Smaller companies スポットライト

By This Is Money
Updated: 00:00 BST, 22 January 2004

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EACH week, former (n)艦隊／(a)素早い Street City Editor Patrick Lay keeps This Is Money readers up-to-date with a neglected, but exciting 部門 of the 株式市場 - smaller companies.

（犯罪の）一味 in the money

VIANET, the smart vending 管理／経営 company, has come up with another way to cash in on t his cashless society.

長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある officer Ian Orrock, who 投資するd £250,000 of his own money into the company, has joined 軍隊s with internet service provider, Alcatel, to tie in Europe's 6.5m (a)自動的な／(n)自動拳銃 vending machines through the 動きやすい phone 網状組織 - more than 1m of these machines are in the UK.

By dialing a number on the vending machine the doors open to 配達する the 購入（する） and 追加する the cost to the phone 法案. It also 記録，記録的な／記録するs the sale and 警報s the machine owners when 在庫／株 is low. The system can also check 気温s in the vending machine and 報告（する）／憶測 支援する on 維持／整備 needs.

The company 計画（する）s to 開始する，打ち上げる the 操作／手術s in the second half of this year, rolling it out in 鉄道 駅／配置するs, schools and 政府 offices, but on small price 製品s 最初.

Vianet, however, hopes to move into higher-定価つきの goods, such as DVDs, 動きやすい phones, 調書をとる／予約するs and other items 現在／一般に bought on credit card.

Orrock says the system will break-even when it has 15,000 部隊s in situ, a 的 he 推定する／予想するs to reach in the second ４半期/4分の1 of 2005.

Having raised £3.5m through a placing, the company is financially sound, with Alcatel 供給するing a marketing partner, and the $25bn (£15bn) European vending market growing at an 普通の／平均（する） of 5% a year.

Orrock's £250,000 投資 could soon 供給する a very jolly （犯罪の）一味 トン for his own 動きやすい.

No more trolley trouble

A SHOPPERS' dream, a trolley without wheel-wobble could be coming to a 蓄える／店 近づく you, and you even have the chance of buying into the company making it.

Supercart, the market leader in South Africa, where the company has been operating for nine years, produces all-plastic trolleys for the South African and US markets, and now ーするつもりであるs to 開始する，打ち上げる an 完全に new model in Europe.

Not only does it 誇る no wheel-wobble, but it also （人命などを）奪う，主張するs 改善するd maneuverability and 支配（する）／統制する. It 申し込む／申し出s supermarkets a 製品 that is rust proof and that will outlast 従来の wire baskets.

To 基金 開発 and on-going 研究, Supercart is coming to AIM through a placing that is 推定する／予想するd to raise £4.5m. 取引 are 推定する／予想するd to start 早期に next month.

Failing to make waves

DAVID Hutchins, 長，指導者 (n)役員／(a)執行力のある of Ocean 資源s, tells me: 'We have a 大臣の地位 (of 株) that can make a lot of money over the next few years'. He 追加するs: 'We have an 資産 base which you couldn't buy at 現在の prices.'

However, before you 急ぐ to buy into Ocean, I should point out that the 投資 company failed to raise 基金s when it （機の）カム to market last February because the market was at 激しく揺する 底（に届く） and 関心s about what was happen happening in Iraq.

The companies making up the 大臣の地位 all sold their 資産s for Ocean 株 on the basis of each 株 存在 価値（がある） 50p. The 株 were 開始する，打ち上げるd on AIM in February at 55p, but before the 支えるもの／所有者s were 許すd to sell they had crumpled to 20p.

At this 行う／開催する／段階, 仲買人s Collins Stewart bought out each of the 初めの 投資家s at 20p (効果的に giving them 40p in the 続けざまに猛撃する) and placed these out with 17 value-driven hedge 基金s.

Since then about 100 私的な 投資家s have climbed 船内に, and the 株 price has 回復するd to about 30p.

There is no 疑問ing Hutchins's 誠実, but for the moment Ocean seems all at sea, 信用ing that the wave of enthusiasm for gold and other 探検 株 continues.

Some you may have 行方不明になるd

WATERMARK Group, which 供給するs support services to the international travel 産業, is raising about £18.7m, 逮捕する of expenses, through a placing and open 申し込む／申し出 of 株.

It has also made an 申し込む／申し出 to buy 空気／公表する Fayre for an 初期の £17.3m in cash and 株. A その上の earnout-based, deferred consideration of up to £8.5m may become 予定 扶養家族 on 未来 業績／成果.

THE marketing support services and 宣伝の 製品s group 4imprint Group says it 推定する／予想するs 利益（をあげる）s for 2003 to be わずかに abov e market 期待s.

Its 見通し is 楽観的な and is 確信して of 重要な 進歩 in 2004. 4imprint has 任命するd Numis 安全s as 共同の 法人組織の／企業の 仲買人 along with Panmure Gordon.

TERRACE Hill Group has made an 申し込む／申し出 of 2.5 new 株 定価つきの at 30p each for the 69.44% of the 株 in Serah 所有物／資産／財産s that it does not already own. 支えるもの／所有者s of 27.27% have 受託するd already.

DRUG 発見 company Henderson Morley has received 倫理学 委員会 是認 to start an Ionic Contra-viral therapy 段階 11 熟考する／考慮する in the US.

CARDPOINT, which owns and operates 1,900 cash machines and about 3,500 動きやすい phone 最高の，を越す-up 終点s, has been awarded a five-year 排除的 契約 to continue to 供給（する） Welcome Break with 道端 場所 cash machines.

Cardpoint 現在／一般に has 85 cash machines 任命する／導入するd in Welcome Break 場所／位置s and the 契約 供給するs for a 最小限 of 30 付加 取り付け・設備s.

DIGITAL photography ソフトウェア group Pixology has 調印するd a two-year 協定 with Canon Inc's 数字表示式の camera group to 供給（する） Pixology IRISS, the company's red-注目する，もくろむ 除去 科学（工学）技術.

IT has been a good week for Daniel Stewart & Co which has been 任命するd 法人組織の／企業の 助言者 to Ofex-名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d New York Holdings and 指名するd 助言者 and 仲買人 to AIM-名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d 沖合いの／海外の Telecom and also to Ofex 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる）d Music Copyright 解答s.

Some to watch out for

NORTHGATE 勝利，勝つs the 是認 of Alastair Gunn at Arbuthnot 安全s who says 'buy' and 始める，決めるs a 的 price of 675p on the 株.

HIS 同僚 Michael Blogg, is 類似して enthused by Umeco, the 航空宇宙学 support group, （人命などを）奪う，主張するing the 見通し 'is good and is not fully 割引d'. He says the 株 are a 'buy' at 390p.