Articles

Most of us are familiar with the irritation of discovering how much tax we have to pay when we book a flight with a low cost airline. The annoyance is temporary though and, in the end, does not impact the decision making process. We know that if we fly on a full service airline we still have to pay it.  The only reason that we know about the tax is that the actual cost of the airline ticket has fallen so much that the tax is now a large component of the total cost. In the same way the falling costs of...

Investorschampion today published a report on Sirius Exploration (SXX.L, LSE:SXX, LON:SXX) entitled "In A Crazy Market This Is Probably One Of The Craziest Stocks Of All!". In summary, the report says:

"Ever since the announcement of BHP’s massive $39m bid for Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan (Potash Corp) investors have been alive to the investment potential in the hitherto rather mundane commodity of Potash. Into the midst of the giants comes little AIM quoted Sirius Exploration!  "

“I am deeply ashamed to know that I won't be able to pay our staff. They have got mortgages, children. What am I supposed to do?" Jesus Manuel Ampero, Mayor of Cenicientos (Spain) It has been an unpredictable summer. Investors have been wrong-footed by surprisingly strong growth emanating from Europe (read Germany), whereas the US economy – habitually the locomotive for the global economy – has gone from one disappointment to another.   Not many would have predicted that back in early summer. The endless series of bad news has led many commentators to speculate on whether the US...

  Chris Watling, Director Longview Economics, analyses the prospects for equities in both the short, medium and long term. Investors should have opportunities to profit from a cyclical equity bull market over the next couple of years but the asset class is likely to suffer during the forthcoming decade not least because of the anticipated strength of commodities. Transcript Extract: The secular Western equity bear market that began in 2000 persists and in our view, could easily persist for another decade. So cyclically, in the near term, over the next two or three years, the outlook for equities is positive in the West in...

Hardman and Co today published a report on Tethys Oil AB entitled "Everything Changes". In summary, the report says:

"For Tethys and its investors, this is the year everything changes. Tethys is maturing from being an early-phase exploration and appraisal company into becoming a fully-fledged oil producer. Tethys has just reported its busiest corporate and operational season to-date. "

Stanley Gibbons Group (LON:SGI) , the market leading stamp dealers and collectibles group, this week announced the acquisition of the business and assets of Nigel Haworth, a specialist stamp dealer who formerly traded as M N Haworth for a consideration of £0.3 million. The acquisition means that SGI holds the most extensive range of British Commonwealth stamps available to put into their recently refurbished flagship London store. The acquisition is a chance to expand the Group’s range and will also feature Nigel Haworth staying on in an advisory role.The outlook for SGI looks positive as they see an increasing...

Oil & Gas Corporate News Gulf Keystone Petroleum (LON:GKP) (GKP, 114.25p, ▲ (0.88%)) announced the commencement of drilling operations on its Shaikan-3 appraisal well. This is a shallow appraisal well, very close to the Shaikan-1 well, the site of last year's discovery of the giant Shaikan oil field. The Company has a 75% working interest in the Block. The Shaikan-3 well will be drilled to 1,100m, and drilling and testing is expected to take two months. Caza Oil & Gas (CAZA, 22p, ▲ (12.82%)) announced that scheduled drilling has commenced on the initial test well at the Windham (Wolfberry) prospect in...

Astaire Securities this morning said it was encouraged with the latest step-out reverse circulation drilling results from Baobab Resources Plc (LON:BAO), the mining group behind the Tete iron ore project in Mozambique. The figures suggest areas of higher grade mineralisation, with South Zone results showing higher mass recovery than the Chitongue Grande resource area. A detailed metallurgical study has been commissioned to determine how to optimise mineral processing. Elsewhere, Astaire said that support services group Latham(james) (LON:LTHM) was well positioned to withstand any further deterioration in the trading environment, should the UK housing market experience a double dip,...

Caza Oil & Gas (LON:CAZA), the AIM and TSX listed exploration and production group, reported this morning that scheduled drilling had started on the initial test well at the Windham (Wolfberry) prospect in Upton County, Texas. Caza's partner and the operator on this project, Devon Energy, began drilling the Caza 158 #1 test well this week. The well is designed to drill to approximately 11,500 feet to test the Spraberry and Wolfcamp (Wolfberry) formations and should take approximately 35 days to drill. The prospect covers approximately 1,318 net acres and, given success, could initially be developed on 80 acre spacing...

Alkane Energy (LON:ALK) (ALK, 15.5p, £14.43m) has extended the tolling arrangement with GDF Suez that sees its electricity generation capacity use piped in gas rather than coal mine methane. ALK has extended the contract by 18 months to march 2012 which uses excess capacity as its Markham and Shirebrook operations - so generating an estimated income of some £0.3m in the first full year. The contract doubles capacity to 10MW, thereby potentially doubling the revenues to be earned. With the outlook based on increasing electricity prices we maintain our BUY recommendation.   Digital Marketing Group Plc (LON:DIGI) Group (DIGI,...

Oil and gas group SOCO International (LON:SIA) is preparing to plug and abandon the wildcat exploration well Nganga 1 in the Nganzi Block, onshore the Democratic Republic of Congo, after assessments found that the target sands were predominantly water-bearing. Nganga 1 was drilled to 2,175 metres measured depth and encountered approximately 500 metres of source rock with significant hydrocarbon shows and approximately 245 metres of good quality porous sand with an average porosity of around 17.5% in the primary target. However, petrophysical interpretation of the logs acquired across the reservoir interval indicates that these sands are water bearing....

Investorschampion today published a report on Software Radio Technology (SRT.L, LSE:SRT, LON:SRT) entitled "Positive Trading Statement Supports Seemingly Huge Potential". In summary, the report says:

"Software Radio Technology’s (AIM:SRT) positive trading statement gave the share price a deserved boost this week. Little known SRT provides high tech radio communications for global homeland security and safety markets. "

Clyde Process Solutions Plc (LON:CPSP) , the AIM quoted provider of pneumatic conveying and air filtration solutions, reported a trading performance in line with management expectations. The Group has seen its share price decline from a high in 2007 of c133p to the current level of 55p and the latest news failed to deliver any boost to the share price. The Group’s order book at 31st July 2010 stood at £24.2m, up 18% from the Group’s financial year end in February (£20.5m.) This growth has been generated from orders secured predominantly in the food, metals, chemicals and petrochemicals markets. ...

We commented earlier on AIM quoted Vertu Motors and another UK automobile retailer Cambria Automobiles (LON:CAMB) also issued a strong pre-close statement today. Cambria Automobiles was admitted to trading on AIM in April 2010 and operates from 25 sites with a total of 37 dealer franchises. Take your pick from Aston Martin, Jaguar, Volvo, Ford, Fiat, Mazda, Honda, Renault, Citroen, Seat, Lotus, Nissan and Triumph â we have a preference for the first name on the list! Following the strong results for the half year to 28 February 2010 management announced that trading for the second half of the financial...

There are few opportunities for the ordinary investor to get involved with the activities of E&P companies controlled by people from the United Arab Emirates. Anything important within the country is usually state-controlled, while, when they're active overseas, the only option has tended to be through investing in companies with whom they share acreage. Now, though, there's an opportunity, through a reverse take-over deal between a Canadian minnow, Blackbird Energy (CVE:BBI), listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange, and Dubai-based Thani Emirates Petroleum. The details of the deal are here but, in essence, Thani are selling their Netherlands subsidiary, Thani Netherlands Holding, TNH, (which holds...

Edison Investment Research today published a report on H.R.Owen (HRO.L, LSE:HRO, LON:HRO) entitled "Motoring Again". In summary, the report says:

"As indicated in the July trading update, H R Owen has emerged strongly from the difficulties of 2009. Because of the economic situation, we remain slightly cautious about second half trading, but the incidence of new vehicle introductions is clearly boosting the recovery. We now await the appointment of a new chief executive and the establishment of a deliverable strategy to take the group further forward."

Software Radio Technology (LON:SRT) has renegotiated a distribution deal in China after realising that the market offers much broader scope to sell its range of identification and tracking technologies used by maritime vessels. The company has freed itself from an exclusive one-party deal and has now signed a distributor agreement with a new customer in China whose sales channels access new segments of the market. Shares in the group surged by 16.8% to 24.25p during the morning. The news comes as SRT reported that first quarter revenues had jumped by 147% to £1.82m on the same period last year, with...

Edison Investment Research today published a report on Share (SHRE.L, LSE:SHRE, LON:SHRE) entitled "That Was A Lot Of Buyers". In summary, the report says:

"Share plc has announced the results of its tender offer and its commission-free scheme. The tender offer was in line with expectations and should improve earnings by approximately 10% pa (offsetting some of the lost earnings on the hedge maturing in November). The big surprise was that in the commission-free scheme retail buyers outnumbered sellers by more than two to one."

32red (LON:TTR), the online gaming operator, reports interims to 30 June 2010. Total revenues increased by 33% to £7.8m (H109: £5.8m) predominantly driven by 29% growth in casino revenues and the casino acquisition. A 12% decline in poker revenues was offset by the strength of casino revenues. The revenue growth drove adjusted PBT to increase by 38% to £0.3m (H109: £0.2m). The group added 12,289 new casino players, up 26% on H109 and the group had 19,497 active casino players up 35% on H109. As important the cost of acquiring each new casino customer fell to £86 (H109: £89)...

Frankie & Benny's, Chiquito and Garfunkel's operator Restaurant Group Plc (LON:RTN) has reported a 13% rise in adjusted pre-tax profits to £24.6m for the first half of the year, sending shares in the company up 2.5% to 249p during the morning. The group's results were stated on a 27-week basis to July 4, compared with a 26-week basis for 2009. During the period, revenue increased 9% to £229m up 5% on a 26-week comparable basis. Adjusted EBITDA rose 10% (6%) to £39.8m and the group raised its interim dividend by 10% to 1.54p per share.TRG said its operations were strongly...