Sunstone Metals Ltd (ASX:STM) has completed its share purchase plan (SPP) raising $2.44 million to go with the $22.4 million (before costs) raised in its April placement.
STM launched the SPP on April 13, with eligible applications received under the SPP totalling $2.44 million for 36,417,976 shares at a price of 6.7 cents ($0.067) per share.
It is too early ‘to be constructive on ITV PLC (LSE:ITV), according to the number crunchers at Barclays Capital.
They repeated their 'neutral' call on the stock in the broadcaster after better than expected first-quarter revenue numbers.
Nobody does brand relationships better than JD Sports Fashion, and this is part of the reason it continues to defy the odds against the cloud of global and economic uncertainty.
The retailer today reassured the market with sales growing 5% versus the same 14-week period last year.
Drama at today’s AGM saw Genel Energy PLC (LSE:GENL, OTC:GEGYY) shareholders empty the boardroom.
Chief executive Bill Higgs and non-executive directors Tim Bushell and Hassan Gozal did not receive receive the required 50% majority of votes in favour of re-election to their roles, and, as a result were not reappointed as directors.
ARM Holdings plc (LSE:ARM) posted strong growth in revenues and profits as it prepared to float in New York or London.
With a record 29.2bn chips shipped using its chip designs, the Cambridge-based company reported US$2.7bn of revenues for the year to end-March 2022, up 35% on the prior year.
Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) is under scrutiny in Washington following a probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on whether the billionaire broke rules by disclosing a large stake in the social media platform.
The SEC has opened an investigation into Musk's submission of a form that investors must file when they own more than 5% of a company.
Many of the world’s largest economies are headed for a recession, with surging inflation levels and considerably lower than desired gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
A combination of soaring energy, food and transportation costs are the main driving factors, as well as China’s most recent Covid-19 lockdown that’s adding to the global supply chain woes.
Google has tweaked technology to allow gadgets and apps to better serve people of colour.
The tech company, which is part of Alphabet Inc, said the 10-colour palette of its new Monk Skin Tone Scale replaces the Fitzpatrick Skin Type, a standard of six colours that had become popular in the tech world to assess whether smartwatch heart rate sensors, AI facial recognition and other systems showed a colour bias.
Chill Brands Group PLC (LSE:CHLL, OTCQX:CHBRF) told investors it is working to concentrate on building closer ties with retail partners, under a revised distribution plan in the United States.
The company, in a statement, detailed its new preference for a direct distribution model which replaces a prior ‘master’ distribution deal with the Schrader family’s Ox Distributing LLC.
Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO) has partnered with IWG PLC (LSE:IWG), the FTSE 250 office landlord, to transform excess supermarket space into a work hub.
In a trial at one Teso Extra store in south London, the upper mezzanine level will offer 3,800 sq ft of co-working space, with 12 desks and a meeting room.
The new Moderna Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) chief financial officer has left the company one day after assuming the post.
Jorge Gomez is departing after questions were raised about his tenure at his former employer, Dentsply Sirona, a dental-supply company, state media reports.
Hargreaves Lansdown PLC (LSE:HL.) shares slipped to the bottom of the FTSE 100 leaderboard after a weaker quarter with mark to market worse than expected, per broker estimates.
Shares were trading 7.14% lower at 830.20p by midday.
Motatos, a new supermarket chain that will reportedly rival Aldi and Lidl for prices, is set to open in the UK this June.
Known as Matsmart across the continent, the Stockholm-headquartered retailer promises cheap prices by offering surplus food from wholesalers.
Superdry PLC (LSE:SDRY) share traded lower despite it reporting a solid recovery for the past year, with revenue rising in the fourth-quarter revenue as an increase in full-price sales offset an online decline.
Group revenue at the clothing brand rose 8% to £600.7ml for the full year to April 23, helped by revenue for the fourth quarter jumping 17% to £159.7mln.
Arc Minerals Ltd said it entered into an agreement with Anglo American PLC (LSE:AAL) to jointly develop Arc’s copper-cobalt project in the north-western province of Zambia.
Under the transformational deal for the AIM-traded company, Anglo American will have the right to retain a 70% ownership in the joint venture for a total investment of up to US$88.5mln, including up to US$14.5mln in cash.
Saudi Aramco has overtaken Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) for the top spot as the most valued company, as tech stocks have taken a dive and oil companies have propsered.
Aramco, which is listed on the Saudi stock exchange Tadawul, closed nearly 1% lower on Wednesday at 45.5 Saudi Riyals (US$12.13) a share, with a market capitalisation of 9.1 trillion riyals (US$2.43 trillion), while Apple's stock price dropped more than 5% to US$146.5 a share, with a market value of US$2.37 trillion.
European Metals Holdings Ltd (AIM:EMH, ASX:EMH, OTC:EMHLF) said it will start trading on the OTCQX Best Market today, increasing its exposure to major US investors.
It said the decision followed heightened US investor interest in the company’s Cinovec project, the largest hard rock lithium deposit in Europe.
Vodafone Group PLC (LSE:VOD), the UK-based telecommunications giant, is holding talks to merge its UK operations with Three UK, owned by Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings, according to a news report.
Cevian Capital, one of Europe's biggest activist funds, has been pressuring Vodafone to better orient its portfolio towards key markets in order to increase returns, the Financial Times reported.
BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) reinstalled its final dividend as it reported lower revenue and higher-than-expected underlying profits for the past year.
The FTSE 100 telecoms group reported a 2% fall in revenue to £20.9bn but a 2% increase in underlying profit (EBITDA) to £7.6bn as management continued to take an axe to costs.
Balfour Beatty plc (LSE:BBY), the infrastructure contractor, said overall trading this year had been in line with expectations.
At the end of March, the group's order book was £15.6bn, down from £16.1bn at the end of 2021.
KEFI Gold and Copper PLC (AIM:KEFI, OTC:KFFLF) said progress at the Tulu Kapi Gold Mines (TKGM) joint venture in Ethiopia remained on track over the past month, with further advancement on multi-party project financing activities and early development works.
Signing of the financing agreement, which is currently being formalised, remains on course for this quarter, said AIM-traded KEFI.
Touchstone Exploration Inc (AIM:TXP, TSX:TXP, OTC:PBEGF) has reported US$10.49mln of petroleum sales in the first quarter of 2022, up 28% on the preceding three month period.
At an average 1,396 barrels of production per day during Q1 output was up around 4% quarter-on-quarter.
Shares in Cranswick PLC (LSE:CWK) fell sharply on Thursday after investors squawked at reports that a number of retailers, including Aldi, Pret a Manger and J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) have recalled food-to-go products containing chicken from the meat producer due to concerns about salmonella contamination.
The cooked poultry involved has emerged from Cranswick’s Benson Park facility in Hull, which has now been closed to allow the company to carry out an investigation.
Graft Polymer (UK) PLC hailed as a major milestone the award of a hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) certificate to its research and development facility in Slovenia.
The sign-off will allow its GraftBio operation to enter the business-to-consumer market, ‘thereby introducing a further revenue stream to its business", investors were told.
Seraphim Space Investment Trust PLC (LSE:SSIT) said terms have been agreed on several new investments that should complete in the coming quarter, after gains in private holdings offset falls in the value of listed holdings in the past quarter.
The investment trust’s net asset value (NAV) was £250mln or 104p per share at the end of March, compared to £251mln or 105p at the start of what was its third quarter.
Genel Energy PLC (LSE:GENL, OTC:GEGYY) chief executive Bill Higgs cheered the company’s robust financial position and said management continues to review both “organic and inorganic opportunities”.
The oiler told investors it generated US$43mln of free cash flow in the first quarter of 2022, having received US$95mln of cash proceeds in the quarter from the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Walt Disney Co reported another increase in sign-ups for its streaming services, while revenues rose and profits fell in the first three months of the year.
This comes a month after its rival Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) announced a decline in subscriber numbers.
Versarien PLC, the advanced engineering materials group, saw a sharp increase in revenue feed through to a significant reduction in 12-month losses.
The company said it is seeing increased interest from global companies interested in entering into joint development agreements.
Panther Metals PLC (LSE:PALM) highlighted positive drilling results from Panther Metals Ltd (Panther Australia) at the Coglia nickel/cobalt project in Western Australia.
"These final assay results provide the highest-grade intercepts of nickel and cobalt in the entire Coglia drill programme, and combined with the previously announced extensions of mineralisation, they confirm the confidence we hold in the Coglia project,” said Darren Hazelwood, chief executive of Panther Metals PLC (LSE:PALM).
Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) said customers could lose their cryptocurrency if the crypto exchange were to ever go bankrupt, further depressing its share price.
“In the event of a bankruptcy, the crypto assets we hold in custody on behalf of our customers could be subject to bankruptcy proceedings,” the company said in its first-quarter earnings report.
Cellular Goods PLC (LSE:CBX), a specialist in cannabinoid-based health and beauty products, has made three key changes to its team of independent directors.
Chairman Peter Wall is stepping down to devote more time to his executive roles and will be replaced by non-executive director (NED) Darcy Taylor.
AEX Gold Inc (AIM:AEXG, TSX-V:AEX) said it acquired two exploration licences in South Greenland from Orano Group, for a zero upfront amount and a royalty on future production, as it sees a significant opportunity for the discovery of strategic minerals.
The licence area increases AEX’s exposure to metals such as nickel, copper, zinc, lead, titanium, vanadium, graphite and rare earth minerals, as well as additional gold resources across the Nanortalik and Tartoq gold belts.
Blackbird PLC (AIM:BIRD, OTCQX:BBRDF) announced the appointment of Sumit Rai as chief product officer, who will join in June from VEGAS Creative Software where he holds the same role.
Rai will help take the technology licensor, developer and seller of the cloud native video editing platform to wider markets.
JD Sports Fashion PLC (LSE:JD.) expects annual profits for the year to next January to be at least equal to that for the past year, after a period of improved sales in the first 14 weeks of the period.
The sports fashion retailer said pre-tax profit for the year to end-January 2022 was expected to be around £940mln, which is higher that its previous guidance of £900mln given in January.
Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.) said it continues to trade in line with expectations so far this year, adding that its guidance for 2022 remains unchanged.
In a trading statement ahead of its AGM today, the FTSE 100 engine maker also provided an outlook for the medium term for its Civil Aerospace business, forecasting growth in underlying revenue at a low double-digit percentage from 2021.
Cryptocurrencies took another hammering, with TerraUSD’s collapse yesterday causing an “industry-based panic”.
Bitcoin nosedived another 14%, changing hands at US$27,039, its lowest level since the end of 2020.
H&T Group PLC (AIM:HAT), the UK’s largest pawnbroker, said trading performance has been very strong in 2022.
Demand for pledge lending remains strong and at record levels, with positive momentum across the customer spectrum and in all geographies. H&T continues to see customers returning, in many cases after a long absence, as well as increasing numbers of pawnbroking customers who are new to H&T, the company said in a trading update.
Caledonia Mining Corp PLC reported a 51% jump in first-quarter profit on record gold production and higher gold prices.
“The first quarter of 2022 was an excellent start to 2022,” said chief executive Steve Curtis. “Gold production in the quarter represents a new production record for any first quarter.”
Netscientific PLC said it is in a “strong position, well placed to realise optimal shareholder value” after a year of significant change.
The group, which invests in the technology, life sciences and sustainability sectors, also said the business turnaround is largely complete.
Preparations continue apace for Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB, OTCQB:POLBF) ahead of its clinical trial of POLB 001, a treatment for severe influenza.
In an update, it said it signed a contract for the production of the drug to good manufacturing (GMP) standards, so it has ample supplies ready for the upcoming challenge study.
BT Group PLC (LSE:BT.A) has agreed spin its BT Sport broadcast arm into a new 50-50 joint venture with the newly merged Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD), which owns Eurosport.
The deal, which had been mooted by BT back in February, would create a consumer sport TV offer with a wide portfolio of broadcast rights for the coming years, including UEFA Champions League, the Premier League, Premiership Rugby, the Olympic Games, tennis grand slams, the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and other pro cycling races.
Future Metals NL (ASX:FME, AIM:FME) has received notable intercepts in all results returned so far from historical drill core assays, offering further evidence of the strong continuity of platinum group metal (PGM) mineralisation at the Panton Project in Western Australia's northeast.
Nine more assays have been received from previously unsampled drill holes along 3.5 kilometres of drilled strike at Panton. Results are shown in PGM3E, or platinum, palladium and gold combined, and palladium equivalent (PdEq3) that includes 3E plus nickel:
Power Metal Resources PLC (AIM:POW) said it can move forward more speedily with its 83.33% owned subsidiary First Development Resources (FDR UK) after it agreed to buy Pardoo Resources, the holding company that is currently holding projects in trust.
Power Metal has signed an agreement for the 100% acquisition of Pardoo Resources Pty Limited by FDR UK.
NetScientific PLC (AIM:NSCI) has noted first-quarter results from its portfolio company PDS Biotechnology, which also has results from key trials upcoming at the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago in June.
Abstract # 6041 will summarize updates to the preliminary efficacy and safety data from the PDS-sponsored VERSATILE-002 Phase 2 clinical trial, which is evaluating PDS0101 in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic HPV16-positive head and neck cancer.
Stablecoin, you had one job …
If a ‘stablecoin’ that’s merely supposed to mimic a dollar is priced at 30 cents, something has obviously gone very wrong.
Disney's latest quarterly update is being more eagerly awaited in some quarters than the next series of its mega-hit Star Wars spin-off The Mandalorian (see pic).
Investors certainly will be on edge after rival Nextflix’s dismal update cast a big shadow over the hitherto untouchable streaming sector, with more than a few looking to Disney to lighten the gloom.
Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), the electric car manufacturer run by Elon Musk, is to recall 130,000 cars to fix a touchscreen issue caused by overheating of the central processing unit (CPU).
Models affected 2022 Model 3 and Y, 2021 and 2022 Model X and S, Tesla said in an over-the-air update.
Peloton Interactive (NASDAQ:PTON) was tipped for a modest rebound when US markets open after the fitness company hit a new low overnight on a deeper loss than expected and lowered revenue guidance.
On Nasdaq yesterday, the stock was sitting near record lows at US$12.90 per share on Tuesday.
Netflix Inc (NASDAQ:NFLX) is to launch a cheaper, ad-supported, video-on-demand service months ahead of schedule as it also steps efforts to crack down on password sharing.
Originally with a timeline of a "year or two" Netflix has now told employees the ad-supported tier would launch in this year's fourth quarter, reports the New York Times.
Forget Cape Canaveral, coastal Cornwall will make UK space history this summer when the first satellite launch will be carried into space on board a Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:VORB) rocket as part of the Prometheus-2 project.
The UK Space Agency said the launch would advertise the UK's capability to provide small satellite launch services just as demand from satellite and other space-tech companies rockets and supply is squeezed as many companies eschew Russian providers due to the war in Ukraine.