Berkeley Energia Limited (LON:BKY), up 30% at 38p, was the top riser in after it received a favourable ruling from Spain’s Supreme Court.
The company has yet to put out an announcement to the London stock exchange, despite the sharp share price increase but according to a Spanish web site (filtered through a translation service), an appeal against the authorisation of its uranium plant in Salamanca has been rejected.
The court determined there was not “sufficient justification” for the appeal.
2.00pm: Marechale Capital slides as company issues huge wodge of options to directors
Marechale Capital PLC (LON:MAC) eased 3.2% to 1.06p after it granted options over 4.35mln shares to directors Patrick Booth-Clibborn and Mark Warde-Norbury.
The options may be exercised at 1.25p, a price at which the shares were trading as recently as October.
If all of the options are exercised, Marechale will have to issue new shares equivalent to roughly 7.55% of its current issued share price.
1.00pm: Arix lifted by news from its portfolio company, Atox Bio
Arix Bioscience PLC (LON:ARIX) surged 8.9% to 195p after some hot news from its portfolio company, Atox Bio.
Atix has had a new drug application accepted by US regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, for reltecimod, an immunotherapy treatment for organ failure in patients suffering from the “flesh-eating” disorder NSTI.
NSTI or necrotizing soft tissue infection is a rare, life-threatening disease that can travel quickly from the infection site and requires frequent, rapid surgical intervention to remove dead and infected tissue to stop further progression and the need for amputation.
12.05pm: French Connection enjoys post-lockdown sales rush
French Connection Group PLC (LON:FCCN) was up 12% at 11.2p after it said trading has been “encouraging” since its stores reopened in England and Wales.
The clothing retailer said trading in the early part of its second half was “in line” with expectations; however, it suffered declines in footfall in September due to tightening restrictions during the second wave of COVID-19, a situation that has been compounded by full closure in November as the second lockdown began.
French Connection added its e-commerce channels were continuing to “trade positively” despite adopting a less promotional stance compared to last year, adding that its wholesale business has also performed well with its major online customers continuing to trade and take deliveries. The company also said orders for Spring 2021 were ahead of its expectations.
11.05am: Altitude Group dives as it delays publication of its interims
Altitude Group PLC (LON:ALT) dived 12% to 15.01p after it said the promotional products industry continues to experience COVID-19 related disruption.
The company, which operates a marketplace for personalised products, said cash collection timescales on the marketplace are lengthening, which means Altitude has to wait longer to recognise its commission as revenues.
Because of this, the company has decided it would be prudent to delay the publication of its results for the six months to the end of September. Altitude said the results would be out before the end of January 2021.
10.10am: Upbeat outlook statement lifts Anglesey
Anglesey Mining PLC (LON:AYM) jumped 9.1% to 6p after an upbeat outlook statement in its half-year report.
The company said it is “much encouraged” by a positive outlook for commodity prices and “increased investor interest” over the last few months and the group added that it has made advances on several fronts.
Anglesey said it is confident that a rise in iron ore prices will continue and that the fundamentals driving the rise in commodity prices will “provide solid support” for its projects.
9.15am: TruFin the top riser as Lloyds Banking signs up for invoicing pilot scheme
TruFin PLC (LON:TRU), up 28% at 57.5p, was the top riser in early trade on Friday after Lloyds Bank licensed its invoicing software.
The banking giant is to run a six-month pilot scheme using the online invoice finance and cash flow management system run by TruFin subsidiary Satago.
If the pilot scheme is successful it is expected to lead to a five-year commercial agreement.
Meanwhile, Volution Group PLC (LON:FAN) blew 7% higher to 273p on the back of a positive trading update from the ventilation specialist.
Group revenues were £90.7mln in the first four months of the financial year, up 6.8% on a like-for-like and constant currency basis.
Group activity has performed consistently well in each of the four months and this level of activity coupled with some operational fine-tuning and streamlining initiatives has enabled the group to achieve its adjusted operating margin target of 20% a full eight months earlier than expected.
Proactive news headlines:
Genel Energy PLC (LON:GENL) said it has received notice from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that override payments, whereby the company receives 4.5% of monthly Tawke gross field revenues, will resume with the January 2021 invoice, to be paid in February 2021. Assuming the prevailing oil price, this translates into over $5mln of additional cash proceeds every month.
Crossword Cybersecurity PLC (LON:CCS) said it is working with the Sultan Qaboos University in Oman as well as the UK Oman Digital Hub to develop a series of technical cybersecurity challenges for the qualifying rounds of the national cybersecurity capture the flag tournament, due to take place on January 14, 2021. The AIM-listed firm said the competition will see students from across the region use their cybersecurity skills and learn from their peers, with topics in the competition to include web security, digital forensics, reverse engineering, network security and cryptography. Crossword noted that the contest forms part of a wider programme in Oman to promote cybersecurity as a career and build a cyber eco-system through coherent initiatives across education, economy and government.
Westminster Group PLC (LON:WSG) said its guarding subsidiary, Keyguard UK, has expanded its guarding and security services to one of the UK’s leading home builders. The contract, which extends a relationship that started in 2018, is valued at more than £750,000 over three years, starting from the beginning of 2021. Keyguard will provide static and mobile guarding and security services at one of the home builders’ many sites in the UK.
Zaim Credit Systems PLC (LON:ZAIM), the Russian small loans specialist, has said it continues to exceed expectations with another record month for the online business in November. Amounts funded online rose by 63% to £854,000 in November from September’s level and are up 490% since June. The amount funded offline totalled £303,000, down 17% since September as the lender’s focus switches to its online business.
DeepVerge PLC (LON:DVRG) said a new R&D service designed to quickly validate the impact of ingredients such as probiotics and prebiotics on the skin microbiome has enjoyed significant success. ‘Soft launched’ in August, it has already generated £400,000 in completed sales in the fourth-quarter having inked agreements with 10 new clients that had previously not used the company’s Labskin offering. The deals include framework master services agreements with two of the world’s largest suppliers of consumer products related to skincare, DeepVerge revealed.
U.S. Oil & Gas PLC, the oil and gas exploration company with assets in Nevada, said it has successfully plugged the Eblana-9 well, with the site now ready for remediation. The group said its technical team is currently reviewing downhole data from the Eblana-9 well, along with all previously collected and analysed data, to revise the company’s picture of the oil system in the East and to identify possible additional drill targets. During the Eblana-9 drill, downhole data fully corroborated the pre-drill interpretation of the 2-D seismic lines used to target the well. Structures were encountered as predicted by the interpretation. The company said it believes this development is highly significant, as it greatly increases confidence in the potential of existing seismic lines to accurately identify structures of interest.
Anglesey Mining PLC (LON:AYM) said it is “much encouraged” by a positive outlook for commodity prices and “increased investor interest” over the last few months and the group added that it has made advances on many fronts. In an outlook statement accompanying its results for the six months to September 30, 2020, the company said it is confident that a rise in iron ore prices, as well as other base and precious metals due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic “, will continue” and that the fundamentals driving the rise in commodity prices will “provide solid support” for its projects.
Inspired Energy PLC (LON:INSE) said it has completed the disposal of its SME division to its management team by way of a buyout for a total consideration of up to £10.5mln. The energy procurement consultant said the sale will enable it to focus exclusively on its strategy of providing expert assurance and utility cost optimisation services to corporate energy consumers. Inspired said it considered the SME division to be a “non-core activity”, contributing 7% of total revenues during the first half of 2020, and that the division’s performance had also been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
ReNeuron Group PLC (LON:RENE), a UK-based global leader in the development of cell-based therapeutics, announced that it has conditionally raised total gross proceeds of approximately £2.5mln through the open offer announced on November 23, 2020, representing the full amount proposed. Accordingly, the company has conditionally raised total gross proceeds of approximately £17.5mln (before expenses) in aggregate by way of the placing and subscription and the open offer. In a statement, Olav Hellebø, chief executive officer of ReNeuron, commented: “Our thanks go to the shareholders that participated in this Open Offer, which has resulted in a total of £17.5 million gross being raised in this significantly over-subscribed fundraising. We are at a very exciting time in the development of the Company. During the months ahead, we will continue to advance our pioneering Phase 2a clinical study in retinitis pigmentosa, including the opening of a UK trial site, and to deliver further clinical data. We will also pursue licensing deals from our exosome platform and from our induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology with the overall objective of creating significant value in the year ahead.”
genedrive PLC (LON:GDR), the near-patient molecular diagnostics company, announced that BGF Investments Ltd has exercised its right to convert the remaining £1,500,000 of its Loan Note Instrument into new ordinary shares of 1.5p each in the company. Following this conversion, the company will be debt-free. Under the terms of the conversion, BGF will be allotted and issued 6,718,022 new genedrive ordinary shares and will also be paid approximately £226,000 in cash reflecting the accrued interest owed on this tranche of the loan.
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd. (LON:FOG) (CVE: FO) said that at its general & special shareholders meeting, held via conference call on Thursday, December 10, 2020, all resolutions considered and voted upon by the shareholders were approved. The meeting presentation is available on the Falcon website at https://falconoilandgas.com/.
Power Metal Resources PLC (LON:POW) the AIM-listed metals exploration and development company said it has received notices to exercise warrants over 10,899,400 new ordinary shares of 0.1p each in the company. The group said 2,899,400 warrants are being exercised at 1.0p per ordinary share, 6,500,000 warrants at an exercise price of 0.70p each, and 1,500,000 warrants at an exercise price of 0.75p per ordinary shares. Subscription monies of £85,744 have been received by Power Metal in respect of these exercises.
Braveheart Investment Group PLC (LON:BRH) said it was notified on Thursday that Trevor Brown and Vivian Hallam, both directors of Braveheart and persons discharging managerial responsibilities of the company have sold 945,000 and 260,980 Ordinary Shares of 2p each in the group, respectively, at an average price of 22.55p and 20.74p per share, respectively, in on-market transactions. It noted that Brown now holds a total beneficial interest in 7,643,288 ordinary shares (equivalent to 20.60% of the company’s voting rights) and Vivian Hallam now holds a total beneficial interest in 775,562 ordinary shares (equivalent to 2.09% of the company’s voting rights).
Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas Ltd. (LON:ECO) (CVE:EOG) announces that its annual and special meeting will be held at 10.00am (Toronto time) on December 30, 2020, at the offices of the chief financial officer of the company at 559 Briar Hill Avenue, Toronto ON M5N 1N1.
