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Xaar PLC (LON:XAR) climbed 9.0% to 145p after it revealed no lasting damage from last month’s cybersecurity breach.
The company said it took prompt action to thwart the breach of its computer systems.
There remains no evidence that any data was extracted and Xaar has not experienced any impact on its business and customer operations, the inkjet printing technology said.
2.00pm: IQ-AI the top riser after receiving green light in the US
IQ-AI Limited (LON: IQAI), up 86% at 8.35p, was the top riser after it received US regulatory clearance for a virtual biopsy that can help assess chronic liver disease.
The group noted that it has received US Food & Drug Administration 510(k) market clearance for the Liver Surface Nodularity (LSN) software developed by AI Metrics.
IQ-AI unit, Imaging Biometrics, has the global rights to manufacture, market, and distribute the technology, which presents a new way to analyse CT scans for conditions including liver inflammation, early fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
1.00pm: Cpl taken out by Japanese rival in €318mln deal
Cpl Resources Plc (LON:CPS), the Ireland-based recruiter, shot up 42% to 1,010p after agreeing to a takeover offer.
It is to be taken over by Japanese peer Outsourcing Inc in a deal that values the AIM-listed group at €318mln.
Tokyo-based Outsourcing has offered €11.25 per share in cash, which is a premium of more than 36% to last night’s close.
11.45am: Tern slides as it ploughs £860,000 into Talking Medicines
Tern PLC (LON:TERN) drifted 5.6% lower to 12.75p after taking a stake in Talking Medicines, a machine learning specialist focused on the pharmaceuticals sector.
Tern has coughed up £860,000 for a 23.4% stake, with the purchase funded from existing cash reserves.
Talking Medicines uses a melange of artificial intelligence, machine learning and neuro-linguistic programming tools to capture and structure “the global digital voice” of the patient from real-world conversations and behaviours at home.
10.30am: Marks & Sparks making the right noises
Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LON:MKS) rose 4.5% to 96.12p despite posting its first-ever loss.
In the 26 weeks to September 26, 2020, M&S saw its revenue fall by 16% to £4bn while the group swung to a £87mln loss before tax from last year’s profit £158mln. Net debt at period-end was £3.9bn.
It expects a fall in profits in the clothing & home (C&H) division during the upcoming lockdown but is expecting that to be offset by increased online sales and reduced costs supported by furlough income.
9.30am: Wishbone Gold soars after identifying shallow targets at Patersons Project
Wishbone Gold PLC (LON:WSBN) soared 41% higher to 9.15p in early trade on Wednesday after it identified four magnetic targets of considerable size on its Patersons Range project.
The targets cover 2.4 kilometres by 400 metres (m) and are much shallower than the nearby Havieron discovery, with the top of the magnetic targets ranging from 150m to 250m below the surface.
Wishbone said it has now completed legal and technical due diligence on the Patersons Range project, in the Havieron and Telfer region of Western Australia, and will now move to close the acquisition on the previously announced terms.
Thor Mining PLC (LON:THR) advanced 2.1% to 1.15p after it achieved the first project milestone at its Colorado prospects.
Sampling results have revealed high-grade assays, Thor said.
The company, which is earning into the assets through a deal with vendors American Vanadium (AVU), said the sampling results have exceeded the criteria for the first milestone share issue to AVU. Some 18mln Thor Mining shares are now being issued to AVU as a performance payment.
Proactive news headlines:
IQ-AI Limited (LON: IQAI) said it has received US regulatory clearance for a virtual biopsy that can help assess chronic liver disease. The group noted that it has received US Food & Drug Administration 510(k) market clearance for the Liver Surface Nodularity (LSN) software developed by AI Metrics. IQ-AI unit, Imaging Biometrics, has the global rights to manufacture, market, and distribute the technology, which presents a new way to analyse CT scans for conditions including liver inflammation, early fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis.
Alpha Growth PLC (LON:ALGW) said that assets under management (AUM) at its BlackOak Alpha Growth Fund have grown to roughly US$20mln. The financial services specialist in the growing senior life settlement asset class said it received US$7.6mln in subscriptions in October alone. The growth in AUM is significant because some investors are prohibited from comprising more than a certain proportion of a fund’s assets, thus as the fund grows, so the range of potential investors grows. The fund continues to perform well and is on course to provide a return within the 10% to 14% target range, Alpha Growth said. For the months of August and September 2020, the returns were 1.82% and 1.42% respectively.
Thor Mining PLC (LON:THR) told investors that the first project milestone has been achieved for its Colorado prospects as sampling results reveal high-grade assays. The company, which is earning into the assets through a deal with vendors American Vanadium (AVU), said the sampling results have exceeded the criteria for the first milestone share issue to AVU. Some 18mln Thor Mining shares are now being issued to AVU as a performance payment. Sampling, carried out in the due diligence period, has yielded assay results of high-grade uranium (up to 1.25%) and vanadium (up to 3.47%). For the performance to apply fifteen or more samples would’ve needed to measure above 0.1% uranium or 1% vanadium.
ECSC Group PLC (LON:ECSC), the provider of cybersecurity services, said it saw momentum continue in the third quarter with adjusted underlying earnings exceeding £50,000 a month. The group also said its revenue for the quarter had exceeded the average quarterly revenue seen in 2019, with Managed Detection and Response (MDR) recurring revenue up 22% compared with the same quarter of 2019. In a sign of growing confidence, the group added that it has resumed recruitment in Security Operations Centres, partner and MDR sales and consultants to meet growing demand.
Bango PLC (LON:BGO) is deploying its data-driven commerce platform to power bundled subscription services for BT Group (LON:BT.A). The electronic payment specialist said its technology will be a “key integration point to deliver a range of third-party products”. Bango added that the partnership will open up greater entertainment and commerce opportunities for BT’s customer base. The first launch will be BritBox, the BBC-ITV ‘boxsets’ offering, where BT customers will be given a six-month complimentary subscription before being offered the chance to continue paying for the content.
Falcon Oil & Gas Ltd (LON:FOG) (CVE:FO) has told investors that flow back operations continue for the Kyalla 117 N2-1H ST2 well at the Beetaloo project in Australia’s Northern Territory. In an operational update, the company noted that following a short initial flow back of hydraulic fracture stimulation fluid to surface, the well was shut-in and production tubing was successfully installed and tested. Subsequently, during late October, flow back operations recommenced and the company said that the well is currently flowing back at a rate of approximately 500 barrels per day with minor gas breakthroughs observed to date. Falcon owns a 22.5% interest in the project which is operated by Origin Energy.
Live Company Group PLC (LON:LVCG) has announced that BrickLive Animal Paradise is currently being installed at Naples Zoo in Florida in readiness to open to the public on November 21, 2020. The AIM-listed media and events group noted that this is the first time it is working with Naples Zoo – one of the oldest zoos in the USA who last year celebrated 100 years as a botanical garden and 50 years as a zoo. Animal Paradise will stay at the zoo until April 2021. The company also announced that BrickLive Safari which is currently at Paignton Zoo in Devon has been extended to January 2021.
Stobart Group Limited (LON:STOB) said freight operations at Southend Airport had helped offset some of the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic during the six months to end September 2020. The company said revenues for the period dropped by 29% to £53.2mln, with Aviation seeing a 49% drop and Energy, Stobart’s other key division, down by 22.5%. Stobart posted an underlying loss of £4.9mln against a profit of £2.5mln a year ago, though losses by businesses for sale and also a £55mln impairment charge for airlines Stobart Air and failed carrier Propius meant a pre-loss of £77.4mln.
Primorus Investments PLC (LON:PRIM) (AQSE:PRIM) announced that it has completed the sales of its remaining shareholding in Greatland Gold PLC (LON:GGP). The company sold 20,000,000 shares at an average price of 23.09p per share, for gross proceeds of approximately £4,600,000 through a structured series of sales. As a result, the company no longer has an interest in the shares of Greatland. Primorus noted that it realised in excess of £6,500,000 over the life of its investment in Greatland having made an investment of approximately £630,000 in the company in late 2018 and early 2019.
Arkle Resources PLC (LON:ARK) has announced that under the receipt of a conversion notice from a holder of 4,000,000 warrants exercisable at 0.50 pence each, it has on Tuesday issued 4,000,000 ordinary shares of €0.0025 each at the exercise price of 0.50p per share.
Base Resources Limited (LON:BSE) (ASX:BSE) has said that the latest company presentation, which was presented on Wednesday at the Africa Down Under Conference in Perth, Western Australia, is available from the company’s website: www.baseresources.com.au
Benchmark Holdings PLC (LON:BMK), the aquaculture health, advanced nutrition, and genetics business, said it will be conducting a presentation covering its final results for the year ended September 30, 2020 for retail investors and wealth managers. The presentation will be hosted online by Trond Williksen, the company’s chief executive officer, and Septima Maguire, its chief financial officer. The event will take place at 12.00pm UK time on Friday, November 27, 2020. Questions can be submitted during the presentation to be addressed at the end. To register for the presentation, please visit: Benchmark Holdings Final Results Presentation and Q&A. A recording of the presentation will be available after the event at: www.equitydevelopment.co.uk
NextEnergy Solar Fund Ltd (LON:NESF), the solar power renewable energy investment company, has said it intends to announce its interim results for the six months ended September 30, 2020, on Monday November 23, 2020. NESF’s Investment Adviser will host a webcast presentation for analysts on the day of the results. If you would like to receive further details of the webcast, please contact Camarco on 020 3757 4980 or mia.carlin@camarco.co.uk
Argentex Group PLC (LON:AGFX), the provider of foreign exchange services to institutions, corporates and high net worth private individuals, has said it will announce its interim results for the six months ended September 30, 2020, on Friday, November 20, 2020. There will be an online analyst presentation at 9.30am on Friday, November 20, 2020. Analysts wishing to register are asked to email: Argentex@fticonsulting.com
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