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Global medical technology company Smith & Nephew announced Monday it has completed the acquisition of a substantial stake in Healthpoint Biotherapeutics. The FTSE 100 company paid $782m in cash for the assets, financed from the existing cash resources and bank facilities. The transaction increases Smith & Nephew's position in bioactives, the fastest growing area of advanced wound management. Olivier Bohuon, Chief Executive Officer of Smith & Nephew, said: "We are delighted to welcome Healthpoint to Smith & Nephew. Its bioactives platform perfectly complements our exudate and infection management and negative pressure expertise. "Our Advanced Wound Management division has consistently outperformed the market growth rate in recent years. We expect to make further progress as we build upon our unique breadth of products to help customers meet the growing human and economic cost of wounds."

Micro Focus expects the acquisition will contribute at least $4.0m of revenue in the period from completion to April 30th 2013. The FTSE 250 company also forecast at least $14m in revenues in the year from May 2013.

Micro Focus International announced on Monday that one of its subsidiaries has agreed to acquire a stake in Progress Software Corporation. The company will purchase the intellectual property, assets and the assumption of liabilities associated with Progress's Orbix, Orbacus and Artix software product lines, for a total consideration of $15m. The transaction will be paid in cash using the firm's existing banking facility and is expected to be completed by January 21st. Micro Focus said the product line would complement the software company's existing range and contribute to the stabilisation of the Visibroker business. "The product lines will be maintained, developed and supported by Micro Focus going forward," the firm said in a statement. "These product lines are used by approximately 200 enterprise customers which overlap with the Micro Focus customer base and include large multinational organisations in the telecommunications, financial services and government verticals."

However the Health division endured a more turbulent market in 2012 with significant structural reforms that are expected to continue through 2013. "As in the Education market, this will create opportunity in the medium term as new organisations are formed and further professional development requirements are introduced. Investment will continue in 2013 as the business evolves and develops," the group said. Overall the group said it has made significant progress in developing new services around its evolving online platform and finishes the financial year with no net debt. "We look forward to building on those achievements in 2013."

Electric Word, which provides training services for the education, healthcare and sport sectors, said following its fundraising in August, trading is in line with company expectations. In its update ahead of its results for the year ended November 30th 2012 the group, which provides specialist information and professional development using websites, magazine, books, training, conferences and consultancy services, said the Sport & Gaming division was boosted by the launch of its iGaming Business in the US. It expects iGaming to create further opportunities in 2013. In SportBusiness, higher-value subscriptions and consulting services grew in 2012, offset by weaker advertising and investment in developing new services such as in the sports sponsorship market, the group explained. In Education, growth in the Conferences business continued at the same time as investment in building the new digital schools management support service has been increased.

Stefano Alfonsi, who will start work at Corin following a short transitional period, is currently employed by the medical devices company Inion. Alfonsi has also held senior positions at Johnson and Johnson, DePuy and Covidien and most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Lima.

Hip and knee replacement specialist Corin has named Stefano Alfonsi as its new Chief Executive Officer and acting Chairman. The appointment follows the group's takeover by investment vehicle 2IL Orthopaedics in a 70p per share cash offer valuing the company at around £30.5m. Corin confirHip and knee replacement specialist Corin has named Stefano Alfonsi as its new Chief Executive Officer and acting Chairman. The appointment follows the group's takeover by investment vehicle 2IL Orthopaedics in a 70p per share cash offer valuing the company at around £30.5m. Corin confirmed that Peter Huntley, Linda Wilding and David Young have all resigned. Marco Fumagalli, Enrico Amo and Pierluca Antolini, all of whom are directors at 2IL Orthopaedics, have been appointed to the board of Corin as non-executive directors. med that Peter Huntley, Linda Wilding and David Young have all resigned. Marco Fumagalli, Enrico Amo and Pierluca Antolini, all of whom are directors at 2IL Orthopaedics, have been appointed to the board of Corin as non-executive directors.

Shares of Instem fell 2.2% at 08:40 in London.

Instem Life Sciences, a software provider to the healthcare industry, said several contracts needed to meet revenue and profit expectations for the year remain pending. The group, which previously cautioned that research organisations, which make up the bulk of its client base, are being cautious in software investment, has seen its share price plunge 57% in the last 12 months. In its update on trading for the year ending December 31st 201 Instem added that their clients' ability to contribute to current year results will only be known definitively at the year-end. As a result, Instem now intends to announce its planned trading update in early January.

Shares of aim listed outsourcing software developer ServicePower Technologies sank 22 per cent after it warned it will not achieve market forecasts for the year ending December 31st 2012. The warning comes after 'protracted negotiations in several significant contracts' in the wake of client restructuring. As a result, the group expects to make a loss for the year. "The board expects the contract negotiations to be concluded in the early part of 2013 and will update investors in January on progress and provide a more detailed update on trading at that point," it said.

Concurrent Technologies is a world leading specialist in the design and manufacture of high-end embedded computer products for defence, aerospace, telecommunications, transportation, scientific and industrial markets.

The AM 93x/x1x processor board was developed for MicroTCA based telecommunications applications such as IPTV, digital media servers, media gateways, broadband, Long Term Evolution (LTE) or LTE-Advanced, wireless base stations as well as in test systems for wireline and wireless networks. Glen Fawcett, Managing Director of Concurrent Technologies, said: "We are delighted to be continuing to add to our range of new products that provide specific benefits for our customers. We feel it is important to use our growing engineering and development capabilities to bring to market high performance products that have a clear demand and will help us to attract new business. The AM 93x/x1x combines the power-efficient, high performance third generation Intel® Core™ processor with the latest technology connecting PCIExpress to Serial Rapidio, and will enable our customers to meet the demands of compute intensive applications." A spokesperson for the company told Sharecast the product was part of Concurrent's commitment to delivering high-end processors for intensive specific applications.

Concurrent Technologies unveiled Friday the launch of its first single board computer featuring a Serial Rapidio interface. The UK arm of the global company said its latest offering - the AM 93x/x1x - is a high performance AdvancedMC processor board and combines the power-efficient third generation Intel Core processor with Serial Rapidio backplane connectivity. RapidIo is an open-standard, switched fabric designed by the leaders in embedded computing specifically for developers of wireless infrastructure, edge networking, storage, scientific, military and industrial equipment. The processor allows applications that require large amounts of data to be transferred smoothly without interruption.

Praetorian Resources was formed as a contrarian investment company to explore under valuations evolving in the resources sector. The company has predicted "the greatest wash out" of junior mining stocks that resources sector has ever seen. "It is likely that a substantial number of the smaller exploration companies simply will not be around by the summer of next year," the company said

Praetorian Resources reported considerable net losses Friday - pointing the finger at challenging market conditions. The Guernsey-based investment holding company has released its half-yearly report for the period ending September 30th 2012, revealing a net loss of £1.87m. The firm said the figure reflected the effects of the global financial crisis on the market's resources sector. "Market conditions in the resources sector have been extremely challenging as a global market correction has resulted in a largely indiscriminate sell off in both small and mid-cap resource equities, negatively affecting the share prices of both good and bad companies alike," the company said in a statement. "In such a distressed climate there are several attractive refinancing opportunities as an increasing number of resource companies are requiring affordable medium-term funding and market support to develop their assets." The group had a cash balance of circa £4m in the report and plans to expand the firm's capital base in the New Year.

Staff recruitment and training is also on track, along with additional mining equipment which will arrive in January to help increase mining capacity. David Nel, Chief Executive Officer, said: "I am very pleased overall with the operational progress made at the Elitheni mine. Whilst the wash plant output rate is not yet at peak production, I am confident, based on the commitment of the manufacturer, PJ Technologies, that this will be fixed in January. "I am optimistic, based on what has been achieved during 2012, that the coming year will be a successful one for the Company and its shareholders." The AIM-listed company has a market capitalisation of £41.04m. Shares fell 0.35% to 201.80p at 9:13 Monday.

Strategic Natural Resources (SNR) announced Monday it has delayed the first shipment of coal from its Elitheni Mine in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The company said the wash plant at the mine, which started operation last month, has experienced some 'commissioning teething problems' preventing it from reaching predicted output rates. The first cargo of SNR has been pushed back to late January/February 2013 to make sure the wash plant is operating at optimal capacity before exporting through East London. SNR will satisfy its contractual commitment for a late December/early January cargo through coal trading. Manufacturer, PJ Technologies, have experts on site and they are confident they can improve wash plant up to predicted output rates in January. On a more positive note, initial coal seam thickness reported greater than expected by Minxcon in the recent resources and related resources update. It will assist in reaching forecast production rates.

London Stock Exchange Group announced on Monday that it has shaken hands on a deal which will see it purchase a majority stake in LCH.Clearnet, but at a reduced price to that agreed back in April. The company will now purchase the stake at €15 a share, around four euros lower than previously agreed price. The two groups have agreed to extend the longstop date of the transaction until January 31st 2013 in order to finalise the detailed terms of a revised offer. LSE has provisionally agreed to make a revised offer for a majority stake of up to 60% of LCH.Clearnet comprising €14 per share in cash, which will be paid on completion of the transaction, plus a further one euro per share in cash paid at the end of September 2017 (replacing a previously announced one euro special dividend) which will be reduced as a result of any claims. The group said the offer price is based on an assumption of a €300m capital raise. In a statement LSE said: "Subject to completion of the transaction, LSE has agreed to participate in respect of its post transaction pro-rata share (expected to be approximately, but no more than, 60%) of the LCH.Clearnet capital raise, provided that continuing LCH.Clearnet shareholders commit to fund the balance of the capital raise."

http://www.investegate.co.uk/xcap-securities-plc/rns/final-results-for-year-ended-31-august-2012/201212240700072076U/

Regus has launched a fresh bid for serviced office provider MWB Business Exchange (MBE) at a much lower price, a year and a half after it withdrew its initial offer. Through its subsidiary Marley Acquisitions Limited (MAL), Regus is making a cash offer for 61.576p per share of MBE, valuing the company at £40m. This is an all-cash premium of 19.57% to MBE's closing price of 51.5p on December 19th. Regus said that if it receives acceptances in respect of at least 75% of the total number of MBE shares, it will apply to the London Stock Exchange for the cancellation of trading of MBE shares on AIM. Back in May 2011, Regus had made an indicative offer for MBE at 92.36p per share, valuing the company at a much higher price of £60m. However, this was latter withdrawn after the other side did not seek to "engage in meaningful discussions".