(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Wincanton PLC - Wiltshire-based logistics firm - Wins five-year contract with Associated British Foods PLC's fashion retailer Primark for provision of transport services to all its UK stores. Wincanton will make more than 50,000 deliveries to 191 stores across the UK each year, with the contract starting early next year. Chief Executive James Wroath describes contract win as "significant". CEO says: "It shows the strong momentum within our business, as we continue to build on new and existing partnerships with customers in our primary markets." As part of work, duo will work on reducing carbon emissions by cutting distances travelled by HGVs by 15% and also increasing use of alternative fuels.
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Mode Global Holdings PLC - London-based payment services app - Lowers trading fees on bitcoin transactions to 0% from Wednesday until December 31. Fee is usually 0.99%. "From today customers will be able to enjoy 0% trading fees when buying and selling bitcoin, as part of a limited time campaign to make B=bitcoin more accessible to millions across the UK," company says. It makes Mode Global "one of the most competitive" bitcoin buying platforms on the market, company adds. In addition, it teams with "influential bitcoin investor" Anthony Pompliano. Partnership eyes boosting bitcoin take-up and raising Mode Global's brand awareness.
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Bidstack Group PLC - London-based in-game advertising platform - Adds three games developed by Dovetail Games to portfolio of simulation titles. "The new partnership will see Bidstack deliver seamless branded experiences into these virtual environments and create a new revenue stream for Dovetail Games while respecting the player experience by maintaining the authenticity of their titles," Bidstack says.
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Silver Bullet Data Services Group PLC - London-based marketing services firm - Awarded "significant" pact with Pilot GmbH & Co KG, a media agency in Germany. Contract concerns rollout of 4D across "multiple geographies and languages". Silver Bullet says deal lays "foundation" for growth in 2022 as use of third-party cookies in advertising reduces. "4D is a next-generation contextual solution used to target and deliver deterministic insights for advertisers, driving 'in-the-moment' marketing and brand suitability for digital media buying," Silver Bullet explains.
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Amte Power PLC - developer and manufacturer of lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery cells - Says progress has been in line with expectations and expects 2022 to be a "significant year for the business". Chair David Morgan says: "I am pleased to report the company continues to make excellent progress in line with our planned Pathway to Production with our cells moving towards certification and high speed production rates whilst advancing our plans to build a gigafactory." On client engagement, Amte says it is "well placed to transition to volume production". It has 79 engagements, with target customers including BMW AG. Company adds: "The negotiation of commercial offtake agreements will take place throughout 2022 with target customers who have acquired our battery cells for testing or who have made one-off orders for batches of cells."
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Vp PLC - Yorkshire-based industrial equipment rental provider - Acquires M&S Hire Ltd for GBP2.8 million. M&S Hire is a rental business supplying access systems and working at height solutions. It supplies to contractors in the commercial fit out sector. "M&S operates from a single location in Sittingbourne, Kent and focuses on the Greater London market. M&S will be integrated with MEP Hire which offers low level access and press fitting tools from nine locations within Vp's UK division," Vp says.
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Oxford Cannabinoid Technologies Holdings PLC - London-based pharmaceutical company developing prescription cannabinoid medicines - Signs deal with Oxford Stemtech Ltd. Stemtech to provide Oxford Cannabinoid with research & development support across all four of its drug development programmes. "Together these studies will assist OCT in identifying compounds with the potential of treating pain and neurological disorders involving neuro-inflammation and/or neurodegeneration," company adds.
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Open Orphan PLC - London-based pharmaceutical services company - hVIVO unit wins GBP5.1 million deal with biopharmaceutical company to test a product using the respiratory syncytial virus human challenge study model. The model was developed by Open Orphan. "The study is due to commence in H2 2022, with the revenue from the contract being recognised across 2021 and 2022. hVIVO will conduct this study on behalf of this biopharmaceutical client to demonstrate the efficacy of its investigational medicinal product against RSV infection," Open Orphan says.
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Bradda Head Lithium Ltd - Isle of Man-based exploration and mining services provider - Completes core drilling programme at Burro Creek East asset in Arizona. Says 10 holes drilled, seven of those new ones. "The 7 new holes have allowed us to test more of the unknown areas of the asset and, combined with our recent geophysical data, have enabled our geologists to increase the knowledge of the deposit significantly," Bradda Head says. Notes assay turnaround times are slow due to high volume of exploration in US.
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Caracal Gold PLC - London-based mining company - Gets renewal for licence PL/2018/0189, which surrounds current gold production facilities at the Kilimapesa mine in Kenya. Licence extended for further three years. "With the licence now in place and having identified several targets from previous exploration and drilling, the company will accelerate its planned underground and surface exploration programme at Kilimapesa," Caracal adds.
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Rambler Metals & Mining PLC - Canada-focused copper and gold producer, explorer and developer - Says continues to intersect "high grade" copper at Ming copper-gold mine in Canada. "The positive assay results received in the program so far provide confidence in our near-term production outlook, having confirmed the earlier block model based on wider-spaced drilling in the target areas," Chief Executive Toby Bradbury says. Resumes drilling in November after October pause. "Due to the delay receiving backlogged copper assay samples from our drilling, we paused drilling during October and are resuming drilling in November now that additional assays have been received and new interpretations to guide the positioning of the next holes have been completed," company says.
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Castillo Copper Ltd - Perth, Australia-based exploration company - Maiden drilling results from Arya prospect in Queensland show "show potentially more than 200 metres" of base metal and graphite mineralisation. "The preliminary findings from the drilling campaign are quite remarkable," Managing Director Simon Paull says. Paull adds: "This is an exciting development, particularly given strong prevailing demand for battery related minerals such as copper, cobalt, and graphite."
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Wildcat Petroleum PLC - seeking investment opportunities in upstream petroleum - Names Simco Petroleum (Management) Ltd as consultants. Simco to produce report on oil and gas licences it company has previously studied. "This report is expected to be available in early 2022," Wildcat adds. "Additionally, Simco will immediately assist WCAT in the evaluation of existing opportunities in South Sudan where it has recent experience of licence management. Simco has built up an extensive geological and commercial knowledge of the country, which will be of great advantage to WCAT. Simco's technical team will work with the WCAT team in order to evaluate the various blocks on offer in the current South Sudanese licence round.
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Pantheon Resources PLC - oil & gas company - Enters into short term draw down of loan facility of USD1.5 million with existing shareholder. "The facility will enable the company to make certain prepayments to suppliers and contractors for future equipment, goods and services relating to the intended winter programme on its Alaska North Slope project," Pantheon explains. This will minimise risk of later supply chain disruption. Unsecured loan carries 10% interest rate per year. "The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global supply chains is a well-documented phenomenon which has affected many industries globally, including the oil and gas sector. As a result, the lead times for the equipment and consumables required for the winter drilling season in Alaska have lengthened over the last 12 months. It is important that key equipment and materials can be ordered soon to minimise the potential for supply chain disruption to drilling operations," company says.
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Chariot Ltd - Africa-focused transitional energy company - Signs deal with Total Eren, a renewable energy independent power producer based in Paris. According to Total Eren, TotalEnergies SE has been a shareholder in the company since December 2017. Chariot and Eren will develop wind and solar projects for mining clients in Africa. Chariot will be able to invest between 15% and 49% in co-developed projects. Pact to last three years with option for two-year extension. "The partners also have ambitions to collaborate on other non-mining energy projects and transactions in Africa," Chariot says.
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Strategic Minerals PLC - London-based exploration and production company - Says unit Cornwall Resources Ltd spots "further significant high-grade tin" in four samples west of Redmoor deposit. Latest project economics update shows post-tax net present value at 8% of USD163 million, topping the USD128 million in October of last year and USD91 million in May 2019.
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Stranger Holdings PLC - London-based investment company - Signs non-binding terms to acquire uranium project located in South Africa. Would constitute a reverse takeover, Stranger explains. "The project has the potential for a major resource upgrade and to be developed as a near-term, low-cost uranium project," Stranger says on the uranium asset.
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Helios Underwriting PLC - London-based investment vehicle, which acquires and consolidates underwriting capacity at Lloyd's - Acquires 2% stake in a holding company of a group of limited liability vehicles of Lloyd's of London. Consideration for deal is GBP280,000, with half paid through 85,872 new Helios shares at GBP1.635 each.
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East Imperial PLC - premium mixers maker - Embroiled in dispute with Andrew Regan, CEO of Corvus Capital Ltd, an adviser to 21% East Imperial shareholder Taylor Partners Ltd. Taylor Partners formally requisitions extraordinary general meeting of East Imperial as it eyes removing Chair Rob Soni and director Olufunke Abimbola from board. Proposes addition of Alistair McGeorge as non-executive chair and Colin Henry as non-executive director. "The board is disappointed that Dr Regan thought it necessary to seek a requisition, with the board having already noted in its announcement of 29 September 2021 that it may be beneficial to add additional boardroom experience," East Imperial says, adding it has begun formal process to add additional non-executives. However, it says that upon reviewing CVs of the additions proposed by Regan, company says they have "little or no recent PLC experience or expertise in the premium beverage sector". East Imperial adds: "Dr Regan's requisition is a further step in his continuing attempts to undermine the board and the significant operational progress that has been achieved by the company since its listing in July. The board is firmly of the view that Dr Regan's proposals and his actions to date are a blatant attempt to insert his own representatives on to the board in order to gain control of the company without paying a premium to all shareholders."
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By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com
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