Roundtable Discussion; The Future of Mineral Sands. Watch the video here.
Investor's Champion comment (subscriber access) on last results :-
HTtps://www.investorschampion.com/channel/blog/plenty-of-promise-in-these-results-and-updates
"Despite the attractive cash generation, we aren’t sure the market likes the debt load carried by this business. Net senior debt at the period end was still a hefty £31.2m, and £38.1m if one includes the dilutive convertible debt.
The outlook statement confirmed that AdEPT is on track to achieve management expectations for the year ending 31 Mach 2022.
Full year March 2022 adjusted forecasts are for earnings of 28.8p. At the current 216p share price this represents a very modest earnings rating of only 7.5x, although forecasts allow for plenty of adjustments.
The c£54m market capitalisation and Enterprise Value of £92.1m (including the convertible) equates to 8.9x forecast adjusted EBITDA of £11.7m for March 2022.
The shares look cheap on many levels and may remain so until the debt can be brought down, and there is also the issue of the convertible.
In August 2017 the Group raised £7,293,726 in the form of a convertible loan instrument from BGF to part fund the acquisition of Atomwide. BGF has the right to convert the loan to 1,855,910 shares at a share price of £3.93 per share at any time. The loan instrument can be redeemed by the Company from the third anniversary and bears an interest rate of 7%. 1.8m shares is equivalent to 7.5% of the current issued share count, although the conversion price is over 80% higher than the current share price.
We are of the view that management should focus on organic growth for now to generate cash and reduce debt. The shares should then start to perk up."
Article on the appointment :-
https://www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2021/11/n-brown-group-appoints-new-coo-to-drive-digital-transformation/
From Stifel
WORKING WELL
* Outlook maintained
Stifel view: This is a pleasing set of results, with strength in revenue and margin performance against a tough backdrop. A return to more normalised trading patterns in Complex Industrial Technology is understandable, and we believe this business has strong potential going forward. The company is clearly managing the supply chain issues well plus integrating acquisitions. These acquisitions are supported by the company's revolving credit facility of $70m (plus $30m accordion) and we would not rule out further deals in due course, as the company looks to deliver on average c.10% pa top-line growth from acquisitions. Managing growth and keeping costs down in an inflationary market while integrating acquisitions is not straightforward, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought its own demand dynamics. However, we remain attracted to Volex's end-market drivers, with the benefit of both improving core demand plus the structural change in the electrical vehicle (EV) market and the new opportunities in defence and off-highway. The company retains its target to deliver $650m in revenues and $65m in underlying operating profit by 2024.
Looking at the chart it recovered over 3 months and then back down again.
This share does seem to hold some promise, but no real idea when it will return to some shareholder return.
Downing Strategic Micro Cap half year report comment was :-
AdEPT Technology Group PLC (AdEPT) (6.77% of net assets)
Cost: £3.83m. Value as at 31 August 2021, £3.26m
Background
AdEPT is one of the UK's leading independent providers of
managed services for IT, unified communications, connectivity,
and voice solutions. AdEPT's tailored services are used by
thousands of customers across the UK and are brought together
through the strategic relationships with tier-1 suppliers such as
Openreach, Vodafone, Virgin Media, Avaya, Microsoft, Dell, and
Apple.
AdEPT functions as an aggregator of telecoms services providing a
smoother, integrated service to corporates and government
organisations. We were attracted by the high operational gearing
and recurring revenue streams at appealing margins.
Communications and technology have converged over recent
years and that trend is only set to accelerate into the future, and
AdEPT is well placed to benefit from this trend.
Update to the investment case
? Positive full year results - trading remained resilient despite Covid impacting trading
? Total revenue and gross profit down but recurring and managed services revenue increased
? New enlarged £50m banking facility to support investment in growth
? Cash generation remains strong
? Datrix, a strategically important acquisition, announced post reporting period end
Progress against investment case
AdEPT reported a positive start to the year, with current trading in line with market expectations. Organic
growth delivered improvements in recurring revenues for cloud centric services both ahead of Q1 FY21 and
also ahead of Q4 FY21, a quarter which saw more normal business activity following the disruption caused by
the pandemic.
The pandemic temporarily interrupted the trajectory of the group’s growth, although the board is pleased with
the progress achieved under challenging circumstances. Given its strategic focus on cloud centric strategic
services, organic growth of 9% in this aspect of the business gives confidence. Opportunities for AdEPT have
remained strong, in a vibrant technology market where demand for effective ICT services is at an all-time high,
and are likely to continue to do so.
The momentum gained in Q4 FY21 continued into Q1 FY22, with sales and margins in the new financial year to
date firmly in line with market expectations. Management focus remains on the delivery of strong organic
growth, whilst seeking further opportunities to consolidate the fragmented market, through complementary
acquisitions which generate strong levels of recurring revenue and margin
The company did a audio webcast of the results which is worth a listen :-
https://webcast.openbriefing.com/nbrown-oct21/
Well the Alliance family were happy to buy these at 57p in the placing and at prices up to 65p in the market.
Given that the company is going in the right direction I cannot see them worrying about the intra day chart.
Can't see an obvious catalyst to drive the price higher in the short term.
The Allianz claim looks to me like it will not be settled this year, they will consider a dividend towards the end of 2022,
trading update will probably be in mid Jan 2022.
Thus IMV no immediate catalyst unless we see tipster backing, but possibly a good time to accumulate.
I bought a few at 42.9388, I MV one day in the medium term we will see a rerating...
Online clothing sales to overtake high street stores next year
Online sales of clothing will overtake in-store shopping next year in a watershed moment for high street retailers. Digital purchases jumped by £2.7bn, or almost a fifth, in the pandemic, even as total apparel transactions plunged by £9.6bn, according to a new report from Retail Economics and Eversheds Sutherland. This has accelerated the trend towards the internet, which had previously been expected to overtake physical clothing stores in 2025. Britain is set to be the first European nation where most clothes are bought online, with the Netherlands expected to follow in 2025, and France and Germany only in subsequent years. More than a third of UK shoppers surveyed said they will not return to shops as often as they did pre-Covid, compared with about a quarter in the rest of Europe.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2021/11/01/online-clothing-sales-overtake-high-street-stores-next-year/
Certainly needs a catalyst to move the price upwards.
We are some time away from a trading update or results assuming they were positive.
There is a chance of a tipster update eg SCSW backed these and could be due an update.
September advert :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44jdxrRXoRs
Some of the adverts are on this link :-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC0oQ8AF67c