Audioboom (BOOM), a global podcast company, announced key milestones and data points connected to the success of the Audioboom Creator Network in 2024. More than 60 billion minutes of podcast content was downloaded through the Audioboom platform during the year.
Its podcasts were heard in 187 countries across the world, and more than 300 million people listened to an Audioboom podcast episode in 2024. BOOM said Our Year in Numbers reflects another positive year for Audioboom, our creators, and the podcast industry. Audiences are growing globally, creators are thriving, and brands are flocking to the medium. Thank you to all our partners, customers and clients – we believe 2025 will bring even more success for us all.
Comment: All the big milestone metrics BOOM delivered last year, led to the shares rising 35%. If the company can really deliver off the back of people “flocking” to it, then one might expect rather more benefit to shareholders in 2025.
Global Petroleum (GBP) announced a successful capital raise of £1,500,000 to advance Juno Project, on-going PEL 94 Farm Out discussions, licence upkeep and general working capital. GBP said today’s fundraise represents a 246% increase to the last fundraise again highlighting the board’s commitment to preserving shareholder value and this is further demonstrated with the retail investors being offered the same terms as our institutional investors.
Comment: A much followed stock, punters would be aware that at any time GBP would press the placing button, and they would hope to be out before the rally music stopped. While today’s news is par for the course in such situations, it would have been great if GBP could have waited for an even higher price to raise cash at.
CAP-XX Limited (CPX), a world leader in the design and manufacture of thin, prismatic supercapacitors and energy management systems, announced the appointment of Ariel Sivikofsky as Interim Chief Financial Officer in a non-board capacity. Mr Sivikofsky will join the Company for an initial period of six months with the intention that this role will become permanent thereafter. CPX said it was delighted to welcome Ariel Sivikofsky to the CAP-XX team and it looks forward to working with him as we continue to grow the business.
Comment: The key here is that CPX is upgrading its management to drive the business, something which one would suspect the market would appreciate and use to drive the recent nascent share price recovery.
Critical Mineral Resources (CMRS), the developer of advanced metal mining projects and commodities trading in Morocco provided a summary of recent progress and its proposals to further advance and develop the commodities trading business unit of the Company during 2025. CMRS said it was very encouraged by the achievement of its commodities trading business in such a short timescale. Given its Moroccan team’s metals trading background, it has known of the potential for some time and always planned to enter the space. The benefits of having a local JV partner with a long history of trading in metals and industrial minerals is now very clear. As it continues to gain traction, it is investigating sources of non-dilutive capital that would enable a step-change in scale. That said, it is organic growth trajectory is working extremely well and we will not take undue risk. Further details of its expansion plans will be provided to shareholders in due course.
Comment: CEO Charlie Long is certainly a name in the space, and had spoken the magic words of the moment, “non-dilutive funding.” If Mr Long can get access to this, CMRS could be a decent rebound situation for 2025.
Journeo (JNEO), a provider of information systems and technical services to transport operators and local authorities is pleased to announce a £1.4m contract award for the supply and support of real time passenger information technology and software from Stoke City Council as part of its £10m Bus Service Improvement Plan, funded by the Department for Transport.
Comment: Given the Marxist government’s destruction plan for the private sector being fully underway, any companies who do business with the Big State gravy train, especially local government, which has particular contempt for fiscal rectitude, should be welcomed with open arms.
GSK (GSK) announced today that the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for GSK5764227, its B7-H3-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) being evaluated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory osteosarcoma (bone cancer) who have progressed on at least two prior lines of therapy. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation aims to expedite the development and review of drugs with the potential to treat a serious condition and where preliminary clinical evidence may indicate substantial improvement over currently available therapy.
Comment: Alas the Man From Del Monte may be long gone, but he lives on with organisations / Quangos such as the FDA who hold the power of life and death over pharma companies, and who are of course not swayed by an undesirable influences or motivations, just the public good.
KEFI (KEFI), the gold and copper exploration and development company focused on the Arabian-Nubian Shield, with a pipeline of projects in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, advises of the following developments. KEFI said it has a number of highly attractive opportunities before us and we are focused on the full launch of Tulu Kapi Gold Project, as well as finalising our other priority projects and alliances for the next stage.
Comment: KEFI offers up a comprehensive company update to start 2025, to remind us that the new year will be another of big talk and no material achievement, with the odd fundraise thrown in.
Poolbeg (POLB) and HOOKIPA confirm that significant HOOKIPA shareholder, Gilead Sciences Inc., has indicated its intention to vote consistent with the HOOKIPA Board’s recommendation if a formal offer were to be made and to participate in the proposed concurrent Fundraise, consistent with its current contractual obligations. Gilead owns 1,875,947 HOOKIPA common shares, representing 19.4% of HOOKIPA’s existing issued share capital.
Comment: If one had not been looking at the share price reaction in recent days, one might have thought that POLB had pulled off the deal of the year, with the US angle, great counterparties such as Gilead, and a buzzing space that can be scaled. It will be interesting to see if the market can revise its initial reaction in coming days.
Argo Blockchain (ARB) is pleased to provide the following operational update for December 2024. During the month of December, the Company mined 39 Bitcoin, or 1.3 BTC per day, consistent with November’s production. Mining revenue in December 2024 amounted to $3.9 million, an increase from $3.4 million in November 2024 due to the higher hashprice and BTC price realized in December as compared to November. As at 31 December 2024, the Company held two BTC equivalent.
Comment: While the bears have called game over at ARB for years now, it is evident that the soaring BTC price has at minimum delayed the inevitable, and could still be enough to deliver an extended reprieve.
Union Jack Oil (UJO) a USA and UK focused onshore hydrocarbon company announced that it has been informed by the Operator, Reach Oil and Gas Company Inc that the Moccasin 1-13 well, located in Seminole County, Oklahoma, USA has been spudded. Union Jack holds a 45% working interest in this well. UJO said it looks forward keenly to the drilling results from the Moccasin well that, if successful, has the potential to be significant for Union Jack and its future.
Comment: Alas shares of UJO were down over 50% last year, something which was all the more disappointing, given that the stock was previously a very resilient contender in a difficult space. The hope now would be that its US angle will finally drag the shares back up to at least their median price of the past few years near 20p.
Corero Network Security (CNS), the distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection specialists, provides the following trading update for the year ended 31 December 2024. ARR increased +16% to $19.5 million year over year. Order Intake increased +13% to $28.2 million. EBITDA expected to grow to between $2.1 million to $2.5 million from $1.8 million in FY 2023. Over 70% increase in new customer acquisition.
Comment: The latest update should be more than enough to retest October resistance at 28p in the aftermath of decent metrics being revealed today. They could probably go to new highs if more people actually new what DDoS is.
Coral Products (CRU), a group of specialist businesses in the design, UK manufacture and omni-channel supply of a wide range of bespoke plastic products based in Wythenshawe, Manchester, announces that it has exchanged contracts for the sale and leaseback of two freehold properties (North and South buildings, Haydock Industrial Estate, Haydock) with completion expected in mid February 2025. The properties are being sold to Glenbrook H1 Ltd (an unrelated party) for £1.7m against a book value of £1.3m. The buildings will be leased for 15 years with an initial lease of £155,000 per annum.
Comment: Although we are not talking Trump Tower magnitudes of deals here, given the £5m market cap, it is easy to understand the shares being marked up today.
Disclaimer & Declaration of Interest:
The information, investment views, and recommendations in this Zaks Traders Cafe interview are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing in this interview should be construed as a promotion or solicitation to buy or sell any financial product relating to any companies under discussion or referred to or to engage in or refrain from doing so or engage in any other transaction. Any opinions or comments are made to the best of the knowledge and belief of the commentator but no responsibility is accepted for actions based on such opinions or comments. The commentators may or may not hold investments in the companies under discussion.
