Retail investors have been increasingly looking for investment trusts that offer dividend income, as protection against market volatility and rampant inflation.
The past three months have seen a "notable increase" in customers looking for dividend strategies compared to the three preceding months, the Interactive Investor (ii) platform said.
The increased investment by NetScientific PLC (AIM:NSCI) in Q-Bot is further evidence of the group’s stated strategy of deeper involvement in selected portfolio companies, and shows its ability to structure and execute complex deals and drive company performance, said house broker WH Ireland.
NetScientific's 20.6% newly acquired direct stake in Q-Bot is now valued at £2.77mln, a gain of approximately £1.45mln since it first made an investment in December.
Arc Minerals Ltd, an Africa focused copper company, said it started its maiden exploration programme at its Virgo project in Botswana.
A soil geochemistry survey is currently underway.
Kodal Minerals PLC (AIM:KOD) released an updated feasibility study for its flagship Bougouni lithium project in Mali to reflect a 20% increase in capital costs and a 43% jump in the price of its lithium spodumene concentrate (SC6) product.
The project’s post tax net present value jumped to US$567mln, from US$201mln in the original January 2020 feasibility study.
Faron Pharmaceuticals said it was encouraged by survival rates among advanced-stage cancer patients who responded to treatment from its immunotherapy drug bexmarilimab.
In the latest data from the MATINS trial of 90 advanced cancer patients, Faron said of the 17 who responded to receiving bexmarilimab eleven (or 65%) had survived for a year.
NetScientific PLC (AIM:NSCI) increased its investment in Q-Bot, a ‘robot-as-a-service’ startup that specialises in insulating homes, as part of a funding round to step up growth in the UK and internationally.
The £1.62mln funding round comprised £900,000 of new equity and conversion of £762,000 of loan notes, of which £500,000 was provided by NetScientific as a follow-up to a £1.3mln convertible loan note investment in December.
Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF) said it expanded its phase II study of its SCIB1 vaccine treatment for an advanced form of skin cancer – a move that will broaden the patient population and accelerate recruitment.
The new cohort in the SCOPE study will consist of people with metastatic melanoma receiving checkpoint doublet therapy along with the company’s drug. That ‘doublet’ consists of existing treatments Yervoy and Opdivo.