Iofina PLC (LON:IOF) was showing the rest of the market a clean pair of heels early doors, after it reported a robust start to the year.
The company, which extracts iodine from waste brine water from oil production in the US, has restated production guidance for the full year, more than doubling the share price to 10.1p, a level not seen January of this year.
Output for the first quarter was 124.6 tonnes. While down slightly on the same period in 2015, Iofina has closed a plant, IO#1, which means on a like-for-like basis the performance was solidly ahead of last year.
The stock was a clear stand-out in a generally drab market, with the FTSE 100 up just eight points, or 0.1%, at 6,212.
The FTSE Aim 100 was also up 0.1%, or 2.5 points, at 3,397, while the FTSE Aim All-Share also rose 0.1%, or just over a point, to 721.
The next best performer on Aim – and the market as a whole – was Orsu Metals Corporation (LON:OSU, TSE:OSU), which has conditionally agreed the sale of its Karchiga and Kogodai projects for $7.75mln. The consideration could rise by a further $2mln, depending on various tax issues.
The stock won't be on Aim for much longer, however, as the dual-listed company has said it will save some dosh by cancelling its London listing.
The shares rose by almost a third on the news.
Graphene Nanochem PLC (LON:GRPH) climbed 28% to 12.5p as it clinched a debt restructuring deal.
The provider of nanotechnology performance enhancing solutions said around £16mln of short-term debt is to be converted into longer-term debt, while it has also been given a two-year holiday on interest payments.
The share price of UK Oil & Gas Investments PLC (LON:UKOG) continued north this morning, prompting the company to issue a statement acknowledging Friday's sharp rise and market commentary regarding a study to be published by Ernst and Young (EY) that assesses the potential impact and benefit of tight oil extraction from the Kimmeridge limestones.
UKOG confirmed that it has commissioned this report although it has not yet been published.
The shares were up 12.5% at 2.19p in early deals.
Atlantis Resources Ltd (LON:ARL), up 60% year-to-date, continued to rise from the depths, rising 6.3% to 59p, buoyed by the sale of a small stake in its Scottish tidal power subsidiary to Belgian offshore construction specialist DEME.
The deal will see DEME pay £2mln for a 2% stake in Tidal Power Scotland Limited (TPSL), which implies a value of £100mln on the business. Atlantis's market capitalisation is currently £63.4mln.
Peel Hunt said the deal brings “credibility and cash”.
Carr's Group PLC (LON:CARR) was ground down to 142p from Friday's close of 152.5p after a disappointing half-year trading update.
The agricultural, food and engineering group reported a 9.3% year-on-year decline in revenue and said I expects the difficult agriculture market will continue through 2017, having an adverse effect on its performance in the next financial year.
Roxi Petroleum PLC (LON:RXP) gave up 0.625p at 9.125p after an operational update on its flagship BNG asset in Kazakhstan.