ALEX. SMITH METALS LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 48.5y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 48.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £40.0k | £40.2k |
| Cash | £146.0k | £146.2k |
| Net assets | £40.0k | £40.2k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2025-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-mediumaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-11📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2024-05-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-26📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2023-05-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2023-05-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2023-05-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-05-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-05-18📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-04-27➖SMITH, Andrew Cochrane resigneddirector
- 2022-05-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-01📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2019-03-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-03-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-groupaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-28📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2019-02-28📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2018-02-09➕SMITH, Kenneth Alexander appointeddirector
- 1999-01-22➕SMITH, Kenneth Alexander appointedsecretary
- 1999-01-22➖COOK, James Mcmurray resignedsecretary
- 1999-01-22➖COOK, James Mcmurray resigneddirector
- 1978-04-07🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
- 1977-10-10🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland
- 1970-12-11🏢Company incorporatedAs ALEX. SMITH METALS LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "SMITH" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 55 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
cleanGroup structure
Lowmac Alloys Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lowmac Alloys Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 27/04/2023 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Kenneth Alexander Smithceased 27/04/2023· 25-50% shares
- Mr Andrew Cochrane Smithceased 27/04/2023· 75-100% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Virgin Money Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company | Floating charge | 1 property | 07/04/1978 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Governor and Company of the Bank of Scotland | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 10/10/1977 | — |