Eve Sleep shares fly on retail partnership with DFS

Natasha Doris
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Eve Sleep shares fly on retail partnership with DFS

Eve Sleep has secured a retail partnership with DFS which saw the company’s share price nearly doubled on Wednesday, sending Eve Sleep straight to the top of the FTSE AIM All-Share Index on the day.

Eve Sleep shares were trading 88% higher at 3.3p following the news on Wednesday.

DFS is reportedly set to stock Eve Sleep’s Original and Premium Hybrid model mattresses on its website first, alongside a selection of Eve Sleep bedframes.

The partnership has also committed to a later wider rollout to DFS national showrooms, with both parties having confirmed plans to extend the ranges at a later date.

The partnership is scheduled to go live on the DFS website on March 3 2022.

“We are delighted to be partnering with eve to add their best-in-class mattresses to our range, to support awareness of our bedroom furniture products; deliver even greater choice for our customers; and provide the opportunity for customers to conveniently add an eve mattress to their DFS furniture order,” said DFS head of home John Rastall.

Eve Sleep CEO Cheryl Calverley added: “We’re incredibly proud to announce this partnership with the UK’s foremost furniture retailer, which recognises the strength of the eve sleep product range and brand.”

“This is a very exciting partnership for eve as DFS seek to extend their ‘comfort’ positioning beyond the living room and bring eve’s award winning mattresses to a wider audience.”

OKYO Pharma: New Patent for Ocular Neuropathic Pain

Anshula Kumar
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OKYO Pharma: New Patent for Ocular Neuropathic Pain

OKYO Pharma has been approved for a new patent titled, “Methods and Systems for Designing and/or Characterizing Soluble Lipidated Ligand Agents,” by the USPTO.

OKYO Pharma is in the business of finding solutions for ocular pains and diseases. With the use of G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) Platform technology, OKYO Pharma plans to produce therapies for inflammatory eye diseases and ocular pain management.

Following the patent update, the OKYO Pharma share price jumped 13.3% to trade at 8.5p.

With the patent issued today, OKYO is in position to develop the OK-101 drug. The OK-101 drug is in the pre-clinical phase currently. OK-101 is the lead compound for OKYO Pharma in the battle against dry eye disease (DED). OKYO and the FDA had an amicable meeting regarding pre-IND (Investigational New Drug), where non-clinical and clinical development plans were discussed. And now OKYO is enroute to filing the IND for OK-101 by Q3/4 of 2022.

“The pain reducing feature of OK-101 offers the opportunity that our drug can potentially treat neuropathic corneal pain, a severe, chronic and debilitating disease for which there are no approved commercial treatments currently available” stated Raj Patil, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of OKYO.

Ocular Diseases

The Pharma company is focused on developing drugs for:

  • Dry Eye Disease – inflammation in the eyes due to lack of lubrication and moisture on the surface of the eye. More than 35% of people of 50 suffer from DED.
  • Non-infectious Anterior Uveitis – inflammation in the iris which is the third leading cause of blindness
  • Allergenic Conjunctivitis – allergic reaction which leads to inflamed conjunctiva. Upto 40% of the population of the planet suffer from pink eye.
  • Ocular Pain – pain in the eyes due to trauma, infection, post-surgical, dry eye syndrome, uveitis, corneal abrasions or ulcers. Approximately 5 million people suffer from ocular pain every year.

Pipeline

There are only two drugs under development by OKYO Pharma:

  • OK-101 – Used to aid DED, Uveitis & Allergic Conjunctivitis
    • Development is at pre-clinical
  • OK-201 – Used to help ocular pain
    • Still under lead optimisation

Barclays, Rio Tinto, and Rising Rates with Alan Green

UK Investor Magazine
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Barclays, Rio Tinto, and Rising Rates with Alan Green

The UK Investor Magazine Podcast is joined by Alan Green as we explore UK equites and key market themes. 

We start by questioning the current narrative and if markets are underestimating the risk of rising rates as investor attention shifts to Eastern Europe. 

Rio Tino is one of two FTSE 100 companies reporting record profits on Wednesday as rising commodity prices saw earnings soar and gave the board confidence to hike the dividend, making Rio Tinto one of the FTSE 100’s top dividend payers.

Barclays also reported record profits as the banking group enjoyed strong investment banking activity and the reversal of impairment charges. Income investors will be pleased Barclays is also raising their dividend. 

Mosman Oil and Gas recently released a dramatic increase in production figures and has updated the market of developments at exploration projects concerned with Helium resources. 

We cover the latest developments at Blencowe Resources which is working to supply the EV market.   

Barclays shares rise on record profit

Anshula Kumar
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Barclays shares rise on record profit

Barclays shares were trading up 1.8% at 193.5p in early trade on Wednesday after profits jumped on strong investment banking activity and impairment reversals.

Barclays has reported revenue at £21.9b with a 1% increase from last year (£21.7b), as a result of Barclay’s diversified income stream.

The Group delivered a record annual profit before tax of £8.4b which is 174% higher than 2020 results (£3.06b). The CET1 ratio remains unchanged at 15.1% whilst the bank’s RoTE was 13.4%.

With the economy recovering, UK and US consumers exhibited positive trends in consumer spending. UK mortgage lending and deposits increased.

An improved macroeconomic outlook are set to have a positive impact on unsecured lending balances in the coming quarters and Barclays said they see impairment charges returning to below pre-covid levels. Barclays operating profit was helped higher by the net reversal of £653m provisions made during the pandemic.

Barclay’s Corporate and Investment Banking division was gain a strong performer seeing Net Profit for 2021 increase to £5.8bn.

“Barclays is the sixth largest global investment bank – a fact sometimes overlooked thanks to its position as a UK high street staple. This position means Barclays is far, far less reliant on traditional interest income, and instead generates most of its income from fees, commission and trading,” said Sophie Lund-Yates, Lead Equity Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.

“In the short term that means rising interest rates have less of an immediate benefit than for the likes of Lloyds, which has more traditional income streams. However, looking to the long-term and the expansion of public and private markets, this diversified business model is an area of interest.”

Having being forced to scrap dividend payout during the pandemic, Barclays has began to gradually increase shareholder payouts and is set to pay 6.0p in the 2021 full year, a sharp increase from the 1p paid in 2020.

With results like these, it is safe to say that C. S. Venkatakrishnan, Group Chief Executive, is pleased.

“Barclays demonstrated a clear and sustainable path to growth over the course of 2021, delivering double-digit RoTE across our operating businesses, and returning £2.5 billion of excess capital. Our strategic priorities will continue to develop the diversified business model that we have established, investing in advanced technology capabilities in our consumer businesses, delivering sustainable growth across our global Corporate and Investment Bank, and reinforcing our commitment to aiding the transition to a low-carbon economy,” stated C. S. Venkatakrishnan.

Going forward, the bank, plans to adapt and benefit from the changes coming in the financial services sector. Barclays plans to do so by improving customer service with advances in digital services.

Barclays foresees global growth in private and public capital markets, to which they believe they will be able to reap the benefits of by continuing to diversify their income streams and carry on innovating. Barlcays also plans on taking opportunities during the low-carbon trend, by helping the business and their consumers transition to a more sustainable position.

Rio Tinto rewards investors with record dividend as earnings soar

Natasha Doris
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0
Rio Tinto rewards investors with record dividend as earnings soar

Rio Tinto has announced record financial results in its full-year financial report for 2021.

The Anglo-Australian mining company reported an 88% free cash flow increase to $17.7bn, following a 42% leap in revenues.

Rio Tinto rewarded investors with a record $16.8 billion in full-year dividends, equating to 1,040 US cents per share, alongside a special dividend of 247 US cents per share.

The dividends amounted to a 79% payout for shareholders in the company.

The company cited global economic recovery post-Covid-19 for its record financial results, consequently helping it retain approximately 80% of the benefit from rising prices.

Rio Tinto cited the Platts index strength with a 62% in iron fines, alongside the Higher London Metal Exchange (LME) prices for acting as a driving factor behind the strong price boost for its copper and aluminium profitability.

“These results are all about commodity prices and the cash flow that comes from low production costs,” said Steve Clayton, Fund Manager at HL Select.

“Iron Ore revenues drive the majority of Rio’s revenues and with ore prices strong and Rio’s operating costs amongst the lowest in the industry, cash generation was always going to be strong in 2021.”

Rio Tinto Portfolio

The metals producer further highlighted recent developments in its portfolio, including the opening of underground gold and copper mining operations in Mongolia after the Mongolian government approved the Oyu Tolgoi agreement.

The deal has allowed the company to start operations in the country, with first sightings of sustainable production estimated for the first half of 2023.

The company also confirmed its agreement to acquire the Rincon lithium project based in Argentina.

“Our people have continued to safely run our world-class assets and are working hard to improve our operational performance, despite challenging operating conditions from prolonged COVID-19 disruptions,” said Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm.

“The recovery of the global economy, driven by industrial production, resulted in significant price strength for our major commodities, which we were able to capture, achieving record financial results with free cash flow of $17.7 billion and underlying earnings of $21.4 billion, after taxes and government royalties of $13.0 billion.”

Aston Martin posts “significant progress”

Safiya Bashir
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Aston Martin posts “significant progress”

Aston Martin has posted an 82% increase in wholesales.

Revenues at the group increased to £1.1bn thanks to strong customer demand.

“The operating environment remained challenging throughout 2021,” said Tobias Moers, Aston Martin’s CEO.

“Despite this, we grew our core business to plan, with a demand-led delivery of our volume targets and enhanced core profitability. We achieved strong pricing and closed the year with dealer stock at optimum levels.”

” We also started delivery of the once-in-a-generation Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercars. This was achieved despite the technical ambition of the product, supply chain constraints and with no compromise on quality, resulting in fewer cars than originally planned shipping in 2021.”

“Beyond 2022 we are confident in the medium and long-term potential for the business with our exciting product plans and a defined path to electrification”, he added.

Ted Baker sales hit amid Omicron

Safiya Bashir
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Ted Baker sales hit amid Omicron

Ted Baker sales plunged 42% in the three months to January 29 compared to the same period in 2019.

Sales did recover compared to 2020, where they increased 20%.

Despite the impact of the Omicron surge, the group is still making plans to expand and has plans for three new stores a year for the next three years.

CEO Rachel Osborne said: “We continue to make good progress with our transformation and despite the impact of Omicron on the quarter, were pleased to deliver group sales up 35 per cent compared with last year.”

“The strong improvement in trading margin is encouraging, along with the increase in full price sales mix, demonstrating the progress we’re making as Ted re-establishes its premium brand positioning.”

Director dealings: Altus boss backs mining royalties plan

Andrew Hore
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1
Director dealings: Altus boss backs mining royalties plan

Altus Strategies (LON: ALS) chief executive Steven Poulton has acquired 75,795 shares in the mining investments company at an average price of 57.91p each. That is an investment of £43,889. The highest price paid was 60p a share.
This takes his total shareholding to 6.6 million shares, which is 5.63% of Altus Strategies.
The current share price of 57.5p is not far above the 12-month low and well below the level that was reached after Altus Strategies made its first mining royalties investment.
Business
Altus Strategies is quoted on AIM and the Toronto Venture Exchange, and it has a range of in...

Tip update: Transense Technologies on track but unappreciated

Andrew Hore
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0
Tip update: Transense Technologies on track but unappreciated

Transense Technologies (LON: TRT) has moved into profit in the six months to December 2021 thanks to growing royalty income from iTrack tyre pressure monitoring system sales. This means that there is no longer cash flowing out of the business.
Interim revenues improved from £895,000 to £1.2m with a loss of £53,000 turned into a pre-tax profit of £82,000. That is before any tax credits.
The iTrack royalties increased from £374,000 to £660,000 and annualised recurring revenues are running at more than £1.5m, which is what broker Allenby expected to be the run-rate in June.
There was also an incr...

FTSE 100 helped higher by strong commodity companies

UK Investor Magazine
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0
FTSE 100 helped higher by strong commodity companies

The FTSE 100 gained on Tuesday as strong commodity companies offset the impact of mixed corporate results.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.3% at 7,510 in afternoon trade on Tuesday, having staged a recovery from early selling as strong performances by Shell and other commodity companies helped the index recover. The FTSE 100 traded as low as 7,365 on Tuesday.

Shell shares were 1.6% higher at 1,975p and BP gained 1%.

Oil prices have risen to almost $100 per barrel amidst scarcity fears as tensions between Russia and Ukraine rise. 

The price of Brent Crude is currently trading at $97.47 per barrel and WTI Crude is trading at $93.71, marking the highest prices for the commodity since 2014. 

Although high oil prices have helped the FTSE 100 gain in the face of geopolitical tensions, analysts highlight how consumers are set to bear the brunt of rising energy prices.

“Consumers are belting up and bracing themselves for a fresh squeeze in the cost of living as a jump in the oil price is set to see forecourt prices ticking up again,” said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown

“The price of oil is rising up again back towards levels last seen consistently more than seven years ago with a barrel of Brent crude surging past $89.5 dollars, heading towards $90 a barrel.”

“The escalating situation surrounding Ukraine, with the standoff continuing between Russia and NATO members had already pushed up the price, but supply constraints with a drop in US inventories registered, has seen it edge up by another 1.5% today.” 

Hargreaves Lansdown

Hargreaves Lansdown was down nearly 15% in Tuesday afternoon trade and was the FTSE 100’s top faller. The broker revealed a slump in Net New Business to £2.32bn in H1 2021, down from £3.24bn in the same period a year prior as retail investors returned to the office meaning their retail trading business is taking the hit.

With a direct reduction in trading volumes, Hargreaves Lansdown’s profitability is being eaten at with a decrease in pre-tax profits falling from £188.4m to £151.2m in the 6 month period. The investment group said they would invest £175m to deliver future growth and enable operating efficiencies.

“In the first half of this financial year, we saw a gradual return to the office and calmer markets which led to more normalised share trading levels, albeit still higher than before the pandemic. Our assets under administration have reached record levels, and we now have a record 1.7 million customers,” said Chris Hill, Chief Executive Officer.

Hargreaves Lansdown is confident with their fiscal position and are committing to increasing their ordinary dividend by 3% from 11.9p to 12.26p per share.

Coca-Cola HBC was another faller after the drinks group posted full year earnings.

Coca-Cola HBC gave up 4% to trade at 2,218p after releasing earnings and a 16.9% revenue jump, and operating profits increasing 21%.

With emerging markets contributing to 27.1% of the revenues for Coca-Cola HBC and Russia being a large portion of that segment, the market chose to focus on the risk to future revenues. However, in an interview with Reuters, Coca-Cola HBC stated that contingency plans are in place to be prepared for upcoming commotions from Russia-Ukraine conflict. They are stockpiling ingredients in order to prevent any disruptions.

HSBC

Despite FTSE 100 gaining 0.3% on Tuesday, the HSBC share price missed out on the rally after a strong rebound in profits and the announcement of a share buy back programme. HSBC have reported a decrease of 2% in their revenues to $49.6bn. However, they managed to report an 87% increase in the profits before tax from $10.1bn to $18.9bn.

Their dividend has increased to $0.25 per share for 2021. 

“We have good momentum coming into 2022 and are confident that we can continue to execute against our strategy. We also remain cognisant of the potential impact that further Covid-19-related uncertainty and continued inflation might have on us and our clients,” said Noell Quinn, Group Chief Executive.

Smith & Nephew was the FTSE 100 top riser trading at 1245p on Tuesday afternoon, adding 5.6% on the day. 

Smith & Nephew reported revenue increased by 14.3% from $4.5m to $5.12m as some operations returned to pre-covid levels.

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