AIMprospector AIMprospector
Issue 9 November 2014
My favourtie AIM share From 1,100+ shares, I own just one
Welcome to AIMprospector, the online magazine from Blackthorn Focus.
This month’s AIM Prospector (finally!) features the one AIM company whose shares I personally have direct exposure to: Begbies Traynor plc. So far, I have been half-right on this one. While the shares have risen significantly since I first climbed on board, the business performance is yet to pick up as expected. I hope that after reading the article on page 5 you concur with my reasons for backing the shares. five AIM companies profiled
world-leading manufacturer
dividend-paying software firm
Contents Welcome ...............................p2 Dillistone ..............................p3 Top Pick: Begbies Traynor....p4
thriving family business
service company growing again
free to private investors
This month also features a special write-up from the recent Blackthorn Focus event AIM Investor Focus. Five AIM-quoted companies were present on the day: Cohort, Ideagen, SCISYS, Sprue Aegis and Trakm8. An AIM Prospector staff writer met with the management of each company, and a write-up appears from page 11. One company previously featured in AIM Prospector that recently reported is restaurant group Richoux. While the trading performance was down on the previous year, management was very positive, particularly as the company has solid plans to soon expand its most profitable operations: the Richoux pattiserie and the American-style Dean’s Diner. Together, these plans could see the company end 2015 with a portfolio of over 20 restaurants. I expect that this would lead to an improvement in group sales of around 30%. The recent market sell-off has been very unkind to some AIM companies. Note particularly Iomart. Only in June, the company received a 285p cash bid. Yet the shares recently traded as low as 170p as the market fell into a state of funk. Another AIM share that is beginning to look attractively priced again is the precision instruments firm Judges Scientific. Although the recently announced organic growth from the company is modest, Judges is still moving ahead at pace. The management team here has a comprehensive track record of success and rewarding shareholders. I hope to take a closer look in a future edition. A final call for David Stredder’s smallcap gala event in Derby beginning on Thursday. Mello2014 is a three day investor-led event for investors, featuring some high quality listed companies and top fund managers. Here at AIM Prospector, we believe it is important that investorled initiatives such as Mello2014 are supported by the community and industry. AIM Prospector readers have kindly been offered discounted entry to Mello2014. Register using the code PROSPECTOR-DISCOUNT for a half price ticket at this event here. “Enjoy this month’s AIM Prospector and good luck with your AIM endeavours.”David O’Hara, Editor, AIMprospector 2
Executive Insight ..................p6 Nationwide Accident Repair Services........................ p7 FW Thorpe...........................p8 Gooch & Housego ................p9 AIM Investor Focus.............p10 Next month.........................p12
Contact twitter: @aimprospector email: editor@aimprospector.co.uk www.aimprospector.co.uk
Published by: Blackthorn Focus Limited www.blackthornfocus.com www.aimprospector.co.uk