Traders Café with Zak Mir: All Active, Arc Minerals, Bidstack, Brandshield Systems, Cambridge Cognition, Oracle Power, Open Orphan, President Energy

While the stock market may yet be slow to pick up on the urgency of the fundamental argument behind cybersecurity stocks, the financial media does seem to have got the message. Online threat hunting company Brandshield Systems (BRSD) announced that cryptocurrency-related scams, with Dogecoin domain registrations are up by more than 700%. BrandShield’s clients include eToro and a leading global crypto currency investment company and its report has been covered in Business Insider Magazine. Brandshield’s CEO Yoav Keren said that it should not surprise anyone that cybercriminals are following the money and targeting retail investors with both increasing frequency and sophistication through a wide array of fraud schemes.

One of the secrets of a company whose stock price remains a perennial outperformer is the constant delivery of significant newsflow. This is what we have just been treated to at fast growing specialist pharmaceutical services group Open Ophan (ORPH). It announced that its hVIVO subsidiary has signed a significant contract with AIM ImmunoTech Inc to test its antiviral candidate, Ampligen. This involves using both the human Rhinovirus HRV and Influenza human challenge study models as part of a single study. This antiviral study will be conducted by hVIVO. AIM IT will be the study sponsor of the Phase 2 human challenge trial, which is expected to commence in Q4 2021. Open Orphan expects the majority of revenue from the contract to be recognised in the current financial year.

Another contract winning company was Cambridge Cognition (COG). Here the group which develops and markets digital solutions to assess brain health, said that it has won a £1 million contract as the cognitive assessment partner for a late phase cancer trial. The revenue from the contract is expected to be recognised over the next six years. Cambridge said that this pharmaceutical client has a long-standing commitment to improving outcomes for cancer patients and could become a considerable growth area for Cambridge Cognition in the future.

AIM listed natural resources and power project developer Oracle Power (ORCP) said that a proposed drilling programme has been designed for the Northern Zone Gold Project, located only 25 km east of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. The first phase is to complete 7 Reverse Circulation drill holes, each up to 260 metres deep, for a total of 1,500 metres specifically targeting gold mineralisation within a series of stacked porphyry intrusions. The company also said that that The Jundee East sampling programme is well underway, and it is now aggressively ramping up exploration in Western Australia.

There was an intriguing update from Arc Minerals (ARCM). While it said that the Exclusivity Agreement with Anglo American, signed on 13 July 2020 lapses from today, discussions with Anglo American have been positive and continue. It added that against a backdrop of very strong copper fundamentals, the Company has been approached by a number of interested groups to commence discussions regarding a potential commercial transaction. Any transaction has to sufficiently compensate Arc shareholders for allowing a major to take over an asset which we believe has significant potential to become a major tier-one copper discovery.

It remains difficult to believe that technology investor All Active Asset Capital (AAA) had been a bear target in the wake of the latest update from the group. Results for the year ending December 31 2020 were dominated by last December’s agreed €125 million option with AAQUA B.V. which gave AAA the right to subscribe for up to 125,000 new AAQUA shares at €1,000 per share. Post period a proposed conditional placing to raise £150 million of new equity at 80p and the conditional acquisition of at least 75% of Sentiance N.V. were the stand out. AAA has proposed the cancellation of its shares from trading on AIM, with a view to subsequently seeking a listing on an alternative international exchange. Presumably, the attractions and valuation of the company will be even better appreciated there than on the AIM market.

Another bear target, which has come off the back of a chunky fund raise at just under 2.2p is native in-game advertising platform, Bidstack (BIDS). It has just announced an exclusive partnership with Belgrade-based Nordeus, best known for its flagship game, Top Eleven, which is now part of Nasdaq listed Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Bidstack said that the deal strengthens its reach into the football management simulation genre, reaching passionate football fans across the globe. It added that the implementation of its technology enhances the realism of the game-play with seamless premium brand experiences.

Diverse energy company President Energy (PPC) announced a further significant new development with regards to Atome, the Company's hydrogen and ammonia production subsidiary. Atome has acquired a 75% interest in a Northern European based green hydrogen and ammonia Company for nominal share value. President said that the acquisition reflects Atome's strategic desire of being a player in the European market for the supply of green hydrogen and ammonia.