Author: Fiona Craig

Aptamer Group (LSE:APTA) has begun a new development programme to create Optimer binders for a rapid diagnostic test targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, following the largest recorded outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The project is intended to address a significant diagnostic gap, as current antibody-based tests have limited sensitivity for this strain, which differs biologically from the more widespread Zaire variant and carries a fatality rate of between 30% and 50%.

The company plans to develop binders suitable for use in rapid, field-deployable diagnostic tests by building on its previous experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when its SARS-CoV-2 Optimer binders were successfully incorporated into lateral flow assays. With demand for Ebola testing expected to increase as governments and healthcare organisations strengthen outbreak preparedness, Aptamer believes the programme could expand its presence in the infectious disease diagnostics market while contributing to efforts to improve disease detection during the current outbreak.

Despite the strategic opportunity, Aptamer’s investment outlook continues to be weighed down by weak financial performance, including sharply lower revenue, ongoing losses and negative cash flow. Technical indicators also remain negative, with the shares trading below key moving averages, while a negative price-to-earnings ratio and the absence of dividend support continue to limit valuation.

More about Aptamer Group plc

Aptamer Group plc is an AIM-listed biotechnology company focused on developing synthetic molecular binders for life sciences applications. Its proprietary Optimer platform enables the creation of highly specific binding molecules that can be integrated into diagnostic, therapeutic and research products. The company’s technology is increasingly being applied to rapid infectious disease testing, positioning Aptamer to support global healthcare preparedness and emerging diagnostic markets.

Avation PLC (LSE:AVAP) has expanded its customer portfolio by signing long-term lease agreements with Finnair for two ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft. The aircraft, transitioning from a previous lessee, will commence six-year lease terms in July and September 2026. The agreement adds the European flag carrier and oneworld alliance member to Avation’s customer base, supporting the company’s strategy of broadening relationships with established airlines.

The company said market conditions for regional aircraft continue to improve, with demand increasing for pre-owned ATR 72-600 aircraft. Avation also announced a 24-month letter of intent to lease an ATR 72 engine to another new airline customer, highlighting growing activity in the aftermarket engine leasing market and reinforcing its position within the regional aviation leasing sector.

While these commercial developments reflect improving market fundamentals and continued customer diversification, Avation’s investment outlook remains influenced by elevated debt levels, ongoing profitability challenges and weak technical trading indicators. Although recent leasing agreements provide positive momentum, investors continue to monitor the group’s financial performance.

More about Avation

Avation PLC is a Singapore-based commercial aircraft leasing company that owns and manages a portfolio of passenger aircraft leased to airlines around the world. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the company specialises in regional and narrowbody aircraft and continues to diversify its customer base across different airline business models and geographic markets.

Its strategy focuses on securing long-term lease agreements with established airlines, enabling the business to benefit from changing demand across the regional aviation market while strengthening relationships with flag carriers and members of major global airline alliances.

Brave Bison (LSE:BBSN) delivered a strong first-half performance in 2026, supported by recent acquisitions and solid organic growth across the business. Its MiniMBA eLearning platform continued to perform particularly well, with cohort-to-cohort growth exceeding 20%. Net revenue increased 97% year-on-year to £23.7m, while adjusted EBITDA rose 87% to £4.2m. The group also ended the period with net cash of £4.7m despite having taken on its largest-ever loan during 2025.

Trading exceeded both internal forecasts and board expectations, driven by strong performances from the MiniMBA platform, performance marketing and the Sport & Entertainment division. These gains were partly offset by weaker activity within the insights business, where client spending was affected by budget pressures linked to the Middle East crisis. High-margin, platform-based operations accounted for 46% of divisional EBITDA and 33% of net revenue, highlighting the growing importance of scalable digital services. New client wins, including Nestlé, Omnicom, Heineken and McLaren, support the company’s unchanged full-year guidance. The reported first-half figures also exclude any contribution from Brave Bison’s 28% holding in System1 Group plc, whose trading performance and market valuation have strengthened.

Brave Bison’s improving financial performance, stronger balance sheet and return to net cash reinforce its positive outlook, while supportive share price momentum reflects growing investor confidence. However, the shares continue to trade on a relatively demanding valuation, and fluctuations in cash flow and profitability remain factors to monitor as the business continues to scale.

More about Brave Bison

Brave Bison Group plc is a digital marketing and technology company providing services, media and professional training to major global brands. Operating across eight countries with approximately 350 employees, the group is organised into Consultancy & Marketing Services, Sport & Entertainment, and Marketing Skills & Capabilities divisions. It also holds a 28% stake in the UK-listed marketing research business System1 Group plc.

The company’s consultancy division combines data-driven insights with AI-enabled marketing strategies for clients including New Balance, Primark and Google. Its Sport & Entertainment business supports organisations such as the PGA Tour and Real Madrid in growing and monetising digital audiences, while the MiniMBA eLearning platform provides advanced marketing education for enterprise customers including Nestlé, Carlsberg and Salesforce, supporting Brave Bison’s strategy of expanding high-margin, scalable platform businesses.

Orosur Mining (LSE:OMI) has released new exploration results from the Pepas West prospect at its Anzá gold project in Colombia, where recent drilling has confirmed additional gold mineralisation. Although the latest intercepts were generally narrower and lower grade than those encountered at the main Pepas deposit, the programme is providing valuable geological information that is improving the company’s understanding of the structure and continuity of the emerging mineralised zone.

The exploration campaign has also uncovered exceptionally high-grade surface gold samples southwest of Pepas, including an assay of 79.6g/t Au located along the projected strike of Pepas West in an area that was previously inaccessible because of safety and access constraints. Drilling has now commenced beneath these surface results, with Orosur aiming to determine whether the mineralisation extends the strike length to around 200 metres. Success could further enhance the exploration potential across the wider Pepas, APTA and El Cedro targets within the Anzá project.

More about Orosur Mining

Orosur Mining Inc. is an AIM- and TSX Venture Exchange-listed gold exploration company focused on developing the Anzá project in Colombia’s Mid-Cauca gold belt. Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Minera Anzá and Minera Monte Aguila, the company controls approximately 330km² of prospective ground. Exploration is currently centred on the Pepas, APTA and El Cedro prospects, where drilling continues to define and expand high-grade gold mineralisation.

Unite Group (LSE:UTG) has maintained its earnings guidance for the 2026 financial year after reporting strong demand for the 2026/27 academic year. Reservations have reached 86% across Unite’s portfolio and 71% for Empiric’s Hello Student properties, supporting expectations for modest like-for-like rental income growth through high occupancy levels and low single-digit rent increases. The integration of Empiric continues to progress in line with expectations, delivering anticipated cost synergies, while the impact of the Renters’ Rights Act has led to some early tenancy terminations without altering the group’s earnings guidance of 41.5-43.0p per share.

The company is continuing its strategy of focusing on higher-quality assets serving leading UK universities. Unite plans to complete between £300 million and £400 million of property disposals during 2026 and has already returned £165 million to shareholders through share buybacks. Although property valuations within the Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) and London Student Accommodation Joint Venture (LSAV) declined during the first half due to higher property yields, the completion of the Hawthorne House development in London and the marketing of around £500 million of additional assets demonstrate the group’s ongoing capital recycling programme. Management believes these initiatives will help deliver more stable and sustainable earnings over the longer term.

While investor sentiment continues to be affected by weak technical trading indicators, recent negative free cash flow and earnings volatility, Unite benefits from a solid balance sheet, profitable operations and an attractive dividend yield. Management’s strategic actions also provide support, although near-term guidance reflects a more cautious outlook for occupancy, sales activity and earnings per share.

More about Unite Group plc

Unite Group plc is the UK’s largest owner, operator and developer of purpose-built student accommodation. The company provides housing for students attending leading universities across the UK and manages major investment vehicles, including the Unite UK Student Accommodation Fund (USAF) and the London Student Accommodation Joint Venture (LSAV). Its business model combines long-term nomination agreements with universities and direct lettings to students, providing a stable source of recurring income.

Central Asia Metals (LSE:CAML) reported stronger first-half production across its copper, zinc and lead operations at Kounrad and Sasa, while higher realised prices for copper and zinc supported a significant improvement in cash generation. The group ended the period with net cash of $96.7 million as of 30 June 2026 and reaffirmed its full-year production guidance. Safety performance also improved, with only two lost-time injuries recorded during the first half and none during the second quarter.

Operational performance remained robust across both producing assets. Kounrad exceeded expectations thanks to stronger-than-anticipated leach grades and continued infrastructure improvements, while Sasa benefited from higher ore volumes, improved grades and stronger recoveries through an ongoing operational improvement programme focused on geology, mine planning and cost efficiency. At the same time, Central Asia Metals continued to expand its development pipeline by completing its first drilling campaign at the Otyar and Yuzhnoe prospects in Kazakhstan, advancing Phase 3 drilling at Aberdeen Minerals’ Arthrath project and remaining on schedule to complete the acquisition of Cygnus Metals and its high-grade Chibougamau copper-gold asset in September.

Exploration updates expected during the third quarter from Kazakhstan and the Arthrath project, together with the planned Cygnus acquisition, have the potential to diversify the group’s production profile and increase its exposure to copper while market prices remain favourable. Combined with solid operational execution, disciplined cost management and continued investment in future growth, these developments reinforce Central Asia Metals’ long-term strategic position in the base metals sector.

The investment case is supported by a strong balance sheet, conservative financing and resilient cash generation, alongside management’s confidence in EBITDA, free cash flow and ongoing dividend payments. However, investors continue to weigh these strengths against earnings volatility, including impairment-related losses, and weak technical trading indicators.

More about Central Asia Metals

Central Asia Metals PLC is an AIM-listed mining company focused on the production of base metals through the Kounrad copper dump-leach operation in Kazakhstan and the Sasa zinc-lead mine in North Macedonia. The group also holds exploration assets in Kazakhstan and a minority interest in Aberdeen Minerals’ Arthrath base metals project in northeast Scotland, while pursuing further growth through the planned acquisition of Cygnus Metals.

The company’s portfolio is centred on copper, zinc and lead production, supported by exploration across the Chingiz-Tarbagatay belt in Kazakhstan and the prospective Chibougamau copper-gold project in Canada. With net cash of $96.7 million and strong cash generation, Central Asia Metals is well positioned to fund operational improvements, exploration activity and future expansion.