SMALL-CAP WINNERS & LOSERS: Hostmore falls as interim loss widens

Wed, 21st Sep 2022 11:26

(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main Market small-caps on Wednesday.

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SMALL-CAP - WINNERS

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Ten Entertainment Group PLC, up 5.0% at 198.40 pence, 12-month range 183.00p - 285.01p. Swings to a pretax profit of GBP21.0 million from a loss of GBP10.8 million in the six months ended June 30. Revenue surges to GBP63.2 million from GBP10.6 million. The bowling alley operator says it is "delighted" with the growth as last year it benefited significantly from exceptional sales due to UK 'staycations' and the initial pent-up demand from the release of Covid restrictions. Notes record breaking February and May half-term trading in the half, as well as an "exceptional" Easter. Adds the positive sales trend continued to the end of the first half despite a very hot summer when, traditionally, bowling and other indoor activities aren't favoured.

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Galliford Try Holdings PLC, up 4.0% at 163.20 pence, 12-month range 145.80p - 213.00p. Swings to a pretax profit of GBP19.1 million before exceptional items in the year ended June 30 from a loss of GBP11.4 million the previous year. Exceptional items relate to the acquisition of nmcn's water business and its investment in a cloud-based IT system. After exceptional items, profit fell 53% to GBP5.4 million from GBP11.4 million. Revenue rises by 9.7% to GBP1.24 billion from GBP1.13 billion, resulting primarily from growth in the company's infrastructure section, the construction firm explains.

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Panther Metals PLC, up 6.5% at 5.70 pence, 12-month range 5.00p - 14.92p. Reports positive findings from a gold-focussed soil geochemical sampling programme conducted on the firm's recently acquired Shear Gold Manitou Lakes Project in Canada. Explains all three soil survey grids conducted during this first programme have identified anomalous areas of gold in soil with a "significant proportion" of the results returning "highly significant" gold. Chief Executive Darren Hazelwood was the team will be back on site before the end of September.

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SMALL-CAP - LOSERS

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Hostmore PLC, down 6.8% at 22.00 pence, 12-month range 21.00p - 156.24p. In the six months ended July 3, the Friday's restaurant chain owner reports a widened pretax loss of GBP17.1 million. The previous year it posted a loss of GBP11.2 million. Revenue surges to GBP98.5 from GBP39.9 million. However, underlying administrative expenses jump to GBP70.2 million from GBP50.9 million. Adds that the 10 weeks since July 3 has seen like-for-like revenue 14% below the comparable period in financial 2019 due to weaker consumer demand. Expects trading conditions to remain challenges due to inflationary pressures and the risk of higher utilities.

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Cobra Resources PLC, down 5.6% at 1.70 pence, 12-month range 1.10p - 3.20p. Narrows its pretax loss to GBP226,953 in the six months to June 30 from GBP842,631 the previous year. Total assets at June 30 falls to GBP845,916 from GBP1.1 million at the same time a year prior. Looking forward, the firm says it is focused on the continuation of exploration activities, including the re-analysis of the Thompson and Anderson prospects. Expects to update its gold mineral resource and its maiden rare earth resource estimate before the end of the year.

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By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com