Capital Shopping Centres Group (LON:CSCG) noted the announcement by the Takeover Panel, which set a deadline of 5pm on 12 January 2011 for Simon Property Group to either provide a firm offer for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of the company or withdraw.
Lloyds (LON:LLOY) said that since the release of its Interim Management Statement on 2 November 2010, the Group has seen a further significant deterioration in market conditions in the Republic of Ireland.
“Therefore, the Board anticipates that, compared to 30 June 2010, approximately a further 10 per cent of the £26.7 billion Irish portfolio will become impaired by the 2010 year end.
“Furthermore, the Board believes that it is prudent to increase the level of provisions against the portfolio, and currently anticipates an increase in the impairment charge relating to Irish exposures for the full year 2010 to approximately £4.3 billion on a combined businesses basis.
“This would result in an increase in provisions as a percentage of impaired Irish loans to approximately 54 per cent at the 2010 year end,” said Lloyds.
Royal Bank of Scotland (LON:RBS) agreed to sell its non-core project finance assets to The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ.
Biocompatilbles’ (LON:BII) partner Eisai Co has applied for approval to market the UK company’s embolic bead E7040 in Japan, which is used to treat liver cancer.
Xcite Energy (LON:XEL, TSX-V:XEL) has increased its existing Standby Equity Distribution Agreement (SEDA) by £20 million. The company can now raise up to £60 million through the equity line facility.
Synchronica PLC (LON:SYNC,TSX-V:SYN) received a purchase order for deployment of its carrier-grade IMPS mobile Instant Messaging infrastructure software with the Russian subsidiary of a pan-European mobile operator group.
Fortune Oil (LON:FTO) has completed drilling 4 horizontal wells on its Liulin coal bed methane (CBM) project in China. Two of the wells have already been de-watered and are collectively producing 18,689 cubic meters of gas per day – or 660,000 cubic feet per day.
Frontier Mining (LON:FML) announced that its re-domicile from Delaware in the US to the Cayman Islands will become effective on 21 December, which will give it better access to future opportunities.
Shares in Madagascar Oil (LON:MOIL) were suspended earlier today as the group revealed that the Ministry of Oil on the island said was interested in buying the company's licences.
Ithaca Energy (LON:IAE, TSX-V:IAE) has now completed the deal to acquire a group of North Sea oil and gas assets from GDF Suez. The deal was worth £6.7 million, or US$10.5 million.
Bezant Resources (LON:BZT) has received an independent maiden reserve statement for the Mankayan project in the Philippines, which gave it 0.8 million tonnes of copper and 2.2 million ounces of gold.
Shanta Gold (LON:SHG) has completed a preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the Singida project in central Tanzania, confirming that the project is extremely robust.
Finders Resources (LON:FND, ASX:FND) has decided to depart from the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange and keep only its Australian listing. The company simultaneously announced the appointment of James Wentworth as finance director.
Drilling is now underway at Triple Plate Junction’s (LON:TPJ) Crater Mountain project in Papua New Guinea. This morning the company confirmed that its farm-in partner Gold Anomaly (ASX:GOA) has now started drilling after a slight delay, relating to logistical issues.
Telit Communications (LON:TCM) revealed that it has been actively exploring a potential acquisition, however it failed to secure the deal. However, “Telit will continue to explore consolidation value enhancing opportunities in the New Year," it said.