Small caps round-up: Timestrip, Amerisur Resources, Alizyme...

6th Jul 2009 10:11

Time and temperature measurement technology group Timestrip has appointed Vygon as the main distributor for TimestripIV products in the UK and Ireland. Vygon is a leading supplier of single-use medical and surgical products, including intravenous access devices, to the NHS. "We are delighted to be partnering with such a dynamic and professional company as Vygon. They have a significant reach into the NHS supply chain and have an outstanding approach to introducing new products to the healthcare market," said Paul Freedman, joint chief executive of Timestrip."Their agreement to commit significant resources to the launch of TimestripIV means that it will have the best possible chance of success," he added.South America-focused oil and gas producer Amerisur Resources said its policy of generating cash flows, delivering production and increasing exposure to low risk, high impact prospects paid off as it moved into profit.In the year to March 31, the company posted a profit of £49,000 compared with a loss of £923,000 the previous year. Revenues climbed to £348,000 from £96,000.Vitamins supplier NeutraHealth's sales for the 6 months to 30 June rose like for like by 1.5%, growing to £16.5m. Trading continues to be in line with expectations, it added.Custodian services supplier STM reports its Jersey office and FIM are currently trading below expectations, but new projects such as STM Life and STM Swiss should begin to provide material returns during the second half of the year. The "group's cash position remains strong at more than £4m enabling STM to continue to seek out suitable strategic and earnings enhancing acquisitions," it added. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the way for gene therapy company Oxford Biomedica to develop its cancer vaccine TroVax. America's health regulator completed its review of the Phase III TRIST study of TroVax and "acknowledged all of the points raised" by the British company.Oil refinery software specialist KBC Advanced Technologies still expects half year figures, due early September, to be in line with current market expectations. It's seen evidence of improvement over the last month and predicts costs savings of £1.8m in 2009 at a cost of £800,000 to be charged for the first half of 2009. Carpathian has signed documentation for a further debt restructuring in relation to all of its facilities with Anglo Irish Bank. The arrangements involve Anglo Irish forbearing from exercising its rights under the three debt facilities for Silver Estate, Marise and Ironbark.Shares in base and precious metals explorer Baobob Resources have been lifted by the results of first round of drilling from the company's Tete iron / vanadium / titanium project which showed significantly higher iron and vanadium concentrate grades than expected.Clean energy group AFC Energy narrowed pre-tax losses to £1.18m in the six month ended 30 April compared with a loss of £1.28m the year before.Brady said Japan's largest general trading company has signed a new contract to extend the use of the group's trading and risk technology to include all of their global trading of both physical and derivative precious metals. The revenue from the contract is substantial and anticipated to be recognised in the second half of this year and beyond, Brady said.Gaming machine supplier Inspired Gaming posted a pre-tax loss of £7.8m, from a profit of £0.5m the same period last year on revenue that fell to £39.3m from £40.7m before. "While the board is ever mindful of current economic uncertainties, we believe that the group has turned a corner and is well positioned to take advantage of its strong UK market position and leading SBG technology," said the group.Factoring and invoice firm Ultimate Finance Group said current trading remains in line with both management and market expectations. The group also said its back to back receivable financing arrangement with Lloyds TSB Commercial Finance has been increased from £18m to £25m and the period of its availability extended to 3 July 2012.Small-cap investment company Cobra Capital said it is likely that its listing on AIM will be cancelled on 13 August.Photo booth operator Photo-Me International has announced that its finance director Jean-Luc Peurois passed away yesterday. Although diagnosed with a serious illness in October 2007, Peurois, aged 51, continued to oversee the work of the Finance Department and to participate in board meetings.Ecofin Water & Power said it is seeking to raise up to £140m of additional long-term capital through an issue of convertible unsecured subordinated loan stock by the company and zero dividend preference shares by EW&PO Finance, a new, wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.