(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Personal Group Holdings PLC - Milton Keynes-based employee benefits firm - Lands three-year contract extension with postal operator Royal Mail PLC to continue supplying Let's Connect salary sacrifice technology scheme. "Personal Group has developed a digital solution that will integrate into RMG's existing benefits platform, giving their entire workforce the ability to apply for insurance products online as well as via a traditional face-to-face and roadshow approach," the company said.
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Smartspace Software PLC - office space management software and hospitality and ticketing platform - Signs distribution deal with ESCO Pte Ltd, an audio visual integrator based in Singapore. Pact will see Smartspace resell its Space Connect workspace management solution. "Space Connect will be offered to ESCO's customers as a solution to help them enhance smart workplace strategies and implement Covid-related policies in the workplace, providing tools to assist with social distancing, screening of employees and visitors, recording of sanitisation, room and desk booking and Covid-specific employee communications," Smartspace said.
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SpaceandPeople PLC - Glasgow-based retail, promotional and brand experience firm - Granted extension to report interim results for six months to June 30. Expects to announce results by October 16.
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VR Education Holdings PLC - Waterford, Ireland-based virtual reality education and enterprise training - Launches Showcase Experience, Shuttle Commander flight simulator on Facebook Inc's Oculus Quest platform.
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BigDish PLC - Jersey-based reservations, delivery and pick up platform for restaurants - Signs letter of intent with a Central European investment group for USD5 million investment. Investment hinges on company completing technology audit and restaurant acceptance of BigDish-to-Go platform. Notes Non-Executive Director Simon Perree to step down to launch "new business venture".
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Bango PLC - Cambridge-based mobile payments company - Lands partnership with customer-lifecycle management platform Evergent, based in Silicon Valley. "Through this partnership, Evergent customers can deliver a simplified consumer journey, by easily launching multiple merchants integrated to Bango, which include Google, Amazon and Spotify. This global partnership strengthens the joint value proposition offered by Evergent and Bango, for both media companies and telcos to boost user acquisition, strengthen retention, and grow revenues," Bango said.
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Escape Hunt PLC - escape rooms operator - Says trading at UK-owner operated stores "encouraging" since July 12 reopening. Pace of sales growth has slowed in recent weeks, as expected, though in six weeks to September 20, sales up 72% annually.
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Character Group PLC - Surrey-based toymaker - Says second half of year to August 31, "considerably affected" by lockdown measures in UK but still expects profit for six-month period to be at least equal to first half. "Demand for the group's exciting and innovative products has remained resilient throughout the year, and the board is confident that steady progress will continue to be made through to Christmas 2020 and into 2021. As always at this time of year, development of the group's ranges and products for the Christmas season 2021 is well advanced and early feedback from customers to our previews and presentations have been extremely gratifying," Character added.
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WANdisco PLC - data-management software company in Sheffield - Lands agreement with digital services and consulting firm Infosys. Deal will see duo help companies migrate data to major public clouds such as Amazon.com Inc's Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corp's Azure and Alphabet Inc's Google cloud.
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IXICO PLC - neuroscience data analytics firm - Enters into five-year agreement with non-profit organisation Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance. Venture will seek to find treatments for friedreich's ataxia, a genetic disease which can cause a loss of feeling in arms and legs. "IXICO will become a member of the TRACK-FA Neuroimaging Consortium, working with clinicians and researchers to explore novel imaging markers in Friedreich's Ataxia," IXICO said.
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OPG Power Ventures PLC - Indian power plant operator - Has applied for two-month extension to report annual results. Now expects to publish annual report in second half of October.
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Verditek PLC - London-based solar panel manufacturer - Secures first order from Australian mining sector. Pens order to provide solar power to InterGroup Mining Ltd exploration work in Queensland.
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Gore Street Energy Storage Fund PLC - energy storage fund - Says net asset value per share at June 30 up 1.7% to 96.2 pence from 94.6p at end of March. "The increase in the latest quarterly NAV is attributable to both the strong performance of the company's UK assets, recent acquisitions and ongoing progress in the construction of the company's Irish assets, these continue to progress in-line with the anticipated completion schedules," Gore Street said.
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Braveheart Investment Group PLC - Barnsely, England-based strategic investor - Investee Phasefocus Holdings Ltd seeing demand for original equipment sales and long-term service contracts. Braveheart owns 43% stake in Phasefocus.
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Mercia Asset Management PLC - regionally-focused asset manager - Says balance sheet portfolio showing "increasing momentum" as companies in life sciences and software sector thriving, and those in industries badly hurt by Covid-19 are now recovering.
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JPMorgan Global Core Real Assets Ltd - investment company - Says USD75.7 million of committed capital has been called, with funding date of October 1 the latest. "This capital is being called by two of the higher-yielding underlying strategies; the Global Core Infrastructure and Global Transport Income strategies," trust explains. "The manager continues to see attractive opportunities in real assets across the JPMorgan Asset Management Alternatives Platform and the company will seek to raise further equity as client demand and market opportunities present themselves."
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U&I Group PLC - real estate regeneration development firm - Making positive progress in planning permission for GBP200 million scheme at Tunbridge Wells, Kent. "All planning matters have been addressed by the planning committee and the scheme is only subject to the resolution of Highways Mitigation measures and completion of the standard procedural and judicial review process," U&I said.
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Cora Gold Ltd - West Africa-focused gold company - Reports results from metallurgical testworks at Sanankoro gold project in Mali. Says average overall recovery of just ovver 94% was achieved. "The results from this metallurgical test programme are excellent. A significant proportion of the gold in the Sanankoro ore can be recovered with gravity with over 90% of the remaining gold leaching from the gravity tails within 4 hours," Chief Executive Bert Monro.
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Atalaya Mining PLC - Cyprus-based copper producer - Starts permitting process for development of 50 megawatt solar plant at Proyecto Riotinto, Spain. Says solar plant will cut costs as well as emissions.
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TomCo Energy PLC - US operating oil development group - Says work to boost capacity and reliability at oil sands project in Asphalt Ridge, Utah has kicked off. Restart of the plant expected in November. Plans to boost capacity to 400 barrels of oil per day and decrease incremental cost per barrel.
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Castillo Copper Ltd - Australia and Zambia focused base metal explorer - Says 24 assayed rock chips from Big One deposit, Greenland confirm "existence of high-grade copper mineralisation". "Teams from Castillo and Depco Drilling are targeting drilling work to commence in October 2020," Castillo said.
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Oriole Resources PLC - exploration company with operations in Senegal and Cameroon - Signs contract with Capital Ltd for 3,000 metres worth of drilling at Bibemi exploration licence in Cameroon.
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Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd - oil and gas exploration and development company focused on offshore Africa - Confident it will receive exploration licence extension at OPL 226, Nigeria by during fourth quarter.
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ECR Minerals PLC - Australia-focused gold explorer - Has applied for two new exploration licences in Victoria, Australia which will form part of Tambo gold project.
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Trident Royalties PLC - London-based mining royalty firm - Enters into agreement to acquire existing gold royalty at Lake Rebecca gold project, Australia. Trident pays AUD8.0 million, about USD5.6 million for 1.5% net smelter royalty.
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Block Energy PLC - exploration and production in Georgia - Says early production facility installed
at WR-16aZ well site in West Rustavi, Georgia. Says acquisition of Schlumberger Rustaveli Co Ltd progressing.
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Nuformix PLC - pharmaceutical development firm - Signs exclusive option agreement with Oxilio Ltd for development and exploitation of NXP001 in oncology. Nuformix to get upfront payment for six-month exclusive option and should Oxilio exercise option, "Nuformix will licence its patent estate and know-how on NXP001 in return for a significant upfront payment and additional development milestones and a royalty on net sales," company explained. Royalty to be capped at GBP2 million per year.
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Open Orphan PLC - pharmaceutical services company - Notes share price movement and press reports on UK government-funded Coronavirus human challenge studies. Open Orphan in talks with UK government and other partners for challenge study. Should contract be agreed, revenue will rise by GBP7 million.
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Mereo BioPharma Group PLC - London-based biopharmaceutical firm - Says US Food & Drug Administration grants rare pediatric disease designation to setrusumab for treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta, a bone disease.
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By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com
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