Category: Market News

OptiBiotix Health (LSE:OPTI) reported a 21.9% increase in revenue to £679,000 for the first half of 2026, alongside a 25.4% rise in gross profit and reductions in operating expenditure.

The life sciences company said revenue growth in Asia and other Rest of World markets offset lower sales in the United States and India.

Gross margins improved during the period, while reductions in selling, research and development, and other operating costs contributed to lower expenditure.

OptiBiotix ended the first half with positive net assets, cash of nearly £1 million and no debt.

The company reported an expanding pipeline of potential customers as it continued commercialising its microbiome-based products across international markets.

During the period, OptiBiotix fulfilled orders for its SlimBiome weight management ingredient in Taiwan and expanded lower-cost production capacity in India.

The group also introduced artificial intelligence tools to improve the performance of its marketing activities on Amazon.

Following the period-end, OptiBiotix signed trademark licensing agreements with a large US corporation and a direct-selling group to support the launch of SlimBiome products in the United States and India.

The company also introduced products through FORMI, a new brand developed by health and wellness retailer Holland & Barrett.

Development work continued on SweetBiotix, OptiBiotix’s range of sweet fibres. The company distributed samples to international food and beverage businesses for evaluation as it progresses the products towards commercialisation.

OptiBiotix’s existing product portfolio includes SlimBiome and WellBiome, which target weight management and digestive health through microbiome-based formulations.

Its development pipeline also includes SweetBiotix and specialised prebiotics designed to influence the gut microbiome.

The company holds investments in ProBiotix Health plc and SkinBioTherapeutics plc, providing additional exposure to probiotic and skin health products.

OptiBiotix continues to develop its manufacturing, licensing and distribution arrangements across the UK, Europe, Asia and other international markets as it seeks to expand sales of its existing products and commercialise its development pipeline.

AB Dynamics (LSE:ABDP) expects to report revenue of £91.6 million from continuing operations for FY2026, with its adjusted operating margin in line with the group’s medium-term target of 20%.

The automotive testing and simulation technology company said trading during the final quarter was consistent with its guidance and market consensus expectations.

AB Dynamics ended the financial year with net cash of £24.5 million after funding the acquisition of eMpulse Test Systems and settling deferred consideration relating to its earlier acquisition of Venshure Test Services.

The company reported an order book of £31 million at the year-end, providing visibility over expected revenue during the first half of FY2027.

Management said the group’s longer-term growth expectations are supported by regulatory and technological developments across its core markets, including demand for vehicle testing, simulation and measurement technologies.

The acquisition of eMpulse Test Systems forms part of AB Dynamics’ strategy to expand its capabilities and operations within the transport technology sector.

The company said its year-end cash position provides resources to support further investment and potential acquisitions.

AB Dynamics designs, manufactures and supplies testing, simulation and measurement products and services for the global transport industry.

Its customers include automotive manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and specialist service providers that use its technologies to evaluate vehicle dynamics and safety systems.

The group expects its existing order book and market developments to support trading in FY2027, with its medium-term adjusted operating margin target remaining at 20%.

Insig AI plc (LSE:INSG) reported a 45% increase in revenue to £0.77 million for the year ended 31 March 2026, supported by new customer contracts and revenue from existing clients.

The data science and artificial intelligence company reported an operating loss of £1.9 million and ended the financial year with £0.1 million in cash and £1.9 million in unsecured convertible debt.

New client wins during the period included the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which uses the company’s Transparency and Disclosure Index.

Management acknowledged operational delivery challenges that had slowed the company’s expansion and appointed a senior technology executive to improve execution.

Insig AI also completed equity fundraisings totalling £1.35 million and proposed changing its corporate name to Candessa AI.

During the year, the company expanded its product portfolio with central bank datasets, its Fund Engine and a Generative Intelligence Engine.

The central bank offering covers almost 100 countries and includes tools for translating policymakers’ speeches. The Fund Engine is being developed for asset managers, while the Generative Intelligence Engine enables organisations to apply their own decision-making methodologies across large datasets.

The company also established a digital asset division, supported by investment advisers, and completed its first digital asset investment after the financial year-end.

Looking ahead, Insig AI expects revenue for the current financial year to more than double to approximately £1.6 million and is targeting underlying operating profitability.

The company reported monthly revenue of approximately £0.1 million in both July and August, alongside new contracts for its central bank data offering and Fund Engine.

Insig AI provides data science and machine learning solutions to financial institutions, regulators and professional services firms. Its technology focuses on organising and structuring datasets, preserving data provenance and enabling information to be used with artificial intelligence applications.

The company’s FY2027 revenue and profitability targets remain dependent on the execution of its commercial and operational plans.

Strategic Minerals (LSE:SML) has completed more than 5,000 metres of infill drilling at its Redmoor tungsten-copper-tin project in Cornwall, with nine drillholes completed across three drilling pads.

The company said the programme has progressed on schedule and within budget, with all nine holes intersecting the full thickness of the project’s sheeted vein system.

Visible tungsten, copper and tin mineralisation was identified in each drillhole, providing additional geological information for the ongoing assessment of the deposit.

The drilling programme forms part of Strategic Minerals’ work to advance Redmoor towards a prefeasibility study, including further evaluation of mineral continuity and the characteristics of the deposit.

To support the programme, the company has increased its site workforce to 16 employees and expanded warehouse capacity.

Strategic Minerals has also engaged specialist laboratories and industry partners to undertake metallurgical, geotechnical and geophysical testing. The results will contribute to future technical studies and the assessment of potential mining and processing methods.

The company noted that current tungsten ammonium paratungstate (APT) prices are trading above the assumptions used in the project’s previous upside economic scenario.

Management believes sustained pricing at these levels could improve the project’s economic outlook, although the impact will depend on future market conditions and the results of ongoing technical and economic assessments.

Redmoor is being developed through Strategic Minerals’ wholly owned subsidiary, Cornwall Resources Limited.

The project hosts a sheeted vein system containing wolframite, chalcopyrite and cassiterite, minerals associated with tungsten, copper and tin.

Strategic Minerals is listed on AIM and the US OTC market and operates mineral exploration and production assets. Its current development activities at Redmoor are focused on drilling, resource evaluation and technical studies ahead of the proposed prefeasibility stage.

ATOME PLC (LSE:ATOM) has issued a Notice of Dispute and Intent to Submit a Claim to Arbitration under the UK–Paraguay Bilateral Investment Treaty following the revocation of presidential decrees relating to its US$665 million Villeta green fertiliser project.

The company alleges that the Paraguayan government’s decision to revoke key decrees supporting the project and its power purchase agreement breaches protections provided under the bilateral investment treaty.

ATOME said the measures affect the development of the Villeta project, which is intended to establish a green fertiliser production facility in Paraguay.

The company has obtained an independent assessment of potential damages, which it described as substantial. No specific damages figure was disclosed in the supplied information.

The Notice of Dispute calls on the Paraguayan government to seek an amicable resolution within three months.

If the parties do not reach an agreement during that period, ATOME intends to pursue arbitration through the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington, D.C.

The company has not yet commenced arbitration, and its allegations have not been established through an arbitral ruling.

The dispute introduces uncertainty over the future development of the Villeta project, including its anticipated economic and employment contributions.

ATOME said its other projects remain unaffected by the dispute and that it will provide further updates as developments occur.

The UK-listed company focuses on green fertiliser and hydrogen-related industrial projects, with operations concentrated in South America.

Its Villeta project has an estimated value of US$665 million and has attracted backing from multilateral development banks and strategic investors, including Schroders, Baker Hughes and Casale.

Tertiary Minerals plc (LSE:TYM) has reported its highest-grade silver-copper intersection to date from Phase 4 drilling at the Discovery Zone of its Mushima North Project in Zambia.

One drill hole returned an intersection of 82 metres grading 107 grams per tonne (g/t) silver equivalent from near-surface and ended in mineralisation, indicating that the mineralised zone continues beyond the depth reached by the hole.

All four newly reported drill holes intersected shallow silver-copper-zinc mineralisation, with some intersections extending beyond the boundaries of the company’s existing exploration target.

The results indicate that mineralisation remains open at depth and extends beyond parts of the currently defined target area.

The Phase 4 drilling programme comprises 39 reverse circulation holes and is designed to improve geological understanding and establish greater confidence in mineral continuity at Target A1.

The company intends to use the drilling results to support the preparation of a future mineral resource estimate compliant with the JORC reporting code.

Tertiary has previously outlined an exploration target for the Discovery Zone of between 15 million and 30 million tonnes grading 40–60 g/t silver equivalent. This remains an exploration target rather than a defined mineral resource.

In addition to silver, copper and zinc, drilling has identified accessory metals including bismuth, antimony and cobalt.

The company said these elements could provide additional economic value if they can be recovered commercially alongside the principal metals. Their economic recoverability has not yet been established.

Mushima North is located approximately 28 kilometres east of the historic Kalengwa copper-silver mine in Zambia’s Iron-Oxide-Copper-Gold region.

Tertiary Minerals is an AIM-listed exploration company focused on silver, copper and zinc projects. Its current work at Mushima North is aimed at defining the extent and continuity of mineralisation ahead of a potential mineral resource estimate.

TruFin (LSE:TRU) reported an increase in first-half revenue and a return to positive adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations, alongside the completion of its Playstack disposal and subsequent capital returns to shareholders.

For the six months ended 30 June 2026, group gross revenue from continuing operations increased 11% to £5.9 million, while net revenue rose 17% to £5.3 million.

Adjusted EBITDA reached a profit of £0.5 million, compared with a small loss in the corresponding period last year. The group’s loss before tax narrowed to £1.5 million.

Oxygen, TruFin’s public sector early payment business, reported revenue growth of 12% and a 30% increase in EBITDA.

Satago, which provides invoice finance and subscription-based financial tools, recorded a 41% rise in revenue and achieved monthly EBITDA profitability in June.

During the period, TruFin completed the sale of its gaming subsidiary Playstack to VantageCo at an enterprise value of £125 million.

The transaction generated net proceeds of approximately £112.4 million and a profit from discontinued operations of £74.9 million. Group net assets increased to £123.9 million following the disposal.

TruFin has subsequently undertaken several capital return initiatives, including a share buyback programme, a tender offer completed in July that returned approximately £56.8 million to shareholders, and a special dividend of around £22.5 million paid in August.

Within Oxygen, UK early payment revenue increased 17%, while signed supplier spend exceeded £2.1 billion.

More than 65% of the business’s early payment clients now use multiple products. Its FreePay service facilitated £454 million in early payments to more than 22,000 suppliers.

Satago reported a 260% increase in subscription users to 4,621, supported by growth in its subscription business and cost management measures.

The company expects Satago to deliver its first full year of positive EBITDA in 2026.

Following the period-end, TruFin said trading had continued in line with its operational progress. Gross revenue for July and August is expected to exceed £2.1 million, representing year-on-year growth of 28%.

Management expects Oxygen and Satago to deliver profitable or improving performance during the second half and is targeting full-year group profitability in 2027.

The board is also evaluating potential bolt-on acquisitions and investments in new business platforms. TruFin said it may return additional capital to shareholders if suitable acquisition opportunities are not identified.

The AIM-listed financial technology group now focuses on its two operating businesses, Oxygen and Satago, which provide early payment, procurement intelligence, invoice finance and working capital services to public sector organisations and small and medium-sized enterprises.