News And Announcements
B&M sales up on DIY, gardening spree during Covid lockdown
B&M European Value Retail reported a rise in sales in the first eight weeks of the new fiscal year as locked-down Britons took advantage of the sunny weather to do home repairs and gardening during the coronavirus crisis.
Catenae signs deal with Newcastle Premier Health for Cov-ID app
Digital media and technology company Catenae Innovation has signed an agreement with Newcastle Premier Health (NPH), an occupational health and wellness business based in the north east of England, it announced on Friday.
Smart Metering gearing up to resume non-essential work
Smart meter and carbon reduction asset installer and manager Smart Metering Systems announced its plans for a “phased and progressive” resumption of all non-essential field work from 1 June on Friday.
Wizz Air announces four new bases, more than 50 new routes
Wizz Air said on Friday that it will open four new bases in July, expanding its network in Italy, Cyprus, Albania and Ukraine and launching more than 50 new routes.
Lenders grant 1.5m payment breaks on cards and loans
UK lenders have given almost 1. 5m payment holidays to card and personal loan borrowers in financial difficulties during the Covid-19 crisis, industry figures showed.
ValiRx offloads non-core IP to DDTech
ValiRx has entered into a deed of assignment with Drug Discovery Technologies (DDTech) for the patents, materials and know-how associated with its non-core intellectual property ‘FitBio’ and ‘TRAC’, it announced on Friday.
Botswana Diamonds reports recoveries from Marsfontein sampling
Botswana Diamonds has finished the processing of two bulk samples taken from the Marsfontein diamond development project in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, it announced on Friday.
BA considers quitting Heathrow terminal 3 - report
British Airways is considering closing its operation at Heathrow airport's terminal 3 and shrinking its activity at terminal 5, according to a report.
Johnson Service to raise £85m in placing to weather Covid disruption
Textile services provider Johnson Service Group said on Friday that it plans to raise around £85m in a placing to improve its liquidity position and strengthen its balance sheet amid disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Renewi sees €20m hit from Covid-19 in Q1
Renewi said first-quarter earnings would be as much as €20m lower than its had expected because of Covid-19 but that it could manage the reduction comfortably.
Nationwide profits slump as it takes £101m hit from Covid
Building society Nationwide posted a drop in full-year profit on Friday as it took a hit from coronavirus-related payment holidays.
Bonhill Group gets $1.1m under US Paycheck Protection Program
Business-to-business media and information company Bonhill Group announced on Friday that its wholly-owned US subsidiary has received loans totalling $1. 1m (£0. 89m) under the US Small Business Administration's ‘Paycheck Protection Program’, which is part of the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Simec Atlantis reaches 'planning milestone' on Uskmouth project
Simec Atlantis Energy announced the start of the 28-day pre-application consultation for the Uskmouth Power Station conversion project on Friday, which it described as “a planning milestone”.
Science Group tops up bank loan to maximum level of £17.5m
Science Group announced on Friday that it has finalised the top up of its bank loan, increasing the debt to the maximum level of £17. 5m, from £16m at 28 May.
Walcom still facing funding hole as it awaits CEO loan
Walcom Group updated shareholders on its current working capital position, on Friday, reporting that its chief executive officer Francis Chi had still been unable to provide the proposed loan of HKD 1. 23m £0. 13m) as intended.
Roche cheers latest data from phase 3 'Alecensa' study
Roche presented updated data from the pivotal phase 3 ‘ALEX’ study on Friday, showing an increased five-year survival rate with ‘Alecensa’, or alectinib, compared with crizotinib, in people living with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Young & Co’s Brewery pulls interim dividend
Young & Co’s Brewery said on Friday that it was pulling its interim dividend as its pubs remain shut due to the coronavirus pandemic.
UK car production almost wiped out by Covid-19 in April
UK car production was almost wiped out by the Covid-19 shutdown in April as factories produced less than 200 cars, industry figures showed.
SIG to raise £150m backed by Clayton Dubilier & Rice
SIG said it would raise £150m to strengthen its finances with the backing of US private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice.
Syncona portfolio firm Achilles doses first patient in T cell therapy trial
Syncona announced on Friday that its portfolio company, Achilles Therapeutics, has dosed the first patient in a phase 1 and 2 clinical study of its clonal neoantigen T cell (cNeT) therapy, in patients with recurrent or metastatic malignant melanoma.