The Times: Lloyds Banking Group is to set aside a further £800 million to cover potential compensation claims after the Financial Conduct Authority published details of a proposed redress scheme last week following the car loan mis-selling scandal.
Comment: So let’s try and get this straight. Whatever compensation claims Lloyds has to pay will be passed onto the customer in higher rip-off charges. As far as the FCA is concerned, well done for spotting the car loan mis-selling, after it happened. Surely the point of a regulator is to prevent scandals, not shut the stable door after the Black Horse has bolted.
(Alliance News) – US President Donald Trump announced a deal with AstraZeneca (AZN) on Friday that he said would lead to significantly lower domestic drug prices in exchange for granting the pharma giant tariff relief. The agreement, which follows a similar accord announced last month with Pfizer Inc, requires AstraZeneca to charge “Most Favored Nation” pricing – matching the lowest price offered in other wealthy nations – to Medicaid, the US health insurance programme for low-income Americans.
Comment: It is great to see a fine UK company such as AZN totally kneel at President Trump’s feet. But then again, he is the man who single-handedly brought peace to the Middle East.
Gold and Silver’s Record Run: What It Means for Investors in 2025
KEFI (KEFI) reported that the signing of the US$240 million Tulu Kapi Gold Project debt capital offering is now expected to take place this week. This follows a procedural matter, now resolved, that was required to be addressed by one syndicate party last week. The overall process remains unchanged from the steps and schedule previously set out, with various construction projects already underway and advancing as part of the sequenced launch this month of the full US$340 million Project, and with Project equity capital arrangements advancing. The Company has unused working capital resources and undrawn facilities in place pending drawdown of full Project finance.
Comment: KEFI is finally approaching a funding chequered flag, after all the cynicism, mudslinging and name calling. The shares have doubled since the start of the year, and with a market cap of only £140m deserve rather more off the back of a $340m project.
Thor Explorations Ltd (THX) announced its final set of drilling results from its maiden drilling campaign at its 100% owned Guitry Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire. THX “We are pleased to report continued positive drilling results from Cote d’Ivoire, completing a successful maiden drilling campaign in country. When acquired, the Guitry project featured several gold-in-soil geochemical anomalies that previous explorers had only partially tested with shallow drilling.
Comment: With gold roofing it, THX could just sit back and think of the Cote d’Ivoire. However, the more it proves up, the easier the journey to as much as £1 a share by the end of 2025 could be.
Mosman Oil and Gas Limited (MSMN), the helium, hydrogen and hydrocarbon exploration, development and production company, which holds a 100% working interest in the Coyote Wash Project in Colorado, USA, announced the first internal estimate of prospective helium resources for the project. MSMN said “Coyote Wash represents another exciting step in Mosman’s US helium growth strategy. With six mapped Leadville prospects and best-estimate helium prospective resources exceeding one billion cubic feet, the project has clear scale and upside potential.”
Comment: If the market was truly onside with the idea that MSMN was and is a big helium play, the shares would be rather nearer the top of the range (double the current share price) than they are now. Presumably, it will not be long before the penny drops.
Helix Exploration (HEX), the helium exploration and development company with near-term production assets within the ‘Montana Helium Fairway’, provided an update on its flagship Rudyard project as it progresses towards first helium gas production. HEX said “We are delighted with the progress Helix has made over the past six months as we enter the final phase before becoming the first producer of its kind in the State of Montana. The pace at which the team has executed this phase of the Rudyard project is a real testament to their professionalism and commitment. Achieving this level of progress so soon after listing is an exceptional accomplishment.”
Comment: Previously HEX was nearly there in terms of production. Now it is nearly, nearly there. Next month or soon after it could actually be there, and “so soon” after saying that it was progressing towards first helium production.
Cirata (CRTA) announced a $3.1m, 3-year Data Integration (DI) software contract with a leading US insurer. This growth contract represents the largest direct contract in Cirata’s history and signifies a transition from a 1-year legacy Fusion product agreement to a new longer term 3-year partnership and relationship. The new contract encompasses the deployment of Data Migrator (DM), with a focus on disaster recovery applications.
Comment: One would imagine that given the company’s trials and tribulations, a $3.1m contract is just the start of what it needs to get back to its former glory. But hey, it is a start.
Power Metal Resources (POW), the London-listed natural resources exploration company and project incubator with a global project portfolio, provided an update on its 75% owned subsidiary GSA Environmental Ltd. POW said “It is encouraging to see the progress being made across GSAe and the potential its projects will bring. With the growing demand for critical materials, the use of economic extraction from waste provides an innovative solution and GSAe is building a secure network in Saudia Arabia, the UK, and Europe.”
Comment: Another decent announcement from POW, although of course the headline here is that the share price remains around 50% of its fair value.
Tiger Alpha (TIR), an investment vehicle focused on incubating high-growth technology and mining ventures, is pleased to announce the launch of its staking strategy on the Hyperliquid (HYPE) network. The Company has initially allocated £250,000 towards the Strategy and technical implementation is expected to begin in Q4 2025, with early yield and participation metrics to be reported in the Company’s year-end update.
Comment: Staking, for those who actually understand it, seems to be positioned as a perpetual money machine. What is interesting here is how much TIR intends to garner for the £250k it is allotting to the cause. One could argue that given the share price, and the lay of the land, a little more cash could have been thrown at the exercise.
Strategic Minerals (SML), an international mineral exploration and production company, is delighted to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Cornwall Resources Limited, has received standout drillhole assay results from the ongoing drilling campaign at its Redmoor tungsten-tin-copper project located in Cornwall, UK. Multiple mineralised intervals identified reinforcing Redmoor’s status as one of the highest-grade undeveloped tungsten deposits globally.
Comment: This could be the RNS that transforms SML from being regarded as a subscale / parochial play, to being a serious, and indeed, strategic contender.
Costain Group (COST) announced that it has been selected by Sellafield Ltd as its Utilities Delivery Partner, a major part of Sellafield’s Infrastructure Delivery Partnership. As Utilities Delivery Partner, Costain will refurbish and replace a variety of on-site and off-site utility distribution systems and services to enable Sellafield’s decommissioning programme. The contract is expected to be worth up to £1bn to Costain and consists of an initial term of nine years with an option to extend by a further six years, either in a single extension or multiple smaller extensions. The total value of Sellafield’s IDP is worth up to £2.9bn.
Comment: It would have been wonderful to have been a fly on the wall as far as the tendering process on this deal. It is also wonderful to remind those who may not be aware that Windscale’s nuclear safety record was so poor the powers that be had to change the name to Sellafield.
Aptamer Group (APTA), the developer of next-generation synthetic binders for the life sciences industry, today announces a new fee-for-service development contract valued at £112,000 with a top 10 global pharmaceutical company.
Comment: It is worth noting that these big pharma companies can be quite stingy when it comes to dealing with their smaller counterparts. But for APTA, they all count.
ProBiotix Health (AQSE: PBX), the life sciences business developing probiotics to support cardiometabolic health, announce a Q3 2025 trading update (for the nine months to 30 September 2025) which reaffirms continued strong progress. Sales +30% to £1.97m (2024: £1.52m). Gross Profit +21% to £1.06m to (2024: £874k).
Comment: Although not quite in the blue chip zone with these numbers, at least it can be said that the company has moved on from the storm in a teacup shenanigans of last year.
Tristel (TSTL), the manufacturer of infection prevention products for hospitals, announced its audited results for the year ended 30 June 2025, with trading in line with both market expectations and internal performance targets. The Company has delivered another year of double-digit revenue growth, strong growth in pre-tax profits and maintained strong cash generation from the operations. It continues to be debt free and at the end of year cash and short-term investments balances of £12.8m.
Comment: A lovely little update. But the shares are actually slightly down this morning and have been drifting over the past month. The stock market can be a cruel place.
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.
