Let’s be honest — it does look good when you’re trading “shares under ten” and you’ve got Rolls-Royce in your portfolio. Despite the prestigious name, this stock fully qualifies as a true penny stock. Shares Under Ten is adding 2,000 shares to the portfolio at the current price of around 97 pence. 5-Year Share Price Performance – Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. Company Profile The Rolls-Royce brand is, of course, best known for its luxury cars — but many may not realise that the automotive business has long been owned by BMW. Rolls-Royce Holdings plc, founded in 1884 and headquartered in London, operates independently and focuses on engineering and power systems. The company is structured into four divisions: Civil Aerospace, Power Systems, Defence, and New Markets. The Civil Aerospace division designs, manufactures, and services engines for large commercial aircraft, regional jets, and business aviation. The Power Systems division develops and sells integrated power and propulsion solutions for marine, defence, and selected industrial sectors. The Defence division supplies engines for military transport aircraft, patrol aircraft, and naval propulsion. The New Markets division focuses on small modular reactors (SMRs) and new electric energy solutions, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. The New Markets division is expected to play a key role in the global energy transition. Rolls-Royce is working to accelerate the launch of a new generation of mini nuclear reactors, a development fast-tracked by the ongoing energy crisis. While these SMRs aren’t expected to be operational before the early 2030s, management is eager to speed up the process, especially as Western nations seek to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels following the invasion of Ukraine.   However, engineers within the company have expressed frustration with the slow pace of regulatory approval in the UK, arguing that the government’s process for reviewing reactor safety is unnecessarily burdensome. Rolls-Royce aims to build SMRs that generate around 470 megawatts of power — just one-seventh the output of a large-scale nuclear plant, but at roughly one-twelfth the cost. The UK government has stated that the company’s technology is entirely new and must therefore undergo thorough scrutiny. Rolls-Royce engineers, however, point out that the technology is based on decades of experience in nuclear-powered submarines, a proven and extensively tested field.   Rolls-Royce cannot be acquired without government approval. The UK government holds a so-called “golden share,” which grants it special veto rights. This share does not offer profit participation or capital rights, but allows government representatives to attend general meetings and block specific strategic moves — such as takeover bids — that could affect national interests. Financials The UK’s most well-known engineering firm was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, as airlines pay Rolls-Royce based on the number of flight hours logged by its engines. Given these extraordinary circumstances, FY2020 and FY2021 are not considered reliable indicators of the company’s underlying performance. In 2021, Rolls-Royce reported £414 million in underlying operating profit, a sharp turnaround from a loss the previous year. Growth in the Power Systems and Defence divisions contributed significantly to this financial improvement. However, the company also reported a free cash outflow of £1.5 billion from continuing operations in the same year. CEO Warren East commented on the results: “We have improved our financial performance, met our short-term commitments, secured new business, and made important strategic progress during the year. While challenges remain, we are increasingly confident about the future and the significant commercial opportunities presented by the energy transition.” Rolls-Royce’s credit profile has improved since the onset of the pandemic, and its exposure to the Russia-Ukraine conflict remains limited. As a result, Moody’s upgraded the company’s outlook from negative to stable. Pros Strong visibility and predictability of earnings Stable margins in the Defence division New CEO Warren East is aiming to bring fresh momentum to the company Cons Loss of market share in the business jet segment Disappointing cash flow development High R&D costs for new engine programmes Conclusion We are not particularly enthusiastic about this stock. While management certainly shows no lack of ambition, those good intentions have yet to translate into improved results. The company appears to be spread too thin across too many markets — and it’s simply not possible to be best-in-class everywhere. A more focused approach would likely serve Rolls-Royce well. Divesting non-core activities and doubling down on key strengths could strengthen both performance and investor confidence. The business jet division, for example, already faced structural challenges before the energy crisis, and its outlook remains weak. A sale of this unit might be a sensible move — especially if a solid price can still be secured. Back in August 2021, management announced it was open to selling assets such as ITP Aero, the turbine blade manufacturer, in an effort to raise at least £2 billion. Strategic asset sales like these may be necessary to unlock value and refocus the company. Third-Party Analyst Ratings for Rolls-Royce.   Globally, twenty analysts currently cover Rolls-Royce Holdings, and the consensus view is that the stock could gain around 28% over the next 12 to 18 months. At Shares Under Ten, we believe the share price has likely found a bottom, and we’re taking this opportunity to add the stock to our portfolio. Naturally, we’ll be monitoring developments closely. A takeover seems highly unlikely under current circumstances. Rolls-Royce plays a vital role in the UK defence sector, and the government holds a golden share that gives it veto power over any unwanted acquisition. In addition, ceding control over Rolls-Royce’s expertise in modular nuclear reactors would run counter to the UK’s long-term energy policy. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been a strong advocate for nuclear energy and clearly sees the company’s know-how as a strategic national asset — especially amid the current energy crisis.Takeover rumours have surfaced before. Rolls-Royce was the subject of M&A speculation both in 2015 and again in 2020. However, following a series of profit warnings in 2015, the stock price fell by around 75%, and its recovery

This is a chance we simply can’t ignore. We’re looking at a company with a market cap of around €2.5 billion, while one of its divisions is about to be sold for a stunning €2.3 billion in cash. That means investors are set to receive a substantial portion of their investment back through a special dividend. And the best part? The company’s profitable growth engine – its B2B division – remains entirely under Playtech’s control. What’s left is a healthy, cash-rich tech company with a strong foothold in regulated gambling markets and plenty of room for further growth. Figure 1. Playtech share price performance over the past five years. Source: Google. Founding Playtech was founded in 1999 in Estonia by Israeli entrepreneur Teddy Sagi. Together with a team of software developers, multimedia experts, and professionals from the casino industry, he developed a comprehensive software platform for online gambling. From the outset, the company focused on B2B services, providing technology to online casinos, poker rooms, bingo sites, and sports betting platforms. Although Playtech was established in Estonia, it had an international outlook from the beginning and quickly expanded throughout Europe. The decision to go public in the UK was strategic: London offered an attractive platform for high-growth tech companies, including international ones. In 2006, Playtech went public, raising approximately £312 million with a valuation of around £550 million. The proceeds were used to fund international expansion, acquisitions, and continued product development. In 2007, Mor Weizer was appointed CEO—a role he continues to hold to this day. Under his leadership, Playtech has grown into one of the world’s leading gambling software providers. Business Activities Today, Playtech is a major global technology supplier to the gambling industry, offering a wide range of products and services. The company provides software solutions for both online and land-based casinos, sports betting, poker, bingo, lotteries, and live casino games. A key component of its offering is the IMS platform (Information Management Solution), which allows clients to manage all player data, payments, marketing, and game content from a single system. Playtech also operates dedicated live casino studios and develops its own slot machines and table games. Sports betting technology is offered through its subsidiary, Playtech BGT Sports. In addition to its B2B services, Playtech also operates B2C activities. Through its subsidiary Snaitech, the company offers gambling services directly to consumers in Italy, both online and in physical outlets. Sale of Snaitech In September 2024, Playtech announced the sale of its entire stake in Snaitech to Flutter Entertainment for €2.3 billion in cash. Snaitech is Playtech’s B2C arm, active in Italy in both online gambling and retail sports betting. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025. The sale aligns with Playtech’s strategy to fully focus on its fast-growing and highly profitable B2B operations. By divesting Snaitech—which is more capital-intensive and less scalable—the company sharpens its focus on technology and platform services for regulated gambling markets worldwide. Caliplay Agreement Also in September 2024, Playtech announced a new strategic agreement with Caliplay, its joint venture with Caliente in Mexico. The collaboration is being restructured, giving Playtech a 30.8% stake in a new U.S.-based holding company called Cali Interactive, which will focus on the rapidly growing regulated gambling market in the United States. The agreement ends a years-long legal dispute over contract terms and outstanding payments. For Playtech, the deal means direct revenues from Caliplay service fees will cease, but it gains the prospect of dividend income from Cali Interactive and a strategic position to participate in U.S. market growth. 2024 Results On March 27 (pre-market), Playtech reported its full-year 2024 results. The B2C division—mainly consisting of Snaitech—saw only 2% revenue growth. Margins were around 24.5%, lower than in B2B, and future growth is limited due to market saturation and increased regulation. The B2C model is also capital-intensive, requiring investment in retail outlets, marketing, and absorbing the risk of sports results. While Snaitech remains profitable, it offers limited scalability and few international expansion opportunities. In contrast, the B2B division performed strongly. In 2024, B2B revenue rose by 10%, and EBITDA grew by 22%, with the margin increasing to 29.4%. Growth was driven primarily by North and South America, including a doubling of revenue in the U.S. Client concentration also improved: the top five customers accounted for 42% of revenue in 2024, down from 51% a year earlier—making the revenue base more stable and less reliant on a handful of large clients. Looking ahead, management expects adjusted EBITDA of €250 to €300 million from 2025 onwards, with annual free cash flow of €70 to €100 million. These figures reflect only the remaining B2B operations, as Snaitech is being sold and Caliplay is now a minority holding. Growth in Online Casinos Both Europe and the United States are experiencing strong growth in the online gambling market, creating attractive opportunities for Playtech. According to a recent report by the EGBA and H2 Gambling Capital, Europe’s gambling market reached a gross gaming revenue of €123.4 billion in 2024, up 5% from 2023. Online gambling was the main driver, increasing by roughly 12% to €47.9 billion. Online now represents 39% of the total gambling revenue in Europe. This growth has been fueled in part by the legalization and regulation of online gambling in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, where online casinos are gaining popularity and taking market share from land-based venues. The U.S. online gambling market also continues to expand rapidly, according to the State of the States 2024 report by the American Gaming Association. In 2023, the U.S. gambling market posted record revenue of $66.6 billion, a 10% year-on-year increase. While traditional casinos still account for the largest share—around $49.4 billion—it is the new formats like online sports betting and online casinos that are growing fastest. Online casino games generated $6.17 billion in revenue, a 28% increase from the previous year, driven by continued legalization and regulation at the state level. Strategy Figure 2. Playtech’s global B2B strategy.

The Dutch staffing company Brunel is a globally operating specialist employment agency, active in various fields, including energy, engineering and IT. Brunel distinguishes itself from its competitors by its focus on highly qualified specialists and niche markets, such as the oil and gas industry and renewable energy, combined with a strong global presence. Employment agencies are generally considered early cyclical. This is because companies are more likely to hire temporary staff during an economic recovery before they hire permanent employees. Conversely, temporary workers are often the first to be laid off during an economic downturn. Although the results are not looking good at the moment and there is no concrete recovery visible yet, the share is trading at a low valuation and pays an attractive dividend. Sharesunderten believes that Brunel should not be listed for less than ten euros and is therefore quickly seizing this opportunity and advising its members to do the same. Brunel share price development over the past year. Source: Google. CEO change Early July it was announced that the current CEO, Jilko Andringa, will step down at the end of this year. It has also been announced that Peter de Laat will be appointed CEO as of October 1, 2024. De Laat has been working at Brunel since 2012 and has fulfilled the role of CFO since 2014. He knows the company well and looks forward to further strengthening Brunel and leading the developments in the industry and markets. In the meantime, the Supervisory Board is looking for a successor to his current position as CFO. Results Table 1 shows the results of the first half year. Despite a strong turnover growth of 7.9% compared to last year, gross profit remains the same, causing the gross profit margin to decrease by 150 basis points. As a result, EBIT decreases by €2 million to €25 million, which is 7.4% lower than in the first half of 2023. (in million euros) H1 2024 H1 2023 Difference Turnover 696 645 7,9% Gross profit 134 134 0,0% Gross profit margin 19,3% 20,8% -1,5% Ebit 25 27 -7,4% Ebitmarge 3,6% 4,2% -0,6% Net profit 15 16 -6,3% Net profit per share € 0,30 € 0,32 -6,3% Table 1. The results of the past six months. The results speak for themselves: Brunel is struggling. Despite rising turnover, profits are falling, partly due to inflationary pressure. The challenges in Germany and Asia are also not helping to improve the situation. However, ING analysts expect EBIT to grow by double digits next calendar year. In addition, Brunel’s management is counting on recovery from 2025. Cost savings In response to challenging market conditions across several regions, Brunel has announced significant cost savings to strengthen profitability. The company is implementing a cost savings plan worth €20 million, which equates to approximately 10% of operating costs. These savings are being driven by digital investments, including improvements to Brunel’s global IT infrastructure, which will increase efficiency and reduce support functions and management layers, without affecting sales capacity. The company expects part of these savings (€4-5 million) to be visible in the second half of 2024, while the remaining amount (€14-15 million) will be realised in 2025. This plan is aimed at improving the conversion ratios (the ratio of EBIT to gross profit), which have so far lagged behind the targets. Through these measures, Brunel expects to be able to realise profit growth, even in the event of continued weakness in markets such as Germany. Risks in Germany and delays in Asia Brunel faces significant challenges in both Germany and Asia, two important markets for the company. In Germany, market conditions remain weak, particularly in the automotive sector, where volumes are declining and margins are being squeezed. This is causing continued uncertainty and is negatively impacting revenue growth. Despite cost-saving measures, no rapid recovery is expected in Germany in the coming quarters. In Asia, Brunel is facing project delays in the conventional energy sector, with completions pushed back to early 2025. These delays have negatively impacted growth expectations for this region in 2024. While the long-term outlook, particularly in the renewable energy sector, remains positive, these short-term challenges are having a dampening effect on both profitability and growth in both regions. Renewable energy Brunel sees significant growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector, which is playing an increasingly important role in its strategy. Despite delays to some projects in Asia, the renewable energy project pipeline remains strong. This sector is seen as a key driver of future growth, with a robust order book for the remainder of 2024 and beyond. The focus on sustainable energy not only provides Brunel with the opportunity to capitalise on global energy transitions, but also to benefit from the increasing investment in green energy infrastructure. With major projects planned for 2025, Brunel expects its renewable energy activities to make a significant contribution to medium-term earnings growth. Reason for confidence Sharesunderonetientje sees strong opportunities in the sectors in which Brunel operates. Energy, and in particular renewable energy, is expected to experience significant growth. Brunel’s strategic focus on these sectors, combined with its global expertise and strong order pipeline, gives us confidence that the company is well positioned to benefit from the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions. In addition, Brunel’s cost-saving measures, which are improving margins and conversion rates, provide a solid basis for profit growth, even in challenging markets such as Germany and Asia. The combination of these factors makes us positive about Brunel’s future. Assessment and conclusion Although no concrete recovery is visible in the results over the past half year and management itself does not expect this to happen in the next six months, Sharesunderten believes that investors are currently assuming a worst-case scenario. Analysts state that even in a full recession in Germany, the EBIT of the entire company will still grow by double digits in 2025. With an expected net profit per share of €1.03 in 2025 and €1.21 in 2026, the price-earnings ratios for those years come to