Small caps round-up: Hutchison China Meditech, Huveaux, Metrodome......

4th Mar 2010 18:22

Hutchison China Meditech says that it is looking for investors in its research and development business. It would like to sell up to 20% of the business to raise additional cash prior to a flotation in a couple of years' time. Hutchison Whampoa owns 71.6% of the AIM-quoted company, which reported a sharply reduced loss of $5m in 2009 on revenues 28% higher at $111m. Broker Charles Stanley believes that the shares are worth 245p each.Publisher Huveaux is selling its education division for £10m in cash to Harper Collins. The disposal will enable Huveaux to concentrate on its political division.AIM-quoted Huveaux had net debt of £6.6m at the end of 2009 - similar to the level at the end of June 2009 - so this deal will leave it in a cash positive position. The education business supplies study aids and revision guides. In the first half of 2009 the business generated £4.1m in revenues and it made an operating profit of around £200,000 before head office expenses. However, the division had net assets of £22.4m at the end of 2008. Film and DVD distributor Metrodome Group grew its revenues from £6.59m to £9.09m in 2009, while a loss of £543,000 was turned into a profit of £199,000. AIM-quoted Metrodome managed to cope with the collapse of Woolworth and Zavvi at the end of 2008, which hit retail DVD operations. Retail DVD accounts for the vast majority of revenues but the other areas are growing faster. That is particularly true of DVD rental, where revenues grew 309% thanks to Metrodome taking the operation in-house. TV and video on demand sales nearly doubled. The balance sheet is strong with £1.58m in cash at the end of 2009. AIM-quoted Intandem Films reported a much lower loss in the six months to December 2009 although it includes a one-off gain of £254,000 on the sale of a 10% stake in Radical Publishing. The overall loss was 71% lower at £179,000. Since the end of 2009, Intandem says that it has made a book profit of £4m on the sale of its rights in five films to Arrowhead Target Funds. The sale brought in $9.6m and enabled Intandem to eliminate a £6m loan. Fresh produce distributor Total Produce reported slightly lower revenues and profits for 2009. Revenues fell 3% to €2.43bn but that was mainly down to currency movements. Underlying pre-tax profit slipped from €40.8m to €40.1m. Cash flow was strong and the Irish company's net debt was reduced by nearly €10m to €50.6m at the end of 2009.