TRADING UPDATES: Aquis in line with target; Bradda Head delays results

(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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Aquis Exchange PLC - London-based exchange services company - Expects to report performance for the 2022 financial year in line with expectations. Anticipates making "further progress during 2023, and expects to continue to perform in line with expectations. Will announced its 2022 financial results on March 30.

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Argentex Group PLC - London-based international provider of foreign exchange services to institutions, corporates and high net worth private individuals - For nine months to December 31, expects revenue of GBP41 million, up 63% from GBP25 million a year prior. Says client demand remained strong over the period, with the number of corporate customers trading increasing by 12% to 1,595, from 1,424 last year. In other news, says Senior Independent Director Lena Wilson will be stepping down from the board on February 28, in order to devote more time to her other business interests.

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Strix Group PLC - Isle of Man-based company, focused on the design, manufacture and supply of kettle safety controls and other components and devices involving water heating - Reports adjusted profit after tax for 2022 of GBP23 million, down from GBP31.4 million a year prior. Says uncertainty in China remained a prevalent concern for export markets in the fourth quarter, but expects to benefit from eased restrictions in the country. Adds that it is committed to becoming cash generative again in the new year. Net debt was GBP87 million as at December 31.

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Skillcast Group PLC - London-based digital compliance content and technology provider - Expects revenue for 2022 of GBP9.8 million, 17% higher than GBP8.4 million a year prior. Says revenue increase was driven by strong growth in recurring subscription revenues, up 26% to GBP6.7 million from GBP5.3 million the previous year. Professional services revenues were in line with the previous year at GBP3.1 million. As at December 31, the group's net cash position was GBP7.7 million, down from GBP7.9 million the previous year. Annualised recurring revenue grew by 16% to GBP6.7 million in December 2022, from GBP5.8 million in December 2021. Skillcast attributes the rise to new customer acquisition.

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Shanta Gold Ltd - London-based, East Africa-focused gold producer, developer and explorer - Gives updated mineral resource estimate for West Kenya project to 1.72 million ounces of gold. Includes a 91% increase in indicated resource to 722,000 ounces of gold, grading 11.45 grammes per tonne. Current oxides for Bushiangala and Isulu in the indicated category contain 100,600 ounces, grading 10.44 grammes per tonne of gold, providing potential high margin cash flow during future construction ramp-up. An update to the mineral resource estimate is expected in February.

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Critical Metals PLC - London-based, Africa-focused investment vehicle, with a focus on the critical and strategic metals sector - Begins copper oxide production at the Molulu project, an ex-producing copper and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The asset is forecast to produce an initial 120,000 tonnes of copper oxide ore per annum. Production optimisation actions are currently underway, with the view of increasing copper ore production. Initial test samples have been taken from Central and South Cobalt anomaly and are ready to be sent to the laboratory for independent analysis.

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Xtract Resources PLC - Australia and Africa-focused resource, development and mining company - Says development continues at Kakuyu, its copper project in Zambia. Has defined several copper targets in and around the open pit, which it says offer potential for extending existing in-pit mineralisation at the asset. On the northern side of Kakuyu Hill, a "substantial" copper in soil anomaly extending over a strike length east to west of 1.4 kilometres has been defined. Work is now under way to push back existing ramp access to the pit, in order to expose in-pit extensions of higher-grade ore. The company is sourcing a drill rig to test the potential extensions to mineralisation.

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Trinity Exploration & Production PLC - Trinidad & Tobago-focused oil production company - Progresses plans for the Jacobin well asset, which it says will be the deepest onshore oil well in the Palo Seco region in over a decade. Trinity expects a mean oil in-place volume of 5.7 million barrels, and an upside case of over 10 million barrels in-place. Adds that if successful, the resource has the potential for improved economic returns with cash return multiples of 2.4 times, compared to conventional well opportunities with 1.4 times returns.

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Molecular Energies PLC - Argentina and US-focused oil and gas production company - Expects nine production well workovers and one injector well workover to start in February at Rio Negro asset in Argentina. At the Puesto Gurdian concession in Salta, one workover and three swabbing operations on currently shut-in wells are scheduled to begin next week. Adds that "advanced discussions" are taking place to purchase a truck mounted mobile swabbing unit for its Salta assets in the second quarter, in order to swab a number of otherwise inaccessible shut-in wells.

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Bradda Head Lithium Ltd - North America-focused lithium development group - Anticipates results from its drilling programme at the San Domingo pegmatite asset this quarter, due to exceptionally high levels of demand at the assay labs. Notes that laboratories in the US are "stretched in their capacity", and the holiday period has added to delays.

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First Class Metals PLC - Metals exploration company seeking large-scale metal discoveries in Canada - Identifies a more than three kilometre long gold and molybdenum anomalous trend to the southeast of the historic Dead Otter Lake occurrence. Grab samples recorded up to 19.6 grams per tonne of gold along the trend.

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HydrogenOne Capital Growth PLC - London-based hydrogen investment fund - Makes first investment commitment of GBP2.4 million in the green hydrogen supply project, Thierbach. The Thierbach project is a development project for the construction of an industrial-scale green hydrogen production plant that will serve customers across the energy, transportation and industrials sectors in Germany.

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Guanajuato Silver Co Ltd - Precious metals producer in Mexico - For three months to December 31, reports "record" production of 836,375 silver-equivalent ounces. Average silver recoveries of 87% continue to surpass historical recoveries. The dry stack tailings project at El Cubo has also been initiated; the company is awaiting regulatory approval to begin construction of a facility that would increase tailings capacity from 2.5 years to 15 years of additional tailings storage. Adds that all recently acquired mining assets are now in production.

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By Holly Beveridge, Alliance News reporter

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