The Business Magazine Thames Valley June 2012

news 9 Shareleague Thames Valley Presented by in association with Business T H E M A G A Z I N E

Two Oxford companies were among the front-runners in the league table showing share price rises of Thames Valley-based listed businesses during April.

Oxford Technology VCT, which has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1997 and has raised millions of pounds to invest in seed companies, recently sold its stake in one of its investee companies – Meciria – for £2.2 million with possible additional sums due over the next four years.

Meciria has been developing a drill steering tool that, if successful, would enable an oil company to save as much as 35% of the average $2m cost to drill a land- based shale gaswell. The effect of the initial cash income was to increase the net asset value of OT4 (Oxford Technology’s fourth venture) by 14.6 pence per share.

Oxford Biomedica, a biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development and commercialisation of innovative gene-based medicines, saw its share price rise after announcing a successfully study to assess the safety, efficacy and dose evaluation of a new drug in patients with mid-stage Parkinson’s disease.

Halma, the Amersham-based market leader in specialist electronic, safety and environmental technologies, topped the large company section after announcing two acquisitions and a disposal – all relating to the group's health and analysis sector. It bought Sensorex for £23.4m and Accutome for £12.5m, after selling Volumatic for £5.9m.

Large (over £1 billion) Closing price

HALMA SPECTRIS GLAXOSMITHKLINE

RECKITT BENCKISER GROUP ICTL.HTLS.GP. WOLSELEY CENTRICA

ULTRA ELECTRONICS HDG. ASHTEAD GROUP SEGRO

31/03/12 380.6 1803

1396.5 3533 1453 2384 316.4 1749 258.4 234.8

Closing price 30/04/12 405.1 1886 1425 3587 1467 2343 306.9 1684 248.5 221.1

Medium (£250 million to £1 billion) Closing price

TT ELECTRONICS ELEMENTIS GENUS

DE LA RUE

GALLIFORD TRY SHANKS GROUP FIDESSA GROUP KOFAX

ELECTROCOMP. DAIRY CREST

31/03/12 162.75 184.6 1275 900 625

98.75 1655 306

247.8 333.1

PINEWOOD SHEPPERTON NANOCO GROUP FUTURA MEDICAL SINCLAIR PHARMA RM

RWS HOLDINGS ACAL

ZINCOX RESOURCES MICROGEN

ALBEMARLE & BOND HDG.

31/03/12 278.5 61 95

25.13 77.5

522.5 215 79

145.5 349

Sub £50 million Closing price

OXFORD TECHNOLOGY VCT ANGLE

OXFORD BIOMEDICA

REDHOT MEDIA INTL.(DI) LOK'N STORE GROUP HMV GROUP STARVEST PIPEHAWK

TRIAD GROUP TALENT GROUP

31/03/12 16.5 47

3.1 48.5

100.5 4.5

9.75 3.75 9 3

THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012

Closing price 30/04/12 190

208.1 1412 975.5 653

92.5 1550 286

227.7 301

Small (£50 million to £250 million) Closing price

Closing price 30/04/12 357.5 69.5 103 27 83

512.5 205 74

134.5 319

Closing price 30/04/12 22.5 61

3.98 57.5

114.5 3.75 7.75 2.75 6.5

2.13

Change in share price 6.4% 4.6% 2.0% 1.5% 1.0% -1.7% -3.0% -3.7% -3.8% -5.8%

Change in share price 16.7% 12.7% 10.7% 8.4% 4.5% -6.3% -6.3% -6.5% -8.1% -9.6%

Change in share price 28.4% 13.9% 8.4% 7.4% 7.1% -1.9% -4.7% -6.3% -7.6% -8.6%

Change in share price 36.4% 29.8% 28.4% 18.6% 13.9% -16.7% -20.5% -26.7% -27.8% -29.0%

From left: John Heath, MD FreeGo Electric Bikes, Jamie Coker, second year student, Charles Baxter, MD Electric Power Bike Company

Bucks New University, in partnership with marketing and training consultancy Sound Solutions Marketing, has developed an innovative new scheme to help local businesses secure free help from talented individuals to undertake entrepreneurial activities which support business growth.

Entitled Enterprise Projects, this exciting initiative helps students studying entrepreneurship gain real, first-hand experience of working in a business environment. Their course work is based on developing and implementing real activity needed by a real business, and the students benefit by being able to reference genuine experience on their CV, helping to better prepare them for new career opportunities when they leave university.

At the same time the company benefits by getting access to emerging talent and fresh ideas, and free work that they otherwise would not have the time to undertake.

One such innovative partnership arrangement is the six-month Enterprise Projects module which BA (Hons) Business and Finance and BA (Hons) Business and Sports Management students have been working on with companies selling electric bikes.

The students are working with FreeGo Electric Bikes and Electric Power Bike Company (EPB) to produce a marketing plan and help shape business ideas to boost sales.

Passers-by and other students took a turn trying out the bikes

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in a showcase event outside the University’s High Wycombe Campus, which was attended by Charles Baxter of EPB and John Heath, of FreeGo Electric Bikes.

Student Joshua Goncalves said: “This is great experience of working with a client, coming up with a business plan and receiving first- hand experience of working life. It is also raising awareness of a quite little-known mode of transport.”

Charles Baxter said: “I hope that by working together we are both gaining something from this partnership, and we can thrive on the bright ideas and enthusiasm of the students. We have been very impressed with the students’ efforts.”

The project is being undertaken by second year students with clients on a variety of projects. Students are assessed on areas including: quality of engagement with the client; research and understanding of the problem/opportunity; and solution development and application.

The University is looking for other businesses that would like to take part during the academic year from 2012-13.

Details: Helen Cope, senior lecturer, department of business & management at Bucks New University helen.cope@bucks.ac.uk

Skills focus

Companies get on their bikes with Bucks enterprise students

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