Guild Esports PLC (LSE:GILD, OTC:GULDF) climbed 12.42% to 0.019p following news that Mike Edwards and Brian Stockbridge will be joining the board as non-executives.
The two have a wealth of experience in building and selling businesses, according to the professional esports team, possibly pointing towards a sale at some point in the near future.
Edwards was involved in building and selling several companies over the course of his career, while Stockbridge is a corporate finance veteran.
It also added in a trading update that its performance since September 2021 was in line with management’s expectations.
The professional esports team recently won its fifth major trophy that cemented its place as the number one ranking Fortnite side in Europe.
14:50pm: Johnson falls as debt doubles
Shares in Johnson Service Group plc (LSE:JSG) fell by 9.82% to 110p after announcing in its preliminary results for last year that net debt had nearly doubled.
The company reported a net debt of £60.1mln in 2021, up from £33.6mln in 2020.
The linen supply company added that added revenue grew by over £40mln to £271.4mln, as well as turning a profit of £5.1mln, a huge improvement on the £32.1mln loss reported just 12 months prior, although investors seemingly latched onto the soaring debt.
14:10pm: Blencowe climbs after completing pre-feasibility study
Blencowe Resources PLC (LSE:BRES) rocketed 27% on news that it's aiming to complete a pre-feasibility study on its Orom-Cross graphite project in Uganda by mid-year (read more).
The plan is to put the project into production via a pilot plant in 2023.
Blencowe acquired Orom-Cross less than two years ago and has been fast-tracking it to development ever since.
An extensive infill drilling programme was completed in 2021 to provide an updated resource estimate for use in the pre-feasibility study, and phase three metallurgical test work is near completion.
Orom-Cross is a substantial graphite deposit containing an estimated two to three billion tonnes of ore.
13.15pm: Harvest Minerals smashes sales forecast
Harvest Minerals Ltd (AIM:HMI, OTC:HMIFF) rocketed 18% to 13p after smashing its own internal forecasts for sales in the year so far to 28 February.
The company said it sold 30,161 tonnes of its organic fertiliser, up a whopping 1,070% on its own estimates.
That number accounts for 35% of the total sales order last year and is 20% of its target for this year.
12:20pm: Tasty falls with problems forecasted
Shares in Tasty PLC (AIM:TAST) fell by 5% to 0.045p following the release of its trading update for the full year ending December 26 2021.
Although results were positive, with revenue up 44% year-on-year to £34.9mln, investors were seemingly spooked by “challenges the company expects” to experience over the next 12 months.
According to the statement, these include an end of government support, a reduction in pent-up demand, household disposable income, and ‘staycations’ as well as soaring inflation.
The owner and operator of casual dining restaurants added it will continue to focus its efforts on managing staff shortages and supply chain issues, with continued investment in recruitment expected.
11:23am: GSTechnologies skyrockets on Angra acquisition
GSTechnologies Ltd (LSE:GST) surged 27% during Monday morning’s changing of hands on the completed acquisition of Angra Ltd, which was approved by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
The fintech and information technology solutions company will use Angra to build the UK arm of its planned blockchain-enabled neo banking business, which focuses on international money transfers, borderless accounts, and private stablecoin, GST said.
“As previously outlined, Angra will form a cornerstone for the development of our blockchain-enabled neo banking business, providing an established, appropriately-regulated base on which to build our planned UK business,” Tone Goh, GST chairperson, said.
Angra is an FCA-approved Authorised Payment Institution (API) that conducts secure and low-cost foreign exchange business and international payment services.
10.11am: Orosur Mining plunges on drill results
Orosur Mining Inc (AIM:OMI, TSX-V:OMI), the South American-focused gold producer, tumbled 7.3% to 12.17p after an update on exploration activities at its flagship Anzá Project in Colombia.
The company released results from analysis of drill samples from four additional holes, MAP-097, 098, 099, 100.
The company highlighted high-grade gold intersections, including 6.06 metres at 2.72 grams per tonne (g/t), 14.2 metres at 1.84 g/t, 8.35 metres at 14.27 g/t and 59.15 metres at 0.91 g/t.
9.05am: M&G surges as it announces £500mln share buyback programme
M&G PLC (LSE:MNG) shot up 12% to 199.1p as it announced a £500mln share buyback programme alongside its full-year results.
Adjusted operating profit before tax of £721 million in 2021 was down from £788 million in 2020, partly due to lower benefits from changes to longevity assumptions.
Assets under management and administration increased 0.8% year on year to £370 billion, including strong net client inflows of almost £6 billion from the Institutional Asset Management franchise and continued improvement in Retail Asset Management flows, the pensions firm said.
7.43am: Ashtead opens promisingly
Ashtead Group Plc (LSE:AHT) was another FTSE 100 stock going well early doors, up 3.7% at 4,817p after it raised full-year expectations in its third-quarter results.
Revenue rose 23% to US$2,000mln from US$1,621mln the year before.
Adjusted earnings (EBITDA) jumped 21% to US$877mln in the three months to the end of January from US$726mln while the tool hire firm’s profit before tax surged 38% to US$393mln from US$284mln.