Troubled construction and services group Carillion plc (LON:CLLN) was one of the days notable casualties, with shares collapsing over 16% at 53.75 at the time of writing.
The crisis the firm appears to be enduring worsened on Friday as it warned that its full year results would be below market consensus.
The warning came as the small cap firm posted a massive first-half loss after further hefty charges for contract provisions, with Carillion shares having lost two-thirds of their value since July when it announced the write-downs.
Carillion’s revenues for the six months were flat at just less than £2.5bn, but pre-tax profit sank from £84mln in the black last year to a £1.15bn loss this year.
On the othger side of the coin, closely followed Providence Resources PLC (LON:PVR) saw shares add almost 10% on the day as iot confirmed that the company has now received a US$5.4mln payment from the major Total.
It is the second and final payment from Total under the option agreement for the Frontier Exploration Licence 2/14 exploration area, offshore Ireland, the company said in a statement.
12pm - San Leon shares gush higher
Among the big gainers in London was oil group San Leon Energy PLC (LON: SLE), which gushed up over 18% to 22,25p on the day.
It was after it posted, yes you guessed it (as it's the theme of the day) ..results.
The firm narrowed its loss in the first half, as it concentrates on its Nigerian interests.
Pre-tax loss was €5.7 million in the six months ended June 30 from €6.2 million last year.
Another gainer was DCD Media (LON:DCD), which surged over 63% on the day to stand at 155p as the firm and media group said it had made a " solid start to the financial year".
Trading was in line with management expectations for the first half, said the group, which has executed a turnaroud and has a renewed focus on growing its rights business.
Conversely, Firestone Diamonds plc (LON:FDI) shares shed over 23% to 21.75 as it reported an operational update.
The July and September 2017 diamond sales saw all 195,330 carats offered for sale sold for US$13.5 million, which included the group's over US$1 million stone, achieving an average value of US$69 per carat (ct).
This average realised value per carat represents the continued lower than expected occurrence of larger, better quality diamonds and a subdued market, the firm said.
9.10am,...Botswana Diamonds sparkles
Top gainer in London was Botswana Diamonds (LON:BOD) possibly bathing in the news yesterday of a huge diamond sale from the country, as well as its own update..
The world’s second-biggest diamond found two years ago from Botswana’s Karowe mine has been sold for US$53 million to a luxury jeweller, it emerged.
Botswana today provided an update on Ontevreden - its new kimberlite discovery. The Ontevreden project is part of the Company's Vutomi Joint Venture in South Africa.
John Teeling, Botswana chairman, said: "The exciting new kimberlite discovery at Ontevreden continues to entice. Samples from the surface contain significant quantities of G10 and G9 garnets - high quality diamond indicator minerals frequently found at high-grade kimberlite pipes."
Back to the sale yesetrday and the stone is called the Lesedi La Rona diamond, which went to auction last year but failed to meet its US$70 million reserve price.
Botswana shares were up over 25% to 2.10p in earl;y deals.
Also higher was Strategic Minerals (LON:SML), which added almost 14% to 2.25p.
This morning it said it was looking to increase its core projects further and increase its market cap to £100mln in the near future, it said, reporting a successful first half.
Cash flow from the Cobre tailings operation is expected to accelerate in the second half after substantial contract was won in June.
Proactive news headlines:
ITM Power plc (LON:ITM) is looking to raise a total of around £29.4mln via a firm placing and open offer to provide working capital to support delivery of its contract backlog and opportunity pipeline.
Obtala Ltd (LON:OBT) expects to have arranged and be utilising a US$25mln trade finance facility by the fourth quarter. The money will send revenues soaring at its forestry business, Woodbois, said the Africa-focused business.
Oracle Power PLC (LON: ORCP) is looking for other opportunities in the power sector now that it has agreed the outline terms for development of its Thar thermal power station in Pakistan. “As signalled by its change of name [from Oracle Coal] , the company is looking at diversification opportunities in the power sector,” said Anthony Scutt, chairman.
Indian renewable power group Mytrah Energy PLC (LON:MYT) trebled revenues in its latest half year as more wind farms came on stream and its first solar plant was switched on. Mytrah’s generation capacity rose to 1075 Mw over the six months to June and has since risen to 1180 Mw. The sites are spread over 30 locations and eight states. By this time next year, capacity will have risen to 1,743Mw with 563Mw of new capacity currently under construction.
OPG Power Ventures PLC (LON:OPG) posted record annual revenues but rising coal prices hit profits and have also affected the current year. The India-based electricity generator runs two thermal power stations and had already flagged that a spike in coal prices since the Spring was causing problems.
Advanced Oncotherapy PLC (LON:AVO) remains on track to build a next-generation proton therapy system capable of treating superficial tumours by the end of the third-quarter next year, according to chief executive Nicolas Serandour. "As our technological progress advances we find ourselves in a much stronger position as we assess financing options and we have been encouraged by positive feedback,” he told investors as the company unveiled its interim results.
Interims from WideCells Group PLC (LON:WDC) reveal the company has made tremendous progress - with two of its three divisions now revenue generating. The third, The WideCells Academy, its education and training arm, will commence operations early next year.
Motif Bio Plc (LON:MTFB, NASDAQ: MTFB) chief executive Graham Lumsden said the company had delivered on time or in some cases ahead of schedule on key milestones that will allow it to submit a new drug application by the end of the first-quarter next year.
Audio-visual interaction specialist Mirada Plc (LON:MIRA) has told investors its pipeline is currently the strongest it has ever been after reporting a return to revenue growth last year.
Life sciences investor Amphion Innovations Plc (LON:AMP) saw its net asset value (NAV) per share jump by a third in the first half, reflecting the recovery in the Motif Bio Plc (LON:MTFB) share price.
Porta Communications PLC (LON:PTCM) has told investors it is well placed for the next stage of its development after a solid first half of the year. The company – which is behind City PR firms such as Newgate and Redleaf – saw revenues grow 9% to £19.44mln (H1 2016: £17.80mln) in the six months to 30 June.
Bezant Resources plc (LON:BZT) is working on accessing the deeper levels of its Choco platinum and gold project in Colombia where it expects to find “higher grades”. The miner pumped in more than £1mln into the project during the first half to get the project up and running, with first production and sales achieved over the past month or so.
Strategic Minerals Plc (LON:SML) is looking to increase its core projects further and increase its market cap to £100mln in the near future, it said, reporting a successful first half. Cash flow from the Cobre tailings operation is expected to accelerate in the second half after substantial contract was won in June.
Savannah Resources (LON:SAV) has had a busy first half with more set to come as it moves into production. Copper mining at Oman via an underground mine at Mahab 4 and open-cut development at Maqail South is earmarked to begin in the first half of 2018.
Active Energy Group PLC (LON:AEG), now focused on forestry management and biomass fuel products, is confident on its growth opportunities. Political events in Turkey disrupted sales in the six months to end June and only two partial loads of woodchip were shipped, compounded by the fact the firm is scaling down all its woodchip activity in Ukraine. But a milestone moment was reached last month when a deal was struck with California-based renewable energy group Lumino Capital to build eight plants across Asia, targeted to start in the first half next year.
Cadence Minerals Plc (LON:KDNC) said each of its investments made good progress in the first half. Earlier this month, it sold almost half of its stake in AIM-quoted lithium explorer Bacanora Minerals Ltd (LON:BCN) for £6.23mln, and it says it plans to invest some of that profit to identify further new early stage exploration assets.
Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX) told investors that mine development activity levels continue to increase every month. The North Yorkshire mine remains on time and on budget, the company said in a quarterly update.
Amur Minerals Corp (LON:AMC) has told investors it expects to be very busy throughout the remainder of 2017. The company, in its half yearly results, said it is aiming to complete and extend the drilling programme at the Kun Manie project and that work is expected to have a material impact on the economic potential of the mine.
Mosman Oil And Gas Limited (LON:MSMN) has raised £600,000 in a share placing to support the company as it advances its production growth and acquisition strategy. The placing is being arranged by SP Angel and it sees Mosman issuing 50 mln new shares at 1.2p per share.
US Oil & Gas PLC (LON:USOP) has told investors it has brought in US$748,988 of new capital as a result of an equity placing. The Nevada focused oil junior is issuing some 1.9mln shares priced at 30p per share.
Galantas Gold Corporation (LON:GAL) (TSXV:GAL) agreed that the company's shares would be suspended from trading on AIM from 7.30am today pending announcement of the results of the Judicial Review into planning consent for underground development at its wholly owned Omagh Gold Mine, Northern Ireland which is listed for later today.