Bezant (BZT), the copper-gold exploration and resource development company, announced that it has entered into a conditional share purchase agreement to acquire a 90% shareholding in Namib Lead and Zinc Mining (Proprietary) Limited from CL US Minerals LLC. NLZM owns an ore processing plant which once modified it is proposed to use to process copper – gold run of mine ore from Hope and Gorob which has been pre-concentrated on-site using dry ore sorting technology.
Comment: BZT shows it is serious regarding Hope and Gorob, as if we did not already know this. The run up to processing starting should be a purple patch for the shares, more than enough to take them to year highs.
EnergyPathways (EPP), an integrated energy transition company, announces that it has received correspondence from the The North Sea Transition Authority (“NSTA”) in respect of its Gas Storage Licence application and it has requested a government direction under section 35(1) of the Planning Act 2008 (“s.35”) for certain elements of the MESH project to be treated as development for which development consent is required under that Act. The NSTA has informed the Company that it considers it not appropriate to award a Gas Storage Licence based on EnergyPathways‘ application submitted on 16 August 2024 due to, amongst other things, changed circumstances. This affects only the natural gas storage and hydrogen storage elements of the MESH project. EnergyPathways is reviewing a number of options for taking these forward, which includes amending and resubmitting its Gas Storage Licence application to the NSTA.
Comment: EPP has been a genuinely great prospect (even if you hate Net Zero / do not love Ed Milliband), and could still be one. However, there is a perennial problem with dealing with Government (who can’t arrange anything apart from spying on social media posts) / Quango’s / pen pushers, that they are a law unto themselves, have no commercial sense, and can rather enjoy toying with counterparties. This is over and above issues of timing, and funding being there one day, and gone another.
OptiBiotix Health (OPTI), a life sciences business developing products which reduce hunger and food cravings, enhance the gut microbiome, and sweet fibres as healthy sugar substitutes announces the launch of a product containing its award-winning appetite reducing SlimBiome® in Hydroxycut, which markets itself as the No. 1 selling weight loss supplement brand in the United States of America.
Comment: The GLP-1 drugs are excellent at reducing hunger and food cravings, something which makes OPTI’s behaving as if they never happened all the more intriguing.
Vaultz Capital (V3TC), a digital asset operating company, announced that Aura Capital now has a 15.54% shareholding.
Comment: David Craven’s Aura Capital has certain put its money where his mouth is, so to speak, given the enthusiasm he professed for V3TC in a recent Zak’s Traders Cafe interview. The strong backing of V3TC by Aura sets the company apart from most of the underfunded BTC Treasury Strategy pretenders in the space, something which should give extra confidence to the market.
CAB Payments (CAB), a specialist in B2B FX and cross-border payments in hard-to-reach markets, announces its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2025. The company said “Having embarked upon its transformation in the second half of 2024, the Group has made good strategic progress, generating growth, momentum and confidence in future performance. Business stable with modest growth, Total Income up 3% to £51.8m vs H2 2024.
Comment: The RNS contained the word “strategic” five times, which alas is a word that rarely means anything. “I woke up at a strategic time”, the Labour government has applied its policies strategically over the past year” etc. That said, above the rising 50 day moving average at 48p, the shares could make a strategic move to 55p, at the strategic level of the 200 day moving average.
TruFin (TRU) provided a trading update for the six months ended 30 June 2025 ahead of its interim results due in September 2025. Group revenue for the Period is expected to be approximately £35.5m. This represents growth in excess of 40% over the comparator period (HY24: £25.3m). This strong performance has been primarily driven by continued momentum within Playstack Ltd. Adjusted EBITDA for the Period is expected to be more than £6.7m, representing a year-on-year improvement in excess of 125% (HY24: £2.9m).
Comment: With the benefit of hindsight, and maybe even without it, the dip for TRU shares this time last year to 45p looks like the bargain of the century. The shares are now at a £100m market cap, and all time highs. One would imagine that this is just the beginning of a great bull run judging by today’s update.
The Artisanal Spirits Company (ART), the creator of outstanding, limited-edition whiskies and experiences around the world, and owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Single Cask Nation, J.G. Thomson & Artisan Casks announced an update regarding new market expansion. The India franchise has now been signed with PNM Tech Beverages. Subject to label registration being completed over the coming months, we expect to dispatch ASC’s first shipment of product to India in the coming months.
Comment: It is a common assumption that India is a thirsty market for whisky, so presumably this latest RNS is a big deal for ART. It should allow the stock to build on the 20% YTD rally.
Augmentum Fintech (AUGM), Europe’s leading publicly listed fintech fund, has issued a factsheet as at 30 June 2025 which can be found on the Company’s website at https://augmentum.vc/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Augmentum-Fintech-plc-Factsheet-Q1-FY2526.pdf The factsheet has been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at https://data.fca.org.uk/#/nsm/nationalstoragemechanism
Comment: A £150m market cap company. But has anyone outside immediate family heard of the company or its PR? Listed companies should have a little more comms pizazz.
Antofagasta (ANTO), the Chile based copper mining group, announced half year results for the six months ended June 30. This included a 60% increase in EBITDA and 25 margin growth. ANTO said “The robust financial performance announced today reflects our operating discipline, with higher copper production and materially lower costs, driving a 60% increase in EBITDA and a 25% increase in EBITDA margins. This places Antofagasta’s margins at the top end of global pure-play copper producers and the highest level achieved since 2021. Furthermore, underlying earnings per share doubled to 47.4 cents in H1 2025.”
Comment: Given the fundamental backdrop even Coco The Clown could have served up a big win at ANTO. Nevertheless, the company continues to prove that it is one of the best in class.
ITM Power (ITM) announced its Preliminary Results for the financial year to 30 April 2025 (FY25). ITM said “We are pleased to announce a strong set of results, reflecting continued growth, commercial momentum and disciplined capital management.” Revenue increased by more than 50% year-on-year to £26.0m (FY24: £16.5m), marking an exceptional growth of 400% over two years. This is within the upgraded FY25 guidance and significantly ahead of original guidance. Adjusted EBITDA loss of £33.0m (FY24: £30.4m). Cash between £170m and £175m, in line with our capital-efficient scale-up strategy.
Comment: Great news, ITM can lose money for another five years and still not run out of cash. It would be easier just to up sticks / sell its proprietary stack technology to someone who might make a profitable go of it.
SkinBioTherapeutics (SBTX), a life science group focused on skin health, announced its trading update for the 12 months to 30 June 2025 (FY25). Management expects to report unaudited revenues of between c.£4.5m-£4.8m1 (FY24: £1.2m), driven by a full year’s trading by Dermatonics, eight months trading by Bio-Tech Solutions (BTS), as well as ongoing growth of organic sales of AxisBiotix. Management expects unaudited adjusted EBITDA loss of between c.£0.2m- £0.4m1 (FY24: loss £2.2m) due to careful cost control. Cash as at 30 June 2025 is better than expectations at £4.8m1 (31 Dec 2024: £1.2m).
Comment: Close but no cigar. Presumably, if the “Management” plays its cards right over the next year, it could wind up being EBITDA positive. At least there is plenty of cash to play with.
Oracle Power (ORCP), the international project developer, announced that it has raised gross proceeds of £500,000 by way of a placing at a price of 0.014 pence per share, representing a 20% discount to the closing mid price on 13 August 2025. The net proceeds of the Placing will be primarily used to progress the development of the projects in Australia, as well as supporting the advancement of the projects in Pakistan, and for general working capital purposes.
Comment: One did not have to be Jesse Livermore to work out judging by the falling away of the share price yesterday that a placing was on its way. More mysterious is how / why the shares tend to rally sharply just before the wall cross emails hit inboxes.
Cornish Metals Inc. (CUSN), a mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing its wholly owned and permitted South Crofty tin project in Cornwall, United Kingdom, announced that it has released its unaudited financial statements for the six months ended June 30, 2025. CUSN said “The Cornish Metals team continues to work hard on advancing and derisking South Crofty towards a restart of responsible tin production. The pace of activities across the South Crofty site on-surface and underground is ramping up steadily. Important milestones were achieved in the first half of 2025, namely the £57.4 million fundraise that was supported by existing and new shareholders including Vision Blue and the UK’s National Wealth Fund.”
Comment: Having raised £57m earlier this year, one would expect that CUSN has enough cash to de-water the Atlantic, let alone South Crofty. Presumably, the National Wealth Fund is delighted to have spent taxpayer cash on such a worthy cause.
SEED Innovations Limited (SEED), the AIM-quoted investment company, confirmed the launch of a Tender Offer to return up to £1.91 million to Eligible Shareholders through the repurchase of up to 86,826,818 Ordinary Shares at a price of 2.2 pence per share. The price of 2.2 pence per share represents a 12.8% premium to the trading price of the Company’s shares on AIM at the close of business on 17 July 2025.
Comment: Although it is great for shareholders, it is a said indictment of the state of the London stock market that a company like SEED is so deliberately undervalued for so long that a tender off is required. Presumably even now the shares will be loathed to go up.
Savills (SVS), an estate agent and international real estate advisor, announced its results for the half year ended 30 June 2025. Improved performance with strong Q1, tempered by a subdued transactional market in Q2. SVS said “The year started well with Q1 performance comfortably ahead of the prior year, reflecting progressive recovery in most markets. Q2 saw a slowing of transactional activity as occupiers and investors digested the implications of tariffs and geopolitical events.”
Comment: It would appear that after having walked on water for years due to diverse services an international footprint and Sloane Ranger employees, even the likes of SVS are seeing the party starting to fade.
Insurance company Admiral Group (ADM) announced its H1 2025 results.
Six months ended: 30 June 2025
Group profit before tax from continuing operations: £521.0m +69%
Earnings per share from continuing operations: 132.5p +72%
Comment: As a customer of Admiral car insurance one can only say, what a rip off. Chunky annual premium price rises off the back of spurious reasons, or no reasons at all. Apparently, the company is doing equally well at extracting every increasing amounts of cash from customers in general, in what is effectively a price fixing cartel, with consumers not having a leg to stand on. As far as the share price is concerned, this should mean they build on their 27% gain so far this year. Long live the tyranny of pricing power.
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (FOG) announced that an historic agreement has been reached between Falcon Oil & Gas Australia Limited’s joint venture partners’ Tamboran (B2) Pty Limited (collectively the “Beetaloo JV partners”) parent company, Tamboran Resources Corporation, with Native Title Holders and the Northern Land Council for the sale of appraisal gas from their Exploration Permits (EP) in the Beetaloo sub-basin.
Comment: All resource company absolutely love engaging with the native population, and are so keen to share the spoils of projects with them. This is even though the natives have not invested a penny, or taken any of the risk, or would not have developed the projects themselves either.
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.
