Latest news with #Questor
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
We're in the red with this firm but we'll keep the faith
Questor is The Telegraph's stock-picking column, helping you decode the markets and offering insights on where to invest. Since reaching an all-time high in December 2021, Diageo 's share price has plummeted by 51pc. Indeed, shares in the alcoholic beverages company have been on a seemingly constant decline and have shown little sign of mounting a sustained recovery. The root cause of their demise is a weaker financial performance. Earnings per share, for example, declined by 9pc in the 2024 financial year as operational challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean weighed on sales volumes. With profits forecast to drop by a further 10pc in the current financial year, many investors may be wondering if it is best to cut and run. In Questor's view, selling the stock, or any other share that has declined in value, would be a worthwhile option if its fundamentals had materially weakened. However, Diageo remains a high-quality business that is well placed to deliver rising profits over the long run.
Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
This trust has increased shareholder payouts at more than triple the rate of inflation
Questor is The Telegraph's stock-picking column, helping you decode the markets and offering insights on where to invest. Investors in the UK's small and mid-cap companies have endured a sustained period of truly abysmal performance. Having reached all-time highs in 2021, the FTSE 250 and FTSE Small-Cap indices subsequently slumped and currently trade 13pc and 9pc below their respective peaks. By contrast, the FTSE 100 index reached a new record high this year and currently trades just 2pc below it. In Questor's view, however, small and mid-cap stocks are now poised for a comeback. The UK economy's long-term outlook is becoming increasingly upbeat, with inflation due to fall to the Bank of England's 2pc target following a temporary rise in the short run. This should allow for a brisk pace of interest rate cuts that boost the economy's performance and create operating conditions that are more conducive to profit growth. Since small and mid-cap companies listed in the UK typically have significantly greater exposure to the domestic economy than their larger peers, they are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of an improving economic outlook – and trading on dirt-cheap valuations after their recent demise, we are highly optimistic about their prospects over the long run. As a result, the JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income investment trust becomes the latest addition to our income portfolio. Although it has a rather humdrum historic yield of 3.1pc, its prospective income return currently amounts to roughly 4.4pc as a result of an updated policy that aims to pay 4pc of net assets as a dividend each year. Over the past three years, the trust's shareholder payouts have risen at an annualised rate of 21pc. This compares favourably to an inflation rate that has averaged a heady 6.3pc over the same period. Clearly, a dividend policy that pays out a fixed percentage of net assets each year is likely to equate to a highly changeable income stream for investors. This is especially the case given the trust's focus on smaller companies, whose share prices are inherently volatile. With a gearing ratio of just under 11pc, too, its share price could fluctuate to a significantly greater extent than the wider stock market.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
This trust has increased shareholder payouts at more than triple the rate of inflation
Questor is The Telegraph's stock-picking column, helping you decode the markets and offering insights on where to invest. Investors in the UK's small and mid-cap companies have endured a sustained period of truly abysmal performance. Having reached all-time highs in 2021, the FTSE 250 and FTSE Small-Cap indices subsequently slumped and currently trade 13pc and 9pc below their respective peaks. By contrast, the FTSE 100 index reached a new record high this year and currently trades just 2pc below it. In Questor's view, however, small and mid-cap stocks are now poised for a comeback. The UK economy's long-term outlook is becoming increasingly upbeat, with inflation due to fall to the Bank of England's 2pc target following a temporary rise in the short run. This should allow for a brisk pace of interest rate cuts that boost the economy's performance and create operating conditions that are more conducive to profit growth. Since small and mid-cap companies listed in the UK typically have significantly greater exposure to the domestic economy than their larger peers, they are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of an improving economic outlook – and trading on dirt-cheap valuations after their recent demise, we are highly optimistic about their prospects over the long run. As a result, the JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income investment trust becomes the latest addition to our income portfolio. Although it has a rather humdrum historic yield of 3.1pc, its prospective income return currently amounts to roughly 4.4pc as a result of an updated policy that aims to pay 4pc of net assets as a dividend each year. Over the past three years, the trust's shareholder payouts have risen at an annualised rate of 21pc. This compares favourably to an inflation rate that has averaged a heady 6.3pc over the same period. Clearly, a dividend policy that pays out a fixed percentage of net assets each year is likely to equate to a highly changeable income stream for investors. This is especially the case given the trust's focus on smaller companies, whose share prices are inherently volatile. With a gearing ratio of just under 11pc, too, its share price could fluctuate to a significantly greater extent than the wider stock market. In this column's view, however, the fund's attractive long-term prospects more than offset its capacity for short-term volatility. As well as the benefit of relatively high gearing in what Questor anticipates will be a rising wider market, the company's share price offers excellent value for money. It currently trades at a 10pc discount to net asset value. This is slightly wider than its average discount of 8pc over the past year and suggests it offers capital growth potential as investor sentiment improves in response to an increasingly upbeat UK economic outlook. The company, moreover, has a strong track record of benchmark outperformance. Over the past five years, it has produced an annualised return of 9.49pc. This is 330 basis points ahead of the Numis Smaller Companies plus Aim (excluding investment companies) index, which serves as the company's benchmark. It has, though, produced a highly disappointing 8pc capital loss since we tipped it as a 'buy' in July last year. This compares with a flat performance for the FTSE Small-Cap index over the same period. In terms of exposure, all of the trust's holdings have market capitalisations below £5bn. Major positions include consumer goods company Premier Foods, airline and package holiday business Jet2 and construction firm Morgan Sindall. Given the fund's dividend policy is to simply pay a proportion of net assets to shareholders, its focus is squarely on capital growth. To fund our notional purchase, we will partly use existing cash from previous sales. The remainder will be generated from the removal of Urban Logistics Reit from the income portfolio following its recent exit from our wealth preserver portfolio. As a brief reminder, the warehouse specialist is in the process of being acquired, subject to shareholder approval. It has posted a 22pc capital gain since being added to the income portfolio in April 2020. In Questor's view, the JPMorgan UK Small Cap Growth & Income investment trust offers a highly favourable risk/reward opportunity. Certainly, its share price and dividends could prove to be relatively volatile, but as part of a diverse portfolio this is outweighed by its strong dividend growth prospects, low valuation and significant capital return potential over the coming years. Questor says: buyTicker: JUGIShare price at close: £3.23
Hamilton Spectator
21-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Questor Announces First Quarter Results
CALGARY, Alberta, May 21, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Questor Technology Inc. ('Questor' or the 'Company') (TSX-V: QST) announced today its financial and operating results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025. Questor's unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, are available on the Company's website at and at . Unless otherwise noted, all financial figures are presented in Canadian dollars, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards and are unaudited for the three months ended March 31, 2025, and March 31, 2024. FIRST QUARTER 2025 FINANCIAL RESULTS Total revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2025 has increased by $1.6 million compared to the same period in 2024. The overall increase in revenue was primarily driven by growth in international equipment sales, reflecting our strategic focus on diversifying revenue streams globally. Our efforts have been concentrated on regions that promote sustainable energy development and align with environmental and social responsibility. As at the date of this press release, the Company has secured $1.7 million of committed equipment sales revenue, expected to be fulfilled in the Q2 of 2025. Gross profit as a percentage of revenue for the three months ended March 31, 2025 is 50 percent compared to 29 percent in the same period of 2024. The increase in gross profit margin was primarily driven by higher revenue and the Company's continued efforts to manage fixed costs. Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was positive $0.5 million compared to negative $0.5 million for the same period in 2024. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA was mainly driven by higher revenue compared to the same period in 2024. FIRST QUARTER 2025 HIGHLIGHTS The construction of the 1500kW waste heat to power prototype is nearing completion, with final testing currently underway. Commissioning is scheduled to begin in Q2 2025. Meanwhile, Questor is advancing negotiations and preparations for the prototype's field demonstration, with the field deployment expected in the second half of 2025. On February 9, 2024, Questor commenced Normal Course Issuer Bid ('NCIB') allowing Questor to purchase a maximum of 1,400,000 common shares over the 12-month period for cancellation. The Company's NCIB expired and was formally concluded on February 7, 2025. As a result of the NCIB, which was active from February 9, 2024 to February 7, 2025, the Company repurchased and cancelled a total of 731,500 shares at a weighted average price of $0.47 per share. In the first quarter of 2025, Questor announced a $0.9 million purchase order to supply clean combustion solutions for managing railcar vapours at Caltrax Inc.'s Calgary facility. During the same period, the company also secured a $2.4 million contract in Iraq, marking the second unit supplied in the MENA region for a leading global exploration and production company focused on reducing flaring and methane emissions. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE The global regulatory landscape for emissions is rapidly evolving, with increasing pressure from regulators, courts, investors, and the public to reduce flaring and venting in industrial operations. As a result, Questor is seeing significant global interest in our technology solutions to help address these critical challenges. Flaring and venting not only waste valuable resources but also contribute significantly to air pollution. This practice releases methane, hydrocarbons, fine particulates (PM2.5), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde into the atmosphere. These harmful pollutants have been directly linked to higher cancer rates, respiratory diseases, and other chronic health conditions. Methane, in particular, is a climate 'super pollutant' with 86 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over 20 years. It is responsible for 30% of observed global warming to date, making it a key target for climate change mitigation. At Questor, we offer proven solutions to combat these challenges. Our ISO 14034-certified thermal oxidizer achieves a 99.99% combustion efficiency, ensuring that our clients can demonstrate compliance with emissions standards and eliminate the release of harmful pollutants. This clean combustion technology significantly reduces health risks in surrounding communities, including respiratory illnesses and cancers. Additionally, our Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) repurposes heat from methane combustion, creating a revenue stream that offsets the costs of achieving net-zero carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Many major oil and gas producers have pledged to reduce flaring, venting, and methane emissions while working toward net-zero goals. Questor's innovative combination of clean combustion and waste heat-to-power technology enables our clients to meet these commitments at a net-zero cost, while having a positive impact on the community. Questor's multi-year strategy to intentionally diversify revenue streams globally has focused on those jurisdictions that have created favorable conditions that have considered the environmental and social impacts of energy production and want to grow their future production in a sustainable manner. As an example, the Iraq contract awarded early 2025 in partnership with OilSERV was for TotalEnergies EP Ratawi Hub, as a part of the multi-energy Gas Growth Integrated Project (GGIP) operated by TotalEnergies. The GGIP is designed to enhance the development of Iraq's natural resources to improve the country's electricity supply. This 4-in-1 project comprises the recovery of gas that is currently flared at three oil fields in southern Iraq to supply electric power plants, the redevelopment of the Ratawi oil field, the construction of a 1 GWac (1.25GWp) solar farm and of a seawater treatment plant. The Questor Q5000 unit will initially treat 2.1 MMSCFD of associated gas during the pilot phase. Subsequently, the unit will treat an additional 1.2 to 2 MMSCFD of low-pressure gas, maximizing the Q5000's potential and reducing site GHG emissions. This is the second unit that TotalEnergies has purchased in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. TotalEnergies exemplifies the ideal partner for Questor's solutions, utilizing our thermal oxidizer to reduce methane and VOC emissions, and the future potential of utilizing waste-heat in the GGIP and converting it to power with our 1.5 MW Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) generator. To accelerate global adoption, we have partnered with key industry leaders. In Iraq, we collaborate with OilSERV, a top-tier integrated oilfield services provider in the Middle East. In Nigeria, we are represented by Ar-Rahman Technical Services Nig. Limited. In Latin America, our partnership with Hoerbiger, an established multinational company with over 120 locations in 50 countries, further expands our reach. In Mexico, we work with JHJ and GSM Carso, leading service providers supplying units to Pemex. Over the past three years, we have built strong relationships with these partners, educating them on our technology and supporting them in client engagements. With a 25-year track record of eliminating flaring and venting, we are confident that Questor can set the standard for best practices in these regions. As global incentives for methane and VOC reduction continue to grow, Questor is uniquely positioned to help clients improve environmental performance while strengthening their community relations. We anticipate that both new and existing clients will view Questor as the ideal partner to accelerate the attainment of their environmental pledges—reducing emissions while simultaneously cutting costs and generating revenue. Finally, we acknowledge the evolving political and economic landscape and its potential impact on our operations. We have assessed the risks associated with tariffs and remain confident in our ability to adapt. With strategically positioned inventory in Canada and the United States and established supply chains across North America, Questor is well-prepared to navigate uncertainties. Our global partnerships further diversify our revenue streams, ensuring continued resilience and growth. As we move forward, Questor remains committed to driving innovation, sustainability, and global leadership in emissions reduction. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, the words 'may', 'would', 'could', 'will', 'intend', 'plan', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'seek', 'propose', 'estimate', 'expect', and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking statements with respect to, among other things, business objectives, expected growth, results of operations, performance, business projects and opportunities and financial results. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events based on certain material factors and assumptions and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, changes in market, competition, tariffs, governmental or regulatory developments, general economic conditions and other factors set out in the Company's public disclosure documents. Many factors could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to vary from those described in this news release, including without limitation those listed above. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in this news release and such forward-looking statements included in, or incorporated by reference in this news release, should not be unduly relied upon. Such statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. ABOUT QUESTOR TECHNOLOGY INC. Questor Technology Inc., incorporated in Canada under the Business Companies Act (Alberta) is an environmental emissions reduction technology company founded in 1994, with global operations. The Company is focused on clean air technologies that safely and cost effectively improve air quality, support energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emission reductions. The Company designs, manufactures and services high efficiency clean combustion systems that destroy harmful pollutants, including methane, hydrogen sulfide gas, volatile organic hydrocarbons, hazardous air pollutants and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene) gases within waste gas streams at greater than 99.99 percent efficiency per its ISO 14034 Certification. This enables its clients to meet emission regulations, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address community concerns and improve safety at industrial sites. The Company also has proprietary heat to power generation technology and is currently targeting new markets including landfill biogas, syngas, waste engine exhaust, geothermal and solar, cement plant waste heat in addition to a wide variety of oil and gas projects. The combination of Questor's clean combustion and power generation technologies can help clients achieve net zero emission targets for minimal cost. The Company is also doing research and development on data solutions to deliver an integrated system that amalgamates all the emission detection data available to demonstrate a clear picture of the site's emission profile. The Company's common shares are traded on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol 'QST'. The address of the Company's corporate and registered office is 1920, 707 – 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2P 1H5. QUESTOR TRADES ON THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE UNDER THE SYMBOL 'QST' Investor Relations Contact Aly Sumar - Chief Financial Officer investor@ Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This document is not intended for dissemination or distribution in the United States.
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
This is one of our most volatile stock tips, and it's still worth buying
Questor is The Telegraph's stock-picking column, helping you decode the markets and offering insights on where to invest. Life for FTSE 100 retailer Next and its investors has not been plain sailing in recent years. While its share price has risen by 120pc since we tipped it as a 'buy' during November 2020 – outperforming the FTSE 100 index by 84 percentage points – the company's stock has come under severe pressure at times. Notably, it slumped during 2022 amid rampant inflation and rapid interest-rate rises that pointed to a weak outlook for UK consumers. This meant that, for a very brief period, our tip was showing a 24pc paper loss. Since then, though, it has delivered on its potential. Indeed, in Questor's view, the stock's performance over recent years highlights both the capacity of equities to deliver exceptional gains and the inherent volatility that investors must be able to shoulder along the way. Unfortunately, having the former without the latter is simply not possible. In the short run, it would be wholly unsurprising if Next's share price experiences a further bout of elevated volatility. After all, the UK economy faces an uncertain near-term outlook. Inflation is currently 60 basis points above the Bank of England's 2pc target and is expected to rise to as much as 3.5pc in the coming months. Although this may be insufficient to prompt a full-blown cost-of-living crisis, it could nevertheless dampen consumer sentiment to at least some extent. Sticky inflation is also likely to leave the central bank somewhat hamstrung when it comes to the prospect of further interest-rate cuts. Although looser monetary policy almost certainly lies ahead, delays to rate cuts, alongside their inherent time lags, mean that Next's operating environment may come under a degree of pressure. Additionally, the full impact of the recent increase to employer National Insurance contributions is yet to become clear. Alongside an uncertain global economic outlook, investor sentiment towards cyclical firms could moderate over the coming months. The company's recent performance has of course been extremely encouraging. Its latest trading update, released earlier this month, showed its full price sales in the first quarter of the financial year were ahead of previous guidance. They rose by 11.4pc versus the same period a year earlier, which was up on the firm's previous forecast of 6.5pc. According to the company, this was largely because of good weather pulling sales forward from the spring and summer months. As a result, it has not changed its sales guidance for the second quarter of its financial year, or for the full year, with total annual sales of £6.6bn still expected. Next, however, updated its full-year profit guidance following a better-than-expected quarterly performance. It now forecasts that earnings per share will rise by 9.7pc, which is up from a previous estimate of 8.5pc. Given that it trades on a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.2, it appears to offer fair value for money when its growth potential and solid fundamentals are taken into account. For example, net interest costs were covered over 12 times by operating profits in its latest financial year. This suggests it is well placed to overcome potential future economic or industry-related challenges. Last year's return on equity figure of 44pc, meanwhile, highlights the company's strong competitive position and indicates it is well placed to capitalise on an upbeat long-term outlook for UK consumers. Indeed, inflation is expected to experience only a temporary spike. It is likely to fall to the Bank of England's 2pc target thereafter and ultimately provide scope for a brisk pace of monetary policy easing that should boost wage growth. In turn, this is likely to prompt a further increase in spending power among UK consumers, especially amid a period of modest inflation, thereby supporting sales growth and profit margins across the retail sector. As a result, the long-term outlook for Next's financial performance, as well as its share price, remains upbeat. The company's competitive advantage and solid financial position suggest it is in a good position to overcome potential short-term challenges and subsequently deliver further capital growth and index outperformance. Long-term investors who can cope with the prospect of additional periods of elevated volatility should, therefore, continue to view the stock as a highly worthwhile purchase.
