Latest news with #AlliancePharma


Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
London's Junior AIM market to shrink by 20% as it's 'brutally knocked back' by takeovers or other exits
London's junior Aim market is on course to shrink by a fifth this year as it is 'brutally knocked back' by takeovers or other exits, figures show. Data compiled by fund manager Aberdeen and broker Peel Hunt show 61 companies, worth a combined £12.3billion, have announced plans to leave Aim, amounting to 20 per cent of the market by value. It is the latest blow to the City as London's undervalued listed firms fall victim to foreign predators or up sticks and leave for overseas markets. Aim's predicament highlights the difficulties facing smaller listed companies in particular. Some of those exiting are moving to London's main market. The report said that 'barely a week goes by' without an announcement of a company making such a move. A total of 89 companies left the junior exchange last year, with just 18 joining. Examples of recent departures include North Sea energy firm Serica, which is moving to the main London stock exchange, and healthcare firm Alliance Pharma, which has been sold to asset management firm DBay Advisors. Abby Glennie, co-manager of the Abrdn UK Smaller Companies Fund, said: 'AIM was once a thriving market, but it has been brutally knocked back by outflows in recent times. 'As a result, we're seeing many of the biggest and best AIM companies moving to a main market listing. 'It is a very ominous sign. Eventually we will be left with a tiny, illiquid market. That's fine for small, individual investors but will make it very hard to get large-scale institutional money into the growth companies of tomorrow. In that scenario, we need to be asking: 'How are we going to nurture the next generation of big UK companies?'' Proposals to boost Aim were included in the recent Mansion House Accord, under which pension firms have been persuaded to allocate 5 per cent of their funds towards UK assets. The agreement mainly covers private assets including real estate and infrastructure rather than publicly listed shares. But the latest version of the accord will now see shares listed on Aim or Aquis, a rival junior market, count towards the target.


The Independent
10-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Alliance Pharma agrees £362m takeover by biggest shareholder
Healthcare firm Alliance Pharma has backed a sweetened £362 million takeover offer by its largest shareholder and activist investor DBay Advisors. The deal – the sixth by DBay – will see shareholders get 64.75p a share, up from the original offer worth 62.5p a share, or £349.7 million. Alliance Pharma's board has recommended the higher offer, which also has the support of Alliance's second biggest shareholder, Slater Investments, which has a stake of around 13.5%. Investors will vote on the deal on Thursday, with the firms hoping to complete the takeover in the first half of the year. The deal represents a 46% premium to the 44p closing share price of Alliance shares on January 9, before DBay's first approach. Shares in Alliance have fallen sharply in the past few years, having been worth more than £1.20 each in April 2022. DBay Advisors, an investment firm based in the Isle of Man, already holds a 27.9% stake in the pharma company. Alliance Pharma, which sells over-the-counter drugs in more than 100 countries, is listed on London's Aim index. The firm – based in Chippenham, Wiltshire – suffered a tumultuous year in 2024, with former chief executive Peter Butterfield stepping down after controversy and several delays to its annual results. The company has increased its debt pile in recent years by making a slew of small acquisitions, and in February 2022 received a £7.9 million fine from competition regulators for alleged anti-competitive behaviour, which was later overturned. The company was forced to suspend its dividend in September 2023 and the Competition and Markets Authority tried to disqualify Mr Butterfield as a director. He was eventually replaced by Nick Sedgwick, who joined from being UK and Ireland regional director of consumer health at Reckitt Benckiser. DBay Advisors said in January that it was 'supportive' of Alliance Pharma's leadership team but it needed to 'accelerate investment'.


Reuters
10-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK's Alliance Pharma agrees to final cash offer from asset management firm DBAY
March 10 (Reuters) - Britain's Alliance Pharma (ALAPH.L), opens new tab said on Monday it has agreed to a sweetened final cash proposal from asset management firm DBAY Advisors, valuing the healthcare group at about 362 million pounds ($467.5 million). ($1 = 0.7744 pounds) Keep up with the latest medical breakthroughs and healthcare trends with the Reuters Health Rounds newsletter. Sign up here.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alliance Pharma And 2 Other UK Penny Stocks With Promising Fundamentals
The United Kingdom's stock market has been facing challenges, as evidenced by the recent declines in the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices, partly due to weak trade data from China affecting global economic sentiment. Despite these broader market pressures, investors can still find opportunities by focusing on stocks with strong fundamentals. Penny stocks, although sometimes seen as a relic of past trading days, offer potential for significant returns when they are grounded in solid financials. In this article, we explore three UK penny stocks that stand out for their robust balance sheets and potential for growth. Name Share Price Market Cap Financial Health Rating Foresight Group Holdings (LSE:FSG) £3.91 £445.66M ★★★★★★ Warpaint London (AIM:W7L) £3.58 £289.22M ★★★★★★ Next 15 Group (AIM:NFG) £3.135 £311.79M ★★★★☆☆ Begbies Traynor Group (AIM:BEG) £0.94 £149.81M ★★★★★★ Polar Capital Holdings (AIM:POLR) £4.725 £455.47M ★★★★★★ Helios Underwriting (AIM:HUW) £2.21 £157.67M ★★★★★☆ Secure Trust Bank (LSE:STB) £4.26 £81.24M ★★★★☆☆ Van Elle Holdings (AIM:VANL) £0.39 £42.2M ★★★★★★ Ultimate Products (LSE:ULTP) £0.805 £68.33M ★★★★★★ Luceco (LSE:LUCE) £1.468 £226.41M ★★★★★☆ Click here to see the full list of 445 stocks from our UK Penny Stocks screener. Below we spotlight a couple of our favorites from our exclusive screener. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Alliance Pharma plc acquires, markets, and distributes consumer healthcare products and prescription medicines across various regions including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, China, and the Americas with a market cap of £334.07 million. Operations: The company's revenue is derived from two main segments: Consumer Healthcare, which generated £136.21 million, and Prescription Medicines, contributing £46.93 million. Market Cap: £334.07M Alliance Pharma plc, with a market cap of £334.07 million, is undergoing significant changes as it faces a takeover by a consortium led by DBAY Advisors. The acquisition will result in its delisting from AIM, expected in the first half of 2025. Despite being unprofitable and experiencing increased losses over five years, Alliance's interest payments are well covered by EBIT and operating cash flow effectively covers debt. Its management team is seasoned with an average tenure of 7.4 years, although the board lacks experience with only 1.3 years on average per member. Short-term assets exceed short-term liabilities but fall short against long-term obligations. Get an in-depth perspective on Alliance Pharma's performance by reading our balance sheet health report here. Gain insights into Alliance Pharma's future direction by reviewing our growth report. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: NAHL Group Plc operates in the United Kingdom, offering products and services in consumer legal services and catastrophic injury markets, with a market cap of £35.28 million. Operations: The company's revenue is derived from two main segments: Critical Care, contributing £15.37 million, and Consumer Legal Services, generating £25.26 million. Market Cap: £35.28M NAHL Group Plc, with a £35.28 million market cap, has shown resilience in the penny stock space despite challenges. Its financial stability is supported by short-term assets exceeding both short and long-term liabilities. The company has reduced its debt-to-equity ratio over five years to 19.1%, with operating cash flow covering 46.4% of its debt, indicating sound financial management. Earnings have grown significantly at 172.9% last year, surpassing industry growth rates, although Return on Equity remains low at 4.9%. NAHL's board and management team are experienced, while ongoing M&A discussions for Bush & Co could impact future operations. Take a closer look at NAHL Group's potential here in our financial health report. Learn about NAHL Group's future growth trajectory here. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Bakkavor Group plc, along with its subsidiaries, specializes in the preparation and marketing of fresh prepared foods across the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, with a market capitalization of £887.77 million. Operations: The company's revenue is primarily derived from the United Kingdom at £1.90 billion, followed by the United States with £221.2 million, and China contributing £117 million. Market Cap: £887.77M Bakkavor Group plc, with a market cap of £887.77 million, has demonstrated strong earnings growth of 428.7% over the past year, significantly outpacing the food industry average. Despite this impressive growth, Return on Equity remains low at 10.3%. The company's net debt to equity ratio is satisfactory at 32.6%, and its debt is well covered by operating cash flow (62.7%). However, short-term assets (£316.6M) do not cover short-term liabilities (£509.4M), indicating potential liquidity concerns. Bakkavor's revenue for the year ending December 2024 was £2.29 billion, highlighting robust operational performance across key markets. Jump into the full analysis health report here for a deeper understanding of Bakkavor Group. Review our growth performance report to gain insights into Bakkavor Group's future. Unlock our comprehensive list of 445 UK Penny Stocks by clicking here. Hold shares in these firms? Setup your portfolio in Simply Wall St to seamlessly track your investments and receive personalized updates on your portfolio's performance. Enhance your investing ability with the Simply Wall St app and enjoy free access to essential market intelligence spanning every continent. Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Jump on the AI train with fast growing tech companies forging a new era of innovation. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include AIM:APH AIM:NAH and LSE:BAKK. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio