Shares in Cambridge Cognition Holdings PLC (LON:COG) tanked in early trading Wednesday after the group forecast a wider loss for the full year as a new accounting standard impacted its reported revenues.
In a trading update, the neuroscience technology firm said it had adopted the IFRS15 financial standard on revenue recognition which had resulted in “a short-term adverse impact on the financial performance of the Company”.
Wider loss predicted
As a result of the new standard, revenues for the full year were expected to be in the region of £6mln, down from £6.7mln in 2017 while the annual loss was forecast to widen to £1.5mln from a £0.3mln loss last year.
However, Cambridge said there were a number of “materially significant contracts” that were expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2019, with its order book forecast at £5.6mln at the end of 2018, up 40% on 2017 and total sales up to £7.6mln from £5.1mln.
This wasn’t enough to assuage investors, as shares plunged 28% to 72.5p shortly after the open.
The company added that its cash balance at the end of the year was expected to be around £800,000, down from £1.9mln in 2017.
Forecasts under review but “strong leading indicators” for growth, says broker
In a note to clients, analysts at City broker finnCap placed their target price for the firm under review, saying the loss forecast was over double its own estimates of a £600,000 loss while the expected cash balance was below its £1.5mln forecast.
However, the broker added that there were “Strong leading indicators” that supported “an acceleration in medium-term growth; for example, a 40% increase in the expected order book at 31 December (£5.6mln vs. £4mln) and the 49% increase in sales order intake in 2018 (c.£7.6mln vs £5.1mln)”.
Cambridge Cognition is expected to report its results for the year ended 31 December 2018 on 21 March 2019.