RE: Significant Shareholders5 Feb 2026 14:48
I don’t see the directors settling fees in shares as a negative. Choosing shares instead of cash reduces immediate cash burn and signals a willingness to back the company for the longer term. More importantly, it aligns their interests directly with shareholders. If the share price doesn’t rise, they don’t benefit either.
It’s also worth remembering that some of these shares were effectively taken around 1p, so management are currently sitting on paper losses. You don’t voluntarily accept shares unless you believe the business is worth more over time. That is real skin in the game.
Another overlooked factor is the impact on the free float. Shares moving into director hands typically end up with stronger, longer-term holders rather than short-term traders, naturally tightening supply. In microcaps, a tighter float can lead to sharp moves once sentiment turns and it may not take much here. Progress from the strategic review, positive REE developments, improved fertiliser sales, or any corporate activity could quickly change the narrative.
It’s also worth asking: if management had little confidence, why not just take the cash? By increasing their exposure, they are effectively backing the company alongside shareholders. Insider alignment is often where recoveries begin. Nothing is risk-free, but director skin in the game is usually something the market rewards, not punishes.
DYOR but this looks very bullish to me.