Symphony Env. Share News (SYM)

LONDON (Alliance News) - The following stocks are the leading risers and fallers within the main London indices on Friday.----------FTSE 100 - WINNERS----------Randgold Resources, up 3.6%, Fresnillo, up 2.5%. The gold miners were tracking spot gold prices higher and were quoted at USD1,217.55, up from USD1,215.80 at the London equities close Thursday. Deemed a safe-haven asset, gold often rises during times of market turmoil. The precious metal has risen 1.5% over the past week as a sell off engulfed stock markets across the globe amid uncertainty about global growth and repercussions of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate policy. Midcap peer Centamin was also up 5.2%. ----------DCC, up 2.0%. HSBC started coverage on the Irish distribution group with a Buy rating. ----------FTSE 100 - LOSERS----------Imperial Brands, down 3.3%, British American Tobacco, down 2.0%. The tobacco stocks fell following a global tobacco control treaty, which included a hard line decision that new "vaping" products should face the same restrictions as cigarettes. According to JapanToday, a meeting of state parties to the UN health agency's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control concluded last week with a number of anti-industry rulings, including increased efforts to curb industry influence and a call to crack down on new products.----------FTSE 250 - LOSERS----------Victrex, down 5.0%. Morgan Stanley downgraded the speciality chemicals company to Underweight from Equal Weight.----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - WINNERS----------Prospex Oil & Gas, up 33%. The oil and gas company announced it raised GBP480,000 via the issue of unsecured notes. The company said it issued notes to new and existing investors, as well as granting subscribers 55 warrants for each GBP1 of loan note subscribed. Each warrant confers to the subscriber the right to acquire one share at 0.60 pence. The loan notes will pay 10% interest biannually, with the first cash payment in December 2019. Repayments will start in December 2020 with final repayment on June 2022. Prospex said it will use the capital raised to fund the 2019 development costs of its Selva gas discovery on the Podere Gallina permit, in Italy, and to cover its general expenditure in 2019.----------Atalaya Mining, up 12%. The copper mining and development company confirmed it is conducting a review of its strategic options, after media reports of a possible sale of the company. On Thursday, Reuters, citing two unnamed banking sources, reported that Atalaya was seeking a buyer. As a response to "recent press speculation" concerning the company, Atalaya said: "The review is ongoing and there is no guarantee that any particular course of action will proceed." Atalaya is focused on the expansion of its Proyecto Riotinto and the development of Proyecto Touro, both located in Spain.----------ASOS, up 2.5%. Credit Suisse raised the online fashion retailer to Neutral from Underperform. ----------OTHER MAIN MARKET AND AIM - LOSERS----------Symphony Environmental Technologies, down 15%. The 'smart' plastic maker said orders from the Middle East, its "principal market" for its main product, are anticipated to be lower than management expectations. The company said orders for its d2w oxo-biodegradable technology remain "strong", but the timing of orders placed has been "fluctuating quite significantly" from month to month. The company said the "majority" of its revenue derives from its d2w oxo-biodegradable plastic additives, and also "mainly" comes from outside Europe and the US. The company expects its sales in the Middle East will "substantially increase" in the next six months after improvement in government enforcement actions and increased sales from its distributors. Symphony Environmental stressed, however, the timing is "not yet clear".----------