TRADING UPDATES: SEC Newgate Expects Results In Line With Forecasts

(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Tuesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

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SEC Newgate SpA - Milan-based communications, advocacy and research firm - Expects results for 2020 in line with market expectations, with consolidated total turnover of around EUR65 million, gross profit of around EUR56 million and pretax profit around EUR3.0 million. "Our first full year as SEC Newgate has ended very positively due to the huge effort made across our group and, in particular, by our teams in Australia, the UK, Italy and Brussels. We have started the new financial year in a strong financial position and with a significant pipeline," says Chief Executive Fiorenzo Tagliabue. Separately, says Chief Financial Officer Sergio Penna has been appointed to the board. Anna Milito, deputy CFO, is stepping down from the board.

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Gfinity PLC - London-based e-sports services provider - Says delivered a strong performance in December, building on the month-on-month profitability reported in October and November. "As a result, on an adjusted Ebitda basis, Gfinity was profitable for the final quarter of the 2020 calendar year. Whilst this is a strong performance, the company notes that due to the project-based nature of the company's revenue streams and some seasonality in the business in the short term it does not imply the company will always be profitable on a monthly basis going forward," company adds.

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Spectra Systems Corp - Providence, Rhode Island-based banknote authentication software provider - Has executed an agreement with its unnamed central bank customer concerning the second phase of the sensor development first announced in October 2020. This USD5.6 million revenue from the second phase follows the USD1.9 million first phase development. "We are pleased that this technologically sophisticated central bank has provided us with the opportunity to continue to phase II of the sensor development which will lead to the production of a yet unspecified number of sensors for their advanced cash processing operations," says Chief Executive Nabil Lawandy.

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Kropz PLC - South Africa-focused plant nutrient feed minerals developer - Says significant progress continues to be made at Elandsfontein, South Africa, and the project remains on track for achieving the target date for production in the fourth quarter of 2021, within the project capital budget. "The company's priority remains the health and well-being of its staff and contractors. Kropz Elandsfontein Pty (Ltd) has adopted appropriate measures, in accordance with local and international guidelines, to protect them from Covid-19. The pandemic could, however, still adversely affect the schedule for Elandsfontein," Kropz cautions.

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Gem Diamonds Ltd - diamond miner - Says 99,172 carats sold in 2020 at an average price of USD1,908 per carat for total value of USD189.2 million. In 2019, 111,291 carats were sold at USD1,637 for total value of USD182.1 million. Says diamond prices achieved in the fourth quarter of 2020, on a like-for-like basis, were higher than those realised before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, which Gem says reflects "overall improvement in market conditions".

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Target Healthcare REIT PLC - UK purpose-built care home investor - Says EPRA net asset value per share increased to 108.2 pence at December 31, versus 108.0p at the end of September. NAV total return for the quarter was 1.8%. Reports 0.8% increase in the like-for-like value of the operational portfolio and declares second interim dividend of 1.68p per share for financial year ending June 2021.

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Gaming Realms PLC - London-based mobile games developer - Enters into the Italian market through its collaboration with a number of "top tier" Italian gaming operators. Gaming Realms' platform and portfolio have been fully certified for entry into the Italian regulated gaming market by L'Amministrazione Autonoma dei Monopoli di Stato. Via SG Digital's Opening Gaming System platform, Gaming Realms' Slingo Portfolio is now live in the Italian market with iGaming operators Goldbet and Sisal Group, and will be going live with Lottomatica later in February.

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Thalassa Holdings Ltd - British Virgin Islands-based investment holding company - Agrees to lend clinical testing specialist and provider of pathology diagnostics services London Medical Laboratory Ltd up to GBP2.5 million. The financing will be used by LML to fund the opening of new phlebotomy clinical facilities and to increase the capacity of its existing facilities, and is a precursor to LML seeking a possible AIM admission. "We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with LML's founders, Seth Rankin and Flavia Araujo-Rankin, and their team at LML and look forward to assisting and supporting the growth of the business, as well as the Company's AIM Admission preparations," says Thalassa Chair Duncan Soukup.

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MelodyVR Group PLC - London-based virtual reality content - Says contract renewals with Napster's business to business partners expected to secure revenue of USD16 million in aggregate over the course of the next two years. Thee include an amendment to the platform services agreement with SONOS covering the expansion of ad-supported SONOS Radio in 14 new territories, a renewal of the technology and platform services agreement with Panasonic Corp to March 2022, and a renewal of the digital media services agreement with Telefonica Germany to December 2022.

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Novacyt SA - Anglo-French biotechnology group focused on clinical diagnostics - Launches new portfolio of assays to aid the diagnosis of the new variants of SARS-CoV-2. "Novacyt's existing polymerase chain reaction Covid-19 portfolio remains highly accurate in detecting all published SARS-CoV-2 variants. The launch of the new SNPsig portfolio complements and expands the Company's offering into the rapidly evolving requirement for PCR genotyping of variants," Novacyt says.

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By Lucy Heming; lucyheming@alliancenews.com

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