Energy Fuels (UUUU)(EFR:CA) – Slow but Steady Progress

Monday, May 4, 2020

Energy Fuels (UUUU)(EFR:CA)

Slow but Steady Progress

As of April 24, 2020, Noble Capital Markets research on Energy Fuels is published under ticker symbols (UUUU and EFR:CA). The price target is in USD and based on ticker symbol UUUU. Research reports dated prior to April 24, 2020 may not follow these guidelines and could account for a variance in the price target.
Energy Fuels is the largest uranium producer in the U.S. and holds more production capacity and uranium resources than any other U.S. producer. The Company also produces vanadium. Headquartered in Colorado, Energy Fuels holds three of America’s key uranium production centers: the White Mesa Mill in Utah, the Nichols Ranch ISR Facility in Wyoming, and the Alta Mesa ISR Facility in Texas. The producing White Mesa Mill is the only conventional uranium mill in the U.S. and has a licensed capacity of 8 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Nichols Ranch is in production and has a licensed capacity of 2 million pounds of U3O8 per year. Alta Mesa is currently on standby. Energy Fuels also owns several licensed and developed uranium and vanadium mines on standby and other projects in development

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    No big surprises. Energy Fuels reported a first quarter loss of $5.7 million, or ($0.05) per share, compared to a loss of $12.1 million, or ($0.13) per share during the prior year period. We had forecast a loss of $6.2 million, or ($0.06) per share. While revenue was below our estimate, the variance was largely due to higher-than-expected other income in the amount of $2.5 million.

    Reasons for optimism. President Trump’s 2021 budget proposal includes $150 million to fund a strategic uranium reserve to provide assurance of uranium supplies and to support U.S. nuclear fuel cycle capabilities through the domestic production and conversion of uranium. Assuming no changes by the time an appropriations bill is signed into law by September 30, purchases could begin in fiscal year 2021 which begins October 1. Additionally, the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Working Group (NFWG) released recommendations supportive of uranium producers and…


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This research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Ely Gold Royalties Announces CAN$10,000,000 Brokered Private Placement

(Note: companies that
could be impacted by the content of this article are listed at the base of the
story [desktop version]. This article uses third-party references to provide a
bullish, bearish, and balanced point of view; sources are listed after the
Balanced section.)

 

Ely Gold Royalties Announces CAN$10,000,000 Brokered Private Placement

This press release, as required by applicable Canadian laws, is not for distribution to U.S. newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

 

Vancouver, British Columbia, May 4, 2020 – Ely Gold
Royalties Inc
. (“Ely Gold”) or the (“Company”) (TSX-V: ELY, OTCQB:
ELYGF)
announced today that it has agreed to undertake a brokered private placement of up to 12,500,000 units (each a “Unit”) at a price of C$0.80 per Unit for gross proceeds of C$10,000,000 (the “Offering”) with a syndicate of agents (the “Syndicate”) co-lead by Clarus Securities Inc. and Mackie Research Capital Corporation as joint bookrunners (the “Co-Lead Agents”) and including PowerOne Capital Markets Limited.

Each Unit will comprise one Ely Gold common share (a “Common Share”), and one half of one non- transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each whole, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one additional Common Share for a period of three (3) years at an exercise price of C$1.00. The Warrants will be subject to acceleration of the expiry date to 30 calendar days upon notice by the Company in the event that the volume weighted average price of the Common Shares is greater than or equal to C$1.60 for a period of five (5) consecutive trading days on the TSX Venture Exchange or other Canadian stock exchange on which the Common Shares are principally traded.

The Offering will be conducted on a best efforts agency basis under the terms of an agency agreement to be entered into between the Company and the Syndicate. On closing of the Offering, subject to the related party qualification noted below, the Company has agreed to pay the Syndicate a cash fee equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, and a number of broker warrants equal to 6.0% of the number of Units sold (a “Broker Warrant”). Each Broker Warrant will be exercisable to purchase one Common Share for a period of three (3) years at an exercise price of C$0.80 and will not be subject to the same acceleration terms.

Eric Sprott, an insider of the Company is expected to participate in the Offering, such participation constituting a related party transaction pursuant to TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority
Security Holders in Special Transactions
(“MI 61-101”). The Company intends to rely on section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement, and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement, under MI 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction does not exceed 25% of the Company’s market capitalization. With respect to Mr. Sprott’s subscription amount, the commission will be limited to a cash fee of 2.0%.

______________________________________________________________________________________
Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

2833-595 Burrard St.,
Box 49195, Vancouver BC, Canada V7X 1K8

604-488-1104 Fax: 604-488-1105 www.elygoldinc.com

The Company intends to use the net proceeds raised from the Offering principally for future royalty acquisitions and related project generative activities, and secondarily for general working capital purposes.

The Offering will be conducted in all provinces of Canada, and in such other jurisdictions as are agreed to by the Company and the Syndicate. Pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws, all securities issued and issuable in the Offering will be subject to a four (4) month hold period from the closing date. The Offering, including the payment of any broker fees, is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Closing of the Offering is expected on or about May 21, 2020.

About Ely Gold Royalties Inc. Ely Gold Royalties Inc. is a Nevada focused gold royalty company. Its current portfolio includes royalties at some of Nevada’s largest gold mines, including Jerritt Canyon, Goldstrike and Marigold as well as the Fenelon property in Quebec, operated by Wallbridge Mining. Ely Gold’s royalty portfolio includes several advanced projects that are scheduled for production by 2023. The Company continues to actively seek opportunities to purchase producing or near-term producing royalties. Ely Gold is also generating development royalties through property sales on projects that are located at or near producing mines. Management believes that due to the Company’s ability to locate and purchase third-party royalties, its successful strategy of organically creating royalties and its gold focus, Ely Gold offers shareholders a low- risk leverage to gold prices and low-cost access to long-term gold royalties.

 

On Behalf of
the Board of Directors

Signed “Trey Wasser”

Trey Wasser, President & CEO

 

For further information, please contact:

Trey Wasser, President & CEO                                           Joanne Jobin, Investor Relations Officer

trey@elygoldinc.com                                                         jjobin@elygoldinc.com

972-803-3087                                                                    647 964 0292

 

Forward-Looking Caution: This press release contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the timing and size of the Offering, the anticipated use of proceeds, the required TSX Venture Exchange acceptance of the Offering, the future exercise of options on the Company’s properties, the ability of the Company to generate and acquire new royalty interests, the Company’s prospects for future revenue generation, management’s assessment of the risks associated with the Company’s business and stated plans for further near-term exploration and development of the Company’s properties. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “intends,” “estimates,” “projects,” “aims,” “potential,” “goal,” “objective,” “prospective,” and similar expressions, or that events or conditions “will,” “would,” “may,” “can,” “could” or “should” occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the risk of accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration, development and extraction operations, the risk that its partners will encounter unanticipated geological factors, or the possibility that they may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances, necessary to carry out their stated plans for the Company’s properties, the Company’s inability to secure the required Exchange acceptance required for the Offering, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal disputes or changes in the jurisdictions where the Company carries on its business that might interfere with the Company’s business and prospects. The reader is urged to refer to the Company’s reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators’ System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effect.


This press release, required by Canadian securities laws applicable to
the Company and the Offering, is not for distribution to U.S. news services or
for dissemination in the United States, and does not constitute an offer to
sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United
States of America. The securities described in this press release have not been
and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (as
amended) (the “1933 Act”) or any state securities laws, and may not
be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons (as defined in the 1933 Act) unless
registered under the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws, or an
exemption from such registration is available.

Neither the 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.

______________________________________________________________________________________
Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

2833-595 Burrard St.,
Box 49195, Vancouver BC, Canada V7X 1K8

604-488-1104 Fax: 604-488-1105 www.elygoldinc.com

Wins Position on $6.4 Billion AFCAP V contract

Friday, May 1, 2020

Vectrus (VEC)

Wins Position on $6.4 Billion AFCAP V contract

Vectrus Inc is a U.S.-based company that provides services to the U.S. government. It operates as one segment and offer facility and logistics services and information technology and network communications services. The information technology and network communications capabilities consist of communications systems operations and maintenance, management and service support, systems installation and activation, system-of-systems engineering and software development, and mission support for the department of defense. The facility and logistics service include airfield management, ammunition management, civil engineering, communications, emergency services, life support activities, public works, security, transportation operations and others.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    AFCAP V Contract. Yesterday, Vectrus announced that it had been awarded a position on the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program, a $6.4 billion ID/IQ contract vehicle. The Company was one of eight firms selected for the position. AFCAP V provides contingency planning, deploying and training/equipping of forces, emergency and contingency construction, logistics/commodities, and services. The contract runs through May 31, 2031.

    Ongoing Support. The position on AFCAP V is a continuation of Vectrus’ position on previous AFCAP contracts. The Company was previously awarded a position in June 2015 and over time has won 13 task orders in multiple countries worth over…



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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Ready to Break Out

Friday, May 1, 2020

Newrange Gold (NRGOF)(NRG:CA):

Ready to Break Out

As of April 24, 2020, Noble Capital Markets research on Newrange Gold is published under ticker symbols (NRGOF and NRG:CA). The price target is in USD and based on ticker symbol NRGOF. Research reports dated prior to April 24, 2020 may not follow these guidelines and could account for a variance in the price target.
Newrange Gold Corp is an exploration stage company focused on acquiring and exploring exploration and evaluation assets in Colombia and the United States. The Company operates in a single reportable operating segment-the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. Some of the projects acquired by the company are Pamlico gold project in Nevada and Rocky mountain project in Colorado. The company also holds an interest in the Yarumalito property, El Dovio property and Anori property in Colombia.

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst of Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Recent exploration confirms 2020 drilling program. Following recent exploration activities including LiDAR scans, channel sampling and completion of an Induced Polarization and Resistivity (IP) survey that generated several targets, exploration efforts at the company’s Pamlico project are poised to accelerate.

    Drilling could commence in mid-May. Drilling at the Gold Bar mine is expected to begin as early as mid-May. Drilling at Gold Bar will be part of a planned 5,000 to 10,000-meter drilling program conducted in the vicinity of Pamlico Ridge, including the Gold Bar, Good Hope and Pamlico mines. Additional drilling will test some of the anomalies revealed in the…


    Click here to get the full report.

This research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

A Strong Start to Year. Only Minor Disruptions So Far Despite COVID-19.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Orion Group Holdings (ORN)

A Strong Start to Year. Only Minor Disruptions So Far Despite COVID-19.

Orion Group Holdings, based in Houston, Texas, is a specialty construction company within the Marine and Industrial Construction sectors, with operations focused in the continental United States and Caribbean. Revenue is split roughly 50/50 between a Marine Construction segment that provides marine facility, pipeline and structural construction services and a Commercial Concrete segment that provides turnkey concrete services in the light commercial and structural construction markets.

Poe Fratt, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Another strong quarter driven by solid execution, especially in Marine business. 1Q2020 gross profit of $19.8 million and EBITDA of $12.2 million easily beat our estimates of $12.0 million and $6.2 million, respectively. Gross margin and EBITDA margin were ~400 basis points higher than expected mainly due to strong Marine execution and higher equipment utilization. Concrete also improved modestly. 1Q2020 backlog rebounded to $610 million from $572 million, with Marine up $22 million to $362 million and Concrete up $16 million to $247 million, a record. Bidding remains active in both segments.

    Increasing 2020 EBITDA estimate despite suspended guidance. Minor disruptions seen to date and bidding activity continues in both segments, but suspending guidance is the safe route, one similar to many other companies. There are increasing risks to existing projects, but work goes on and we expect EBITDA will move up more than…


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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Unanswered Questions

Friday, May 1, 2020

Akazoo (SONG)

Unanswered Questions

Akazoo is a global, on-demand music and audio streaming and media and AI technology company, founded in 2010, with a focus on emerging markets and a presence in 25 countries. Akazoo’s premium service provides subscribers with unlimited online and offline high-quality music streaming access to a catalog of over 45 million songs on an ad-free basis. Akazoo uses patented AI for music recommendations and offers online and offline listening. Akazoo’s free, ad-supported radio service consists of over 80,000 stations and exists as separate services and application. As consumers across the globe continue to shift their media consumption to mobile devices, Akazoo is equipped with a world-class mobile application and user experience which works seamlessly across a multitude of mobile devices and provides a high-quality user experience across a range of mobile networks from 2g to 4g LTE and soon 5g.

Michael Kupinski, DOR, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Terminates CEO. The company announced that it has terminated its CEO, Apostolos Zervos, and named Michael Knott as interim CEO. The Board’s decision to terminate the CEO was based on a special committee that found evidence of conduct that was inconsistent with company policies and a lack of cooperation in the investigation from Mr. Zervos.

    Financial statements should not be relied upon. Company stated that financial statements dating back to 2016 to the present should not be relied upon based on the possibility that they contain…


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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

1-800-Flowers.com (FLWS) – Can There Be Too Much Of A Good Thing?

Friday, May 1, 2020

1-800-Flowers.com (FLWS)

Can There Be Too Much Of A Good Thing?

1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. is the leading provider of gourmet and floral gifts for all occasions. For nearly 40 years, 1-800-FLOWERS® has been helping deliver smiles for customers with gifts for every occasion, including fresh flowers, premium, gift-quality fruits, and other gourmet items from Harry & David®, popcorn and specialty treats from The Popcorn Factory®; cookies and baked gifts from Cheryl’s®; premium chocolates and confections from Fannie May®; gift baskets and towers from 1-800-Baskets.com®; premium English muffins and other breakfast treats from Wolferman’s; carved fresh fruit arrangements from FruitBouquets.com; and top quality steaks and chops from Stock Yards®. The Company’s BloomNet® international floral wire service provides a broad range of quality products and value-added services designed to help professional florists grow their businesses profitably.

Michael Kupinski, Director of Research, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    A remarkable quarter.The company shrugged off the impact of mitigation efforts of CoVid 19 and the economic shutdown with fiscal third quarter results ending March 30 in line with expectations. Total company revenues increased a solid 12.2% to $278.8 million. The seasonal adj. EBITDA loss of $2.4 million was slightly better than our loss estimate of $2.7 million.

    Reiterates full year guidance. Revenue momentum seems to have accelerated in the fiscal fourth quarter. Management reiterated full year revenue guidance of 8% to 9% growth, adj. EBITDA growth of 13% to 15%, and EPS growth of 15% to 17%. Adjusting for the benefit of closing Harry & David stores, we are raising our…



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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

One Stop Systems Inc. (OSS) – Building Out Another Revenue Stream

Friday, May 1, 2020

One Stop Systems Inc. (OSS)

Building Out Another Revenue Stream

One Stop Systems Inc is US-based company which is principally engaged in designing, manufacturing, marketing high-end systems for high performance computing (HPC) applications. The company offers custom servers, compute accelerators, solid-state storage arrays and system expansion systems. The product line of the company includes GPU Appliances, GPU Expansion, GPUs and co-processors, Flash storage arrays, Flash storage expansion, Servers, Disk Arrays, Desktop computing appliances, accessories and parts. The company delivers high-end technology to customers through the sale of equipment and software for use on their premises or through remote cloud access to secure data centres housing technology.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Autonomous Vehicles and “AI on the Fly.” OSS continues to see success in the autonomous vehicle vertical, with orders topping $2.1 million, including a recent design-in win with a global premium auto manufacturer based in Europe. In total, OSS has shipped approximately $1.2 million of product under the AV contracts to date.

    A New Leg on the Stool.According to management, by the end of the year, the AV market could represent one of the Company’s top three or four verticals in terms of revenue, generating between $4-$5 million in revenues over the next two years. With the Company’s position in AV solidifying, it is possible revenues can see further increases if OSS’s “AI on the Fly” system elements are used in full production of…


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This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Vectrus (VEC) – Wins Position on $6.4 Billion AFCAP V contract

Friday, May 1, 2020

Vectrus (VEC)

Wins Position on $6.4 Billion AFCAP V contract

Vectrus Inc is a U.S.-based company that provides services to the U.S. government. It operates as one segment and offer facility and logistics services and information technology and network communications services. The information technology and network communications capabilities consist of communications systems operations and maintenance, management and service support, systems installation and activation, system-of-systems engineering and software development, and mission support for the department of defense. The facility and logistics service include airfield management, ammunition management, civil engineering, communications, emergency services, life support activities, public works, security, transportation operations and others.

Joe Gomes, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    AFCAP V Contract. Yesterday, Vectrus announced that it had been awarded a position on the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program, a $6.4 billion ID/IQ contract vehicle. The Company was one of eight firms selected for the position. AFCAP V provides contingency planning, deploying and training/equipping of forces, emergency and contingency construction, logistics/commodities, and services. The contract runs through May 31, 2031.

    Ongoing Support. The position on AFCAP V is a continuation of Vectrus’ position on previous AFCAP contracts. The Company was previously awarded a position in June 2015 and over time has won 13 task orders in multiple countries worth over…



    Click here to get the full report.

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Newrange Gold (NRGOF)(NRG:CA) – Ready to Break Out

Friday, May 1, 2020

Newrange Gold (NRGOF)(NRG:CA):

Ready to Break Out

As of April 24, 2020, Noble Capital Markets research on Newrange Gold is published under ticker symbols (NRGOF and NRG:CA). The price target is in USD and based on ticker symbol NRGOF. Research reports dated prior to April 24, 2020 may not follow these guidelines and could account for a variance in the price target.
Newrange Gold Corp is an exploration stage company focused on acquiring and exploring exploration and evaluation assets in Colombia and the United States. The Company operates in a single reportable operating segment-the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. Some of the projects acquired by the company are Pamlico gold project in Nevada and Rocky mountain project in Colorado. The company also holds an interest in the Yarumalito property, El Dovio property and Anori property in Colombia.

Mark Reichman, Senior Research Analyst of Natural Resources, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Recent exploration confirms 2020 drilling program. Following recent exploration activities including LiDAR scans, channel sampling and completion of an Induced Polarization and Resistivity (IP) survey that generated several targets, exploration efforts at the company’s Pamlico project are poised to accelerate.

    Drilling could commence in mid-May. Drilling at the Gold Bar mine is expected to begin as early as mid-May. Drilling at Gold Bar will be part of a planned 5,000 to 10,000-meter drilling program conducted in the vicinity of Pamlico Ridge, including the Gold Bar, Good Hope and Pamlico mines. Additional drilling will test some of the anomalies revealed in the…


    Click here to get the full report.

This research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Orion Group Holdings (ORN) – A Strong Start to Year. Only Minor Disruptions So Far Despite COVID-19.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Orion Group Holdings (ORN)

A Strong Start to Year. Only Minor Disruptions So Far Despite COVID-19.

Orion Group Holdings, based in Houston, Texas, is a specialty construction company within the Marine and Industrial Construction sectors, with operations focused in the continental United States and Caribbean. Revenue is split roughly 50/50 between a Marine Construction segment that provides marine facility, pipeline and structural construction services and a Commercial Concrete segment that provides turnkey concrete services in the light commercial and structural construction markets.

Poe Fratt, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Another strong quarter driven by solid execution, especially in Marine business. 1Q2020 gross profit of $19.8 million and EBITDA of $12.2 million easily beat our estimates of $12.0 million and $6.2 million, respectively. Gross margin and EBITDA margin were ~400 basis points higher than expected mainly due to strong Marine execution and higher equipment utilization. Concrete also improved modestly. 1Q2020 backlog rebounded to $610 million from $572 million, with Marine up $22 million to $362 million and Concrete up $16 million to $247 million, a record. Bidding remains active in both segments.

    Increasing 2020 EBITDA estimate despite suspended guidance. Minor disruptions seen to date and bidding activity continues in both segments, but suspending guidance is the safe route, one similar to many other companies. There are increasing risks to existing projects, but work goes on and we expect EBITDA will move up more than…


    Click here to get the full report.

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Akazoo (SONG) – Unanswered Questions

Friday, May 1, 2020

Akazoo (SONG)

Unanswered Questions

Akazoo is a global, on-demand music and audio streaming and media and AI technology company, founded in 2010, with a focus on emerging markets and a presence in 25 countries. Akazoo’s premium service provides subscribers with unlimited online and offline high-quality music streaming access to a catalog of over 45 million songs on an ad-free basis. Akazoo uses patented AI for music recommendations and offers online and offline listening. Akazoo’s free, ad-supported radio service consists of over 80,000 stations and exists as separate services and application. As consumers across the globe continue to shift their media consumption to mobile devices, Akazoo is equipped with a world-class mobile application and user experience which works seamlessly across a multitude of mobile devices and provides a high-quality user experience across a range of mobile networks from 2g to 4g LTE and soon 5g.

Michael Kupinski, DOR, Senior Research Analyst, Noble Capital Markets, Inc.

Refer to the full report for the price target, fundamental analysis, and rating.

    Terminates CEO. The company announced that it has terminated its CEO, Apostolos Zervos, and named Michael Knott as interim CEO. The Board’s decision to terminate the CEO was based on a special committee that found evidence of conduct that was inconsistent with company policies and a lack of cooperation in the investigation from Mr. Zervos.

    Financial statements should not be relied upon. Company stated that financial statements dating back to 2016 to the present should not be relied upon based on the possibility that they contain…


    Click here to get the full report.

This Company Sponsored Research is provided by Noble Capital Markets, Inc., a FINRA and S.E.C. registered broker-dealer (B/D).

*Analyst
certification and important disclosures included in the full report. 
NOTE: investment decisions should not be based upon the content of
this research summary.  Proper due diligence is required before
making any investment decision.
 

Gaining More Clarity and Broadening Investment Options

An Investment Tool That’s More Important than Ever

The overall stock market performance during April was one for the record books. The Dow 30 (+11.1%) and S&P 500 (+12.7%) put in their best one-month performance since January 1987. The Nasdaq (+15.4%) delivered its greatest one-month gains since June 2000, and the Russell 2000 (+16.22%) outperformed the other three major market indicators.

The April rally was a welcomed reversal from March, which was the worst month since the height of the financial crisis in 2008. The question most stock investors are trying to discern now is, will stocks reverse again in May?  And How best to determine value?

Where to Now?

The economy and its impact on the stock market are in extraordinarily uncertain waters. Any previous trends have all been derailed. This is not just true of the market overall, but also true for both companies that will benefit from the pandemic and the majority which will be hurt by it. One fact that will keep many self-directed investors active is the reality that, during times like these, opportunity is at its highest. It is also true that at times like these the risk of short-term realized or unrealized losses are also at a high level. Volatility, truly is a double-edged sword.

Many market participants are accustomed to companies earnings guidance and earnings forecasts, especially in highly capitalized corporations that are widely covered by sell-side analysts. The quarterly forecasts of these companies are so broadly covered by mainstream news outlets, that they’re sometimes treated and delivered to investors like they’re an event themselves. The problem now is, over the past few weeks analysts along with one company after another have pulled their guidance and stated, “we just don’t know.” This takes away one of the valuation tools investors use in their decisions to buy or sell.

For the companies part, they can not offer the earnings insight into the near future which they do not have. This is safe for them to not offer numbers with far less confidence than the market is accustomed to. Without the companies insight, analysts from both sell-side Wall Street firms and company-sponsored research have placed many companies near-term projected revenue in a wait-and-see mode. The analysts, oddly enough, probably have better visibility out a year or more when the crisis is presumed to be behind us, than they have out three months. This may not be as much of a drawback for investors as it feels.

Investors, enjoy experiencing immediate gratification and reassurance after investing in a company. However, it is long term results (longer than 90 days) that is most often the reason an investment is made in the first place. Similarly, as far as selling,  a long-term negative outlook makes more sense than ridding your portfolio of a company because they are having a one-time hit to EBITDA.

Perhaps the economic lockdown will usher in an era of companies managing for long-term results. An era where analysts don’t feel a need to be as precise about their immediate estimates of income as opposed to longer-term prospects for the company and space in which it does business. Investors for their part could serve their future financial growth better if they look at companies through a longer-term lens. This would allow corporate management to create strategies with a longer-term focus.

Determining Value Now

Lower expectations of forecasting precision over the next two periods from the company’s investor relations or research analysts will be important for investors that want to stay involved and feel comfortable. By definition, people invest for the future, value expectations over a more appropriate time horizon may be the answer to this lack of information. Even during ideal times, it would be foolhardy to invest cash in a stock if you need that cash in a few months. A longer-term focus is more prudent for investors, and if companies are given leeway to focus long-term they should be able to make decisions that drive better results. This is better for investors and there are still forecasting tools. In fact, there are plenty of other fundamentals to review as a measure of future positive performance.

One thing the pandemic has done is cause us to see shifts in the economic landscape that may change industries. Some areas have earned a lot of buy-side interest because of the virus and lockdown and what it might usher in. Recognizing these changes early could be the key to finding performance and benefiting from the new paradigm. These could include industries providing work from home solutions, medical solutions, and safe havens such as precious metals, among many others.  Once industry expectations are recognized, sort through high-caliber industry reports to make sure you aren’t missing anything. From there, find companies within the space and check the recent price trend; you don’t want to chase after a stock that perhaps has already received too many speculative investors. Then comb through institutional-quality research analyst reports to get a clearer picture of the inner workings of the business model and growth prospects. Narrow down the list of possibilities and hope to find the deserving company that has been overlooked in all the other noise.  

Time Horizon Adjustment

The regularity of earnings projections with what had been a short feedback loop provides a sense of control and precision regarding accuracy, but perhaps not usefulness of these forecasts. Even with today’s murky conditions, wide estimation error, or lack of short-term guidance should not be a problem for investors. We know there is a temporary problem. If it were possible to forecast next quarter’s earnings per share for every stock in the S&P 500, any partially astute investor would assume that each companies profits this year are not representative of their longer-term potential. To put it another way, the accuracy of any earnings forecast during the first half of 2020 does not make it a valid measurement for determining normal expectations for the company. Companies that miss estimates can still have great earnings prospects. Conversely, companies that exceed expectations could still face difficulties. Within the past two months, and looking through next quarter, what is going on within the company books, within the various industries, and management goals to drive better performance can hardly be fully assessed by most self-directed investors or small RIA firms. They need more information and deeper insight on industries and company-specifics. The business model itself could be more telling than the numbers. 

Without a crystal ball, we don’t know how “normal” next year will be. However, as an investor, we should try to take advantage. We know the focus should be longer-term. As far as Wall Street analysts are concerned, the direction of future numbers and ability to resume normalcy down the road provides a very good start to discerning where assets should be deployed and which investments are best sold now. Looking out beyond the immediate quarter reduces short-term “noise.”  It also creates a longer-term horizon for management to measure success. Three years, five-years, ten years, these seem like an eternity in a world where immediate expectations drive stock price, and stock prices are available and rapidly changing throughout the day.  But if your investing for a future measured in years, you may be surrounded by opportunities that you’re afraid of taking advantage of because you aren’t as certain what will happen over the next 90 days. This will work against your success in the new paradigm.

 

Paul Hoffman

Managing Editor

 

Suggested Reading:

Stock Index Adjustments and
Self-Directed Investors

The Case for Silver

Small-Cap VS Large-Cap Investing

 

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