UK TRADING UPDATE SUMMARY: Mortgage Advice Bureau Launches Later Life

Tue, 15th Sep 2020 22:08

(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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Mortgage Advice Bureau Holdings PLC - Derby-based mortgage adviser - Launches Mortgage Advice Bureau Later Life, its exclusive strategic alliance with later life lending business Key Group. MAB Later Life consists of a panel of four lenders including Key's more2Life lifetime mortgage lenders. First phase of alliance involved distributing later life mortgage products through a small pilot group of existing MAB advisers, which is now being extended to firms outside the group.

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Botswana Diamonds PLC - Irish exploration and project development company - Posts preliminary results from next phase of Marsfontein project drilling campaign, testing historical anomaly identified as M17 to examine potential as enlargement on the M8 kimberlite dyke. Hole ID M17H001 intersects 4 metres of kimberlite from 54 to 58 metres, among the thickest kimberlite intersections at the Marsfontein - Thorny River project area so far. This warrants detailed ground geophysics. No kimberlite identified in hole ID M17H002.

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Gabelli Value Plus+ Trust PLC - US equities investor - Largest shareholder ACG will not support liquidation proposals. As it holds more than 25% of voting rights and the proposals would need at least 75% approval, the board will not put forward its liquidation proposals at this time. Evaluates options available. Firm had planned to put forward proposals for members' voluntary liquidation after a 66% majority of votes at its July AGM were opposed to its continuation resolution.

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Manolete Partners PLC - UK-focused insolvency litigation financing firm - Completes one of the larger cases in its portfolio of UK insolvency claims, which settles for gross amount of GBP15.0 million. In current trade period since March 31, has completed 40 cases, including the larger claim which will itself generate a GBP4.1 million realised gain and make an approximately GBP2.1 million contribution to net pretax profit for the current accounting period. No material write-offs sustained in Manolete case portfolio. New business develops well in five months to August, 84 new cases either acquired or funded, up 65% year-on-year.

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OptiBiotix Health PLC - York-based life sciences company - Enters agreement with undisclosed US company aiming to achieve large scale manufacture and commercialisation of certain SweetBiotix products. Deal grants US company exclusive worldwide licence in return for it bearing product manufacturing, marketing, and all future commercialisation costs for various SweetBiotix products. "Modes six-figure payment" to be made to OptiBiotix in singing agreement an as 12 monthly intervals until product launch. Similar payment plus royalties on on all future sales of SweetBiotix to 11 partners once US company starts selling SweetBiotix products.

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McKay Securities PLC - real estate investment trust focused on office, industrial and logistics markets in south east and London - Lets whole of 135 Theale Logistics Park at Junction 12 of M4 near Reading to logistics operator. New tenant agrees to 10-year FRI lease term at rend 2.0% ahead of March ERV. Letting takes McKay's contracted rental income as at March 31 up 5.3% to GBP29.8 million.

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President Energy PLC - oil and gas company focusing on Latin America - Concludes operations testing of EVx-1 at Rio Negro operations in Argentina. Flow rates, pressure build up support initial testing results with USD250,000 workover of old well having "proved to be excellent value". Production rates range between 25,000 to 150,000 cubic metres per day of gas with small amount of condensate. Well to be put on stream initially producing 80,000 cubic metres per day of gas. "The data obtained from the testing is now being analysed to determine the producible volume of the reservoir and its characteristics." Old PFO-33 turned into water disposal well, replacing prior well PFO-17 which ceased to be operable around 3 months ago. President: "The drilling rig is now expected to start mobilising during the course of this week for drilling operations to commence on schedule before the end of September."

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Tex Holdings PLC - Suffolk-based engineering and plastics manufacturing group - Applies to Financial Conduct Authority to cancel its main market shares, with the effective date of cancellation to be on or near October 13. Listing suspended April 2019 over failure to supply audited accounts for 2018 on time. Explains that: "Continued listing of the shares incurs significant cost while presenting an obstacle to potential sources of funding."

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Eden Research PLC - biopesticides and plastic-free formulation technology company - Obtains patent in Australia for its Sustaine encapsulation technology. Patent is for the use of Sustaine biodegradable micro-spheres produced from yeast extract - and is the first patent anywhere in the world specifically covering the use of Sustaine with third party active ingredients.

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Emmerson PLC - Morocco-focused potash development company - Says "multiple workstreams in progress" for further de-risking of its Khemisset potash project. Permitting process on track with main permits set to be in place in the first half of 2021. Investigating operations for staged development so cut upfront capital costs and provides financing flexibility. Talks with possible strategic partners, anchor investors, debt providers, going well.

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Evgen Pharma PLC - Liverpool-headquartered clinical-stage drug development company - Licences its sulforaphane stabilisation technology for use in various non-pharmaceutical applications to Juvenescence Ltd. Juvenescence plans to market and sell a high-end nutritional health product containing sulforaphane extracted from natural sources. Evgen to receive milestone and option payments totalling maximum USD10.5 million plus royalties on future product sales. Initial payment of USD250,000 on signing of agreement.

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Amryt Pharma PLC - pharmaceutical company - Notes positive opinion on orphan designation for drug AP103 in Epidermolysis Bullosa from European Medicines Agency's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products. Orphan drug destination in EU granted within 30 days of positive COMP opinion. Amryt notes: "This designation provides certain regulatory and financial incentives including but not limited to product market exclusivity for ten years in the EU following regulatory approval." Epidermolysis Bullosa is a genetic skin disorder causing skin layers and internal body lining to separate and currently has no approved treatments.

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HML Holdings PLC - Surrey-based property management services firm - AIM delisting expected to occur October 13 without requirement for shareholder resolution approval. This follows acceptance of offer by BDO Nominee Co Ltd to acquire company for GBP19.0 million in total. BDO will purchase shares for 37.5 pence each. BDO Nominee is a company formed under direction of Harwood Capital LLP for the purpose of making the offer.

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Chesterfield Resources PLC - copper-gold exploration and development company active in Cyprus - Begins diamond drill programme at Troodos West copper-gold exploration licences in Cyprus. Intending to drill a 2,000 metre programme consisting of holes of around 150 metres each, with programme set to last until around October end. Will simultaneously carry out an AMT geophysics survey plus percussion drilling in integrated exploration programme. Goal is to discover and test volcanognic massive sulphide deposits buried at shallow depth in an area of historic mines.

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Symphony Environmental Technologies PLC - Borehamwood-based developer of additives to make ordinary plastic biodegradable - Receives notice from Vincel Investment Holdings Ltd to exercise warrants representing 5.0 million share. Warrants granted July 19. Symphony to receive GBP1.0 million in cash proceeds.

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TP Group PLC - Reading-based consulting, software and engineering services provider - Receives new orders totalling around GBP4.0 million from UK Ministry of Defence to supply oxygen generation and carbon dioxide removal devices. Orders are part of GBP22 million framework agreement previously announced in April 2017. Devised to be supplied to Royal Navy in fourth quarter of 2020 and into 2021.

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Distil PLC - London-based owner of premium drinks brand Diva Vodka plus others - Launches RedLeg Banana Rum, second flavour extension for its Redleg Rum brand. Conducts branding refresh across range.

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Haydale Graphene Industries PLC - Ammanford, Wales-based nanomaterial producer - Inks contracts to provides services for the collaborative development of graphene and nano material-enhanced products for use in Dowty Propellers products. Haydale and Dowty to collaborate on developing erosion-resistant coating with addition of Haydale's Silicone Carbide Microfibers as well as other products.

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Boku Inc - US-based mobile payments solution provider - Recently acquires subsidiary Fortumo working with Amazon.com Inc to allow launch of Amazon Prime bundle service for Jio Platforms subscribers. Jio is a digital services company in India and is offering 1 year of Amazon Prime with select broadband plans.

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Galileo Resources PLC -miner with projects in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa - Announces conditional acquisition of Africibum Co Pty Ltd and its interests in Botswana's North East Kalahari Copper Belt project. Consideration is 42.0 million Galileo shares priced at 0.779 pence each.

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Merian Chrysalis Investment Co Ltd - London-based investor in later stage private companies - Confirms that asset referred to in Friday announcement of approximately GBP23 million follow-on investment was Klarna Holding AB. Klarna has conducted a USD650 million primary funding round with an additional secondary sell-down by some investors, with round valuing Klarna at USD10.65 billion, up from USD5.5 billion in August 2019. Merian Chrysalis gross cash position now approximately GBP31 million with Klarna stake worth around GBP96 million.

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By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com