A mixed bag of media, miners, tech and resource stocks today.
Mirada Plc (LON:MIRA) saw shares surge as it said it was making good progress with its set-top box/interactive TV software roll-out in Mexico.
The AIM-listed company has a contract with Latin American media giant Televisa to install a multi-screen platform across five cable networks in Mexico.
Iris enables viewers to watch across content easily through TV set-top boxes, smartphones and tablets through a user interface designed by Mirada and customised in conjunction with izzi, the local Televisa subsidiary.
In other news, wind turbine group Windar Photonics PLC (LON:WPHO) revealed it had started work with a top Danish technical institute to improve its LiDAR wind turbine optimisation system.
DTU Wind is a specialist in meteorology, turbine technology and power system integration.
To fund the work, the two groups will receive a combined cash grant of €1mln over two years, split equally, from Danish tech agency the EUDP.
To pharma and biotech and drugs giant AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) is to review how to proceed with the phase IIa clinical trial of Synairgen plc’s (LON:SNG) inhaled beta interferon treatment for asthma after too few severe cases were found.
It came after Synairgen, the respiratory drug discovery firm, released the INEXAS clinical trial update relating to AZD9412.
Hard-to-treat cases, known as severe exacerbations, tend to be caused by the common cold and flu.
Unexpectedly, colds did not cause as many of these exacerbations as researchers predicted.
AstraZeneca said it will now review the data and study design “before deciding on the best way forward for the programme”. The full results will be available in the first quarter of next year.
Meanwhile, strong growth in US sales bolstered wound care specialist Tissue Regenix Group PLC’s (LON:TRX) top line this year.
Results for the six months to the end of July revealed the regenerative medical devices company’s revenue shot up to £631,000 from £252,000 in the same period of 2015, thanks to sales of its DermaPure skin graft product in the USA.
As was the case in the previous year, revenue phasing across the year is expected to be weighted towards the second half of the financial year.
Tissue Regenix said that with more visibility now regarding the appointment of distributors and contract approvals, the 12-month revenue guidance range has been narrowed to US$2.5mln -$3.5mln compared to the 12-month prior period of US$1.2mln.
There was resource estimate news from Vast Resources PLC (LON:VAST), which reported a maiden JORC resource at the Nkombwa Hill phosphate and rare earths project in Zambia under its 2015 option deal with Kilimire International Limited (KLL).
The resource, based on 11 holes drilled by KLL, shows a total resource, including indicated and inferred categories, of 21.8 million tonnes at a grade of 7.06% phosphate and 1.17% total rare earth oxides at a phosphate cut-off grade of 3%.
Significantly, the resource represents just 5% of 5% of the hill volume above the valley floor, said Vast, which highlights the potential for finding much more mineralisation.
Elsewhere, Ariana Resources plc's (LON:AAU) managing director Dr Kerim Sener described himself "exceptionally pleased" with latest drill results from the Kiziltepe project in Turkey, which have expanded mineralisation at the Arzu Central target.
The finds include the widest zone of quartz vein mineralisation ever encountered at Kiziltepe, with at least 20 metres of true width, ending in mineralised quartz.
It means the firm could now start converting what is an exploration target at Arzu Central into a JORC compliant inferred resource.
Phase one drilling has now been completed with 1,086 metres in six holes in the Arzu Central area. A further 3,500 meters of drilling is planned for the second phase of the 2016 programme, which is scheduled to start later this month (October).
Shares in Ariana added 1.43% to stand at 1.775p.