But that does include a $133.5m impairment due to the downgrading of the firm’s intangible exploration assets, compared to an impairment of $76m in the same period last year, all due to the ongoing cheap-oil environment. And the company remains upbeat, pointing out that it had $108m of cash on the books at 31 December, and no debt.

By 29 March, there was approximately $100m of that left, and BowLeven should have around $40m coming in from its farmout agreement for its Etinde project in Cameroon, so it shouldn’t be facing any funding squeeze any time soon. Is BowLeven a good investment today? I’m not one for oilies in their loss-making phases myself, but I see it as one of the less risky ones.

Transformational

Shares in Learning Technologies (LSE: LTG) have shot up by 81% since a recent low on 1 December, to 37.25p. Acquisitions, including a couple announced in January, have helped, but the rise has surely been mainly in anticipation of the e-learning firm’s maiden full-year pre-tax profit.

With revenue up 33% to £19.9m in a year that has been dubbed as “transformational” by chairman Andrew Brode, that pre-tax figure came in at £1.55m compared to a loss of £127,000 a year previously. Adjusted EPS doubled to 0.756p, and the dividend was lifted by 50% to 0.15p per share, albeit for a yield of only 0.4%.

Looking forward, a “landmark” contract, in alliance with KPMG UK, to provide the UK Civil Service with learning facilities for 400,000 staff over three years could well mark a real turning point for the company.

Volatility

Shares in Circle Holdings (LSE: CIRC) have had a very erratic 12 months, reaching 57p in May 2015 before crashing as low as just 9p in January this year. As I write today they’re back up at 21.25p, though that is after a 4.5% fall on the day of the company’s 2015 full-year results.

The healthcare services group saw revenue rise by 15% to £127.8m, with EBITDA losses reduced by more than half to £4.9m — and we heard that all segments of the business, excluding Head Office, are now EBITDA positive. Chairman Michael Kirkwood CMG opines that the company is “well poised to realise its potential through a sustainable business model while generating consistent returns for our shareholders“.

He may be right, but with no profit yet and no forecasts, I’d hold off a little while longer myself before making any commitment.

The post Should You Buy BowLeven PLC, Learning Technologies Group PLC And Circle Holdings PLC After Today’s Results? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

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The deal increases Speedy Hire’s exposure to the UK rail sector and with OHP’s EBITDA amounting to £800k last year, it appears to be buying the company for a relatively appealing price. And with OHP expected to report increased revenue in the current year, it looks set to provide Speedy Hire’s financial performance with a boost as well as further strengthen its market position.

With Speedy Hire forecast to increase its bottom line by as much as 90% next year, it trades on a price-to-earnings growth (PEG) ratio of 0.3. Although its financial performance has been somewhat volatile in recent years and it could continue to be so in the long run, its risk/reward ratio indicates that now is the perfect time to buy a slice of it.

Wait and see

Also among the major movers today is healthcare services company Circle Holdings (LSE: CIRC). Its shares are up by 16% despite there being no significant news flow, although the company’s shares have been exceptionally volatile of late. In fact, Circle Holdings released a statement a couple of weeks ago to say that it knows of no reason for the share price movements and that it remains focused on pursuing its growth strategy.

Clearly, buying shares in the company right now is likely to lead to wild gyrations in the value of a holding within a portfolio. And while the company’s financial performance is due to improve in the current year, it’s due to be another year of losses. Therefore, it may be best to await further developments on the company’s long-term outlook rather than piling in right now.

Stable star

One stock that hasn’t been at all volatile of late is British American Tobacco (LSE: BATS). Its share price has outperformed the FTSE 100 by 6% since the turn of the year and further index-beating numbers are very much on the horizon.

A key reason for this is the 7% rise in earnings that’s forecast in the current year, with dividends due to rise by 5.2% over the same time period. Although these numbers aren’t awe-inspiring, they’re highly reliable and at a time when the market is nervous to say the least, stable and resilient stocks such as British American Tobacco could be worthy purchases.

Of course, there’s also the potential for higher growth in the long run due to British American Tobacco’s exposure to developing markets where the number of smokers is likely to increase. Furthermore, the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes means that British American Tobacco and its peers could prove to be less exposed to regulatory risk with regards to tobacco than is currently being priced-in. Therefore, now appears to be an excellent time to buy it for the long term.

The post Is Now The Perfect Time To Buy Speedy Hire Plc, British American Tobacco plc And Circle Holdings PLC? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

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Peter Stephens owns shares of British American Tobacco. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

Looking ahead, Circle Holdings is expected to remain a lossmaking company in the current year, but its losses are due to narrow. For example, they stood at £20m on a pre-tax basis in 2014 but are set to fall to £6m in the current year. This progress could cause investor sentiment to improve yet further, but with a number of other profitable businesses on offer in the healthcare space, it may be prudent to watch rather than buy Circle Holdings at the present time. That’s especially the case since its shares seem likely to remain volatile.

Gains ahead?

Also posting share price declines in the last year is Standard Chartered (LSE: STAN). The Asia-focused bank’s valuation has slumped by 50% in the last 12 months and with Chinese growth rates coming under increasing pressure, further falls can’t be ruled out in the short run.

However, looking further ahead Standard Chartered has huge growth potential. It has a refreshed strategy under a new, streamlined management team that’s likely to improve its profitability in the medium-to-long term. For example, earnings are due to rise by 28% this year and if that figure is delivered, investor sentiment towards Standard Chartered could change dramatically.

Furthermore, with Asia continuing to offer excellent long-term growth prospects, Standard Chartered is well-placed to benefit. With its fundraising shoring up its financial position, it seems to be in a strong position, while its price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 9.7 indicates that share price gains are likely in the coming years.

Opportunity knocks?

With the oil price having collapsed in the last two years, it’s of little surprise that Premier Oil’s (LSE: PMO) share price has followed suit, with the North Sea-focused oil producer having recorded a fall in its valuation of 87% in the last 12 months.

Looking ahead, a further fall in the price of oil is relatively likely since there’s no sign of supply being cut as many oil producers have costs per barrel of sub-$20. With Saudi Arabia stubbornly sticking to its apparent strategy of attempting to hurt US shale producers and Iran set to increase production after sanctions are lifted, the near-term prospects for oil are downbeat despite its recent surge.

For Premier Oil, this presents an opportunity to buy high quality assets at discounted prices. Its purchase of Eon’s North Sea assets could produce a more profitable and diverse business in future years and once its share suspension has been lifted, less risk-averse investors may wish to take a closer look at Premier Oil.

The post Will The Disappointment Ever End For Premier Oil PLC, Standard Chartered PLC And Circle Holdings PLC? appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

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Peter Stephens owns shares of Standard Chartered. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

According to Circle, government funding for Hinchingbrooke has been cut by 10% this year. Management believes that, after this funding cut, Circle would have to make a substantial investment in the franchise on top of the £5m it is already required to provide. 

Of this £5m investment, Circle has already provided £4.8m. So, under the contract Circle is require to provide an additional £160,000 to Hinchingbrooke in addition to contract termination and re-procurement costs, which are capped at £2m. 

According to City analysts, this move by Circle will have no effect on pre-tax profit for 2015 and 2016. — the company is currently forecast to report a pre-tax loss of £7m for 2015 and loss of £6.8m for 2016 — however, pre-tax profitability for 2017 and 2018 is expected to be affected by £3m and £4m respectively. 

And it remains to be seen how this move will affect Circle’s ability to win additional contracts with the NHS in future. As well as Hinchingbrooke, the group has also been awarded a £125m contract to provide musculoskeletal services for 440,000 patients in Bedfordshire for five years and is in the running to manage George Eliot hospital in Nuneaton.

Until the repercussions of this move are clear, Circle’s future is uncertain. 

Drug failure 

As Circle slumps, GW Pharmaceuticals (LSE: GWP) is charging higher today, after announcing yesterday that one of three Phase III cancer pain trials of its Sativex compound failed to meet its primary endpoint. After releasing the news yesterday, GW’s shares fell as much as 21% at one point but they quickly recovered and they ended the day unchanged. 

Even though one of GW’s trails has failed, the company still has two additional trials under way. If these trials yield positive results, GW would be able to submit a new drug application with the US Food and Drug Administration.

Furthermore, within yesterday’s update, GW said that all of its trials in its Epidiolex programme for treatment-resistant childhood epilepsies are on track. Phase III data from at least one of its trials now expected by the end of 2015.

Overall, even though one of GW’s trails failed to yield the desired results, the company still has plenty of irons in the fire. That being said, investors should keep in mind that only 7% of all new drugs successfully make it from the research and development stage, through to commercial production. So the odds are stacked against GW. 

Nevertheless, only you can decide if GW fits in your portfolio and I thoroughly recommend that you do some additional research before making a trading decision. And if you do decide to buy GW, or Circle, a basket approach will work best.  

The post Today’s Winner And Loser: GW Pharmaceuticals plc Pushes Higher As Circle Holdings PLC Slumps appeared first on The Twelfth Magpie.

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• The CMC Markets share price is smashing the FTSE 100 in 2026. Is there an opportunity here?
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Rupert Hargreaves has no position in any shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.