TRADING UPDATES: Hotel Chocolat fundraises; Argo's Texas crypto asset

Thu, 22nd Jul 2021 20:57

(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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Hotel Chocolat Group PLC - Royston, Hertfordshire-based chocolatier - Plans to raise GBP40 million through placing at 355 pence per share. Placing is 2.7% discount to Wednesday's closing price. "The net proceeds of the placing will support the company's future growth by expanding its factory footprint to 160,000 square feet, providing the capacity for the company to increase sales to GBP500 million," the company says.

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Argo Blockchain PLC - cryptocurrency miner based in London - Begins construction of 200 megawatt crypto mining facility in US state of Texas. Will be predominantly powered by renewable energy. "The new facility will transform Argo's mining capacity and is expected to be completed in the first half of 2022," Argo says.

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Jade Road Investments Ltd - Hong Kong-headquartered investment vehicle - Expands investment focus to include Asian "high growth companies". "While Jade Road will consider opportunities in all sectors as they arise, potential opportunities in technology, including health-tech, med-tech and fintech will be prioritised," company says. Total allocation of expanded focus will be no more than 10% of net asset value, which stood at USD106.4 million at end of 2020. Allocation will be no more than 20% once NAV tops USD150 million. Jade Road adds: "The relatively small portion of capital allocated to equity presents reasonable upside opportunities, while simultaneously protecting the company against possible risk through a granular sub-portfolio, whose overall NAV attribution would be less than 20% at the very maximum."

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Actual Experience PLC - AIM-listed analytics-as-a-service company - Wins business impact assessment order from unnamed global fast-moving consumer goods firm. Value of initial order is GBP30,000. "Under the terms of this BIA order, Actual Experience will provide a review of the customer's digital workplace and the impact it has both on its employees and its overall business in terms of employee wellbeing, inequality, carbon footprint and operational efficiency, amongst other things, especially as the organisation moves to hybrid working post pandemic," Actual Experience adds.

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Vp PLC - Yorkshire-based industrial equipment rental provider - Says new financial year kicks off well, with "healthy" demand from core sectors such as infrastructure, housebuilding and general construction. Chair Jeremy Pilkington says: "Activity levels in both our UK and International divisions are encouraging and the group is trading in line with our expectations. Underpinned by a strong financial position and a continued focus on innovation we are confident about prospects for the current financial year as a whole."

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Gusbourne PLC - Kent-based winemaker - Tips net revenue for six months to June 30 to rise 59% to GBP1.4 million from GBP890,000 a year prior. In addition, company says it plans to explore GBP15 million fundraise to "support further revenue growth and brand development across all distribution channels".

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Cizzle Biotechnology Ltd - London-based biotechnology firm developing blood test to detect forms of lung cancer - Works with FairJourney Biologics to develop monoclonal antibodies for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

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Judges Scientific PLC - London-based scientific instruments-focused investor - Says six-month period to June 30 "one of recovery". "Despite the sustained impact of COVID-19 on the Group's commercial activities, order intake has shown a strong recovery," Judges says. Says order intake up 25% annually. Says organic sales rise 5% yearly.

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Proton Motor Power Systems PLC - Munich-based hydrogen fuel cell developer - Gets follow on order from E-Trucks Europe for seven of Proton's HyRange 43 Hydrogen Fuel Cell systems. They will be used in refuse collection trucks. "Delivery of this new contract is anticipated over the next 18 months. Additionally, E-Trucks Europe and Proton Motor have entered into a contract to provide maintenance services for the next five years," Proton Motor says.

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Augean PLC - Walton, England-based hazardous waste treatment and disposal company - Says talks ongoing with suitor Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Inc. Says put up or shut up deadline extended to August 19.

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Duke Royalty Ltd - London-based provider of alternative capital solutions to businesses in Europe - Enters into GBP7.7 million royalty financing agreement with cloud services firm InTec Business Solutions Ltd. Deal has initial cash yield of 13.5% per year, payable monthly. "Duke Royalty is building and diversifying its cash revenue by entering into new partnerships, and we are delighted to add InTec along with Fairmed very recently," Chief Executive Neil Johnson says.

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Altus Strategies PLC - mining royalties investor - Granted four new exploration assets and extension at Agdz project in Morocco. New projects total 148.5 square kilometres. Says projects "considered to be highly prospective for silver and copper".

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Alba Mineral Resources PLC - London-based exploration company - Spots "high-grade regional gold target" at Dolgellau licence area. "The fact that our team have unearthed this new high-grade gold target on our licence area, grading up to 24 grammes per tonne, is a timely reminder of the great potential of the Dolgellau Gold Field, which is solely under licence to Alba," Executive Chair George Frangeskides says.

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Greatland Gold PLC - exploration and development company with assets in Australia - Notes update from Newcrest Mining Ltd which outlined "further significant results" from drilling at Havieron asset in Australia. Further 15 drill holes completed at asset.

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Metal Tiger PLC - Winchester, England-based investment firm - Invests GBP287,920 in First Light Capital, subscribing for 1.25 million units. First Light Capital is Canada-based capital pool company. in June, First Light struck agreement with New Oroperu Resources Inc to form gold company Anacortes Mining Corp. "Anacortes will initially be focused on continued exploration and advancement of the Tres Cruces gold project located in Peru. Tres Cruces is one of the highest-grade oxide deposits globally," Metal Tiger says.

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Serabi Gold PLC - gold exploration and production company focused on Brazil - Says drilling of Sao Domingos project backs asset's potential. Notes promising results from Atacadao trend. "These initial results of the surface sampling from the Atacadao trend are very encouraging. The distribution and grade of the rock chip samples demonstrates the strength and scale of the mineralised system," CEO Mike Hodgson says.

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By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com