tiprankstipranks
Trending News
More News >
EPE Special Opportunities PLC (GB:ESO)
LSE:ESO

EPE Special Opportunities (ESO) AI Stock Analysis

Compare
4 Followers

Top Page

GB:ESO

EPE Special Opportunities

(LSE:ESO)

Select Model
Select Model
Select Model
Neutral 52 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:52Neutral
Price Target:
149.00p
▲(0.68% Upside)
The score is held back primarily by volatile profitability and uneven cash-flow history, despite a comparatively solid balance sheet. Technically the stock trends slightly positive versus moving averages, but overbought momentum indicators add near-term risk. Valuation is difficult to support with a negative P/E and no dividend yield data, while recent buybacks provide only a modest positive.
Positive Factors
Strong Balance Sheet
A strong balance sheet with no debt and substantial cash reserves provides financial stability and flexibility for future investments and growth.
Strategic Share Buybacks
Share buybacks indicate proactive capital management, potentially enhancing shareholder value and reflecting confidence in the company's financial health.
Revenue Growth Potential
Strong revenue growth potential suggests effective turnaround strategies and successful operational improvements in portfolio companies.
Negative Factors
Volatile Financial Performance
Inconsistent revenue and profit generation indicate operational challenges, affecting the predictability of financial performance and investor confidence.
Operational Inefficiencies
Negative EBIT margins suggest operational inefficiencies, which could hinder profitability and require strategic improvements to enhance long-term viability.
Cash Flow Volatility
Volatile cash flow poses liquidity risks and challenges in sustaining operations, necessitating better cash management strategies for stability.

EPE Special Opportunities (ESO) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)

EPE Special Opportunities Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionEPE Special Opportunities plc specializes in middle market, growth capital, distressed, pre-IPO, special situations, turnaround, PIPES, and buyouts. It also does secondary direct and secondary indirect investing. The fund typically invests in consumer and retail, financial services, manufacturing, media and support services sectors including education, healthcare and social housing. It prefers to invest in United Kingdom. It seeks to invest between $2 million and $30 million in small and medium enterprises. The fund invests privately as well as publicly. The fund seeks to exit its investments between one year and five years and take minority positions.
How the Company Makes MoneyEPE Special Opportunities (ESO) makes money primarily through capital appreciation and realized returns on its investments. The company invests in distressed or special situation assets with the potential for turnaround and growth. Once these assets or companies are acquired, ESO implements strategic changes to improve their operational efficiency and financial health, thereby increasing their market value. ESO generates revenue by selling these revitalized assets at a higher price than their acquisition cost. Additionally, ESO may earn income through management fees charged to their investors, as well as performance fees if the returns exceed certain benchmarks. Significant partnerships with financial institutions and other investment firms can also contribute to ESO's earnings by providing additional capital and resources for larger or more complex deals.

EPE Special Opportunities Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Mixed fundamentals: a relatively strong, conservatively financed balance sheet is offset by highly volatile earnings (including a large 2023 loss and unusual profitability line-item relationships) and historically inconsistent cash generation that only recently turned positive.
Income Statement
34
Negative
Results are highly volatile. After very strong profitability in 2020–2022, the company swung to a large loss in 2023, then recovered to a small profit in 2025 (annual) but with negative gross profit and unusually large gaps between gross profit, EBIT and EBITDA—suggesting earnings quality and comparability issues year to year. Revenue also appears unstable (including a negative revenue year in 2023), which increases uncertainty despite the latest year showing positive revenue growth.
Balance Sheet
72
Positive
The balance sheet looks conservatively financed overall, with low debt relative to equity in most years and equity remaining large versus total assets. Leverage did rise meaningfully in 2025 (annual) versus 2023–2024, but debt still appears manageable against the equity base. Return on equity has been weak recently (near zero in 2025 and negative in 2024–2023), which tempers an otherwise solid balance-sheet profile.
Cash Flow
41
Neutral
Cash generation is inconsistent. Operating and free cash flow were negative in 2020–2023, then turned positive in 2024 and improved further in 2025 (annual). However, the growth rate in free cash flow shows a sharp decline in 2025 versus 2024, and the multi-year history suggests cash flow is not yet stable enough to fully support a higher score.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue499.76K709.75K366.66K-41.17M8.11M39.70M
Gross Profit-616.00K-1.25M-1.52M-41.48M7.79M37.70M
EBITDA-6.52M81.62K-396.00K-43.53M6.05M38.57M
Net Income-7.55M81.62K-396.00K-43.84M5.73M38.25M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets100.92M111.64M115.26M122.73M168.17M145.31M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments6.58M11.07M19.72M22.23M27.55M27.85M
Total Debt3.99M15.02M3.99M3.99M23.56M3.96M
Total Liabilities15.97M15.67M18.38M25.31M24.54M4.62M
Stockholders Equity84.95M95.97M96.88M97.42M143.62M140.69M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow-2.41M1.70M906.35K-2.10M-3.23M-2.89M
Operating Cash Flow-2.41M1.70M906.35K-2.10M-3.23M-2.89M
Investing Cash Flow-2.53M0.003.08M673.93K-12.89M8.29M
Financing Cash Flow-6.84M-5.09M-8.67M-2.92M16.11M-3.15M

EPE Special Opportunities Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price148.00
Price Trends
50DMA
147.58
Positive
100DMA
145.38
Positive
200DMA
146.91
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
0.15
Negative
RSI
63.14
Neutral
STOCH
57.04
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:ESO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 148 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 147.05, above the 50-day MA of 147.58, and above the 200-day MA of 146.91, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.15 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 63.14 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 57.04 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for GB:ESO.

EPE Special Opportunities Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
67
Neutral
£19.90M8.99-79.36%78.16%
52
Neutral
-5.28-8.38%-21.24%-316.54%
48
Neutral
£1.84M-1.46-32.31%-100.66%84.15%
48
Neutral
£5.13M-8.37-12.33%
40
Underperform
£443.01K-0.43-96.59%93.69%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
GB:ESO
EPE Special Opportunities
148.00
5.00
3.50%
GB:JADE
Jade Road Investments
115.00
-75.00
-39.47%
GB:BLU
Blue Star Capital
9.00
-0.50
-5.26%
GB:TRUE
Braveheart Investment
2.35
-2.65
-53.00%
GB:MAFL
Mineral & Financial Investments
52.50
37.00
238.71%
GB:PRIM
Primorus Investments
4.10
0.10
2.50%

EPE Special Opportunities Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Ends 2025 Share Buy-Back Programme After Significant Repurchases
Neutral
Dec 22, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has halted further buy-backs of its ordinary shares and zero dividend preference shares after an active repurchase programme in 2025. Since mid-October, the company has acquired 436,106 ordinary shares and 1,458,628 ZDP shares, contributing to a total of 1,819,893 ordinary shares repurchased during the year, equivalent to 6.2% of the free float at the start of the period. Following these transactions, 27,779,967 ordinary shares and 8,041,372 ZDP shares remain in issue excluding treasury holdings, where the company now holds 7,134,600 ordinary shares and 11,958,628 ZDP shares, signalling a materially adjusted capital base that may affect liquidity, voting rights distribution and capital structure dynamics for investors.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Purchases Own Shares
Neutral
Dec 4, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in financial transactions, announced the purchase of 2,250 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 145.00 pence per share. These shares will be held in treasury, affecting the total number of shares available for voting rights calculations. This move is part of the company’s strategy to manage its share capital effectively, potentially impacting its market positioning and shareholder value.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Expands Treasury Holdings with Share Repurchase
Neutral
Dec 2, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company that deals with financial investments, has announced the repurchase of 1,308,628 zero dividend preference shares at a weighted average price of 122.44 pence per share. This transaction, executed by Panmure Liberum Limited, increases the company’s treasury holdings to 11,958,628 shares, potentially impacting its financial strategy and market positioning.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Expands Treasury Holdings with ZDP Share Purchase
Neutral
Dec 1, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited announced the purchase of 150,000 zero dividend preference shares at a weighted average price of 122.39 pence per share. This transaction, executed on 28 November 2025, increases the company’s treasury holdings to 10,650,000 ZDP Shares, reflecting its ongoing strategy to manage its share capital effectively.

Stock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Repurchases Own Shares
Neutral
Nov 27, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited announced the repurchase of 5,000 of its own shares at a price of 148.00 pence per share, which will be held in treasury. This transaction affects the total number of shares in issue, with 27,782,217 shares remaining in circulation and 7,132,350 shares held in treasury, impacting the company’s voting rights calculations and potentially its market positioning.

Stock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Buys Back Shares
Positive
Nov 25, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited announced the purchase of 6,165 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 148.00 pence per share, which will be held in treasury. This transaction reduces the number of shares in circulation, potentially increasing the value of remaining shares and impacting the company’s market positioning by consolidating ownership.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Repurchases Shares
Positive
Nov 20, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has announced the repurchase of 15,000 of its own shares at a price of 148.00 pence each. These shares will be held in treasury, adjusting the total number of shares in issue to 27,793,382. This move is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to manage its capital structure and potentially enhance shareholder value.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Repurchases Shares to Hold in Treasury
Positive
Nov 13, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has announced the repurchase of 1,001 of its own shares at a price of 145.00 pence per share. These shares will be held in treasury, affecting the total number of shares in circulation, which now stands at 27,808,382. This transaction is part of the company’s strategy to manage its share capital and potentially enhance shareholder value by reducing the number of shares available in the market.

Stock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Repurchases Shares
Neutral
Nov 11, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has announced the repurchase of 5,000 of its own shares at a price of 145.00 pence each, which will be held in treasury. This transaction adjusts the number of shares in circulation and impacts the calculation of voting rights, reflecting the company’s ongoing management of its equity structure.

Stock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Acquires Own Shares
Neutral
Nov 7, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited announced the purchase of 5,000 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 144.00 pence per share, which will be held in treasury. This transaction adjusts the number of shares in issue not held in treasury to 27,814,383, potentially impacting the company’s voting rights and market positioning.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Repurchases Own Shares
Positive
Nov 6, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in financial transactions, has announced the repurchase of 5,000 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 145.00 pence per share. This transaction, conducted by Deutsche Numis on behalf of the company, results in a total of 27,819,383 Ordinary Shares remaining in circulation and 7,095,184 shares held in treasury. This move is part of the company’s strategy to manage its share capital and potentially enhance shareholder value.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Acquires Own Shares
Neutral
Nov 5, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in financial transactions, announced the purchase of 69,742 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 145.00 pence per share on 4 November 2025. These shares will be held in treasury, adjusting the total number of shares in circulation to 27,824,383. This move is part of the company’s strategic financial management, potentially impacting its market positioning by altering the number of shares available for trading.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Announces Share Repurchase
Neutral
Nov 4, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has announced the repurchase of 2,364 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 145.00 pence per share, which will be held in treasury. This transaction affects the company’s voting rights calculations, with 27,894,125 shares remaining in circulation and 7,020,442 shares held in treasury. The repurchase is part of the company’s ongoing strategy to manage its share capital, which could impact its market positioning and shareholder value.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Acquires Own Shares
Neutral
Oct 24, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in investment activities, announced the purchase of 5,000 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 141.07 pence per share, which will be held in treasury. This transaction affects the number of shares available for voting rights calculations, now totaling 27,896,489 shares not held in treasury, and reflects the company’s ongoing strategy to manage its share capital and potentially enhance shareholder value.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Announces Share Buyback
Neutral
Oct 20, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in investment activities, announced the repurchase of 64,922 of its own shares at an average price of 144.00 pence per share. These shares will be held in treasury, adjusting the total number of shares in circulation to 27,901,489. This strategic move is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to manage its capital structure and could potentially impact its market positioning by influencing the company’s share value and voting rights.

Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Limited Acquires Own Shares
Neutral
Oct 17, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited, a company involved in financial transactions, announced the purchase of 249,662 of its own shares at a weighted average price of 143.50 pence per share. These shares will be held in treasury, affecting the total number of shares in circulation and the calculation of voting rights. This move is part of the company’s strategic financial management, potentially impacting its market position and shareholder value.

Other
EPE Special Opportunities Announces Share Transactions by Key Stakeholders
Neutral
Oct 17, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited announced a series of transactions involving the purchase and sale of its ordinary shares by members of EPIC Investment Partners LLP, the company’s investment advisor. On October 16, 2025, a total of 12,312 ordinary shares were sold at a price of 143.50p per share. The transactions involved key figures such as Giles Brand, who purchased shares, and Hiren Patel, who sold shares. This movement in shares reflects internal adjustments by significant stakeholders and may influence the company’s market perception and shareholder dynamics.

Stock Buyback
EPE Special Opportunities Announces £3 Million Share Buyback Program
Neutral
Oct 16, 2025

EPE Special Opportunities Limited has announced a share buyback program for its ordinary and zero dividend preference shares, with plans to purchase up to £3,000,000 worth of shares. The buyback will be funded by the company’s cash reserves and aims to address the low liquidity levels of its shares, potentially exceeding 25% of the average daily trading volume on trading platforms. The company will conduct these buybacks through its brokers, Numis Securities Limited and Panmure Liberum Limited, and will adhere to relevant market regulations.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Dec 30, 2025