SMALL-CAP WINNERS & LOSERS: Gore Street celebrates Big Rock milestone

(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main ...

Alliance News 21 January, 2025 | 11:09AM
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(Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers among London Main Market small-caps on Tuesday.

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SMALL-CAP - WINNERS

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Close Brothers Group PLC, up 21% at 296.4 pence, 12-month range 185p-602.5p. Good news potentially on the horizon for the London-based financial services provider, as the Financial Times reports that UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves could intervene in a forthcoming Supreme Court case concerning vehicle loans. FT says the Treasury has taken this unusual step amid worries that banks and other lenders could face a compensation bill costing tens of billions of pounds. Court is due in April to hear an appeal brought by car loan providers challenging an October ruling from the Court of Appeal, which ruled that it was unlawful for banks to pay a commission to a car dealer without the customer's informed consent. The FT says it has seen the Treasury's application to the Supreme Court, in which it claims the case has "potential to cause considerable economic harm and could impact the availability and cost of motor finance for consumers". The report has also cheered investors in specialist lender S&U PLC, with shares up 15% at 1,672.5p.

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Gore Street Energy Storage Fund PLC, up 5.8% at 48.675p, 12-month range 46p-74p. The London-based investor in utility-scale energy storage projects announces the energisation of the Big Rock project in California, its "largest asset to date", increasing Gore Street's energised capacity by 47% to 621.4 megawatts or 792.1 megawatt hours. Also, construction "continues to progress well" at its Dogfish asset in Texas. Meanwhile, for calendar 2024 Gore Street says it expects around GBP37.7 million in operational portfolio revenue, with operational earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of about GBP24.5 million and an Ebitda margin of 65%. Estimates that its revenue run-rate for the financial year ending March 31, 2026, will come to approximately GBP72 million 753.4 megawatts of operational capacity. Company adds that GB revenue "has steadily increased over recent periods".

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SMALL-CAP - LOSERS

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XP Power Ltd, down 7.3% at 1,201p, 12-month range 968p-1,720p. The Singapore-based maker of power control systems says that for the fourth quarter of 2024, order intake decreased by around 7% to GBP44.9 million from GBP48.4 million. Revenue has dropped 26% to GBP60.0 million from GBP81.1 million. For the full year, order intake has fallen 13% to GBP181.6 million from GBP208.8 million and revenue by 22% to GBP247.3 million from GBP316.4 million. Says that reported revenue continued to face currency movement headwinds in the fourth quarter, although in early 2025 this has "begun to dissipate". Demand in Asia was "slower than expected...reflecting regional macro-economic conditions and some market hesitancy until global trade policies become clearer". Notes however that Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment sector sales rose 13% sequentially in the fourth quarter. Looking ahead, XP Power expects adjusted operating profit for 2024 to be between GBP25.1 million and GBP27.6 million, i.e. within the "current" analyst forecast range. Says it is "encouraged by signs that channel inventory is moving closer to equilibrium and by improving underlying conditions in the semiconductor industry. Conversely, it "is also mindful of increased macro and geo-political headwinds in Asia".

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By Emma Curzon, Alliance News reporter

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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Securities Mentioned in Article

Security Name Price Change (%) Morningstar
Rating
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund Ord 49.20 GBX 6.96 -
XP Power Ltd 1,240.00 GBX -4.32 -
S & U PLC 1,680.00 GBX 15.07 -
Close Brothers Group PLC 297.60 GBX 21.57 -
Amazon.com Inc 230.71 USD 2.11

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