Alliance Pharma (LON:APH), with its focus on proven drugs that the majors lost interest in, has never been one of the sexiest stocks in the sector.
Until today, when it surprised the market by buying the health products arm of Sinclair IS PHARMA (LON:SPH) for £132.2mln.
Alliance says the deal will add 27 new products to its medicine cabinet, bringing in revenues of £43.3mln and underlying earnings (EBITDA) of £9mln.
Video gaming is a somewhat racier subject, and video games contractor Keywords Studios (LON:KWS) is determined to be a major player in the consolidation of the sector that provides support services to the big software publishers.
It intends to raise £10.45mln through a share placing, to support its growth and expansion.
In similar vein, mporium Group (LON:MPM) has raised £3.1mln through new and existing shareholders to fund the development and launch its next-generation mobile commerce and analytics products.
The new stock was issued at 8p, a modest 3% discount to last night’s closing price, suggesting there is significant interest in mporium story.
Retail software supplier Attraqt Group (LON:ATQT) has done the first deal for its technology that enables retailers to put their web sites and catalogues into a mobile app.
Attraqt Group (LON:ATQT) and its partner Yudu Media have signed an agreement for their Live Catalog app technology with Screwfix Germany, owned by retail group Kingfisher (LON:KGF) .
The technology combines Attraqt’s visual merchandising platform with Yudu’s digital catalogue capabilities.
Marketing analytics group Ebiquity (LON:EBQ) will meet market forecasts in its latest half year, with its performance ahead of last year.
The company added that similarly it expects to meet market expectations for the eight month period to December, the company’s new financial year end.
7digital (LON:7DIG) has now launched two mobile music services in Brazil.
The services, operated on behalf of Mariposa Holdings, are live with Oi and Algar Telecom, two of the largest telecoms companies in South America.
Forbidden Technologies (LON:FBT) has unveiled a new contract win for its Forscene video editing software via United States based distributor Key Code Media, in conjunction with Technicalogy Inc.
The editing platform, which is Cloud-based, will now be used in the production of The Doctors, a major daytime talk show on CBS. It is a twelve month contract initially.
Away from the world of hipster technology companies, LGO Energy (LON:LGO) shares rallied by more than 30% with the news of a constructive deal with its lender BNP Paribas.
The Trinidad based junior oil producer has agreed with BNP Paribas an early end to a funding deal, set up in February, and the bank will allow reduced repayment rates (of US$75,000 per month) for the next three months.
Forte Energy (LON:FTE) is in advanced discussions with a number of parties over a corporate deal or possible acquisition, it said today.
Pan African Resources (LON:PAF) will post higher earnings and sharply lower debt at its half year as the performance of its two South African deep gold mines picked up markedly.
The continued depreciation of the rand against most other major currencies also helped the numbers, said the gold miner.
Earnings for the half year to December will be at least 10.37c or 0.51p.
Mining royalty specialist Anglo Pacific (LON:APF TSX:APY) increased its income in its latest quarter helped by coal mine Narribi's contribution.
Royalty related income rose to £1.9mln in the three months to September, up from £0.5mln a year ago and in spite of the slide in the price of coal and other commodities.
Patent and intellectual property group Amphion Innovations (LON:AMP) has drawn down a further US$3mln from a loan set up last year to develop its business.
It will get the first tranche on November 25, with the rest paid out on December 8.
Finally, First Property (LON:FPO) increased its interim dividend by 10% as its growing portfolio in Poland and Romania offset lower fund management income.
Profits for the half year rose to £5.93mln (£5.42mln), with net assets 20% higher at £32mln and £14mln of cash at the period end.