Small Cap Value Report (28 Apr 2016) - SPRP, WAND

Good afternoon!

Not much to report on today, and I have to drive back down from Cheshire to the south coast this afternoon, so will just do a short report now, and then hopefully add some more comments once I get home this evening.

Sprue Aegis (LON:SPRP)

Share price: 137.5p
No. shares: 45.9m
Market cap: £63.1m

(at the time of writing, I hold a long position in this share)

ShareSoc meeting - as I mentioned in an earlier report this week, management of Sprue Aegis have been very open to discussing the company's problems with investors. This is very impressive. In my view investor confidence is more likely to return when management do their utmost to communicate openly with shareholders.

Also, I like the balance sheet at SPRP, stuffed with cash. So on that basis, and after talking it through with a friend, I've opened a smallish long position in the share. It's not a conviction buy for me, hence why the position is initially small. Also, I waited for the share price to stop falling, and start rising, which is quite a good idea usually.

It might take another lurch down, who knows. I understand there has been a big seller in the market, so it depends when they stop selling.

I didn't manage to get to the ShareSoc meeting last night, so if any readers attended, then please do add your thoughts in the comments section below - either in detail, or just your overall impression.

Potentially interesting, although I am worried about the long-term reputational damage from the failure of some sealed for life products.

WANdisco (LON:WAND)

Share price: 213p (up 18.4% today)
No. shares: 29.9m
Market cap: £63.7m

OEM sales partnership with IBM - this sounds an interesting announcement, and the kudos of the IBM name has given this share a bog boost today, up 18.4% to 213p.

The only financial information given is vague, saying:

WANdisco will receive a royalty on the Fusion component of IBM sales. Whilst we expect that revenues will begin to flow during the second half of this year, we will provide further guidance once product launches have taken place and initial customer uptake has been evaluated.

Joint development work, funded by IBM, will complete the integration of Fusion with the IBM platform over the coming months. The impact upon WANdisco's operating costs, net of IBM's funding contribution, is expected to be minimal in the short term.

That final sentence is reassuring, as WAND is out of cash, and will for sure be doing another Placing soon. So some good news is vital to get the next fundraising away. Therefore I think this IBM deal has probably happened in the nick of time. I wonder what terms WAND agreed, in order to secure this deal? That would be interesting to know.

My opinion - as I reported here on 16 Mar 2016, WAND is one of the worst financially performing companies on the market. Huge losses, on little turnover, little growth, and worst of all, it's run out of cash.

So this share is an all-or-nothing punt on the company being able to both raise more funding, and produce a much improved financial performance in the future. It's anybody's guess how large the discount will be for the next fundraising. This company burns through cash at a prodigious rate.

Its product may be the next big thing, but how come they can't make any profit, or get anywhere near profitability? This type of thing is not for me, it's pure speculation, not investing at all.

I have to dash now, will try to add more this evening, once I get home.

Regards, Paul.