STOCK WATCH: Working from home may not be a game changer

You might think that with everyone stuck indoors – and kids glued to their consoles – a video gaming company would be raking it in at the moment. Not necessarily.

The demand might be there, but video games companies are struggling to develop new products remotely.

That has played into the hands of Keywords Studios. The company – one of AIM’s biggest with a market capitalisation at close to £1billion – is effectively an outsourcer that helps developers test out their games, and provides production services such as artwork.

At the end of last month, the firm said it would be holding back its annual results after the City watchdog asked companies to delay posting their reports until they could factor in effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keywords said that while demand from most of its big clients was high, it did not have the resources to meet it. With its results now due on Thursday, we may get an update on guidance for this year.

Scribblers at the broker Peel Hunt have slashed their profit forecasts for this year and next by 27 and 12 per cent respectively. In the current circumstances, that would be better than most.

Brooks Macdonald

Investment management firms have taken a beating in recent weeks, and the stock market slump will separate the wheat from the chaff.

Brooks Macdonald will update investors on its performance amid the turmoil this coming Thursday.

Last month, the company reported it had funds under management of £13.1billion at the end of December. That figure is likely to have plunged. The question is – by how much?

Analysts are talking of a drop of about £2billion or 15 per cent. Any less than that and Brooks’ managers will have earned their stripes.

Burford Capital

What next for private investor favourite Burford Capital? Under attack on two fronts – coronavirus and short-seller Muddy Waters – the legal firm must be keen to raise more cash to finance its cases.

Burford is a slightly unusual firm – so that would mean tapping up external investors to buy into one of its private funds, rather than issuing new shares in the listed company. Peel Hunt analysts say when Burford finally releases its annual results, they will be curious to see if it gives an update on its plan.

They say smaller listed rival Litigation Capital Management raised $150million last month for a new fund, even in this climate. The market is ‘receptive’, they reckon.

Tiziana Life Sciences 

There has been a scramble among smaller AIM biotech companies to come up with potential treatments for corona-virus.

One of the firms is Tiziana Life Sciences, which is listed on London’s junior market and on Nasdaq.

The shares were in demand on Thursday when it said it had developed new technology to treat Covid-19 infections.

I understand the company, which raised $10million last month in the US, is set to ramp up its efforts by repurposing a new drug to see if it’ll help corona-virus patients.

One to keep an eye on this week.