Gresham Technologies PLC (LON:GHT) shares rose 6.2% to 195p after the software firm announced a contract with an undisclosed global Tier 1 bank.
The bank will use Gresham’s Clareti Transaction Control (CTC) software to implement regulatory reporting controls across multiple asset classes and operating businesses in order to meet obligations under the G20 Financial Regulatory Reforms.
The contract has a minimum committed value of £1.2mln over the initial three-year term.
PV Crystalox Solar PLC (LON:PVCS) shares climbed 8.4% to 22.50p after saying it has received a €14.5mln initial payment for its arbitration award arising from an outstanding long-term wafer supply contract with a photovoltaics company.
The group had filed a lawsuit in March 2015 claiming the customer failed to purchase wafers in line with its contractual obligations.
The arbitration award, granted by the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, requires the customer to pay about €36.5mln including interest to PV Crystalox by May 1.
1.30pm: Bluebird Merchant Ventures shares boosted by 'excellent results' from well testing
Bluebird Merchant Ventures Ltd (LON:BMV) shares are sitting higher after unveiling “excellent results” from initial metallurgical test work carried out on ore from the Gubong gold mine in South Korea.
The Asian-focused resource development company said leaching test work performed on the ore sample indicated recoveries in excess of 90% of gold at low reagent consumption.
“These excellent results from the samples evaluated to date indicate that the ore is not problematic and does not require complicated or expensive extraction techniques,” the group said.
Shares increased 6.5% to 3.25p.
Renew Holdings PLC (LON:RNWH) shares were under pressure after the engineering services company announced a £45mln equity raise to help fund its proposed acquisition of rail contractor QTS Group Limited.
The company placed 12.6mln new ordinary shares of 355p per share with new and existing investors, representing about 20% of its existing share capital.
Renew said the acquisition of QTS, which has a longstanding relationship with Network Rail, will increase its market share in the rail market. The deal is expected to be completed on Thursday after completing the placing.
Shares fell 6.05% to 388p.
11.30am: Serica Energy shares slip as it reviews impact of US reinstating Iran sanctions
Shares in Serica Energy PLC (LON:SQZ) fell 5.7% to 76p as it said it was assessing how America’s decision to reinstate sanctions on Iran would impact a UK gas field it operates in partnership with Iranian Oil Company (UK) Limited.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he was withdrawing the US from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement reached by seven countries. He also announced the US would reinstate sanctions on Iran.
“The company is evaluating the implications of these statements and how they relate to the Rhum field in which the Iranian Oil Company (UK) Limited is a 50% partner,” Serica said.
The Rhum field, located in the UK’s North Sea, and is 50% owned by Iranian Oil Company (UK) with BP holding the rest of the shares.
On the upside, FFI Holdings Plc (LON:FFI) gained as it said it expects underlying earnings to reach the middle of its full year guidance range after trading in line with expectations.
Shares in FFI – the holding company of Film Finances, which provides services to film and TV makers – rose 8.2% to 78.5p.
In January, a strategic underwriting relationship with Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) was executed and recently-acquired Reel Media bought the motorsports entertainment insurance book of US wholesale agent All Risks Ltd.
In April, FFI agreed to buy film distributor Signature Entertainment UK for US$5mln in cash. At the same time the group released documentary, Pandas, in the US in partnership with IMAX.
“Looking ahead, the successful launch of our IMAX collaboration with Pandas to strong critical acclaim early in our new financial year offers us a solid foundation upon which to grow in the year ahead, which will no doubt be both exciting and eventful as we consolidate FFI's market positions further,” said FFI chief executive Steven Ransohoff.
10.00am: Ascent Resources on the back foot after halting production at well
Ascent Resources Plc (LON:AST) slumped after the oil and gas company said production from the Pg-11A well at the Petisovci concession in Slovenia has been temporarily suspended.
The group said since an operation was completed on the well output has not improved so production has been put on hold to carry out maintenance work.
Average daily production in April was in line with March but fell compared to the same month a year ago.
Shares dropped 13.6% to 0.95p in morning trading.
Deltex Medical Group plc (LON:DEMG) shares fell 12.5% to 1.22p after the maker of haemodynamic monitoring technologies reported a drop in full year revenues due to disappointing second half sales.
Revenue fell to £5.9mln in 2017 from £6.3mln the previous year with declines in UK ultrasound probe sales and revenues from US managed care contracts.
In the first quarter of the 2018 fiscal year, revenues have been held back by timing differences on sales of monitoring technologies, the group added.
Going the other way, Microsaic Systems plc (LON:MSYS) was on the front foot after signing a distribution agreement with Rightek Co. Ltd for its mass spectrometry detector 4500 MiD ( R).
Under the agreement, Rightek will sell the laboratory equipment in Taiwan.
Shares gained 10.8% to 2.55p.
Ashley House PLC (LON:ASH) shares jumped 26% to 11.8p after the health and community care property firm said it achieved financial close on three housing development schemes.
Financial close means the schemes are legally committed to begin construction and income can start to be recognised.
The schemes include extra care housing developments Ashley House in Peterborough, Morgan Ashley in Isle of Wight and F1 Modular in Aberdare.
The news comes after company announced in March that it had reached financial close on a housing scheme in Scarborough.
Proactive news headlines:
FFI Holdings Plc’s (LON:FFI) trading has stabilised after a profit warning in December prompted by fall-out from the Harvey Weinstein scandal. The business specialises in completion contracts, in effect a guarantee that a film or TV programme will be finished.
Echo Energy Plc (LON:ECHO) has told investors it has now begun drilling the first of four back-to-back exploration wells in Argentina. All four wells are being drilled within the Fracción C asset.
Flying Brands Limited (LON:FBDU) subsidiary Imaging Biometrics said its software is being deployed by a leading medical centre in Athens to guide the treatment of patients with brain tumours The General Anti-Cancer and Oncological Hospital will roll out a suite of the company's products, including IB Rad Tech, to image masses and then decide on potential therapeutics.
Motif Bio Plc (LON:MTFB, NASDAQ:MTFB), developer of a next generation antibiotic, has appointed a vice president of clinical development. Stephanie Noviello, who joins from Bristol-Myers Squibb, will report into chief medical officer David Huang.
Healthcare facilities owner Primary Health Properties PLC (LON:PHP) has added to its portfolio in Ireland with the €5.8mln acquisition of Mountmellick Primary Healthcare Centre in County Laois.
TyraTech Inc (LON:TYR LON:TYRU) has seen progress across both its current and developing range of animal health products as the company released an update ahead of its results for 2017. Big Pic in March.
Alliance Pharma plc (LON:ALP) has extended its manufacturing contract with AIM-listed Venture Life PLC (LON:VLG). Venture Life already manufactures numerous products for Alliance and the agreement confirms the extension of these arrangements to 31 December 2025.
Cello Health plc (LON:CLL) said it had a strong start to the year which looks set to continue into the second quarter based on current visibility, and it is confident of achieving a successful result in 2018.
Ariana Resources plc (LON:AAU) said process recoveries of gold at the Kiziltepe Mine were higher than expected. Gross income for the quarter clocked in at US$6.98mln, with an average realised gold price of US$1,328.79 per ounce, compared to an operating cost of US$612 per ounce.
Shefa Yamim ATM Ltd (LON:SEFA) told investors that it has been granted two extended prospecting permits in Israel. The permits span some 44,045 hectares with the Carmel permit area covering 32,755 hectares and the Ramot Menashe site covering 11,290 hectares.
Cadence Minerals Plc’s (LON:KDNC) investee company Auroch Minerals has terminated its joint venture agreement at the Alcoutim copper-zinc project in Portugal. Aussie-listed Auroch said it fulfilled all obligations required by the agreement but delays in renewing the prospecting licence, the application for which was submitted on time, means it has chosen to terminate the agreement.
Greatland Gold plc (LON:GGP) has updated investors on its operations at the Ernest Giles project in central Western Australia. It revealed results from a recent Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) sampling programme, including 980 samples from the Meadows, Empress and Wishbone areas which have confirmed existing gold targets and generated new targets in each.
Vast Resources PLC (LON:VAST), the AIM-listed mining company with operating mines in Romania and Zimbabwe, announced the appointment of Nick Hatch as an Independent non-executive director, with immediate effect.
H&T GROUP PLC (LON:HAT) has announced the appointment of Elaine Draper and Mark Smith as non-executive directors with immediate effect. The company also announced the retirement of Malcolm Berryman from the board, effective as of 14 August 2018, following almost ten years of service as a non-executive director.
Base Resources Limited (LON:BSE) (ASX:BSE) said that the latest company presentation, which was presented today at the RIU Resources Round Up conference in Sydney, Australia, is available from the company’s website.
Metminco Limited (LON:MNC) noted that it has been advised Lanstead III LLC. (Lanstead III) has ceased to be a significant shareholder following share offerings made by the miner since 8 February 2018. The company said Lanstead III's holding now represents 1.1% of the group's issued share capital, against 7.1% previously.