The FTSE 250 was up 0.7% to 20,773.8 and the AIM was up 0.7% to 1,021.1 in late afternoon trading on Friday to finish what was a positive week for small and mid caps in London.
PureTech Health shares increased 3.5% to 180.2 p following the group’s presentation of research which suggested that its superabsorbent hydrogel, GEL-B, significantly shifted the composition of the microbiome to a profile linked to improved metabolic health, including improved weight loss and glucose control.
The hydrogel was developed by the firm’s Gelesis Holdings entity, which presented its discoveries at the World of Microbiome annual meeting in Vienna.
“We were excited to see that, along with weight loss and changes in gut permeability, we saw beneficial changes in the gut microbiota,” said Maria Rescigno, Group Leader of the Mucosal Immunology and Microbiota Unit at Humanitas University in Milan.
International Public Partnership shares gained 3.3% to 167.4p on the back of its completed placing, open offer, subscription offer and intermediaries offer, with strong demand bringing about an increased target raise from £250 million to the maximum new shares available.
“Thanks to the support of both existing and new investors, we have significantly increased the size of our initial target raise of £250 million, completing a total capital raise of £325 million,” said International Public Partnership chair Michael Gerrard.
“The over-subscribed issue firmly demonstrates the attractiveness of International Public Partnerships’ investment case.”
BMO Commercial Property Trust shares were up 3.1% to 118.4p after an unaudited net asset value increase rise of 6.6% to 144p per share from the company’s 135.1p NAV in December 2021, alongside a total return of 7.4% for Q1 2022.
Computacenter shares decreased 4.1% to 26,310p as a result of the company announced an estimated decline in H1 2022 profits year-on-year from its £118.9 million profits in 2021.
The firm said that despite wage inflation concerns, it remained on track to deliver its goals for the year as a whole.
Rotork shares experienced a fall of 2.5% to 294.5p following a mid-single digits decline in revenue year-on-year.
The group noted a series of disruptions to the company’s operations, including component availability issues, suspension of deliveries from Russia and falling deliveries from its Shanghai facility due to Covid-19 lockdowns.
MC Mining shares increased 9% to 9p after the company announced it was exploring methods to raise funds after an increase in production over Q3, with the group looking to take advantage of the high commodities prices.
The Western-Australia-based coal producer reported a 15% increase in coal sales to 71,361 tonnes from 62,301 tonnes over the quarter.
Xeros Technology shares fell 13.1% to 39.5p after the company announced its failure to reach its profit goals for 2023, with the group shifting its timeframe to an estimate of 2024 until it broke even.
The firm added that it was evaluating funding options to sustain its operations after its supply of cash depleted after Q3 2023.
