Small caps round-up: AbbeyCrest, Asterand, Sportech ...

15th Jan 2010 11:15

Jewellery designer and manufacturer Abbeycrest said trading has been strong since August, despite the depreciation of the Hong Kong and Thai currencies and the high gold price.Shares in Asterand fell back after the human tissue sampler said the delay of a £700,000 order would affect 2009 results.'Whilst the directors remain cautious of market conditions over the coming months, they remain confident in the strong growth prospects for the sector,' the firm said.Sportech announced its entry into a joint venture with Playwin, the Indian lottery and gaming brand, to launch a multi-platform sports gaming business in the Indian market. Sportech and Playwin are each investing an initial £2m for their 50% stake in the joint venture to fund the start up costs of the business. Thing are starting to come up trumps at credit card transaction handler Datacash as activity levels at many of its gaming merchants picked up towards the end of the year after a quiet summer. The company, which expects 2009 full year results to be in line with expectations, said transaction growth remains very healthy, advancing 20% year on year. Net cash at the end of the year was above £18m.