Degradable plastics developer Symphony Environmental Technologies (LON: SYM) has raised £2.5m at 20p/share from Quantum Leap Capital. The subscription will be in two tranches and Quantum Leap Capital will have a 5.26% stake. The subscription price is more than double the market price even after a 123.1% rise to 7.25p.
Electronic monitoring technology developer Big Technologies (LON: BIG) is appointing Ian Johnson as chief executive and Mike Johns as finance director, replacing Daren Morris who has been stood down as a director and put on gardening leave. Ian Johnson is moving from executive to non-executive chairman of Niox (LON: NIOX) on 14 May. First quarter revenues were 11% ahead at £12.9m if the Colombia contract is excluded. The share price rebounded 17.3% to 91.5p.
AI-focused digital marketing services provider Silver Bullet Data Services (LON: SBDS) increased first quarter revenues by 15% to £2.31m. This is normally a slow quarter. A global retailer has awarded the company a contract worth $1.5m over two years. Committed services revenues are nearly three-quarters of 2025 target revenues. The share price improved 7.79% to 41.5p.
Building and plumbing products distributor Lords Group Trading (LON: LORD) had a tough 2024 with a like-for-like decline in the merchanting division revenues of 3.6% and a 10.4% fall in plumbing and heating revenues. Underlying pre-tax profit slipped from £10.4m to £3.8m. First quarter like-for-like growth is 11% in merchanting and 22% in plumbing and heating. That does compare with a weak period of the previous year. Forecasts assume growth of around 5% this year. There have also been cost savings. Property disposals have led to a £2m gain and they will help to cut net debt from £32.4m to £16.5m. The share price recovered 7.27% to 29.5p.
FALLERS
Wishbone Gold (LON: WSBN) has identified eleven new gold targets at the Crescent gold project in the Mosquito Creek area of Western Australia. The company has appointed Apex Geoscience Consultants to manage the ground exploration and drilling at the Red Setter Dome. Hot Rocks Investments (LON: HRIP) has a 3.2% stake. The Wishbone Gold share price slipped 15.7% to 0.215p.
Retailer Mothercare (LON: MTC) continues to find trading to be tough in the Middle East. Worldwide system sales were 18% lower in the year to March 2025. EBITDA will halve to £3.5m and there will be a small pre-tax loss. Forecasts for 2025-26 and 2026-27 have been reduced and the loss is forecast to increase to £700,000 in 2025-26. This reflects the reduction in franchised outlets and destocking by Boots ahead of the distribution agreement ending. Net debt at the end of March 2025 is estimated to be lower than previously forecast at £3.7m. The full results will be published in August. The share price declined 12.8% to 2.24p.
Trinidad-focused oil and gas producer Touchstone Exploration (LON: TXP) has raised £15.4m at 20.5p and secured a six-year term loan of $30m. The loan is to fund the acquisition of the company that owns a 65% interest in the Central Block gas asset. That would add 2,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day of net production. The NPV10 valuation is $42.9m. The share issue will finance the drilling of development wells. Net production should exceed 8,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day, which could be nearly double February production. The share price is 10.8% lower at 20.75p.
Film and TV subtitling and dubbing services provider Zoo Digital (LON: ZOO) says work is coming through more slowly than expected. The timing of projects remains uncertain. Revenues for the year to March 2025 have been reduced by 3% to $49.4m and the loss increased to $7.4m. A 23% cut in forecast 2025-26 revenues to $42.5m means that Zoo Digital could continue to be loss making. Even so, net cash could improve from $2.6m to $3m. The share price dipped 7.65% to 9.35p.
Caledonian Holdings (LON: CHP), formerly Vela Technologies, made an unrealised loss of £277,000 in the quarter to March 2025. There was cash of £787,000at the end of March 2025, following a £1.2m placing. The main disposals were part of the holdings in EnSilica (LON: ENSI) and Northcoders (LON: CODE). Aeristech was placed in administration and the £401,000 investment valuation was written down to nil. Total assets increased by £91,000 to £2.67m. The share price fell 5.56% to 0.00425p.
Ex-dividends
Braime (TF & JH) (LON: BMTO) is paying a final dividend of 10p/share and the ordinary share price is unchanged at 700p.
Braime (TF & JH) (LON: BMT) is paying a final dividend of 10p/share and the A non-voting share price is unchanged at 1550p.
Focusrite (LON: TUNE) is paying an interim dividend of 2.1p/share and the share price recovered 2.5p to 152.5p.
Franchise Brands (LON: FRAN) is paying a final dividend of 1.3p/share and the share price slipped 1.5p to 144.5p.
James Halstead (LON: JHD) is paying an interim dividend of 2.75p/share and the share price is 0.25p higher at 162.75p.
M&C Saatchi (LON: SAA) is paying a final dividend of 1.95p/share and the share price rose 1.75p to 160.25p.
The Property Franchise Group (LON: TPFG) is paying a final dividend of 12p/share and the share price declined 11p to 444p.
Tracsis (LON: TRCS) is paying an interim dividend of 1.2p/share and the share price improved 15p to 450p.