Small caps round-up: Plexus, Independent Media, Interbulk...

15th Dec 2009 09:05

Oil and gas engineering services firm Plexus Holdings has won a three year contract with a further two year option clause with Maersk Oil to supply its High Pressure/ High Temperature POS-GRIP wellhead technology. The value of the initial contract is estimated at £3m with revenues commencing in May 2010.Shares in Independent Media Distribution, which distributes TV and radio adverts and music videos, jumped after it said pre-tax profits for the year to December 31 will be ahead of expectations.Container operator Interbulk saw pre-tax profits in the year to 30 September fall to £3m from £4.6m over the same period the previous year on revenues that slipped to £232.5m from £252.2m, as customers in the chemical, polymer, food and mineral industries were hit hard by the economic downturn.Shares in security and surveillance systems group Petards climbed after it said it had secured orders to provide CCTV for trains running between Stansted Airport and London.Shares in Zirax, which provides chemicals used by the oil industry and de-icing products, slumped after it said it had received lower orders than anticipated from the Russian oil company Rosneft, which used to account for about 50% of Zirax's orders. Rosneft also said it will not be making any more orders this year.Luxury interior furnishings group Walker Greenbank is up over 10% after it said profit for the year ended 31 January 2010 should beat forecasts. 'The improving sales trend highlighted at the time of the interim results in October has continued to gain in momentum," said the firm whose pre-close trading statement will be published early February.Demand for electricity generating glass slumped last year sending manufacturer Romag into an operating loss as revenues tumbled by 41% to £19.7m. There was a trading loss for the year of £1m, though a £2.7m hedging gain kept the group overall in the black at £1.1m against £3.7m"During the final quarter of 2009 and even more so since the year end, we have experienced an increase in the number of identified opportunities and have witnessed significant price stabilisation in the PV markets," Romag said.The failure of off licence chain Threshers and First Quench has knocked ATM supplier Cashbox, which processed and supported over 300 ATMs for Threshers. The impact of this loss will have the effect of slowing, but not reversing, growth in quarters two and three of the 2009/2010 year, it said. Cashbox posted a loss of £2.48m on sales of £6.4m, up 37%,in the year to June. Cashbox added it broke even at the operating level in the first quarter of the 2009/2010 year, while an operating profit "is achievable towards the end of the year," chief executive Ciaran Morton said.Music venue operator and bid target Mama lifted revenue by 14% to £38.2m in the year to July. Profit before interest and taxation for the year was £6.0m, compared to £0.6m for the previous year. Mama has received a bid worth 4.75p from financial group SMS. HMV is said to be considering its position after buying an 8.2% stake.Brainspark has entered into an option agreement to acquire 10% of the issued share capital of Filmmaster Television. Filmmaster Television, headquartered in Milan, was founded in early 2006 following the merger of Clip Television and FilmMaster Film. Enegi Oil dropped after it announced it is raising £1.3m via a placing of 13 million new shares at 10p each. Scar-reduction specialist Renovo saw losses widen to £20.18m in the year ended 30 September from £16.68m last year but said it is in a good position to develop its pipeline to generate 'significant shareholder value'.