Alliance News: Hays (HAS) net fees are down 8% on-year in the first quarter ended September 30, on an actual and like for like basis, with Temp & Contracting fees down 5% and Permanent fees down 13%. Temp & Contracting volumes “have rebuilt through the quarter in line with prior years” but Permanent markets “remain challenging”.
The recruitment company says September net fee growth was also minus 8% on a working day adjusted basis, and it continues to expect near-term market conditions to remain challenging.
Comment: Given the government’s ideological aim to destroy the private sector in favour of the public sector, one could and should have shorted HAS shares from July last year. Indeed, they are down over 40% since then. One would expect worse to come.
Technology Minerals (TM1), the first UK listed company focused on creating a sustainable circular economy for battery metals, announced that its Chairman, Robin Brundle, has joined the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and a 125-strong business delegation on the Government’s trade mission to India this week. Mr Brundle is a respected business leader and trusted contributor to government policy on battery strategy via parliamentary committees in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
Comment: Given that our Prime Minister’s interaction with the outside world tend to involve costing the tax payer billions in terms of giving away the rest of our overseas territories, or allowing millions of people the right to live here on welfare so that they can vote Labour, Mr Brundle’s presence on the mission is only to be admired.
Renalytix (RENX), a precision medicine diagnostics company, with kidneyintelX.dkd, the only FDA-approved and Medicare reimbursed prognostic test to support early-stage risk assessment in chronic kidney disease, has been notified by a fund advised by Heights Capital Ireland LLC that approximately $4m of non-amortizing senior convertible bonds will be capitalised via the issue to the Convertible Bond Investor of 31,650,034 ordinary shares, at the recent fundraise issue price of 9.5 pence per share.
Comment: The FDA/Medicare angle for RENX has already been transformational for RENX, as has the funding for the company delivered by Oberon / SP Angel. All this, and 2025 being a great year for British Biotech.
Genflow Biosciences (GENF), the only publicly listed longevity company in Europe, is pleased to provide an update on its Dog Aging (GF-1004) study, a proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of its proprietary SIRT6-centenarian gene therapy for age-related decline in elderly dogs. Genflow’s proprietary centenarian SIRT6 gene therapy has now been administered for the second time in its ongoing randomized, controlled trial involving 28 beagles aged 10 years and older.
Comment: Forget about giving GF-1004 to dogs, or at least give humans a chance to live longer. It would be great if Dick van Dyke and David Attenborough lived another 50 years. Especially David Attenborough. As suggested last month, GENF shares looked as though they would join the biotech sector revival, and they have.
Great Request Show: Zak Mir looks at the charting position of ARCM, GENF, UPL & WSBN
Reabold Resources (RBD), the investing company focussed on developing strategic gas projects for European energy security, announced that, through participation in a rights issue, it has increased its interest in LNEnergy Limited by a further 1.2% through the subscription for 128 new ordinary shares at a price of £1,200 per share, with total cash consideration of £153,600. This will take Reabold’s total shareholding to approximately 47.4% of LNEnergy’s enlarged share capital.
Comment: It is all about LNEnergy at RBD currently, a point underlined by the recent €16 Million earn out agreed to bring Colle Santo to the next phase of development. After such a long journey one can be sure shareholders cannot wait until first gas in 2027 to get the RBD stock price up properly.
Valereum (AQSE: VLRM) announced it has reached an agreement to raise £0.6 million comprised of £0.225 million from its Chairman, James Bannon, £0.225 million from its Group CEO, Gary Cottle, and £0.150 million from an unconnected party through the issuance of 12,000,000 new ordinary shares of £0.001 each in the capital of the Company at £0.05 per Subscription Share.
Comment: Significant director share buying at a premium. Why do other small cap companies not do this more often? One would assume that management at VLRM is very confident about the future and the strategy. Well done.
Gunsynd (GUN) announced that options over a total of 22,500,000 new ordinary shares in the capital of the Company were awarded to Peter Ruse, Non-Executive Director of the Company, on 9 October 2025 at an exercise price of 0.205 pence (being a premium of approximately 20 per cent over the mid price on 9 October 2025). The Options vest immediately and will expire in 3 years from the date of grant. The Options represent approximately 1.5 per cent of the Company’s current issued ordinary share capital.
Comment: Having played a blinder in terms of the profit notched up at 1911, £700k profit from memory, it is only right that Mr Ruse is rewarded with options. In the current environment the company’s move to living off its own projected rather than those of others is also an interesting development.
Yesterday afternoon Zenith Energy Ltd. (ZEN), the listed international energy production and development company, announced the signing of a new agreement to acquire a solar energy development project located in the Puglia region of Italy by its wholly-owned Italian subsidiary created to manage its solar energy portfolio, WESOLAR S.R.L. The Puglia Acquisition is located in the Puglia region of Italy and will have a combined installed capacity of approximately 10 MWp. The total consideration for the Puglia Acquisition is EUR 875,000.
Comment: While we wait on Tunisia arbitration news in coming months, we see that ZEN remains wedded to its renewable energy strategy, one that is key in many EU countries, not least in Italy.
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.
