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Nanoco has announced its intention to return £33–40m of the funds won through the settlement with Samsung to shareholders, retaining £20m to execute its growth and intellectual property (IP) licensing strategy. Management expects to start this programme after it has received the second $75m tranche in February 2024 from the Samsung litigation. Operationally, multiple end-customer trials via Nanoco’s major partner are ongoing and it is seeing renewed interest from the display market. The group also intends to seek further value from its IP portfolio, having identified a number of other potentially infringing third parties.
Written by
Nanoco Group |
Returning cash and investing in the business |
Business update |
Tech hardware and equipment |
21 June 2023 |
Share price performance
Business description
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Nanoco Group is a research client of Edison Investment Research Limited |
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Nanoco has announced its intention to return £33–40m of the funds won through the settlement with Samsung to shareholders, retaining £20m to execute its growth and intellectual property (IP) licensing strategy. Management expects to start this programme after it has received the second $75m tranche in February 2024 from the Samsung litigation. Operationally, multiple end-customer trials via Nanoco’s major partner are ongoing and it is seeing renewed interest from the display market. The group also intends to seek further value from its IP portfolio, having identified a number of other potentially infringing third parties.
Year end |
Revenue (£m) |
EBITDA |
PBT* |
EPS* |
DPS |
P/E |
07/20 |
3.9 |
(2.9) |
(4.9) |
(1.4) |
0.0 |
N/A |
07/21 |
2.1 |
(2.8) |
(4.7) |
(1.3) |
0.0 |
N/A |
07/22 |
2.5 |
(2.1) |
(4.6) |
(1.3) |
0.0 |
N/A |
07/23e** |
6.0 |
0.5 |
(0.8) |
(0.3) |
0.0 |
N/A |
Note: *PBT and EPS are normalised, excluding amortisation of acquired intangibles, exceptional items and share-based payments. **Including £3.0m licence revenues relating to the settlement with Samsung.
Proposed capital reduction
Nanoco is proposing a capital reduction to facilitate cash returns of £33m and £40m to shareholders as it currently lacks the distributable reserves to pay a dividend or buy back shares. Two resolutions are being tabled at the AGM to receive shareholder approval to facilitate this. The method of returning cash to shareholders has yet to be determined but it will take place once the company receives its second tranche of $75m from Samsung in February 2024.
Healthy balance sheet to execute growth strategy
In retaining £20m, Nanoco will have a healthy balance sheet to execute its growth strategy, with capital being deployed in R&D, commercial activities and a proactive IP licensing programme, as well as paying off debt (c £5m) and working capital. The board has recently completed a review of its addressable markets in sensing and display as well as the potential value opportunities for its IP. In sensing, a catalyst would be news on the first of Nanoco’s multiple end-customer trials moving to commercial production. The proliferation of sensors in devices such as mobile handsets, cars, VR headsets, etc, creates an attractive opportunity, in our view. Management is also hoping to further monetise its IP, having identified several potentially infringing third parties and has created a team to pursue them. The company is also seeing renewed interest in its display materials, off the back of the Samsung settlement.
Valuation: Strong IP to drive upside
We will introduce estimates for FY24 when we have more news on how end-customer trials are progressing with Nanoco’s lead partner. However, given the pipeline of opportunities discussed above, we believe management’s target of reaching a self-financing position during FY25 is eminently achievable. Nanoco is valued at less than our estimated year-end FY23 net cash balance (£5.3m) plus the remaining $75m (c £58.7m) to be received from Samsung. This seems too low given the potential of the company’s technology and its IP position.
Exhibit 1: Financial summary
£m |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023e |
||
Year end 31 July |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
IFRS |
||
INCOME STATEMENT |
restated |
|||||
Revenue |
|
|
3.9 |
2.1 |
2.5 |
6.0* |
Cost of Sales |
(0.3) |
(0.2) |
(0.4) |
(0.6) |
||
Gross Profit |
3.5 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
5.4 |
||
EBITDA |
|
|
(2.9) |
(2.8) |
(2.1) |
0.5 |
Operating profit (before amort. and excepts.) |
|
|
(4.8) |
(4.6) |
(4.2) |
(0.3) |
Amortisation of acquired intangibles |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Exceptionals |
(0.7) |
0.0 |
0.0 |
19.8** |
||
Share-based payments |
(0.4) |
(0.4) |
(0.6) |
(0.7) |
||
Reported operating profit |
(5.9) |
(5.0) |
(4.8) |
18.8 |
||
Net Interest |
(0.1) |
(0.1) |
(0.5) |
(0.5) |
||
Exceptionals |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
(4.7) |
||
Profit Before Tax (norm) |
|
|
(4.9) |
(4.7) |
(4.6) |
(0.8) |
Profit Before Tax (reported) |
|
|
(6.0) |
(5.1) |
(5.2) |
13.6 |
Reported tax |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.0 |
||
Profit After Tax (norm) |
(4.0) |
(4.0) |
(4.1) |
(0.8) |
||
Profit After Tax (reported) |
(5.1) |
(4.4) |
(4.7) |
13.6 |
||
Minority interests |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Net income (normalised) |
(4.0) |
(4.0) |
(4.1) |
(0.8) |
||
Net income (reported) |
(5.1) |
(4.4) |
(4.7) |
13.6 |
||
Average Number of Shares Outstanding (m) |
287 |
306 |
308 |
322 |
||
EPS - normalised (p) |
|
|
(1.39) |
(1.30) |
(1.32) |
(0.26) |
EPS - normalised fully diluted (p) |
|
|
(1.39) |
(1.30) |
(1.32) |
(0.26) |
EPS - basic reported (p) |
|
|
(1.77) |
(1.44) |
(1.52) |
4.21 |
Dividend per share (p) |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
||
BALANCE SHEET |
||||||
Fixed Assets |
|
|
4.6 |
3.4 |
1.8 |
0.6 |
Intangible Assets |
3.7 |
2.9 |
1.6 |
0.6 |
||
Tangible Assets |
0.9 |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
||
Deferred income |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Current Assets |
|
|
7.2 |
5.8 |
9.0 |
75.9 |
Stocks |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
||
Debtors |
1.0 |
1.2 |
1.5 |
1.2 |
||
Cash & cash equivalents |
5.2 |
3.8 |
6.8 |
9.2 |
||
Other (including proceeds from settlement receivable in FY24) |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
65.3 |
||
Current Liabilities |
|
|
(3.6) |
(2.4) |
(2.4) |
(2.3) |
Creditors |
(2.3) |
(1.6) |
(1.5) |
(1.5) |
||
Tax and social security |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Short term financial leases |
(0.6) |
(0.5) |
(0.2) |
(0.2) |
||
Short term bank debt |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other (including deferred licence income) |
(0.6) |
(0.3) |
(0.7) |
(0.7) |
||
Long Term Liabilities |
|
|
(1.3) |
(3.8) |
(4.0) |
(48.8) |
Long term financial leases |
(0.5) |
(0.1) |
(0.0) |
(0.0) |
||
Loan notes |
(0.5) |
(3.5) |
(3.9) |
(3.9) |
||
Other (including deferred licence income) |
(0.2) |
(0.1) |
(0.1) |
(44.8) |
||
Net Assets |
|
|
7.0 |
3.1 |
4.3 |
25.4 |
Minority interests |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Shareholders' equity |
|
|
7.0 |
3.1 |
4.3 |
25.4 |
CASH FLOW |
||||||
Operating Cash Flow |
(3.0) |
(2.8) |
(2.3) |
0.5 |
||
Working capital |
(1.4) |
(1.4) |
0.1 |
0.3 |
||
Exceptional & other |
(0.8) |
(0.1) |
(0.2) |
0.0 |
||
Tax |
1.1 |
0.9 |
0.7 |
0.0 |
||
Net Operating Cash Flow |
|
|
(4.1) |
(3.5) |
(1.8) |
0.8 |
Capex |
(0.7) |
(0.3) |
(0.1) |
(0.0) |
||
Net proceeds from Samsung settlement |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
4.5 |
||
Net interest |
0.0 |
(0.0) |
(0.0) |
(0.1) |
||
Equity financing |
3.2 |
0.0 |
5.4 |
0.0 |
||
Dividends |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other |
(0.8) |
2.3 |
(0.6) |
(2.7) |
||
Net Cash Flow |
(2.4) |
(1.5) |
2.9 |
2.5 |
||
Opening net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(6.6) |
(4.7) |
(0.3) |
(2.8) |
FX |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
0.0 |
||
Other non-cash movements |
0.6 |
(3.0) |
(0.4) |
0.0 |
||
Closing net debt/(cash) |
|
|
(4.7) |
(0.3) |
(2.8) |
(5.3) |
Source: Company accounts, Edison Investment Research. Note: *Including £3.0m licence revenue from Samsung. **£70.0m profit on disposal of IP netted against £50.2m litigation costs.
|
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