AB Dynamics plc (LON:ABDP), maker of testing systems and measurement products for the automotive sector, revved higher after saying it has received its largest-ever order for driving robots.
Shares jumped 4.73% 631p in afternoon trading.
The China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) has placed the order for the driving robots, used to test vehicles for safety in collisions.
The order extends the company’s existing supply partnership with CATARG, which has invested nearly 100 million yuan in its track-based testing and simulation capabilities. The Chinese research organisation has previously bought a number of driving robots, a guided soft target and a suspension parameter measurement machine from the UK-based automotive testing specialist.
Tim Rogers, chief executive of AB Dynamics, said: "We were delighted to receive this strategically-important order from one of our key Chinese customers. CATARC is a benchmark in the Chinese car industry and we appreciate the confidence that it has placed in AB Dynamics and its products.”
2.34pm: Coca-Cola shares fizz up on first half profit growth
Coca-Cola HBC AG (LON:CCH) topped the FTSE 100 after the bottling plant operator reported an increase in first half profits.
Shares rose 7.75% to 2,566p in afternoon trading.
Operating profits soared by 20.8% to €266.4mln in the six months ended 30 June (H1 2016: €220.6mln), helped by warmer weather in June and a later Easter holiday.
READ: Coca Cola HBC fizzes higher as warm June and late Easter boost first half profits
The group said it remains on track for broad-based revenue and margin growth for the full year.
12.00pm: EVR Holdings shares sound higher on music licensing deals
EVR Holdings (LON:EVRH), creator of virtual reality music content, gained after saying its subsidiary MelodyVR Ltd secured five music licensing agreements with European rights holders.
The company said the licensing, collection and distribution agreements agreements cover rights in Germany, the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
"Over the last eight months MelodyVR has signed global partnerships with Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony Music which position MelodyVR as the only VR music platform to be licensed by all three of the world's major record labels, which is a significant achievement,” said EVR’s chief executive Anthony Matchett.
Shares rose 8.77% to 7.75p in last morning trading.
Hill & Smith Holdings PLC (LON:HILS) is on the back foot even after reporting record first half revenue and underlying earnings.
The company, which manufacturers and supplies products for the construction industry, said pre-tax profit rose 73% to £33.5mln and revenue increased 13% to £291.8mln. The group raised its dividend by 11% to 9.4p.
"Overall, despite increased political and macroeconomic uncertainties, our expectations for the year remain unchanged and we continue to expect 2017 to be a year of good progress,” said chief executive Derek Muir.
10.35am: Housbuilders slump as UK house prices slow
Housebuilders were a weak feature in mid-morning trading after a survey released overnight showed the slowdown in UK house price growth has spread beyond London.
The latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) report said its monthly house price balance dropped to +1 in July from +7 in June, its lowest since March 2013 and below all forecasts.
The outlook for prices over the next 12 months was also the weakest since just after last year's vote to leave the European Union, RICS added, though outright price falls seemed unlikely at a national level.
In reaction, Taylor Wimpey PLC (LON:TW.) saw its shares shed 1.7% to 191.5p, while Barratt Developments PLC (LON:BDEV) lost 1.6% at 597p, and Persimmon PLC (LON:PSN) shed 2% at 2,485p.
Elsewhere on the downside, DFS Furniture (LON:DFS) saw its shares drop nearly 7% to 214.5p after the retailer said full year earnings will be at the lower end of its guidance range after a weaker-than expected second half, sending its shares into the red.
The group reported a 4% fall in second half revenue compared to the year-ago period on the back “significant” declines in store footfall and customer orders between April and June.
DFS blamed uncertainty around the snap UK general election, an unclear economic outlook and warm weather, which resulted in fewer people at stores.
9.35am: HC Slingsby doubles in value after reporting a return to profitability
Workplace equipment supplier HC Slingsby PLC (LON:SLNG) doubled in value in early trading, up 100% to 47.5p after reporting a return to profitability in the first half of the year.
For the six months to June 30, HC Slingsby posted a pre-tax profit of £123,000, against a loss of £424,000 at the same stage last year, as revenue rose to £9.936mln, up from £9.276mln.
However, the group’s interim executive chairman and operations director, Dominic Slingsby said the firm remains “cautious regarding the outlook due to anticipated lower levels of activity over the summer months and the volatility experienced in the recent past.”
Elsewhere, St Ives PLC (LON:SIV) was also a strong gainer, up 14% to 65.25p after the international marketing services group said that its overall results for the year are expected to be at the top end of the range of current market expectations.
In a year-end trading update, the small cap firm said: “During the second half of the financial year, trading across our Strategic Marketing segment has continued to improve, with performance significantly ahead of the equivalent period in the prior year.
“Revenue for the second half was approximately 17% ahead of the equivalent period last year and, excluding the effects of currency movements, like-for-like revenue growth was c12%.”
And Prospex Oil and Gas PLC (LON:PXOG) added 14% at 0.47p after announcing the acquisition of a 50% economic interest in the Exploration Area of the EIV-1 Suceava Concession, which is located in a proven hydrocarbon basin in North East Romania.
The AIM-listed firm is paying a total consideration of €750,000 and, in addition, the company has undertaken to cover its share of the work programme expenditure for the second half of 2017 of up to €550,000.
Proactive news headlines:
Fox Marble Holdings PLC (LON:FOX) has signed a deal to establish a new distribution outlet for its marble products in the United States. The AIM-listed company - focused on marble quarrying and finishing in Kosovo and the Balkans region- has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pristine Stone NYC LLC in New York, a natural stone importer and distributor in the USA.
Myanmar-language social media, entertainment and payments group MySQUAR Limited (LON:MYSQ) has added to its gaming offering once again. The AIM-quoted company has launched its new ‘hardcore’ Land of Magic game and has also added Nanbat Wingabar to its Lucky Wingabar casual online gaming platform.
Portfolio analytics software provider StatPro Group PLC (LON:SOG) has signed a two-and-a-half year contract extension and consulting agreement with a “major” asset manager based in Singapore. The deal, which will net StatPro US$1mln over the length of the contract, is for the AIM-listed group to migrate the asset manager from StatPro Seven to its cloud-based StatPro Revolution platform.
Savannah Resources PLC (LON:SAVP) has told investors that every one of 16 new drill holes at the Mino do Barroso lithium project in Portugal has encountered massive pegmatite mineralisation.
Tavistock Investments PLC: (LON:TAVI) is selling its Tavistock Financial business to Sanlam Limited’s UK operations for a total cash consideration of £1mln. The transaction will see Sanlam UK acquire Cheltenham-based Tavistock Financial's network of 158 financial advisers along with 25 support staff.
Rare earths group Rainbow Rare Earth Limited (LON:RBW) has reported even better grades than expected at the Gasgawe target on its Gakare licence in Burundi. Lab testing of ore from the main vein at Gasagwe returned an average Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO) grade of 62.17%, which compared with an average 57% in veins across the rest of the 39 sq km licence published in the competent person’s report.
KEFI Minerals PLC’s (LON:KEFI) recent deal with Oryx Management will have a massive positive impact on the funding requirements for the Tulu Kapi mine, the company has revealed. In a stock market statement the company highlighted that the residual funding requirement has dropped from US$289mln (a figure foreseen in January 2014) to US$32mln as a result of the Oryx arrangement and it is now seeing a further reduction to US$24mln.
Strategic Minerals PLC (LON:SML) has set itself a target to quadruple in value over the next five years. The iron ore, tungsten and tin and cobalt group said that based on the potential in these businesses (plus some more acquisitions) it can see scope for its market value to rise to £100mln from £30mln currently.
Thor Mining PLC (LON:THR) has kicked off a new drill campaign at the wholly-owned Pilot Mountain tungsten project, in Nevada, where it is aiming to confirm and expand resources.