Last close As at 06/08/2026
USD4.12
▲ 0.10 (2.49%)
Market capitalisation
USD1,742m
Research: Metals & Mining
The Metals Company’s (TMC’s) pioneering journey towards mining polymetallic nodules from the deep sea continues. There are inevitable hurdles to surpass, such as Greenpeace’s recent protests, which were a minor disturbance. With a further funding option now in place the company is well positioned to deliver a crucial milestone, submission of an exploitation application in 2024 as planned.
The Metals Company |
Entering a pivotal year |
Crucial milestone in FY24 |
Metals and mining |
4 December 2023 |
Share price performance
Business description
Analyst
The Metals Company is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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The Metals Company’s (TMC’s) pioneering journey towards mining polymetallic nodules from the deep sea continues. There are inevitable hurdles to surpass, such as Greenpeace’s recent protests, which were a minor disturbance. With a further funding option now in place the company is well positioned to deliver a crucial milestone, submission of an exploitation application in 2024 as planned.
Year end |
Revenue ($m) |
PBT* ($m) |
EPS* |
DPS |
P/E |
Yield |
12/22 |
0 |
(86) |
(36) |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/23e |
0 |
(50) |
(18) |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/24e |
0 |
(50) |
(17) |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
12/25e |
0 |
(40) |
(14) |
0 |
N/A |
N/A |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments.
An additional environmental offshore campaign is underway. Scientists are currently undertaking further studies on the site of last year’s nodule collection system test to gather further environmental data on ecosystem recovery and functioning. This will provide data for the company’s environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), required for the exploitation contract as well as for the wider understanding of the ecosystem. Greenpeace has been actively discouraging this work, including boarding the vessel on 23 November. Since this time the secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has requested ‘all parties present in the vicinity of NORI’s vessel MV Coco as of 27 November 2023…maintain a safety distance from MV Coco of at least 500m’. Subsequently the District Court of Amsterdam has ordered Greenpeace International to immediately disembark from the research vessel.
TMC’s financial position has been enhanced through a further regulatory filing. The group had cash of $22.5m at 30 September 2023, before $9.2m in additional proceeds from a registered direct offering from ERAS Capital and a $25m unsecured credit facility from an affiliate of Allseas. In addition, TMC has a $30m at-the-market equity programme, which remains untapped, and $19m of warrants outstanding, albeit at $3 a share. This leaves $26m of equity headroom under the existing S-3. A new S-3 filing extends this by a further $100m. The company stated with its Q3 update that a further c $40m of financing was required to complete the current campaign, environmental statements/impact reports and submit an exploitation application. The company continues to review a range of options for such funds. The S-3 filing ensures that the equity markets remain a viable avenue.
The ISA 28th session meeting (Part III) took place in November with the agreement to ‘deliver the consolidated text of the draft exploitation regulations to pursue negotiations in March 2024’. It remains on track to the revised timeline to deliver the mining regulation in July 2024.
There is no change to our valuation from our August update note. 2024 is set to be a pivotal year, with the anticipated adoption of exploitation legislation and TMC’s stated intention to apply for an exploitation contract.
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Research: Healthcare
Biodexa has reached an agreement to acquire worldwide rights to Adhera Therapeutics’ Phase II-ready asset, tolimidone, a novel lyn kinase activator, with intentions to develop it for type I diabetes (T1D). The deal consideration includes an upfront cash payment of US$0.3m to Adhera and US$2m in American depository shares (ADS) to Adhera’s secured noteholders with up to US$4m in additional deferred stock consideration to noteholders. These rights have been sub-licensed from Melior Pharmaceuticals, which has been developing tolimidone in type II diabetes (T2D) (Phase II) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (Phase I). Unlike T2D, which is a lifestyle disease, T1D is an autoimmune condition (requiring daily insulin treatment) and currently has no curative therapies. We see this deal as diversifying Biodexa’s development pipeline outside oncology and into an area with sizable commercial opportunity (US$7.6bn market).