Hybridan Small Cap Feast

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Banquet Buffet

Arrow Exploration 17p £35.3m (AXL.L)

The junior oil and gas company focusing on Colombia and Western Canada announced the results of the Rio Cravo Sur-1 (RCS-1) well testing on the Tapir Block in the Llanos Basin of Colombia. The RCS-1 well was spud on May 23, 2022.  RCS-1 targeted a three-way fault bounded structure with multiple high-quality reservoir objectives on the Tapir Block in the Llanos Basin of Colombia. Specific production test rates for the isolated new zones (shallowest to deepest) include Carbonera C7B (tested 1872 bopd, net 936 bopd, at the peak rate of 30 API crude) and Ubaque (tested 184 bopd, net 92 bopd, at the peak rate of 12-13 API crude). After the C7B test performance, the decision was made to put the C7B on production. 

Begbies Traynor Group  152.5p  £234.1m (BEG.L)

The business recovery, financial advisory and property services consultancy announces the completion of the acquisition of Budworth Hardcastle, a firm of chartered surveyors in Northampton, Kettering and Peterborough. In its financial year ended 31 August 2021, Budworth Hardcastle generated unaudited revenue of £1.8m and normalised pre-tax profits of £0.4m. This acquisition is part of the strategy to enhance and broaden our service offerings and geographical coverage. The business will integrate with Eddisons, the group’s property division at a run rate of c£30m in revenue.

Cake Box Holdings 184p  £73.6m (CBOX.L)

The specialist retailer of fresh cream cakes announced its audited full year results ended 31 March 2022. Revenue increased by 51% to £33m (FY20: 22m) and operating profits was £7.8m, up 85% (FY: 4.2m). Earnings per share was 15.8p (FY20: 9.6p) and management is proposing a dividend of 5.1p (FY20: 3.7p). The company continues to increase its geographic presence and strengthen its digital capabilities but remains mindful of an increasingly challenging economy. 

Caspian Sunrise 4.4p  £98.5m (CASP.L)

The Central Asian oil and gas company with a focus on Kazakhstan announced its audited final results for the year ended 31 December 2021. FY21 revenue was up 75% at $25m (FY20: $14.3m). Loss after tax for the year was $5.5m after the $12.5m provision in respect of 3A Best. (2020: loss of $3.5m). Cash at bank was $0.4m at the year end (2020: $0.3m). For 2022, the company plans to further increase production from the shallow structures at BNG. Management does not expect the current discount for Urals Oil to the company’s output for much longer. The greatest impact would be success at our BNG deep structures.

Eco (Atlantic) O&G  26p  £89.9m (ECO.L)

The oil and gas exploration company focused on the offshore Atlantic Margins announced the successful completion of an equity fundraise of US$12.3m (subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval).  The newly issued shares represent 9.8% of the company’s issued capital post fundraising. The proceeds will be used for the cash consideration of US$1.5m for the acquisition of a further 6.25% Participating Interest in Block 3B/4B and the remaining US$10.8m will be used to reprocess 3D seismic data and commence potential well exploration operations at Block 3B/4B and Guyana Orinduik Block.

Ingenta PLC  83p  £13.6m (ING.L)

The software and service provider to the global publishing industry announces its audited results for the year ended 31 December 2021. FY21 revenues was stable at £10.1m (FY20: 10.2m) reflecting a focus on core software offerings. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) was £8.9m, or 88% of total revenue (FY20: 8.7m, 86%) and operating margin was 7.4% (FY20: 4.6%). FY21 net profit includes a £1.2m deferred tax credit and hence earnings per share was 10.93 pence, up 309% (FY20: 2.67 pence).  Management indicated that 2022 has started well, with reported profits ahead of budget and the prior year. 

Invinity Energy Systems 51p  £59.2m (IES.L)

The global manufacturer of utility-grade vanadium flow batteries announced its results for the year ended 31 December 2021. Revenue for the year of £3.2m, a 690% increase from FY20. Gross margin was –108% (FY20:-200%). Net loss was £21.4m (FY20: -24m). Year-end closed sales backlog was £13.8m and inventory was £9.9m, including prepaid inventory, Year-end cash was £26.4m (FY20: 22.0m). The company remains debt free, excluding leases. Between January 2021 and June 2022, the company sold 9.34 MWh of products. The majority of its £13.8m backlog is expected to be delivered during the remainder of 2022.

Northern Bear  60.5p £11.3m (NTBR.L)

The specialist building services provider in Northern England provides a trading update for the six months to 30 September 2021 (HY22), in the context of the challenges with respect to the availability and price inflation of construction materials and the well-publicized issues with attracting and retaining employees in the industry. Management emphasises its strong operating results in HY22 and expects operating profit for FY22 will be between £2.5m and £2.6m, before amortisation, one-off costs and other adjustments (in the format used in prior years’ results).

Poolbeg Pharma  6.1p  £30.5m (POLB.L)

The clinical stage infectious disease pharmaceutical company announced that Artificial Intelligence (AI) partner OneThree Biotech, Inc., has completed the build and optimisation of a tailored AI model of Poolbeg’s Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) human challenge data and can now commence its analysis, with results expected in Q4 2022. The company believes this is the first time that AI analysis has been used to identify new drug targets and treatments for RSV using human challenge trial data. Process will identify novel drug targets and treatments quicker and in a more cost-efficient manner than previously possible.

Symphony Environmental Technologies*  16p  £28.3m  (SYM.L)

The global specialist in technologies that make plastic and rubber products smarter, safer and more sustainable announced that following legal action by Symphony’s distributor in Peru, a clear distinction has been officially acknowledged between oxo-degradable and oxo-biodegradable technologies. Government of Peru confirms that d2w is not an oxo-degradable plastic, and does not generate microplastics. This legal outcome has significant implications for Symphony’s commercial growth in Peru and in Latin America generally.

What’s cooking in the IPO kitchen?

Immediate acquisitions (IME.L) is to re-join AIM via a Reverse Takeover of Fiinu Holdings Limited. Once complete the Company is proposing to change its name to Fiinu Group plc. Fiinu intends to be a provider of a consumer banking product, the Plugin Overdraft ®, which is designed to provide customers with an overdraft facility without having to change their current account or request an overdraft from their existing bank. Fiinu’s technology arm manages and develops the platform, using open banking, and once the platform is fully operational will also look to develop secondary revenue streams by licensing Fiinu’s intellectual property rights. Capital to be raised £8.01m. Target Mkt Cap c.£53m. Due 8 July

Visum Technologies seeking admission to The AQSE Growth Market. The Company’s business is to own and operate an “on-ride” video and photographic camera system that it sells and/or licenses to customers (being theme parks, ride manufacturers, souvenir imaging providers, and other leisure operators).  Due 30 June.

LifeSafe Holdings, a fire safety technology business with innovative fire safety products, intends to join AIM. LifeSafe has developed what the Directors believe to be market disrupting, eco-friendly fire safety protection products to both protect (via fire extinguishers) and detect (via carbon monoxide, smoke and heat alarms) fires. At the centre of the Group’s product range is the FER1000 extinguishing fluid, which has been developed by LifeSafe to extinguish five different types of fire: electrical, paper, textiles, cooking oil, and petrol and diesel. The Group’s best-selling product using this patent pending extinguishing fluid is the StaySafe 5-in-1 fire extinguisher. It was launched on Amazon Prime in the UK in August 2021 and subsequently became Amazon Prime’s top selling fire extinguisher in the UK in the same month. In n the year ended 31 December 2021, the Group generated revenues of £670k and a loss post taxation of £1.5m. £3m to be raised. Due early July 2022.

Altona Rare Earths, the AQSE listed mining exploration Company focused on the evaluation, acquisition and development of Rare Earth Elements mining projects in Africa, intends to join the Main Market. Admission to trading of the Company’s Ordinary Shares on the AQSE Growth Market will be cancelled simultaneously with Admission. It is also proposed that on Admission, the Company will change its EPIC from AQSE:ANR to REE.  The Company also seeks to raise funds to finance its current and future rare earths mining projects in Southern and Eastern Africa. Due June 2022.

*A corporate client of Hybridan LLP

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