Safe haven buying has put London-listed gold stocks among the few rising sectors after the latest escalation in North Korean missile testing.
As the FTSE 100 shed as much as 100 points on Tuesday Morning, London’s biggest gold miner Randgold Resources Limited (LON:RRS) was up 3.6% trading at 7,845p per share.
It comes as the underlying price of gold advanced above US$1,300.
Gold punches through US$1,300 as reality of North Korean missile attack is brought home - @proactive_uk https://t.co/A7GsFARAJj
— Proactive Investors (@proactive_uk) August 29, 2017
Egypt-based Centamin PLC (LON:CEY) shares climbed nearly 2%, while, smaller but growing miners like Pan African Resources plc (LON:PAF) and Highland Gold Mining rose 3.6% and 5.5% respectively.
Even Acacia Mining Plc (LON:ACA), which has been entangled in a Tanzania tax dispute, was trading strongly – up more than 6%.
11:10am: Imagination Technologies shares on the front-foot thanks to bid talk
Imagination Technologies Group Plc (LON:IMG) was on the front foot on Tuesday Morning amid reports that a report that Chinese-backed fund Canyon Bridge Capital Partners is close to making a formal bid to buy the company.
The struggling chipmaker has essentially been on the block since Apple’s decision to drop its technology took big slices out of the London share price earlier this year.
On Tuesday, Imagination was up 4.67p, 3.8%, changing hands at 127.75p each.
Canyon Bridge is said to have hired Citigroup as an advisor on the potential deal and is expected to make a formal offer in the next two weeks, Sky News reported at the weekend, citing sources.
The fund, ultimately funded by entities connected to the Chinese government, has made significant progress during talks with Imagination in recent weeks, the sources said. However, negotiations are still ongoing and an offer is not guaranteed.
House broker Liberum acknowledged the reports in a note to investors today, repeating a ‘buy’ rating and target price of 193p on the stock.
9:45am: Image Scan shares boosted by order book; Findel and Mountfield also rising
Image Scan Holdings Plc (LON:IGE) rose as much as 13% in Tuesday’s early deals after highlighting the “rapid increase” in its order book, telling investors that sales for the year (ending September 30) is expected to reach £4.5mln with profit before tax will amount to £250,000.
That would, according to Image Scan, leave the group with more than £2mln in its order-book at the start of 2018.
Home shopping firm Findel PLC (LON:FDL) got a boost, up about 9% trading at 182p per share, after it reassured investors in a stock market statement ahead of its AGM later today.
Trading is in line with expectations in a 20 week period, to August 18, the company said whilst highlighting a growth in customer numbers in its main gifts business, and the education unit improved in recent weeks following a difficult start of the year.
AIM-quoted facilities group Mountfield Group Plc (LON:MOGP) shares were up more than 9% thanks to new business news, with the firm landing a £1.5mln flooring contract for a refurbishment of a ‘City headquarters’. Work is expected to start in October, and be completed by September next year.
Blue-chips ITV plc (LON:ITV), down 2.8%, and Morrison Supermarkets Plc (LON:MRW), down 2.7%, were on the back-foot.
Paddy Power Betfair plc (LON:PPB), 2.6% lower, and Centrica Plc (LON:CNA), down 2.5%, were also trading lower.
Proactive news headlines:
Chariot Oil & Gas Limited (LON:CHAR) has decided to not to proceed into the first renewal period for Namibia blocks 2714A and 2714B, otherwise known as the Southern Blocks. It means that the explorer foregoes its 85% stake in the exploration area in the Atlantic Margin, albeit the company has made an agreement for a ‘back-in’ for a 10% interest in the blocks.
Mirada Plc (LON:MIRA), which develops and sells the software used to power digital TV, has won a significant new contract for its Iris multiscreen product. The customer is NASDAQ-listed ATN International Inc (ATNi), which operates in the US and Caribbean under trade names such as Comnet, Choice and GT&T.
Orosur Mining Inc (LON:OMI) produced 35,371 ounces of gold from its Uruguay operations in the full year to May 31 2017, following a significant increase in production in the fourth quarter. The average gold price received was US$1,258 per ounce.
Scancell Holdings Plc (LON:SCLP) said a study has shown that using Oncimmune Holdings PLC's autoantibody technology can successfully predict the recurrence of disease in patients undergoing its SCIB1 treatment for malignant melanoma. The study, which included a team at the University of Nottingham, developed used a panel of seven tumour associated autoantibodies to predict disease recurrence in patients with resected stage III/IV melanoma treated with Scancell's SCIB1.
Highlands Natural Resources Plc (LON:HNR) has launched an over-subscribed placing of 7.818mln new ordinary shares at 20p each to raise a gross amount of £1.5636mln, adding to previous funding moves to enlarge its shale project in Colorado.
KEFI Minerals plc (LON:KEFI) has received £2.5mln in VAT refunds and is now beginning preliminary field development work at its Tulu Kapi gold project in Ethiopia.
Base Resources Limited (LON:BSE) boosted revenues from its Kwale mineral sands mine in Kenya by 29% to US$215.5 during the year to June 2017. Kwale remains comfortably in the lowest cost quartile of mineral sands operations globally.
Horizonte Minerals Plc (LON:HZM) (TSX:HZM) has completed 60% of the feasibility study at the Araguaia nickel project in Brazil and expects to finish the work by early 2018. Jeremy Martin, chief executive, also noted the rise in the nickel price over the past eight weeks.
Bakery and sugar decoration specialist Real Good Food PLC (LON:RGD) has revised down its forecasts for underlying profits this year by £1mln following a review by its new finance director. Previously the group predicted underlying profits [EBITDA] of approximately £2mln for the year to March, but now, and following audit adjustments for inter-company trading and consolidation, the outcome is expected to be about £1mln.
Kibo Mining PLC (LON:KIBO) has concluded the final bid clarification with regard to the construction of the transmission line that will take power from the Mbeya Power Plant (MCPP) in the Songwe District of Tanzania to the TANESCO Mbeya sub-station.
Hummingbird Resources PLC (LON:HUM) has commenced mining operations at Yanfolila in Mali. Ore will be stockpiled while plant is completed and ahead of a planned first gold pour in the fourth quarter of this year.
Strategic Minerals Plc’s (LON:SML) managing director, John Peters has doubled his holding in the minerals production and development company to 20mln shares after he exercised a portion of his currently vested options. In a stock market statement, the AIM-listed firm said Peters has provided a notice that he wishes to exercise options over 10,000,000 shares in the tranche, expiring 30 June 2018, at a price of 1p per share for a total of £100,000.
Empyrean Energy PLC (LON:EME) has reported ‘significant gas shows’ have been detected in multiple zones in the Dempsey 1-15 well, in the Sacremento basin onshore California. Drilling continues, but, a project update has informed investors that zones of significantly higher than background gas shows have been encountered during the programme.