Mindflair has made a fresh investment in ManaMind, a London-based autonomous game testing company, via its stake in a fund managed by Sure Valley Ventures, with EWOR, Ascension, Syndicate Room and Heartfelt also participating.

Sure Valley Ventures led the US$1.5 million round, which will go on expanding the technical team, accelerating proprietary model development and pushing into new geographies.

ManaMind’s platform uses AI agents to play through games, flag bugs and generate actionable reports for studios — cutting the slog of repetitive manual QA, one of the more painful cost lines in modern game development.

Mindflair said early commercial traction is encouraging, with design partnerships already secured with mobile studio Included Games and hypercasual heavyweight Crazy Labs.

Nicholas Lee, Director of Mindflair plc, said: “ManaMind represents an interesting application of agentic AI in the global games industry, where quality assurance remains a significant cost and operational challenge for studios. By automating repetitive testing workflows, ManaMind has the potential to help development teams improve efficiency and game quality, and we are pleased to see SVV backing another ambitious AI business with clear commercial use cases.”

Power Metal Resources has announced a significant upgrade at its Perch River uranium project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, which is held under its joint venture with Fermi Exploration.

Supplementary drill core sampling along the Rapids Fault Structure has confirmed the system is geochemically and mineralogically “fertile” for unconformity-related uranium deposits.

Power Metal believes recent samples indicate the project could host high-grade uranium.

The presence of sudoite, hydrothermal tourmaline and dolomite, combined with a 779 ppm boron hit in PR25-01 and anomalous radiogenic lead spread over a 400m strike, all point to a live hydrothermal system.

Fermi’s team believes last year’s drilling clipped only the distal, upper halo of the system, leaving the hydrothermal core and any uranium mineralisation it might host untested at depth.

ANT geophysics suggests the structure could extend more than a kilometre below the unconformity, with a secondary 4km fault to the west yet to see a drill bit.

CEO Sean Wade said the results “fundamentally upgrade” Perch River’s prospectivity, with the radiogenic lead acting as a direct vector toward potentially high-grade material at depth.

A positive trading statement by IG Design (LON: IGR) has led to upgrades for the year just ended and the current year. Ongoing gift wrap and stationery business is better than expected, although consumer confidence remains weak. In the year to March 2026, revenues were $292m, while the pre-tax profit estimate has been increased from $9.5m to $11.5m. This year’s pre-tax profit forecast has been raised from $12.3m to $14.3m, helped by an earnings enhancing acquisition in South Africa. Net cash is $72m before the £3.4m spent on the acquisition. The share price rebounded 22.3% to 68.5p.

Image Scan (LON: IGE) increased interim revenues from £350,000 to £1.32m and it returned to profit. Cash improved to £955,000. The order book is worth £1.27m. This means that there is a positive outlook for the second half, but the outcome for the x-ray scanning technology developer is dependent on the timing of the orders. The share price increased 21.9% to 1.95p.

Iodine producer Iofina (LON: IOF) reported better than expected figures for 2025. Revenues increased from $54.5m to $66.5m. Earnings jumped from 1.52 cents/share to 3.26 cents/share. A large plant will start production later this year leading to a big rise in production in 2027. More plants are in the pipeline. X-ray demand for iodine is keeping the price high and Canaccord is anticipating it staying above $70/tonne. This year earnings could reach 3.9 cents/share, and the 2027 figure has been upgraded to 6.3 cents/share. The share price gained 15.4% to 37.5p.

Empyrean Energy (LON: EME) says the operator of the Mako gas project has issued letters of award totalling more than $280m, which is more than four-fifths of the capital costs. First gas should be in the fourth quarter of 2027. The share price rose 13.6% to 0.0625p.

FALLERS

Celsius Resources (LON: CLA) continues to make progress with the Maalinao-Caigutan-Biyog Copper-Gold project and the development of the mine and process plant, which is out for tender. Equinaire Holdings says it acquired the loan held by Makilala Mining Company in order to become involved in offtake arrangements. The share price dipped 13.2% to 0.46p.

Property technology company Built Cybernetics (LON: BUC) moved into profit in 2025-26 and smart buildings revenues exceed architecture revenues for the first time. However, the master systems integrator business has been hit by poor demand, and the group could fall back into loss this year. Built Cybernetics has raised £570,000 at 1.5p/share. The share price declined 10.5% to 1.7p.

Atlantic Lithium (LON: ALL) had cash of A$13.9m at the end of March 2026 and this is enough to take it to the final investment decision on the Ewoyaa lithium project. A possible alternative development pathway has been proposed for the project. There are discussions with joint venture partner Elevra Lithium about amending the structure of the joint venture. Elevra currently has to contribute the majority of upfront capex. Canaccord Genuity assumes that construction approval will be received by the end of the year. The share price fell 10.2% to 14.55p.

Chesterfield Special Cylinders (LON: CSC) says interim revenues should improve from £5.4m to £6.4m and the loss should reduce. However, some UK naval work has been delayed until 2026-27. UK hydrogen related demand will also be delayed until next year. That means that full year revenues will be flat and the loss will be similar to the year before. The share price slipped 9.62% to 47p.

Ex-dividends

AB Dynamics (LON: ABDP) is paying an interim dividend of 3.08p/share and the share price slipped 13p to 978p.

Churchill China (LON: CHH) is paying a final dividend of 14p/share and the share price declined 31p to 335p.

Nexteq (LON: NXQ) is paying a final dividend of 3.9p/share and the share price fell 1.5p to 67.5p.

Synectics (LON: SNX) is paying a final dividend of 2.8p/share and the share price decreased 2.5p to 202.5p.

Persimmon has reported a solid start to 2026, with private forward sales up 7% to £1.80bn and an improved sales rate carrying momentum from a strong 2025 into the new year.

After a string of disappointing housebuilder updates in recent week, expectations would have been low going into Persimmon’s update. But shareholders have been pleasantly surprised.

Net private sales per outlet per week rose 3% to 0.76 (or 0.67 excluding bulk sales), while average outlets nudged up 2% to 273 as the housebuilder pushes towards its target of operating from at least 300.

Total forward sales, including year-to-date legal completions, climbed 5% to £2.46bn, with the private average selling price up 5% to around £306,900 and total incentives holding steady at 4-5%.

Chief Executive Dean Finch said the business had started the year well, supported by an improved private sales rate and rising prices.

The conflict in Iran has not had any material impact on trading to date, although management is keeping a close eye on consumer confidence and there are early signs of supply chain inflation, particularly from higher energy costs, which are likely to feed through in H2 2026 and into 2027.

Mark Crouch, market analyst for eToro, says: “Persimmon’s update suggests a housing market that, for now, is holding firm, but the bigger picture for UK housebuilders is rapidly darkening. Persimmon’s numbers look solid enough, forward sales up, pricing holding firm, and volumes broadly in line with expectations.”

“But scratch beneath the surface, and storm clouds are gathering quickly. The war in Iran has sent energy prices sharply higher, feeding directly into inflation and pushing mortgage rates back up just as hopes of rate cuts were building. When it rains, it pours, and housebuilders sit squarely in the crosshairs of rising costs and weakening affordability.”

Persimmon shares were 2% higher at the time of writing on Thursday.

Image Scan shares surged on Thursday after the imaging firm reported a swing to profit in its half-year period to March 2026.

The provider of portable X-ray systems for security reported a sharp turnaround in its half-year results to 31 March 2026, with revenue jumping to £1.32m from just £350k in the same period last year as trading conditions normalised and opportunities cultivated during FY25 converted into sales.

Gross profit more than tripled to £679k from £205k, although the percentage margin slipped on a change in product mix. Cost discipline kept operating expenses largely in check at £608k (down from £630k), driving a pre-tax profit of £75k, compared with a £422k loss a year earlier.

This was welcome news for investors, and shares jumped 35%.

The balance sheet is in noticeably better shape, with cash up 86% to £955k and no debt, while the order book grew 44% to £1.27m, providing a more solid platform heading into the second half.

If the moment continues, Image Scan’s current market cap of £3m could start to look cheap.

The period was not without setbacks. The UK defence programme subcontracted via NP Aerospace was terminated for convenience by the end customer in February, a disappointing development, although not performance-related. Stripping that out, the underlying order book and pipeline have continued to strengthen, with growing traction for higher-specification solutions in the ThreatScan AS range.

Rolls-Royce has reported a strong start to 2026 across all three divisions, reaffirming its guidance for £4.0bn-£4.2bn of underlying operating profit and £3.6bn-£3.8bn of free cash flow, despite headwinds from the Middle East conflict.

Given the disruption the Middle East conflict has caused to air travel and the global economy generally, investors should be happy with today’s update from Rolls-Royce.

“We have had a strong start to the year driven by our transformation and self-help, as we continue to further expand the earnings, cash, and growth potential of the business,” said Chief Executive, Tufan Erginbilgic.

In Civil Aerospace, large engine flying hours grew 5% to 115% of 2019 pre-pandemic levels in Q1, with the group sticking to its full-year range of 115%-120%.

Encouragingly, Trent XWB flying hours among Middle Eastern airlines have fully recovered to pre-conflict levels, while growth elsewhere remains robust as capacity gets reallocated and operational performance improves.

Large-engine deliveries jumped 18% in the quarter, and shop visits rose 12%, with the total-service model giving management visibility to keep the shop-visit profile steady through 2026 and 2027.

Defence also had a good start to the year, with deliveries up more than 20% year-on-year as governments worldwide continue to ramp up spending amid escalating global conflicts.

Recent wins included EJ200 engines for Türkiye’s 20 new Eurofighter Typhoons via the EUROJET consortium and the selection of the MT30 marine gas turbine for up to 11 Australian Navy frigates. The first flight of the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 autonomous refueller, powered by Rolls’ AE 3007 engine, highlights the group’s position in next-generation propulsion.

But Power Systems is arguably the standout growth story, especially on a percentage basis and what it could mean for the business in the future.

Power generation order intake in gas and diesel engines was around 50% higher year-on-year, led by data centres and governmental demand, with March a record month for orders and the backlog standing at £7.3bn at the end of Q1.

The SMR business has also moved into the execution phase, with contracts signed for three small modular reactors at Anglesey in Wales and with ČEZ, for the first of up to six units at Temelin in the Czech Republic, commercial terms agreed.

Rolls-Royce shares were 3% higher at the time of writing.

Google-owner Alphabet shares soared in the US premarket on Thursday after the company announced strong Q1 results, driven by AI cloud demand.

Alphabet has delivered a stellar first quarter, with consolidated revenues up 22% (or 19% in constant currency) to $109.9 billion, marking the group’s 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth and signalling broad-based momentum across the business.

Google Cloud was the standout, with revenues accelerating 63% to $20 billion as enterprise demand for AI Solutions, AI Infrastructure and core Google Cloud Platform services continues to gather pace.

The scale of that step-up will reinforce the bull case that Alphabet is carving out a credible position in the AI infrastructure race. As well as having one of the strongest LLM offerings with Gemini.

Google Services revenues climbed 16% to $89.6 billion, with Search & other up 19%, subscriptions, platforms and devices also up 19%, and YouTube ads adding a respectable 11%.

Strong showing across the core advertising engine and growing subscription stack suggests the AI shift is, so far, proving additive rather than disruptive.

“Alphabet looks every inch the market darling right now, and investors are rewarding a business that is delivering on both sides of the AI debate: cloud is accelerating hard, while Search is proving far more resilient than many feared,” said Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown.

“It is almost hard to believe that a year ago, Alphabet was being written off by parts of the market as an AI loser, because today it arguably wears the crown as the strongest full-stack AI option in mega-cap tech, with chips, models, cloud infrastructure, consumer reach and advertising all pulling in the same direction. The biggest fear was that AI would disrupt Google Search, but the proof is in the pudding. Search growth has stepped up meaningfully, and investors have flipped the script, from Search as the business most at risk from AI, to one of the clearest beneficiaries.”

Morgan Stanley has raised its recommendation for ITM Power (LON: ITM) to overweight and has a target share price of 170p. The share price rose 13.25 to 146.75p.

Shares in Xeros Technology (LON: XSG) bounced back following yesterday’s results. The sustainable laundry technology developer expects a sharp rise in revenues this year, albeit from a low base. There is cash in the bank and that will last well into 2027. The royalty levels earned this year will depend on how well the launches of new washing machine filter products go. The share price rebounded 11.5% to 1.7p.

A first quarter update from Thor Energy (LON: THR) highlights the move to focus on hydrogen and helium in Australia. The results of a soil-air geochemistry survey will be reported in the next few weeks. A 2D seismic survey will help to target drilling. Cash is A$3.3m. The share price improved 8.33% to 0.65p.

Digital health company MedPal AI (LON: MPAL) has acquired the Remedi Solutions pharmacy facility in Runcorn from administrators for £310,000. Historical annualised turnover was previously around £10m. MedPal has been operating the pharmacy ahead of approval for the transfer of ownership to the company. The share price increased 4% to 2.6p.

FALLERS

Sexual dysfunction treatments developer Futura Medical (LON: FUM) is putting its new strategy into force by cutting costs and focusing on a more commercial approach. Female sexual dysfunction treatment WSD4000 has significant potential, and a phase 3 trial could start before the end of the year. Potential partners are in talks with the company. There was £3.4m in the bank at the end of 2025 and this should last until June. The previously highlighted milestone payment from Haleon for achieving the Eroxon patent in the US has still to be paid, but management is confident that it has been triggered. This cash should come in before June and would last until the end of the year. Alternative funding options are being assessed just in case the Haleon payment is not made before June. The share price slipped 32.85 to 0.874p.

Promotional retailer SpaceandPeople (LON: SAL) grew 2025 revenues one-fifth to £8m, while pre-tax profit improved from £225,000 to £491,000, which was in line with forecasts. Event driven retail promotions are doing well in a period of weak consumer confidence. Pre-tax profit is expected to rise to £750,000 this year and net cash should be maintained at around £1.6m. Even so, the share price declined 13.2% to 165p.

Compliance software provider Skillcast (LON: SKL) increased annualised recurring revenues by 19% to £13.8m last year. In 2025, revenues were 18% ahead at £15.3m, while pre-tax profit rose from £600,000 to £1.7m. A further rise to £2.2m is forecast for 2026. The share price continued its recent downward momentum and is 8.35% lower at 47.2p.

Cosmetics supplier Warpaint London (LON: W7L) was hit by US tariffs and weak consumer confidence in 2025 and this continued into early 2026. Full year revenues edged up from £101.6m to £105m, but it would have been lower without the brands acquired last year. Gross margin improved, but pre-tax profit dipped from £24.6m to £19.2m. It could rebound to more than £20m this year, but it is still early in the year. This year will be more second half weighted with a much larger Christmas order from Walmart. The share price fell 6.67% to 175p.