The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers on AIM in London on Thursday.
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AIM - WINNERS
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Learning Technologies Group PLC, up 11% at 131.90 pence, 12-month range 103.90p - 229.26p. Reports a significant surge in interim profit and revenue thanks to stronger-than-expected organic growth in GP Strategies, as well as tailwinds from a stronger dollar. The digital learning and talent management firm posts a pretax profit of £18.5 million in the six months ended June 30, up sharply from £4.6 million the previous year. Revenue multiplies to £281.8 million from £82.6 million. Interim dividend is increased by 50% to 0.45 pence from 0.30p the year prior. Says the good performance has continued into the second half, enhanced by further forex tailwinds. Learning Tech expects to deliver full-year results ahead of analyst consensus.
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Dekel Agri-Vision PLC, up 8.6% at 3.15 pence, 12-month range 2.13p - 6.68p. Posts an increase in interim profit, but a fall in revenue during the first half of 2022. In the six months ended June 30, pretax income climbs to €2.5 million from €2.0 million the previous year. Revenue falls to €19.7 million from €21.7 million. The West Africa-focused agribusiness says the increase in profit was primarily driven by record crude palm oil and palm kernel oil pricing and an improved extraction rate. This, it adds, offset much lower than typical high season production volumes. Executive Director Lincoln Moore adds prices continue to trade at long-term high, meaning the company is ‘well-positioned’ moving forward.
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Comptoir Group PLC, up 6.6% at 6.50 pence, 12-month range 4.50p - 12.00p. Swings to a pretax profit in the half-year ended July 3 as revenue nearly triples. The Lebanese restaurant owner swings to a pretax profit of £1.3 million from a loss of £1.2 million the previous year. Revenue nearly triples to £14.5 million from £5.6 million year-on-year. Chair Beatrice Lafon says the results highlight the company’s ‘resilience’ against challenges including Brexit, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, which she says have continued to weigh on costs, labour availability, and customer footfall. Adds the company is ‘cautious’ about the immediate-term outlook due to rising costs and inflationary pressures. Nonetheless, remains ‘optimistic’ about the longer-term prospects.
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AIM - LOSERS
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Biome Technologies PLC, down 64% at 61.00 pence, 12-month range 53.50p - 441.12p. The bioplastics and radio frequency technology firm admits that full-year revenue will be ‘substantially’ below current market expectations. Adds that this drop in revenue will have a consequential ‘substantial’ impact on its result before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation. ‘Growth has been limited in both divisions in the first half by ongoing supply challenges. The trading environment for Biome Bioplastics is becoming more difficult with a number of factors impacting our revenue expectations for this year and 2023,’ explains Biome’s chief executive. In the first half of 2022, Biome narrows its pretax loss marginally to £667,000 from £700,000 the previous year, though revenue falls to £2.4 million from £2.6 million.
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Polarean Imaging PLC, down 17% at 45.50 pence, 12-month range 35.00p - 113.00p. US Food & Drug Administration requests additional information from Polarean’s xenon-129 gas blend drug manufacturing partner. Polarean’s investigational drug‑device combination product uses hyperpolarised xenon-129 gas to enhance magnetic resonance imaging in pulmonary medicine. The request relates to a recent current good manufacturing practice pre-approval inspection at the partner’s production facility. US FDA suggests that the information would constitute a ‘major amendment’ to the new drug application that would allow for the FDA to grant a 90-day extension to the review timeline. Polarean says its drug manufacturing partner will address the concerns.
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Osirium Technologies PLC, down 17% at 5.00 pence, 12-month range 4.50p - 25.00p. Widens pretax loss but ups revenue in the first half of 2022. In the six months to June 30, the cybersecurity and IT automation software firm posts a loss of £1.7 million, widened from £1.6 million the previous year. Revenue, meanwhile, rises to £909,577 from £736,711 - a record for Osirium. As a result, company is ‘confident’ in achieving its full-year revenue expectations. Chief Executive David Guyatt says the firm is ‘vigilant’ around costs and is taking steps to ‘rationalise its cost base without compromising our sales and marketing momentum.’
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