Author: Fiona Craig

AB Dynamics (LSE:ABDP) has acquired US-based eMpulse Test Systems LLC in a deal designed to broaden its laboratory testing capabilities and strengthen its position in the North American automotive testing market.

eMpulse specialises in servoelectric testing systems used for noise, vibration and harshness, structural and durability testing. AB Dynamics sees the company’s technology as highly complementary to its existing portfolio, creating opportunities to offer customers a wider range of advanced vehicle testing solutions.

The transaction includes an initial cash payment of $11.0 million alongside an anticipated working capital adjustment of approximately $1.8 million. A further contingent consideration of up to $15.0 million could become payable depending on eMpulse’s future performance.

AB Dynamics expects the acquisition to generate meaningful commercial synergies by introducing eMpulse products to customers through its established international sales network. This could accelerate expansion into markets where eMpulse currently has a more limited presence, including Japan, while also increasing opportunities to cross-sell products to existing customers.

The group expects the transaction to become earnings enhancing from FY27 as eMpulse continues its recovery from tariff-related disruption. The acquired business generated revenue of $5.5 million and EBITDA of $0.5 million in 2025 after its performance was affected by the downturn associated with global tariffs.

Trading has subsequently improved, with eMpulse recording a strong recovery during the first half of 2026. Its existing management team will remain with the business following completion, providing continuity as AB Dynamics integrates the company and pursues international growth opportunities.

eMpulse’s servoelectric technology also offers an energy-efficient alternative to conventional hydraulic testing equipment. Adding these systems to AB Dynamics’ portfolio could increase the group’s addressable market while allowing it to deepen relationships with automotive manufacturers, suppliers and testing organisations.

AB Dynamics’ broader outlook is supported by strong underlying financial characteristics, including profitability, relatively low leverage and healthy cash conversion. Recent improvements in orders and strong liquidity also support expectations for a gradual recovery.

These strengths are partly offset by execution risks, including a significant weighting of deliveries towards the second half and uncertainty surrounding the VadoTech China issue. Technical indicators remain particularly weak, with the share price trading well below key moving averages and signalling a pronounced bearish trend.

Valuation is more mixed, with a negative price-to-earnings ratio limiting support from conventional earnings metrics and the company’s dividend yield remaining relatively modest.

More about AB Dynamics

AB Dynamics plc is a UK-headquartered designer and manufacturer of advanced testing, simulation and measurement products and services for the international transport industry. Its customers include major automotive manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and specialist service providers that use its technology to evaluate vehicle dynamics and safety systems.

Based in Bradford on Avon, the group supplies sophisticated laboratory and track-based testing equipment used throughout vehicle development and validation. Its portfolio includes servoelectric technology such as the Suspension Parameter Measurement Machine, alongside simulation and measurement systems.

AB Dynamics is focused on meeting growing global demand for accurate, efficient and increasingly sophisticated vehicle testing technology as manufacturers respond to changing safety standards, electrification and regulatory requirements.

Focus keyphrase: AB Dynamics eMpulse acquisition

Meta description: AB Dynamics acquires eMpulse Test Systems to expand its laboratory testing portfolio, strengthen its US presence and target new global markets.

Critical Mineral Resources Plc (LSE:CMRS) has appointed independent consultancy Addison Mining Services to prepare the maiden JORC-compliant mineral resource estimate for its Agadir Melloul copper project in Morocco.

Addison has started assessing the geological, drilling and assay information generated from the project and has already completed a site visit as part of the resource modelling process. Critical Mineral Resources is targeting publication of the initial estimate in October 2026.

The maiden resource will primarily incorporate results from the extensive drilling programmes carried out during 2025 and 2026 at Zone 1 North. Establishing an independently verified resource represents an important technical step as CMR seeks to move Agadir Melloul beyond exploration and into the next phase of project evaluation and development.

Importantly, the area expected to be covered by the first resource estimate represents only around 5% to 6% of the company’s existing permit footprint. This leaves the majority of the licence outside the initial resource calculation and provides considerable scope for additional exploration and potential resource growth.

CMR is continuing exploration across the wider Agadir Melloul permit area alongside the resource estimation work. Management believes further discoveries could increase the overall scale of the project and strengthen its strategic importance within the company’s Moroccan critical minerals portfolio.

The appointment of an independent consultant also provides external technical validation as CMR builds a more detailed understanding of the deposit. A JORC-compliant resource could provide a foundation for subsequent technical studies, further drilling and decisions over the project’s longer-term development pathway.

Despite the exploration progress, the company’s financial position remains a significant risk. Critical Mineral Resources currently generates no revenue and continues to report losses and cash outflows, while negative equity and increasing debt place additional pressure on its balance sheet.

Technical indicators are also generally bearish, with the shares trading below important moving averages and MACD remaining negative. Valuation provides little support because the company’s loss-making position results in a negative price-to-earnings ratio, while there is no dividend yield to provide an income component.

More about Critical Mineral Resources Plc

Critical Mineral Resources Plc is a London-listed exploration and development company focused on commodities considered important to electrification and the global energy transition. Its portfolio includes copper, silver and other critical mineral opportunities in Morocco.

The company views Morocco as an attractive jurisdiction due to its established mining sector, infrastructure, permitting environment and proximity to European markets. CMR’s strategy is centred on advancing prospective assets through exploration, resource definition and subsequent development studies.

Critical Mineral Resources also owns an 80% interest in Moroccan exploration and geological services company Atlantic Research Minerals SARL, providing the group with additional technical capabilities and an established presence in the country.

Through Agadir Melloul and its wider portfolio, CMR is seeking exposure to anticipated long-term demand growth for metals required across renewable energy, electrification and other emerging technologies.

Focus keyphrase: Critical Mineral Resources Agadir Melloul

Meta description: Critical Mineral Resources appoints Addison Mining Services to prepare a maiden JORC resource estimate for Agadir Melloul, targeted for October 2026.

Tap Global Group (LSE:TAP) delivered a stronger-than-expected performance in FY26, with revenue exceeding market forecasts and losses coming in substantially below expectations despite a difficult year for the wider cryptocurrency industry.

The crypto-fintech group reported unaudited revenue of approximately £3.0 million, around 7% ahead of market expectations. Its adjusted EBITDA loss was approximately £0.26 million, roughly 80% better than forecast, while the EBITDA loss narrowed to about £55,000 when other income was included.

Tap also achieved EBITDA profitability during the second half of the financial year, providing an encouraging indication of improving operating leverage. The group ended the period with combined cash and cryptoassets of approximately £2.15 million.

The performance came against a challenging backdrop for digital assets, with industry-wide cryptocurrency exchange volumes falling by more than half during the year. Bitcoin also dropped by around 50% from its peak, while a number of listed digital asset businesses underwent restructurings or ceased operations.

Tap said its fee-based business model and relatively stable customer base helped provide resilience during the downturn. The platform continues to serve more than 400,000 users, leaving management confident that the business is positioned to benefit from an eventual recovery in cryptocurrency trading and investment activity.

A major contributor to the group’s growth strategy is Tap Earn, its yield-generating product launched in May 2026. The service exceeded US$5 million in assets under management within its first five weeks and continued attracting capital despite the broader crypto market sell-off.

Assets in Tap Earn increased by 43% during the market downturn and surpassed US$5.6 million after three months. The product has also completed fifteen consecutive weekly payouts and generated approximately US$125,000 of yield revenue, equivalent to an annualised gross yield of around 7% on committed capital.

Customer flows have remained positive, with Tap reporting approximately US$10 of deposits into the programme for every US$1 withdrawn. Management believes this performance demonstrates demand for a product that allows customers to generate weekly income from existing crypto holdings, even during weaker market conditions.

Tap sees the product as an increasingly important revenue stream with scope to scale further if digital asset markets recover. For FY27, the company intends to focus on expanding operations, establishing sustained profitability and once again performing ahead of current market expectations.

More about Tap Global Group plc

Tap Global Group plc is a regulated crypto-fintech company operating a digital finance platform that brings together traditional money, payments and cryptocurrency services within a single application.

The platform serves more than 400,000 customers across over 25 countries and provides access to more than 70 cryptoassets. Customers can trade digital assets, make payments through a Mastercard-linked service accepted at millions of merchant locations and generate potential income on eligible holdings through Tap Earn.

Tap’s European business was the first cryptocurrency fintech in Europe to receive Mastercard approval, supporting its focus on regulated, card-linked digital asset services. The group is also licensed by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission under its distributed ledger technology framework.

Looking ahead, Tap intends to apply for authorisation under the UK’s forthcoming cryptoasset regulatory regime when applications open in September 2026, potentially expanding its regulatory presence in one of its key target markets.

Focus keyphrase: Tap Global FY26 results

Meta description: Tap Global beats FY26 forecasts with £3.0 million revenue as Tap Earn surpasses US$5.6 million in assets and the group targets profitability.

Mila Resources (LSE:MILA) has identified a series of prospective porphyry-style drill targets at its Monal Copper-Gold Project in Queensland following encouraging results from an induced polarisation geophysical survey.

The latest IP data, combined with rock chip sampling, has highlighted prominent targets at the Basilica and Childs prospects. Mila said the results show geological and geophysical characteristics associated with porphyry mineralisation, including chargeability anomalies, areas of low resistivity and elevated copper, gold and silver grades.

At Basilica, rock chip sampling returned grades of up to 7.10 grams per tonne gold, 5.31% copper and 73.8 grams per tonne silver. These results occur above chargeability anomalies that coincide with magnetic lows, a combination interpreted as potentially representing magnetite-destructive alteration commonly associated with porphyry systems.

The convergence of geochemical, magnetic and IP evidence has strengthened Basilica’s position as a priority drilling target, with the data indicating the potential for mineralisation to extend beneath the near-surface occurrences identified to date.

At Childs, geophysical surveying outlined a compact, ring-shaped chargeability anomaly coinciding with an area of lower resistivity. Mila said the pattern, together with zoned surface geochemistry, is consistent with the possibility of a concealed intrusive source below the prospect.

The findings support the company’s interpretation that Monal could host multiple near-surface porphyry systems rather than a single isolated mineralised target. Further exploration and drilling will be required to establish the scale, continuity and grades of any mineralisation associated with the anomalies.

The results also strengthen Monal’s potential importance within Mila’s wider Queensland portfolio. The company is targeting copper-gold systems in established mineralised districts where porphyry and related deposit styles could offer exposure to multiple commodities.

Mila’s investment outlook remains constrained, however, by its early-stage financial profile. The company currently generates no revenue and continues to record losses and negative free cash flow as it funds exploration activities.

Technical indicators are similarly subdued, with the shares trading below major moving averages and MACD remaining negative. Valuation offers limited support because the company has negative earnings and therefore no conventional positive price-to-earnings ratio, while there is no dividend yield to provide an income component.

More about Mila Resources

Mila Resources Plc is a London-listed natural resources company focused on gold and copper exploration and resource development in Australia. Its portfolio is concentrated in Queensland, where it is targeting mineralised systems with potential for copper, gold and molybdenum.

The company’s 100%-owned Monal Copper-Gold Project is located in southeastern Queensland within the Yarrol Province of the New England Orogen. The region is known for porphyry and skarn-hosted copper-gold-molybdenum mineralisation.

Monal surrounds the Glassford Complex and is situated within a broader region containing established mineral occurrences and deposits, including Mount Cannindah. Mila is using geophysics, geochemistry and subsequent drilling to evaluate the potential for multiple porphyry-style systems across the project.

Focus keyphrase: Mila Resources Monal Copper-Gold Project

Meta description: Mila Resources identifies multiple porphyry-style drill targets at its Monal Copper-Gold Project in Queensland following encouraging IP results.

NeoTerra Group Plc (LSE:TERA) has selected Valentine Enterprises to lead a US-funded pre-feasibility study at its Monte Muambe rare earths project in Mozambique, marking another step towards advancing the asset’s development.

Valentine Enterprises will work alongside SGS North America and New Dominion Consulting, creating a consortium that will provide expertise across technical project development, metallurgy and critical-minerals supply chains. The appointment remains subject to final approval from the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), which is funding the study.

Once USTDA approval is received, the programme is expected to begin with a formal kick-off meeting and a visit to Monte Muambe. NeoTerra also plans to undertake a targeted drilling campaign designed to obtain representative samples for further metallurgical testing.

Management said the selected consortium combines knowledge of US critical-minerals value chains with practical experience of mining projects in Africa. This expertise is expected to support NeoTerra as it progresses drilling and metallurgical work while assessing potential routes for integrating Monte Muambe into future international rare earths supply chains.

The study is being supported by a US$1.875 million USTDA grant previously secured to advance the rare earths component of Monte Muambe to the pre-feasibility stage. The funding provides NeoTerra with an opportunity to progress technical work on the project while limiting the amount of company capital required for this phase of development.

The latest appointment also supports NeoTerra’s wider strategy of generating value from a portfolio of critical raw material assets. Rare earth elements are important inputs across clean energy, advanced technology, defence and industrial applications, making the development of diversified sources an increasing priority for global supply chains.

NeoTerra’s investment outlook nevertheless remains constrained by its financial position. The exploration and development-stage company currently generates no revenue and continues to report losses and sustained cash outflows, while leverage increased substantially during 2025.

Technical indicators also remain weak, with the shares trading below their key moving averages and MACD in negative territory. Valuation provides limited support because ongoing losses result in a negative price-to-earnings ratio, while the absence of a dividend means there is no income yield to offset the risks associated with its development-stage portfolio.

More about NeoTerra Group Plc

NeoTerra Group Plc is a London Main Market-listed exploration and development company focused on critical raw materials projects in Africa. Its portfolio includes the Monte Muambe project in Mozambique and the Sesana copper-silver project in Botswana.

Monte Muambe hosts rare earths alongside fluorspar and gallium and is covered by a 25-year mining licence. The project has published JORC mineral resource estimates and secured a US$1.875 million USTDA grant to support advancement of its rare earths component towards pre-feasibility.

In Botswana, NeoTerra’s Sesana project targets copper and silver mineralisation in proximity to MMG’s Khoemacau mining operation. Through these assets and potential future acquisitions, the company is seeking exposure to commodities considered strategically important for clean energy, high-technology, defence and industrial markets.

Focus keyphrase: NeoTerra Monte Muambe rare earths project

Meta description: NeoTerra selects Valentine Enterprises to lead a USTDA-backed pre-feasibility study at its Monte Muambe rare earths project in Mozambique.

Comptoir Group (LSE:COM) reported resilient trading for the first half of 2026 as improved adjusted EBITDA and continued international franchise expansion helped offset a modest decline in revenue.

For the six months ended 28 June 2026, the restaurant operator generated revenue of £15.7 million, slightly below the comparable period last year. Adjusted EBITDA improved to £0.2 million, while the group recorded a small IFRS loss after tax of £0.2 million.

Adjusted net cash stood at £1.6 million at the end of the period, reflecting the company’s continued focus on protecting liquidity and maintaining disciplined capital expenditure amid a challenging consumer environment.

Management said trading had remained resilient despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical uncertainty affecting parts of the Middle East. Against this backdrop, the group continues to view its franchise model as an important route to growth, allowing the Comptoir Libanais brand to expand internationally without relying entirely on company-funded restaurant openings.

The franchise pipeline has continued to develop, with a new location opening at Rome’s Termini railway station and an agreement signed to introduce the brand into Algeria. A further site is planned for Venice, strengthening Comptoir’s presence in major international travel locations.

Performance from Middle Eastern franchises, however, remains below levels recorded before the recent regional unrest. This continues to weigh on the international business even as expansion into additional territories provides opportunities to diversify the franchise estate geographically.

Comptoir’s broader investment outlook remains constrained by its financial position. Persistent operating losses, previous revenue weakness and high leverage relative to its limited equity base continue to present risks, despite management’s emphasis on cash preservation and disciplined investment.

Technical indicators also remain subdued, with the shares in a broader downward trend and MACD in negative territory. Valuation provides little immediate support because the company remains loss-making, resulting in a negative price-to-earnings ratio, while the absence of a dividend means there is currently no income yield.

More about Comptoir Group

Comptoir Group Plc operates restaurants inspired by Lebanese, Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, led by its flagship Comptoir Libanais brand. The group has a wider estate of 27 restaurants, comprising 20 company-operated sites and seven franchised locations, with operations spanning the UK and selected international markets.

Its portfolio also includes Shawa, a counter-service shawarma concept with locations in major shopping centres and Abu Dhabi, as well as Yalla-Yalla near Oxford Circus in London.

Through international franchise partnerships, Comptoir has expanded into markets including the Netherlands, Qatar, the UAE and Italy. The group is increasingly targeting travel and hospitality locations as it seeks to grow its brands through a capital-light franchise strategy.

Focus keyphrase: Comptoir Group H1 2026 results

Meta description: Comptoir Group reports £15.7 million of H1 revenue as adjusted EBITDA improves and international franchise expansion gathers momentum.

Sunrise Resources (LSE:SRES) has reported positive Phase III evaluation results from its Pioche Sepiolite Project in Nevada, confirming that processed material can meet American Petroleum Institute specifications for use in drilling-grade saltwater fluids.

Testing of sepiolite obtained from both drill core and surface samples demonstrated that material processed using an optimised method satisfies API requirements. Sunrise said the latest processing approach also produced stronger gelling performance in both freshwater and saltwater compared with earlier testing, bringing the Pioche material into line with standards required for oil and gas drilling applications.

The results could strengthen the project’s commercial prospects because sepiolite has particular advantages in drilling fluids used in high-salinity and high-temperature environments. Unlike bentonite, its performance can be maintained under conditions encountered in certain challenging oil and gas wells, providing access to a potentially higher-value specialist market.

Phase III work has also expanded Sunrise’s understanding of the deposit. Examination of previously unsampled core from the company’s 2024 drilling programme identified additional sepiolite horizons, including thicker mineralised intervals that increase the prospective area, particularly towards the southeastern section of Pioche.

The geological findings have helped Sunrise identify the northwestern and southeastern areas of East Mesa as preferred locations for potential trial mining. This provides the company with more clearly defined targets as it considers test extraction and further commercial evaluation of the material.

The combination of an API-compliant product and identified trial-mining areas represents an important step towards demonstrating Pioche’s commercial potential. Sunrise believes the project could benefit from the limited number of sizeable sepiolite deposits worldwide, as well as environmental constraints affecting production from the other major source of the mineral in the United States.

Management is seeking a development partner for Pioche, with the project offering potential additional value alongside Sunrise’s wider portfolio of industrial minerals, precious metals and base metals assets.

Financial performance nevertheless remains a key risk for the company. Sunrise has continued to report losses, uneven revenue and ongoing cash consumption, although relatively low leverage provides some balance-sheet support.

Technical indicators also warrant caution, with the share price below important longer-term moving averages and MACD remaining negative. Valuation offers limited support because loss-making operations result in a negative price-to-earnings ratio, while the absence of a dividend means there is no income yield to compensate for the risks associated with an early-stage mineral development company.

More about Sunrise Resources

Sunrise Resources Plc is a mineral exploration and development company with interests spanning industrial minerals as well as precious and base metals. Its Nevada operations are conducted through subsidiary SR Minerals Inc., which owns the Pioche Sepiolite Project in Lincoln County.

Pioche targets what Sunrise considers one of the relatively few sizeable sepiolite clay deposits globally, with potential applications including specialist oil and gas drilling fluids and other industrial products. The project is owned by SR Minerals, with sepiolite processing specialist Tom Powell holding a 20% beneficial interest, and previously attracted interest from Spanish sepiolite producer Tolsa through an option agreement that has since expired.

While Sunrise is currently directing much of its expenditure towards its wider precious and base metals portfolio, management regards Pioche as a potentially significant source of value and is seeking a partner to help progress its development.

The project is situated on federally managed land close to the historic mining town of Pioche and has access to regional infrastructure, including rail connections through Caliente, Nevada. With constraints affecting the other major US sepiolite operation in Amargosa Valley, Pioche could potentially emerge as an alternative domestic source of the specialist industrial mineral.

Focus keyphrase: Sunrise Resources Pioche Sepiolite Project

Meta description: Sunrise Resources confirms API-grade sepiolite at its Pioche project in Nevada, supporting plans for trial mining and commercial evaluation.

Reabold Resources (LSE:RBD) has provided an update on its recommended all-share offer for Union Jack Oil as the company seeks to combine the two businesses into a larger UK-focused onshore oil and gas group.

The proposed transaction would bring together the companies’ production income, cash resources and interests across several UK projects, including Wressle, West Newton and Keddington. The respective boards believe the combination could simplify asset ownership, improve operational efficiency and provide the enlarged business with greater access to capital.

As of 19 August 2026, Reabold had received valid acceptances representing approximately 0.2% of Union Jack’s issued share capital. A further 2.14% is covered by irrevocable undertakings that had not yet been processed because of clerical delays involving nominee arrangements.

Including those commitments, Reabold said shareholders representing approximately 2.35% of Union Jack’s issued shares currently support the offer. Union Jack’s directors have unanimously recommended that shareholders accept the proposal after being advised that its terms are fair and reasonable.

Shareholders have until 25 September 2026 to accept the offer. The Union Jack board has emphasised the importance of securing sufficient funding to meet the company’s upcoming commitments, including obligations associated with its licences and development portfolio.

The boards have also said Union Jack has not identified an alternative proposal capable of providing the required funding on acceptable terms. Without completion of the transaction or another source of capital, they have warned that certain near-term licence commitments could become difficult to meet, potentially putting some assets at risk.

Reabold and Union Jack are positioning the combination as an opportunity to establish a stronger UK onshore operator with a broader portfolio and reduced duplication of public-company costs. A combined structure could also streamline investment decisions and capital allocation across assets in which the businesses already have overlapping or complementary interests.

Reabold’s wider investment outlook nevertheless remains constrained by its financial performance. Recent revenue has been limited, losses have persisted and the company continues to consume cash, although its relatively low level of debt provides some balance-sheet support.

Technical indicators are also generally weak, with the shares trading below important moving averages and MACD remaining negative, pointing to an established downward trend. An oversold reading could provide some short-term support, but valuation remains difficult to justify using conventional earnings measures because profitability is negative and there is no dividend yield.

More about Reabold Resources

Reabold Resources is a London-listed investment company focused on developing and acquiring energy assets, with particular emphasis on strategic gas and UK onshore oil and gas opportunities. Its portfolio combines producing assets with appraisal and development projects as it seeks to increase scale and diversify potential revenue sources.

Union Jack Oil is a UK-focused onshore oil and gas company with interests spanning producing, development and exploration assets. Its portfolio includes Wressle alongside projects such as West Newton and Keddington, with the company requiring funding to advance its strategy and satisfy upcoming licence commitments.

Focus keyphrase: Reabold Resources Union Jack Oil offer

Meta description: Reabold Resources reports early acceptances for its recommended all-share Union Jack Oil offer as both boards back the proposed combination.

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC (LSE:HUI) has appointed London-based io consulting to provide engineering and strategic advisory services as the company looks to accelerate its UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel and waste plastic-to-hydrogen projects.

Under a newly signed Master Services Agreement, io consulting will support Hydrogen Utopia across project development, applying its capital value process from initial feasibility work through to project definition. The aim is to establish the technical and commercial foundations required to move projects towards financing and eventual development.

Io consulting is a joint venture between McDermott and Baker Hughes, bringing engineering and energy-sector expertise to the partnership. Its work with HUI is expected to focus particularly on the company’s UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel opportunity, including potential funding pathways and engagement with relevant stakeholders.

The agreement comes as the UK develops its domestic SAF industry through measures including the government’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate and the Low Carbon Fuels Fund. Hydrogen Utopia intends to use this policy environment to explore public and private financing opportunities for its low-carbon fuel projects.

The collaboration follows HUI’s recent licensing of InEnTec’s Plasma Enhanced Melter, or PEM, gasification technology for the production of SAF in the UK. By combining access to the technology with io consulting’s project development expertise, the company is seeking to strengthen its ability to advance its pipeline and establish a position in the emerging British SAF market.

Despite the potential offered by its project portfolio, Hydrogen Utopia’s financial position remains a significant consideration. The company currently generates no revenue, continues to report losses and has generally recorded negative operating cash flow, while leverage has increased.

The technical picture is also mixed to weak, with a negative MACD reading and the share price sitting below longer-term moving averages. Valuation provides limited support because negative earnings prevent a conventional positive price-to-earnings assessment, while the absence of a dividend means there is currently no income component to the investment case.

More about Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC is a UK-listed clean energy company developing technology-led projects designed to convert non-recyclable mixed waste plastics into hydrogen, Sustainable Aviation Fuel and other advanced low-carbon fuels.

Its proposed facilities process waste plastic into syngas, which can subsequently be converted into fuels or used to generate power and heat. The business model also offers the potential for revenue from waste-processing gate fees alongside the sale of energy and fuel products.

HUI focuses on jurisdictions where its projects could benefit from supportive decarbonisation policies and access to government grants, loans or private investment. Through its waste-to-fuels strategy, the company is seeking to participate in the circular economy while addressing demand for lower-carbon energy solutions in sectors including aviation.

Focus keyphrase: Hydrogen Utopia UK SAF projects

Meta description: Hydrogen Utopia appoints io consulting to provide engineering and strategic support as it advances UK SAF and waste-to-hydrogen projects.

IG Design Group (LSE:IGR) has appointed Ari Bensoussan as its new Chief Financial Officer as part of a planned change to the company’s senior leadership team.

Bensoussan will take up the CFO position and join the board as an executive director on 1 September 2026. He replaces Rohan Cummings, who will step down from the board on 31 August but remain with the business until the end of the year to help ensure a smooth handover.

The incoming finance chief brings almost three decades of experience spanning finance, strategy and mergers and acquisitions, with much of his career spent at international consumer businesses. His previous roles include senior positions at Thai Union and Nestlé, giving him extensive exposure to global operations and commercial strategy.

IG Design Group’s board highlighted Cummings’ contribution to the recent restructuring and simplification of the business. During his tenure, the group completed the disposal of DG Americas and renegotiated its banking arrangements, helping strengthen its balance sheet and create a more focused operating structure.

Chair Stewart Gilliland said Bensoussan’s international financial and commercial expertise would be valuable as the company seeks to expand its customer reach and strengthen its commercial capabilities while retaining financial discipline. The appointment indicates that improving operational resilience and pursuing sustainable growth will remain central priorities following the group’s recent restructuring.

IG Design Group’s investment outlook nevertheless continues to face pressure from uneven financial performance. Revenue declined sharply in 2026, profitability has been inconsistent and free cash flow was negative across 2025 and 2026, although the strengthened balance sheet provides some financial resilience.

The technical picture is more positive, with the shares trading comfortably above their major moving averages and indicating strong underlying price momentum. Valuation remains a less supportive factor, however, given the negative price-to-earnings ratio and the absence of dividend yield data.

More about IG Design Group

IG Design Group plc is a global designer, innovator and manufacturer of products including gift packaging, greeting cards, stationery, creative play ranges and other celebration-related goods. Its vertically integrated operations include manufacturing facilities in Wales, the Netherlands and Poland, with the company supplying more than 550 million units annually across approximately 70 countries.

The group has operations spanning the UK, Europe and Australia and supplies major retailers and supermarkets including Tesco, Costco and Aldi, alongside discount chains, e-commerce platforms and independent retailers. Its heritage Tom Smith brand holds a Royal Warrant for Christmas crackers and wrapping paper, while IG Design Group is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange.

Focus keyphrase: IG Design Group CFO appointment

Meta description: IG Design Group appoints Ari Bensoussan as CFO from September as Rohan Cummings prepares to leave following the group’s restructuring.