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Nanoco Group (LSE:NANO) has taken steps to resolve its patent dispute with Shoei Chemical and Shoei Electronic Materials by jointly filing a motion to suspend ongoing litigation after reaching agreement on a binding term sheet. Under the proposed arrangement, neither party will make compensation payments and each will cover its own legal expenses. The agreement also includes mutual covenants not to pursue legal action over the use of their respective quantum dot patents within certain defined display and sensing applications.

The preliminary agreement helps reduce legal uncertainty for Nanoco and its commercial partners by clearly separating the patent rights held by the two companies in key technology areas. By moving toward a definitive settlement based on the agreed framework, both sides are signalling an intention to end the dispute and avoid further litigation.

For Nanoco, the development could allow management to shift focus away from legal proceedings and toward commercial execution and partnership opportunities in the quantum dot market. The move may also provide reassurance to investors and customers who rely on stable access to intellectual property in advanced display and sensing technologies.

Despite this progress, the company’s outlook remains constrained by weak financial performance, including ongoing losses, limited operating cash flow and negative equity. Technical indicators also remain bearish, with the share price trading below key moving averages and showing a negative MACD signal. However, some mitigating factors include reduced cash burn, a solid cash position and progress in joint development agreements, although valuation remains challenged due to negative earnings.

More about Nanoco Group plc

Nanoco Group plc is a UK-listed nanotechnology company specialising in the development and manufacture of cadmium-free quantum dots and other advanced nanomaterials.

The company’s technology is designed for use in display and sensing applications, enabling improved colour performance in screens and enhanced detection capabilities in electronic and industrial devices. Nanoco supplies materials to global technology companies and focuses on advancing high-performance, environmentally safer alternatives to traditional quantum dot technologies.

Capital Limited (LSE:CAPD) reported stable revenue of $345.8 million for 2025 but delivered a significant increase in profitability, supported by stronger investment gains and improved operating margins. Net profit after tax rose sharply to $71 million compared with $17 million in the previous year. Adjusted EBITDA increased slightly, while operational earnings remained broadly steady. Lower capital expenditure and reduced net debt also strengthened the company’s balance sheet, allowing it to maintain its full-year dividend.

Operationally, the group expanded its drilling fleet and improved rig utilisation rates during the year. It also progressed key mining contracts at the Sukari and Reko Diq projects. MSALABS, the company’s laboratory testing division, achieved record performance while expanding its global network of laboratories and enhancing its technology offering. At the same time, Capital Limited’s investment portfolio more than tripled in value to $97.5 million.

Looking ahead, the company expects revenue to grow by around 23% in 2026. Planned capital expenditure will increase to support the ramp-up of mining services, the addition of new laboratory facilities and the deployment of additional drilling rigs. These initiatives reflect the company’s strategy to expand across its core service segments.

Capital Limited’s outlook is supported by strong cash flow generation and positive technical indicators in the share price. A recent equity raise has also strengthened its ability to fund growth initiatives. However, concerns remain around slowing revenue growth trends and pressure on operational margins, while valuation metrics are viewed as moderate.

More about Capital Limited

Capital Limited is a London-listed mining services company that provides drilling, mining and laboratory testing services to gold and other resource projects around the world.

The group’s main operations include contract drilling, mine development and waste stripping services, alongside the MSALABS global laboratory testing network. In addition, Capital Limited maintains a growing investment portfolio focused on selected mining and exploration companies, complementing its core services across the mining sector.

Duke Capital (LSE:DUKE) has declared a fourth-quarter interim dividend of 0.70 pence per share for its financial year, continuing its strategy of providing consistent income to shareholders. The dividend is scheduled to be paid in mid-April, with the ex-dividend and record dates set for late March. The payment highlights the company’s commitment to regular shareholder returns and strengthens its appeal to income-focused investors within the hybrid capital investment sector.

The company’s outlook reflects a stable financial base supported by favourable technical indicators in its share price. Duke Capital’s ongoing acquisition activity and relatively high dividend yield also contribute to its attractiveness as an income investment. However, some risks remain, including a high price-to-earnings valuation and recent declines in revenue, which may weigh on longer-term growth prospects.

More about Duke Capital

Duke Capital Limited is an AIM-listed provider of hybrid capital solutions for small and medium-sized businesses across Europe and North America. Headquartered in Guernsey and trading under the ticker DUKE, the company offers long-term financing structures that combine elements of equity and debt.

Its model is designed to reduce refinancing risk for partner businesses while providing investors with capital preservation, regular dividend income and the potential for additional returns through exit-related value creation.

Marc Sale, CEO of First Class Metals Plc (LSE:FCM), has highlighted significant progress at the company’s Sunbeam Project following the latest round of drilling at the Roy prospect. Speaking with Ricki Lee on The Watchlist, Sale outlined how recent findings, particularly the presence of visible gold, are reinforcing confidence in the scale and potential of the system.

Visible Gold Signals Strong Upside

One of the most encouraging developments from the ongoing drilling campaign is the identification of visible gold across multiple intercepts. Importantly, this is not limited to isolated occurrences.

Sale emphasized that two drill holes revealed numerous grains of visible gold, confirming mineralization in two separate sections. This consistency provides a strong indication that the Roy prospect hosts a genuine gold-bearing system rather than sporadic mineralization.

Crucially, the second drill hole was oriented differently to test the geological structure controlling the mineralization. This strategic adjustment has improved the team’s understanding of how gold is distributed across the system, an essential step in targeting higher-grade zones.

“Structure, structure, structure,” Sale noted, underlining its importance in unlocking the deposit’s full potential.

Expanding the Strike: Over 300 Metres and Growing

The company has already confirmed mineralization over a strike length exceeding 300 metres, but evidence suggests the system could be significantly larger.

The Roy development is located at the southern end of a five-kilometre soil and VLF (Very Low Frequency) grid, within a broader geophysical and geochemical anomalous trend. Sampling across this grid has identified multiple anomalous zones. Importantly, a lake sediment anomaly measuring 111 ppb is situated approximately 1.5 kilometres northeast of the grid’s end, highlighting strong mineral potential along the trend.

Adding further intrigue, exploration teams also discovered two previously unknown historic shafts during fieldwork, reinforcing the area’s untapped potential.

Together, these indicators suggest the Roy structure could extend well beyond the currently defined zone, with strong continuity along strike.

A District-Scale Opportunity

The Roy prospect is just one component of the broader Sunbeam Project, which hosts three  mineralized structures: Roy, Pettigrew, and Sunbeam. Each extends over 10 kilometres and shows evidence of historic workings.

First Class Metals Plc is currently focusing on Roy due to its stronger geological understanding, but the strategy is clear:

• Expand Roy through continued drilling and structural analysis
• Apply learnings to Pettigrew, advancing exploration with improved targeting
• Advance Sunbeam, the site of a historic gold mine that reached depths exceeding 150 metres

This phased approach allows the company to systematically unlock value across the entire property.

Strategic Location Adds Confidence

The project’s location further enhances its appeal. The Sunbeam Project lies just 10 kilometres from a major gold deposit operated by Agnico Eagle, one of Canada’s leading gold producers. That neighbouring deposit hosts approximately 3.3 million ounces of gold and shares similar geological characteristics.

This proximity to a proven, large-scale operation strengthens the case that Sunbeam could evolve into a significant gold asset in its own right.

Looking Ahead

With consistent drilling results, expanding strike length, and increasing geological understanding, momentum is clearly building for First Class Metals Plc. The next key milestones will include:

• Further drilling to extend mineralization at Roy
• Refining structural models to improve targeting
• Advancing exploration across Pettigrew and Sunbeam
• Progressing toward an initial resource definition

As Sale suggested, the Sunbeam Project has the potential to become a “company-maker” a transformative asset that could define the future of First Class Metals Plc.

For investors and observers alike, the coming phases of exploration will be critical in determining just how large and economically viable this emerging gold system may be.

Strategic Minerals (LSE:SML) has secured approximately £4.7 million through a direct subscription involving 134.3 million new ordinary shares priced at 3.5 pence each. The placing was led by a prominent international investor and was completed at a 16.7% discount to the company’s most recent closing share price. The funds will be used primarily to speed up development of the Redmoor tungsten-tin-copper project in Cornwall, which the company aims to establish as a significant domestic source of strategic minerals for the UK. While the issuance will result in modest dilution for existing shareholders, it also broadens the company’s investor base.

The new shares have been submitted for admission to trading on the AIM market, with dealings expected to begin around 25 March 2026. Once admitted, the shares will rank equally with existing ordinary shares. Following completion of the subscription, Strategic Minerals will have approximately 2.82 billion ordinary shares in issue with voting rights, a figure shareholders can use when determining disclosure thresholds as the company increases investment in its critical minerals portfolio.

The company’s outlook is supported by stronger financial performance recorded in 2024 and by positive technical momentum in its share price. However, valuation metrics appear demanding, with a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio and no dividend yield information available. In addition, technical indicators suggest the shares may be in overbought territory, which could introduce short-term volatility.

More about Strategic Minerals

Strategic Minerals Plc is an AIM-listed exploration and production company with projects spanning the UK, United States and Australia.

Its key assets include the Redmoor tungsten-tin-copper project in Cornwall, the producing Cobre magnetite project in New Mexico, and interests in the Leigh Creek Copper Mine in South Australia. Through this portfolio, the company is positioned within both critical and industrial minerals markets, supporting growing demand for strategic raw materials.

Smiths News PLC (LSE:SNWS), the UK’s largest news wholesaler and a specialist in early-morning supply chain logistics, continues to leverage its nationwide delivery network to support major publishers and more than 22,000 retail customers. The company operates one of the world’s fastest physical distribution systems and is expanding its capabilities into related services such as reverse logistics, waste recycling collections, and the distribution of books and home entertainment products.

The group has now signed a new long-term UK-wide distribution agreement with Guardian News and Media, extending its partnership through to 2031 across all existing territories. Following this renewal, Smiths News has secured long-term contracts covering more than 96% of its newspaper and magazine revenues through to 2029. The agreement effectively completes the company’s 2024–2026 cycle of major publisher contract renewals and further strengthens visibility over its future revenue base while reinforcing its central role in the UK print media distribution network.

Smiths News’ outlook is supported by attractive valuation metrics and positive technical indicators. A relatively low price-to-earnings ratio combined with a strong dividend yield enhances the investment appeal, while chart signals suggest a bullish trend in the shares. Financial performance remains stable, supported by solid cash generation and operational efficiency, although concerns persist around elevated debt levels and negative equity.

More about Smiths News PLC

Smiths News PLC is the UK’s largest news wholesaler and a leading provider of early-morning, end-to-end distribution services for newspapers and magazines.

The company has more than 200 years of experience in newspaper delivery and today serves over 22,000 retail customers across England and Wales. In addition to its core publishing logistics operations, Smiths News is expanding into adjacent services including warehousing, reverse logistics and dense last-mile delivery for categories such as books, home entertainment products and waste recycling collection.

Investec (LSE:INVP) expects to deliver a resilient performance for the year ending 31 March 2026, forecasting modest increases in adjusted, headline and basic earnings per share. The group also anticipates pre-provision adjusted operating profit to rise by around 3% to 5%. Returns are expected to remain within medium-term targets, with both return on equity and return on tangible equity supported by strong balance sheet metrics and the completion of a R2.5 billion share buyback.

In Southern Africa, the bank is projected to achieve profit growth of at least 4% in local currency terms. This performance is being driven by robust loan and deposit expansion, lower credit losses and an expected return on equity of about 18%. Meanwhile, the UK division—including wealth manager Rathbones—is expected to deliver broadly stable results, with higher credit losses offset by returns that remain within the division’s target range.

Across the group, revenue growth has been supported by higher lending volumes, strong fee income and trading activity, along with solid wealth inflows. Southern Africa in particular has seen strong momentum in wealth management, helping reinforce Investec’s capital position and supporting its strategy of investing in technology, expanding private client services and delivering incremental value for shareholders.

Within the Specialist Banking division, core loans increased at a double-digit annualised rate in reported currency to £36.3 billion, while customer deposits rose to £45.5 billion, reflecting sustained demand from both private and corporate clients across its key markets. Assets under management in the Southern African wealth business climbed nearly 27%, driven by strong discretionary inflows and the addition of a Swiss acquisition. At the same time, Investec’s associate Rathbones also reported growth in managed assets, strengthening the group’s overall presence in wealth and investment management.

The company’s outlook is somewhat constrained by weak cash generation, with negative operating and free cash flow despite solid profitability and improved leverage metrics. On the positive side, valuation remains attractive, supported by a relatively low price-to-earnings ratio and a strong dividend yield. Technical indicators suggest an established upward trend in the share price, while earnings guidance and shareholder returns provide additional support, although broader macroeconomic uncertainty continues to weigh on the outlook.

More about Investec

Investec Group is an international banking and wealth management group focused primarily on Southern Africa and the United Kingdom, with additional operations in Europe, the Channel Islands, Dubai, India, Mauritius, Switzerland and the United States.

The group provides a range of services including private banking, wealth management and corporate and investment banking for private, corporate and institutional clients. With around 8,000 employees worldwide, Investec emphasises tailored financial solutions and a client-focused approach, supported by diversified revenue streams across lending, deposits, advisory and investment services. Its strategy centres on expanding market share in its core regions, strengthening client relationships and advancing digital and transactional banking capabilities to support long-term, capital-efficient growth.

Synthomer (LSE:SYNT) has reiterated its 2025 outlook, projecting continuing revenue of around £1.74 billion and EBITDA in the range of £135 million to £138 million. The company also expects improved margins and positive free cash flow, supported by expanded cost-saving initiatives. Covenant net debt to EBITDA stood at approximately 4.7–4.8 times, remaining comfortably within agreed limits. Trading in early 2026 has been broadly in line with expectations, with volumes gradually strengthening despite softer demand in some markets and higher raw material and energy costs linked to the conflict in Iran.

Management said the company has been able to pass on increased input costs through pricing adjustments. It also noted that operations across its global supply chain and its Middle East joint venture continue to run normally. Looking ahead, the group expects further progress during 2026 largely through operational improvements and internal efficiency measures.

Synthomer is currently engaged in discussions with lenders to amend covenants and extend the maturity of key revolving credit and UK Export Finance facilities that are due in the second half of 2027. The company intends to reduce leverage primarily through an expanded divestment programme rather than issuing new equity. Major shareholder KLK has reaffirmed its support during the process. The publication of Synthomer’s 2025 results has been delayed until late April 2026 while refinancing negotiations continue.

The company’s outlook remains challenged by weak profitability and relatively high leverage. Technical indicators present mixed signals, with short-term momentum appearing positive but longer-term trends still negative. Valuation metrics are also limited due to a negative price-to-earnings ratio. However, positive corporate developments, including insider share purchases and strategic management actions, provide some potential for improvement in the future.

More about Synthomer

Synthomer is a London-based specialty chemicals company and a major global supplier of high-performance polymers and related materials used in coatings, construction, adhesives, and health and protection applications. The company has been listed in the UK since 1971 and operates five innovation centres and 29 manufacturing facilities across Europe, North America, the Middle East and Asia, serving more than 6,000 customers worldwide.

Its portfolio spans three main segments: Coatings & Construction Solutions, Adhesive Solutions, and Health & Protection and Performance Materials. Synthomer holds a leading position in water-based polymers used in medical gloves and is also a major European producer of binders, foams and related materials. Around 20% of its sales volumes come from new or patented products. The company’s decarbonisation targets for 2030 have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, supporting its positioning as a sustainability-focused technology provider recognised by the London Stock Exchange’s Green Economy Mark.

Mila Resources (LSE:MILA) is progressing exploration work at its Yarrol Gold Project in Queensland, where ongoing drilling is helping to define the extent of the gold-bearing system. Diamond drilling has confirmed mineralisation extending to around 300 metres in depth, while reverse circulation drilling has reached the halfway point of a planned 1,600-metre programme. The campaign is intended to expand the known mineralised footprint, improve geological interpretation and support future resource estimates, with the company continuing operations despite weather-related disruptions.

Beyond Yarrol, Mila is advancing exploration at the Monal Project, where historical drilling results and recent fieldwork suggest the potential presence of Cannindah-style copper-gold porphyry systems. The company plans to refine these targets through upcoming geophysical surveys. Work is also continuing at the Mt Steadman prospect, which management views as part of a broader mineralised corridor that may link with Yarrol.

Together, these projects form part of Mila’s strategy to build scale across its Queensland portfolio by developing multiple targets within a regional mineralised belt. By expanding exploration across several prospects, the company aims to strengthen its growth prospects and increase the potential for district-scale discoveries.

Despite its operational progress, Mila’s financial outlook remains constrained by the early-stage nature of its business. The company currently generates no revenue and continues to report losses and negative free cash flow. Technical indicators are also weak, with the share price trading below key moving averages and showing a negative MACD signal. However, the company maintains a relatively low-debt balance sheet and a stable equity base, providing some financial resilience even though valuation metrics remain limited due to negative earnings and the absence of dividend income.

More about Mila Resources

Mila Resources Plc is a London-listed exploration company focused on post-discovery gold exploration in Queensland, Australia.

Its main asset is the Yarrol Gold Project, complemented by additional exploration targets including the Monal copper-gold project and the Mt Steadman prospect. Through these assets, the company aims to develop a district-scale exploration portfolio centred on gold and copper-gold mineralisation.