Economic and Market News for 31 January 2020

Rainbow Rare Earths said it had exported a further 75 tonnes of concentrate from its Gakara operation in Berundi. The concentrate graded at about 53% total rare earth oxides, of which 19.5% was...

Dietary supplements group OptiBiotix Health said it and partner Agropur had launched its weight management product in North America. The launch followed OptiBiotix last June granting Agropur an...

Rockfire Resources said an analysis of drill samples had identified significant silver at its Plateau gold deposit in Australia's Queensland state. All drill holes returned significant silver...

Animal feed provider Walcom said it had adequate working capital to make it through to mid-February, having received a number of orders in January. The orders had enabled Walcom to repay the two...

MC Mining said chief executive David Brown was standing down with immediate effect to pursue his own interests. Chief financial officer Brenda Berlin would serve as acting CEO. Brown would be...

Irish property investor Yew Grove REIT said it had agreed a €9.9m increase to a loan facility with Allied Irish Banks. The increase in the three-year floating rate facility brought its total value...

Fashion retailer French Connection ended plans to sell the company and said it would focus on completing a turnaround following a strategic review. The company also warned that it expected to...

Pharmaceutical services company Open Orphan launched a share issue to raise £5m, to fund a growth and synergies following its acquisition of hVIVO. New shares in the company were being offered at...

Aston Martin detailed plans to raise a combined £500m through a rights issue and an equity placing with a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll, part-owner of Formula 1, who would replace current...

Battery metals focused Regency Mines said it had decided to progress the development of a UK energy storage project. The project in Southport would progress to a mid-year financial close, with...

Housebuilder Inland Homes reported a rise in profits as net assets were bolstered by a jump in the value of its land portfolio. For the 15-month period ended 30 September 2019, pre-tax profit rose...

Telecommunications clearing group Billing Services said it had entered into a conditional agreement to sell its subsidiary, BSG Wireless, to Single Digits Connection for about $5.23m. The company...

Coro Energy walked away from plans to acquire a 42.5% stake in the Bulu production sharing contract (PSC), offshore Indonesia, claiming risks associated with the deal had 'significantly' increased....

Investment company Ultimate Sports said it was eyeing an opportunity in the financial services technology space, and that it planned to change its name to Catena. Ultimate Sports said it was in...

Homewares retailer Laura Ashley said that Kwan Cheong Ng would retire as the chief executive officer at the end of April. Katharine Poulter, chief operating officer of the company, would succeed...

Advertising company M&C Saatchi said the UK's financial watchdog was investigating the company after it made errors in its accounts. The Financial Conduct Authority had notified M&C...

Investec said it had made progress on preparations to list its asset management business on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges ahead of shareholder vote due 10 February. Offering a...

Specialist component manufacturer Senior warned revenue and margins in its key aerospace division would fall in 2020 due to the ongoing grounding of Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft. The company said it...

Ferrexpo said a Ukrainian court had frozen its stake in Ferrexpo Poltava Mining amid a corruption probe into Kostyantin Zhevago, who temporarily stepped down as the company's chief executive last...

Soft-drinks maker Britvic reported a 4.9% rise in first-quarter revenue and said it remained confident of completing a sale of its French juice business this year. Revenue for the three months...