4imprint Group PLC (LON:FOUR) rose 11% to 3,030p after it soothed concerns over the fall-out from the coronavirus outbreak.
Like a lot of shares, the stock has been hammered in the last week or so, falling from 3,420p on 19 February to 2,720p last night, but investors were comforted by Paul Moody, the company’s chairman, saying trading in the first two months of the year had been in line with expectations.
The promotional products maker posted a 20% increase in underlying profit before tax for 2019 to US$54.7mln.
3.10pm: GAN bounces as it files proposals for NASDAQ listing
GAN PLC (LON:GAN) saw its shares bounce 12.8% to 161.3p in late-afternoon after the gambling software firm filed a scheme of arrangement as part of plans to list itself on the NSADQ exchange in New York.
The draft was also submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday last week, with a public listing expected one the review is completed and market conditions remain suitable
Elsewhere, Vast Resources PLC (LON:VAST) jumped 16.4% to 0.3p after the Zimbabwe mining ministry said it will finalise its side of the Chiadzwa joint venture in the Marange diamond fields this month.
Vast has received official communication from the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development to the effect that all internal processes leading to the conclusion of the Joint Venture are expected to be finalised during the month of March 2020, it said in a statement.
2.25pm: Oilex gushes as Indian partner moves toward sale of joint venture stake
Shares in Oilex Ltd (LON:OEX) gushed 21.4% higher to 0.2p in mid-afternoon after the firm’s joint venture partner, Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC), began to move forward with the sale of its 55% stake in the Cambay field project.
Oilex said as part of a settlement agreement previously reached with GSPC, it had been offered right of first refusal which it has now declined.
With this having been completed, the company said GSPC could now “move forward to execute the final sale agreement” with a bidder for the stake.
Meanwhile, promotional products group 4imprint Group PLC (LON:FOUR) jumped 18% to 3,210p as it reported a jump in profits and revenues in 2019 thanks to a strong showing from its North American business.
For the year ended 28 December, the FTSE 250 firm reported a pre-tax profit of US$54mln, 22% higher year-on-year, while revenues jumped 17% to US$860.8mln.
The increase was almost entirely a result of the group’s North American business, which saw revenues rise 17% to US$839.3mln, offsetting a 10% decline in the UK & Ireland to US$21.6mln.
Also on the rise was Haydale Graphene Industries PLC (LON:HAYD), which surged 15.5% to 1.4p as the firm secured a deal with the English Institute for Sport (EIS) to produce high-performance kit coated with graphene.
The company first announced a hook-up with the EIS back in September 2018, and after the completion of the initial prototype testing, Haydale will collaborate with the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) to deliver a range of advanced wearable technology sportswear for elite athletes.
10.00am: Boku's trading boosted by coronavirus outbreak
Boku Inc (LON:BOKU) surged 9.4% to 1.475p after it said its strong start to the year was partly due to the spread of the coronavirus.
The mobile phone network carrier billing company said payment volumes in the first two months of the year rose by 30% year-on-year, which was a slightly larger increase than expected.
"The recent growth we have seen in those countries that are most affected has been higher than in those where the virus has had a more limited impact so far,” said Jon Prideaux, the chief executive officer of Boku.
9.30am: Braemar hit by Chinese shipping slowdown as coronavirus outbreak starts to bite
Braemar Shipping Services PLC (LON: BMS) sank 10% to 125p in early deals on Tuesday after it warned of reduced import volumes into China this year as coronavirus impacted the country.
The company said that results for the year to 29 February would be roughly in line with market expectations - implying they will be a shade below forecasts - but warned that shipping markets have seen significant falls in charter rates in 2020, particularly in the larger sizes in the tanker and dry bulk markets.
“Until the spread of COVID-19 shows signs of slowing, forecasts for economic growth and global trade are widely expected to continue to fall,” Braemar said.
For the second day in a row, shares in Sirius Minerals PLC (LON:SXX), the potash mine developer, opened on the back foot ahead of the vote on the proposed takeover by Anglo American Plc (LON:AAL).
READ Sirius Minerals crunch-time: the countdown, the players
The vote takes place today at 11am at the Honourable Artillery Company, Armoury House, City Road, London.
With its army of private investors, pundits are finding it difficult to predict whether the 5.5p per share offer will pass muster; a year ago, the stock was changing hands at 20p.
Proactive news headlines:
Live Company Group PLC (LON:LVCG) has highlighted “strong growth” in the first two months of 2020 as well as two new contracts for its BRICKLIVE events. In a trading update for the year since mid-January, the media firm said it has secured £3.2mln in contracted revenues for the year as well as £1.1mln for 2021.
EQTEC PLC (LON:EQT) has inked an agreement that envisages the development of the first advanced gasification plant in Greece. A memorandum of understanding covered key terms of a proposed co-operation with regional companies - Eco Hellas and Agrigas Energy.
Location Sciences Group PLC (LON:LSAI) has signed a global master service agreement with one of the largest global advertising holding companies for its anti-fraud platform. The agreement follows multiple tests carried out at the end of 2019 using the Verify platform. Location Sciences has also signed a partnership agreement with Horizon Media, one of the world’s leading independent media agencies.
88 Energy Ltd (LON:88E) confirmed it has kicked off drilling at the Charlie-1 appraisal well on Alaska’s North Slope. The well programme is partnered with Premier Oil PLC (LON:PMO) which is largely funding the venture that aims to test a potentially significant discovery previously unearthed by BP back in the 1990's.
Haydale Graphene Industries PLC (LON:HAYD) has won a gig with the English Institute for Sport (EIS) to produce high-performance kit coated with graphene. The company first announced a hook-up with the EIS back in September 2018, and after the completion of the initial prototype testing, Haydale will collaborate with the Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating (WCPC) to deliver a range of advanced wearable technology sportswear for elite athletes.
ANGLE PLC (LON:AGL) said researchers have developed a further potential use for its liquid biopsy – this time in the early detection of the spread of lung cancer to the brain. Parsortix, which harvests tiny circulating tumour cells, has been used to assess better treatment options in a range of cancers including breast and prostate.
SkinBioTherapeutics PLC (LON:SBTX) said the first half of its financial year saw the skin health life sciences company begin to commercialise its technology. The management team is targeting further commercial progress in the areas of MediBiotix, where it is focusing on medical device applications, and CleanBiotix during the course of the year.
Braveheart Investment Group PLC (LON:BRH), the fund management and strategic investment group has launched its new-look website. The website, www.braveheartgroup.co.uk, now includes comprehensive information about its strategic investments.
APQ Global Limited (LON:APQ) has agreed its second deal of the year – the acquisition of Delphos International, the Washington DC-based financial advisor that shares APQ’s emerging markets focus. The Investment group is paying an upfront US$1.5mln along with up to four further earn-out payments between now and June 2022 – three capped at a maximum US$750,000 and the other at a US$500,000 maximum.
Iconic Labs PLC (LON:ICON) said it is now generating revenues and expects growth to continue “significantly” across 2020. In a trading update, the media and technology firm said its business was continuing to show “early signs of growth” with two contracts announced and other opportunities currently under discussions.
Norman Broadbent PLC (LON:NBB) has expanded its operations in Northern England with the opening of a new office in Cheshire county. The recruitment firm said the new office, opened in response to “increasing client demand”, will provide a local team to serve clients across the North as well as in Scotland.
Regency Mines PLC (LON:RGM) has submitted an application for grid connection for its first flexible grid solutions project in Southport. "Application for the grid connection is a critical step forward towards financial close at our first project in Southport,” said Regency chief executive Scott Kaintz in a statement. “With this key objective now completed, the company remains on target for maiden revenues by end of 2020," he added.
Arkle Resources PLC (LON:ARK), the Irish gold and zinc exploration and development company, said it will be presenting at the Ireland forum at PDAC on 3 March 2020 at the Metro Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada. Patrick Cullen, Arkle’s chief executive officer commented, "PDAC brings together some of the leading mining companies and investors, providing an excellent forum to present and meet. We are here in response to interest from third parties that have reviewed our gold and zinc portfolio. Some of these discussions continue in response to the Stonepark Zinc strategic review announced at the end of 2019. He added: "We are also very pleased to have been invited by Geoscience Ireland, Geological Survey Ireland and Enterprise Ireland to present at the Ireland Day ‘Ireland: open for business’. There has been a strong Irish presence at PDAC for many years and senior Irish government officials are in attendance this year again."
Scancell Holdings PLC (LON:SCLP), the developer of novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, said its Chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Cancer Immunotherapy at the University of Nottingham, Professor Lindy Durrant will be presenting at the following three conferences in March 2020: The Cambridge Healthcare Institute's (CHI) Immuno-Oncology Summit Europe 2020 in London (9-12 March 2020); The 4th Annual MarketsandMarkets Next Gen Immuno-Oncology Congress in London (12-13 March 2020; and The 5th Skin Vaccination Summit 2020 in Edinburgh (17-19 March 2020). The group said the presentations by Professor Durrant will highlight the recent progress made across the company's technology platforms including Moditope and AvidiMab. The poster presentations are available on the company's website.
Woodbois Limited (LON:WBI), the African-focused forestry and timber trading company, announced the release of its latest corporate presentation which is available from the investor centre of the company's website.
Gfinity PLC (LON:GFIN), a world-leading esports provider, announced that its unaudited results for the six months ended 31 December 2019 will now be published in the week commencing 23 March 2020.