Sharesmagazine
 Home   Log In   Register   Our Services   My Account   Contact   Help 
 Stockwatch   Level 2   Portfolio   Charts   Share Price   Awards   Market Scan   Videos   Broker Notes   Director Deals   Traders' Room 
 Funds   Trades   Terminal   Alerts   Heatmaps   News   Indices   Forward Diary   Forex Prices   Shares Magazine   Investors' Room 
 CFDs   Shares   SIPPs   ISAs   Forex   ETFs   Comparison Tables   Spread Betting 
You are NOT currently logged in
 
Register now or login to post to this thread.
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2

105 year old company changed direction to Biotech....Mkt cap under 1m net cash. (OFEX)     

ThirdEye - 21 Jan 2004 21:48

I Liked MMG & Enact on Ofex, however not a fan of Ximed or Biogeny.

However there is another one.

105 year old company that probably a few haven't noticed has changed direction, Relugas as was, changed in 2000 & then no one has been interested as the bear market has taken hold.


However, the best time to take stakes is to invest when no one wants to invest, because you will get value ....since then since march last year the market has picked up strongly.

Look at MMG up 8 fold, Protherics (ex Enact) rise every month, Ximed has zoomed to 21m mkt cap.


This company is valued at a tiny 0.72m, but has 4 investments so far,(with 2 more to come i believe) net cash, & assets include investments at cost.

I quote

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It seems that diagnostics has now
become rather more attractive to early stage investors so there is some
investor competition for new businesses holding strong patents on particularly
attractive prospects.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Furthermore it may raise a significant sum of cash...I quote:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, as I stated at the time of the interim figures, your directors are
very aware that our company needs to raise a substantial fund to take advantage
of some of the more interesting biotechnology/life sciences prospects.
Unfortunately the market for raising funds has been particularly difficult
during the past eighteen months but there are now signs of a more positive
sentiment especially following the substantial amount of money raised by
Schroder Ventures for this sector a few weeks ago. We have already prepared an
Information Memorandum as a draft for a significant fund raising as soon as
conditions are appropriate.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



So it may become much more highlighted on investors radar screens on the above completion.



Furthermore it has some exciting investments which must have patents & IP & has turned down over 250 from various prominent Universities throughout the country.


One for instance which has a much shorter lead time for start up & revenue generation is Bio Analysis

A spin out from Oxford University it offers a Bio Analytical service to pharmaceuticals for the measurement of monoclonal antibodies in clinical trial studies....mono antibodies are a rapidly growing sector and the drugs whose development is extremely demanding offer some of the most effective new treatments for a wider range of disease.

Cherwell owns 9.2% of this Co & as I say it's at cost in the balance sheet.


It also has a 3% stake in a company that develops a miniaturised satellite location & tracking device with built in telemetry. Applications can monitor valuable goods, children, people with Altzimers etc.

Another stake is in a company which helps the brain learn languages easier.

For more information download the Annual report from the Ofex site.

Also commitments for another 2 investments.




It occurs to me, while all other stocks have had a re-rating in this sector Cherwell may have been ignored,

1) It was a different Co for 102 years.
2) It changed direction just three years ago when big bear started
3) Who knows of it as a pure Bio play (see Ofex for accurate description)


So for me you can keep your 21m mkt cap Ximed...not saying it won't do well, but the excitement of a 720,000 mkt cap, with blue sky potential is more my cup of tea.


To my mind the stakes although I can't say with expert opinion, are probably way more valuable than the balance sheet suggests, but of course, they may be worth very little, it appears they have close links with the University of Oxford & indeed have a small Office in the City, so they may have a close relationship, this in itself is adds value in my opinion.


Also Note running cost are very reasonable, a company with a long history & then chnage of direction is just the sort of situation that sometimes (but only sometimes) develops into a very decent winner.


IanT(MoneyAM) - 08 Jun 2004 07:09 - 31 of 34

All,

I have watched this dispute across several threads for the past few weeks, and have had cause to comment on a number of occassions, as several posters have over stepped the mark. This has been the case for all involved on both sides of the discussion.

I am issuing a final warning for all those who have been involved - If I have cause to intervene with regard to any poster again, I will remove their access to these boards for a period of 24 hours. If I then have cause to warn that person any further I will remove their access from this part of the website completely.

I hope that I have made myself clear, and I hope that you all have a good day.

Regards

Ian Taylor
Customer Support Manager
MoneyAM

ThirdEye - 08 Jun 2004 08:59 - 32 of 34

So anyone want to talk about the investments Cherwell have or has no one done any research?

goldfinger - 08 Jun 2004 10:38 - 33 of 34

Well Ive done plenty of research on that which is available and I have to say there isnt much of it, similar to the volume. I looked at the accounts again last night and have to say that they dont really inspire me, considering that this business to grow as to find someone pretty quickly to put up funds for the business expansion.

It could go to the wall.

cheers GF.

ThirdEye - 08 Jun 2004 20:49 - 34 of 34

Like to detail your research, unless you can it has no substance.
  • Page:
  • 1
  • 2
Register now or login to post to this thread.