TRADING UPDATES: Spectra cash cleaner strong on Covid; Fintel grows

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

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Spectra Systems Corp - Rhode Island-based authentication technology provider - Says tests in Boston show Spectra's Aeris banknote cleaning process also rids SARS-2 "below detectable limits". "When Covid-19 was emerging as a pandemic, a multitude of central banks expressed interest in whether Aeris could both remove soiling as well as deactivate SARS-2. This new data makes Aeris valuable both for saving banknote replacement costs as well as for increasing the safety of cash," Spectra says.

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Bloomsbury Publishing PLC - London-based publisher - Says total revenue grows 28% annually to GBP63.1 million in four months to June. "Consumer division revenues were 26% ahead of last year, with strong print and e-book sales. Adult revenues grew by 17% and Children's revenues by 32%," Bloomsbury says. "The board expects the group's performance for the year ending 28 February 2022 to be in line with market expectations." Notes consensus is for revenue of GBP193.4 million and pretax profit before "highlighted items" of GBP19.3 million.

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Bluefield Solar Income Fund Ltd - Guernsey-based income fund that invests primarily in solar assets - Raises GBP105.1 million through issue of 89.1 million shares at 118 pence each. "The proceeds raised will enable us to further diversify and grow the company's extremely high quality portfolio of renewable infrastructure assets," Chair John Rennocks says.

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Adriatic Metals PLC - Cheltenham, England-based precious and base metals explorer and developer - Qualifies for upgrade to OTCQX Best Market, OTC Markets Group's premier market for companies seeing US investors. Adriatic adds: "By upgrading to the OTCQX, Adriatic enables its current and prospective US investors improved market visibility, increased trading liquidity and the most up-to-date information otherwise not found on the Pink market. Approximately 20% of the company's investor base is in North America."

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Harbour Energy PLC - North Sea-focused oil and gas company - Says issues with HGS Tolmount platform identified in electrical systems are "now being investigated and rectification plans are being developed". Says first gas at Tolmount delayed beyond end of July, now likely around year-end. Says 2021 production guidance is now 185,000 to 195,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

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Bushveld Minerals Ltd - Johannesburg-based vanadium producer - Says second quarter output rises 13% annually to 886 metric tonnes of vanadium. For first half, output down 5.2% year-on-year to 1,574 metric tonnes. Sales volumes in second quarter rise 20% yearly to 820 metric tonnes, but fall 8.9% to 1.6 metric tonnes in all of first half.

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Ariana Resources PLC - London-based gold exploration and development company - Updates on drilling and resource at Kepez North area of Kiziltepe mine. Reports resource of 36,400 ounces of gold and 329,400 ounces of silver. Reflects 97% increase in contained gold ounces over previous resource estimate in 2020. "This is a great outcome from the recent drilling undertaken in the Kepez area," Ariana Managing Director Kerim Sener says.

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Kavango Resources PLC - mineral exploration company - Says proof of concept drilling begins in Kalahari Suture Zone, Botswana. Specifically, Kavango eyeing A2 target. "With the drill bit now turning at A2, we should soon hopefully become the first company ever to retrieve core samples from the bottom of a Karoo-age gabbro in the region," Chief Executive Ben Turney says.

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Bradda Head Holdings Ltd - British Virgin Islands-based lithium explorer with assets in Nevada and Arizona - Reports plans for fast-track programme at Burro Creek East designed to twin five existing holes and drill five more as Bradda Head eyes resource extension at Arizona, US asset. Company adds: "141 meters have been drilled of a planned 991 metres." First set expected in third quarter.

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Arena Events Group PLC - London-based event solutions provider - Repays short-term financing facility provided by Lombard Odier Investment Management. Says amount drawn down is GBP2.0 million and notes GBP500,000 interest.

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Regional REIT Ltd - real estate investment trust focused on UK offices outside London - Exchanges contracts with ARA Dunedin to sell "significant industrial property" for GBP45.0 million. Regional REIT adds: "The completion is conditional upon the purchaser having in place the required financing. This reflects a net initial yield of 6.75% to the purchaser and is 7.5% above the valuation as at 31 December 2020." Portfolio includes seven assets, located in Bromborough, Erith, Nottingham, Scunthorpe, Telford, Winsford and Wisbech.

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Fintel PLC - Huddersfield-based business services provider to financial advisers - Says revenue up 10% in first half of 2021 to GBP31.7 million from GBP28.9 million a year prior. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation up 12% GBP8.3 million from GBP7.4 million. In addition, says agrees sale of non-core Zest Technology to FPE Capital for GBP10 million initially and possibly extra GBP1.5 million tied to revenue targets.

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CAP-XX Ltd - New South Wales, Australia-based supercapacitors manufacturer - Says custom power conversion and energy storage systems producer RGM Spa selects CAP-XX supercapacitors. CAP-XX says this is due to the ability of its supercapacitors to "store and release large amounts of energy and power for the industrial automotive market".

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By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com

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