weaker-than-expected results, management has downgraded its FY 15/16 guidance (all at LC) – sales growth guidance to 6-8% (vs. earlier 7-9%) and recurring EBITA growth outlook to 7-11% (vs. previous 9-13%).
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Novacyt S.A. (NCYT.L*): R&D Update | N4 Pharma (N4P.L): Full year results
Companies: Novacyt SAS (ALNOV:PAR)N4 Pharma Plc (N4P:LON)
Tristel reported interim results that were c.2% above the trading update at its AGM on 17 December with adjusted pre-tax profit of £3.4m (+12%) driven by a 15% increase in revenues. Despite the strong first half there is a cautionary tone to the second half, given the lacklustre start to H2 FY 2021 as a result of lockdown in many of its markets impacting out-patient procedures. That said, our forecasts assume 5% revenue growth in H2 with adjusted PBT 5% below H2 FY 2020. With the prospect of vaccination rollout opening markets, there is a clear route to achieving and exceeding our forecasts, but for the time being we leave forecasts unchanged. However, confirmation that it has completed a Usability and Form Factor study in the US is a significant milestone, underpinning our confidence for US market access and the reason for increasing our target price to 550p, which implies a prospective 3.0% free cashflow yield.
Companies: Tristel Plc
tinyBuild— a leading video games publisher and developer with global operations. tinyBuild's strategic focus is in creating longlasting IP by partnering with video games developers, establishing a stable platform on which to build multi-game and multimedia franchises is to join AIM. Offer details TBC. Due mid-March. AMTE Power, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announced its intention to seek admission to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to take place during March 2021. The Company intends to raise approximately £7m by way of a placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company. Timing TBC. Samarkand Group Limited, the cross-border eCommerce technology and retail group opening up the world's largest market for brands and retailers, intends to IPO on the Apex Segment Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Admission is targeted for March 2021. Cellular Goods a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard). Has raised £13M in an oversubscribed placing. £25m mkt cap. Due 26 Feb. NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment Company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a £300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March 2021. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue £400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. Team PLC announced their plans for an AIM IPO. Team owns Theta Enhanced Asset Management Ltd, trading as Team Asset Management. This is a Jersey-based active fund manager providing discretionary and advisory portfolio management services to private clients, trusts and charities. Assets under management were GBP291m in November, up from GBP140m in December 2019 . The Company is seeking to raise no less than £5m. The Placing will be priced on a pre-money valuation for the Company of £7m. Targeting March Admission. Virgin Wines UK Plc has out their plans for an AIM IPO. Virgin Wines is a direct-to-consumer online wine retailer that sells products to retail customers in the UK through two subscription schemes and a pay-as-you-go offering. The Group also sells a range of beers and spirits and operates a B2B sales channel for corporates. Anticipated mkt cap £110m. Raising £13m in new money and vendor sale of £34.9m . Due 2nd March. Fix Price announces its intention to float on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Fix Price is one of the leading variety value retailers globally and the largest in Russia, with more than 4,200 stores. Fix Price has revenues of RUB 190.1bn, RUB 142.9bn and RUB 108.7bn for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the same years was RUB 36.8bn, RUB 27.2bn and RUB 14.2bn, respectively. The Offer would consist of an offering of GDRs by certain existing shareholders of the Company. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC announced its prospectus has been approved by the FCA. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC is a newly established, externally managed closed-ended investment company. The Company will provide project finance to content makers and commissioners in the global television and film production industry via senior loans secured against pre-sold intellectual property (IP) rights. GPEIT's investment objective is to provide Shareholders with dividend income and modest capital growth through exposure to media content finance. According to media reports, Deliveroo, are expecting to release their IPO plans on 8th March. The company raised more than $180m in January with a valuation of more than $7bn.
Companies: YEW IKA UPR WYN ENW BWNG TRAK DBOX HZM G4M
AMTE Power, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announced its intention to seek admission to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to take place during March 2021. The Company intends to raise approximately £7 million by way of a placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company. Timing TBC. Samarkand Group Limited, the cross-border eCommerce technology and retail group opening up the world's largest market for brands and retailers, intends to IPO on the Apex Segment Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Admission is targeted for March 2021. Cellular Goods a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard) this Spring. Target valuation £20m raising c. £8m “to finalise the development and launch of a range of the Company's premium-quality consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids, which is fully compliant under UK law.” NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a £300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March 2021. Auction Technology Group is considering an IPO on the Main Market. The Group operates six world-leading online Marketplaces and proprietary global auction platform technology for curated online auctions . In FY20 the Group delivered pro forma revenue of £52.3 million, supported by notable underlying year-on-year growth from both Standalone ATG Group and Standalone Proxibid Group (12.4 per cent. and 40.4 per cent., respectively). For the same period, the Group delivered a strong profitability performance of £22.3 million pro forma Adjusted EBITDA representing a pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin of 42.6 per cent. Expected March 2021. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue £400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. 4basebio UK Societas is a specialist life sciences group focused on therapeutic DNA for gene therapies and DNA vaccines and providing solutions for effective and safe delivery of these DNA based products to patients. The Company has been divested from 4basebio AG , a German company listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange . No capital to be raised on Admission. Anticipated market capitalisation on AIM Admission: £14.53m.
Companies: SAR PAF PTRO NEXS TYM BOD CLX FAB ODX DUKE
In the past two years, since Hardman & Co first started to target the IC sector, we have heard many managers of ICs and boards talk of the growth of the retail investor on their registers. Many have approached Hardman & Co for help in addressing this market, since we have a unique strength in this field relative to other providers.
Companies: AVO ARBB BBGI CLIG DNL FLTA ICGT OCI PCA PIN PHP RECI STX TRX VTA YEW
Smith & Nephew reported an in line Q4/FY20 top line (-7.1%/-12.1%). The Q4 decline was attributable to other reconstruction (-45.6%), knees (-16.2%) and ENT (-33.1%), while Hips surprised with a flattish performance (-0.5%) in a difficult operating environment. The firm missed profit estimates, as trading profit fell 42% (margin -7.8pp to 15%). The dividend of 37.5c/share was unchanged from the prior year. FY21 sales/profit outlook remains suspended due to COVID-19 uncertainties. We will lower our estimates to factor in the softer than expected bottom-line showing.
Companies: Smith & Nephew plc
AMTE Power, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announced its intention to seek admission to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to take place during March 2021. The Company intends to raise approximately £7m by way of a placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company. Timing TBC. Samarkand Group Limited, the cross-border eCommerce technology and retail group opening up the world's largest market for brands and retailers, intends to IPO on the Apex Segment Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Admission is targeted for March 2021. Cellular Goods a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard) this Spring. Target valuation £20m raising c. £8m “to finalise the development and launch of a range of the Company's premium-quality consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids, which is fully compliant under UK law.” NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment Company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a £300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March 2021. Auction Technology Group is considering an IPO on the Main Market. The Group operates six world-leading online Marketplaces and proprietary global auction platform technology for curated online auctions. In FY20 the Group delivered pro forma revenue of £52.3m, supported by notable underlying year-on-year growth from both Standalone ATG Group and Standalone Proxibid Group (12.4 per cent. and 40.4 per cent., respectively). For the same period, the Group delivered a strong profitability performance of £22.3m pro forma Adjusted EBITDA representing a pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin of 42.6 per cent. Expected March 2021. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue £400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. Team PLC announced their plans for an AIM IPO. Team owns Theta Enhanced Asset Management Ltd, trading as Team Asset Management. This is a Jersey-based active fund manager providing discretionary and advisory portfolio management services to private clients, trusts and charities. Assets under management were GBP291m in November, up from GBP140m in December 2019 . The Company is seeking to raise no less than £5 million. The Placing will be priced on a pre-money valuation for the Company of £7 million. Targeting March Admission. Virgin Wines UK Plc recently set out their plans for an AIM IPO. Virgin Wines is a direct-to-consumer online wine retailer that sells products to retail customers in the UK through two subscription schemes and a pay-as-you-go offering. The Group also sells a range of beers and spirits and operates a B2B sales channel for corporates. Deal details TBC but media reports suggest a £100m valuation. Targeting 2nd March Admission Fix Price announces its intention to float on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Fix Price is one of the leading variety value retailers globally and the largest in Russia, with more than 4,200 stores. Fix Price has revenues of RUB 190.1bn, RUB 142.9bn and RUB 108.7bn for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the same years was RUB 36.8bn, RUB 27.2bn and RUB 14.2bn, respectively. The Offer would consist of an offering of GDRs by certain existing shareholders of the Company. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC announced its prospectus has been approved by the FCA. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC is a newly established, externally managed closed-ended investment company. The Company will provide project finance to content makers and commissioners in the global television and film production industry via senior loans secured against pre-sold intellectual property (IP) rights. GPEIT's investment objective is to provide Shareholders with dividend income and modest capital growth through exposure to media content finance. According to media reports, Deliveroo, are expecting to release their IPO plans on 8th March. The company raised more than $180m in January with a valuation of more than $7bn.
Companies: SBI OCI IDOX ROL JAN BSE PXS SHED TSG KDNC
AMTE Power, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announced its intention to seek admission to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to take place during March 2021. The Company intends to raise approximately £7m by way of a placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company. Timing TBC. Samarkand Group Limited, the cross-border eCommerce technology and retail group opening up the world's largest market for brands and retailers, intends to IPO on the Apex Segment Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Admission is targeted for March 2021. Cellular Goods a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard) this Spring. Target valuation £20m raising c. £8m “to finalise the development and launch of a range of the Company's premium-quality consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids, which is fully compliant under UK law.” NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment Company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a £300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March 2021. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue £400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. Team PLC announced their plans for an AIM IPO. Team owns Theta Enhanced Asset Management Ltd, trading as Team Asset Management. This is a Jersey-based active fund manager providing discretionary and advisory portfolio management services to private clients, trusts and charities. Assets under management were GBP291m in November, up from GBP140m in December 2019 . The Company is seeking to raise no less than £5 million. The Placing will be priced on a pre-money valuation for the Company of £7m. Targeting March Admission. Virgin Wines UK Plc recently set out their plans for an AIM IPO. Virgin Wines is a direct-to-consumer online wine retailer that sells products to retail customers in the UK through two subscription schemes and a pay-as-you-go offering. The Group also sells a range of beers and spirits and operates a B2B sales channel for corporates. Deal details TBC but media reports suggest a £100m valuation. Targeting 2nd March Admission Fix Price announces its intention to float on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Fix Price is one of the leading variety value retailers globally and the largest in Russia, with more than 4,200 stores. Fix Price has revenues of RUB 190.1bn, RUB 142.9bn and RUB 108.7bn for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the same years was RUB 36.8bn, RUB 27.2bn and RUB 14.2bn, respectively. The Offer would consist of an offering of GDRs by certain existing shareholders of the Company. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC announced its prospectus has been approved by the FCA. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC is a newly established, externally managed closed-ended investment company. The Company will provide project finance to content makers and commissioners in the global television and film production industry via senior loans secured against pre-sold intellectual property (IP) rights. GPEIT's investment objective is to provide Shareholders with dividend income and modest capital growth through exposure to media content finance. According to media reports, Deliveroo, are expecting to release their IPO plans on 8th March. The company raised more than $180m in January with a valuation of more than $7bn.
Companies: IRR MKA GHH LEK POW KRM DRUM ODX FA/ ALBA
Diurnal is a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on diseases of the endocrine system. Its drugs target conditions where medical need is currently unmet, with the long-term aim of building an “Adrenal Franchise”. Alkindi® is being rolled out by Diurnal throughout Europe and has been launched in the US by its commercial partner, Eton Pharmaceuticals (ETON). The European and UK regulators are currently reviewing the submissions for marketing authorisation for Chronocort, with approval possible in the next month. Also, DITEST now has a clear regulatory pathway, and the development funding in place.
Companies: Diurnal Group plc
Hot on the heels of signing up Adler as US distributor for its range of surgical instruments, SUN has further strengthened its US market position by appointing Microline Surgical to distribute its range of port access devices and trocars. This is a five year exclusive agreement and comes after SUN achieved 510k approval for its Yelloport Elite device in late 2019. This opens up a ~$380m market opportunity for SUN and even modest penetration would result in material additional revenues over the next few years. Whilst we currently have no outer year forecasts given the ongoing uncertainty caused by Covid on elective surgical volumes, this latest announcement adds to a string of positive recent developments which we believe could collectively transform the growth prospects for the group.
Companies: Surgical Innovations Group plc
AMTE Power, a developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells for specialist markets, announced its intention to seek admission to trading on AIM. Admission is expected to take place during March 2021. The Company intends to raise approximately £7m by way of a placing of new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company. Timing TBC. Samarkand Group Limited, the cross-border eCommerce technology and retail group opening up the world's largest market for brands and retailers, intends to IPO on the Apex Segment Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market. Admission is targeted for March 2021. Cellular Goods a UK-based provider of premium consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids announced its intention to join the main market (standard) this Spring. Target valuation £20m raising c. £8m “to finalise the development and launch of a range of the Company's premium-quality consumer products based on biosynthetic cannabinoids, which is fully compliant under UK law.” NextEnergy Renewables to launch an IPO on the Main Market. NREN is a differentiated renewables investment Company that aims to capture the most attractive private renewables and energy transition infrastructure investment opportunities globally. Targeting a £300m raise. NREN is targeting total returns of 9-11 per cent. per annum (net of all fees and expenses but including the Target Dividend and capital appreciation) . The Company's target dividend yield for the first full financial year to 31 December 2022 is 5.5 pence. Due Early March 2021. Auction Technology Group is considering an IPO on the Main Market. The Group operates six world-leading online Marketplaces and proprietary global auction platform technology for curated online auctions. In FY20 the Group delivered pro forma revenue of £52.3m, supported by notable underlying year-on-year growth from both Standalone ATG Group and Standalone Proxibid Group (12.4 per cent. and 40.4 per cent., respectively). For the same period, the Group delivered a strong profitability performance of £22.3m pro forma Adjusted EBITDA representing a pro forma Adjusted EBITDA margin of 42.6 per cent. Expected March 2021. Digital 9 Infrastructure launch an initial public offering on the Specialist Fund Segment of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange, by way of an initial placing and offer for subscription for a target issue £400m. Digital 9 Infrastructure plc is a newly established, externally managed investment trust. The Company will invest in a range of digital infrastructure assets which deliver a reliable, functioning internet. The IPO Prospectus is expected to be published in March 2021. Team PLC announced their plans for an AIM IPO. Team owns Theta Enhanced Asset Management Ltd, trading as Team Asset Management. This is a Jersey-based active fund manager providing discretionary and advisory portfolio management services to private clients, trusts and charities. Assets under management were GBP291m in November, up from GBP140m in December 2019 . The Company is seeking to raise no less than £5 million. The Placing will be priced on a pre-money valuation for the Company of £7m. Targeting March Admission. Virgin Wines UK Plc recently set out their plans for an AIM IPO. Virgin Wines is a direct-to-consumer online wine retailer that sells products to retail customers in the UK through two subscription schemes and a pay-as-you-go offering. The Group also sells a range of beers and spirits and operates a B2B sales channel for corporates. Deal details TBC but media reports suggest a £100m valuation. Targeting 2nd March Admission Fix Price announces its intention to float on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Fix Price is one of the leading variety value retailers globally and the largest in Russia, with more than 4,200 stores. Fix Price has revenues of RUB 190.1bn, RUB 142.9bn and RUB 108.7bn for 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Adjusted EBITDA for the same years was RUB 36.8bn, RUB 27.2bn and RUB 14.2bn, respectively. The Offer would consist of an offering of GDRs by certain existing shareholders of the Company. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC announced its prospectus has been approved by the FCA. Great Point Entertainment Income Trust PLC is a newly established, externally managed closed-ended investment company. The Company will provide project finance to content makers and commissioners in the global television and film production industry via senior loans secured against pre-sold intellectual property (IP) rights. GPEIT's investment objective is to provide Shareholders with dividend income and modest capital growth through exposure to media content finance. According to media reports, Deliveroo, are expecting to release their IPO plans on 8th March. The company raised more than $180m in January with a valuation of more than $7bn.
Companies: OTMP MNO FNX NSCI CNIC CHAR RBD CLP DXSP CUSN
Benefiting from new product launches and improving ophthalmic market conditions, both the Surgery and Vision care segments returned to growth in Q4 20. In our view, the recently-introduced products (Vivity, Precision1 for Astigmatism and Pataday), along with the geographic expansion of PanOptix and Prescision1, should bolster the top line in the mid-term. Moreover, the favourable product mix and cost-cutting should result in sustained operating margin expansion. Nonetheless, the uncertainty around the pandemic would remain a near-term headwind.
Companies: Alcon, Inc.
RUA Life Sciences, through its operating companies, is the rights holder to the novel bio-compatible polymer, Elast-Eon, provides third-party medical device development and manufacturing services and is internally developing Elast-Eon based medical devices to treat cardiovascular conditions. Financially, the company combines established recurring revenue streams with significant upside potential from its pipeline products. We believe the structure and financial opportunities RUA is targeting makes it an attractive investment opportunity and initiate coverage with a Buy recommendation.
Companies: RUA Life Sciences Plc
Upon Admission to AIM, Nightcap will acquire The London Cocktail Club Limited (the "London Cocktail Club"), which is an award winning independent operator of ten individually themed cocktail bars in nine London locations and one location in Bristol. Offer TBC. HSS Hire Group, HSS.L transfer from Main to Aim. Mkt Cap c. £70m. Recently raised £52.6m. Leading supplier of tool and equipment for hire in the United Kingdom and Ireland and has provided equipment hire services in the United Kingdom for more than 60 years, primarily focusing on the B2B market. VH Global Sustainable Energy Opportunities plc, a closed-ended investment Company focused on making sustainable energy infrastructure investments, today announces intends to launch an initial public offering of shares on the Official List (Premium) of the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange.
Companies: PMI RMM SUN BOIL ITM TRMR MLVN 88E IME ANP
On 30th December 2020, RUA reported that shareholders had approved resolutions regarding the placing along with a strongly oversubscribed Open Offer. RUA now start 2021 with the resources and mandate to accelerate the development of its products, where we anticipate reports of progress during the year. We have slightly increased our R&D and CapEx spend for FY 2022 to reflect this investment and the cash utilization. RUA’s issued share capital now comprises 22,184,797 shares and the increases in FY 2022 investment in its products, modestly change our valuation by about £2.0m to £113.2m for the Company, equating to 510p per share.
