A short but sweet trading update from Spectra Systems Corporation (LON:SPSY) saw its stock surge on Thursday.
The company - whose technology checks banknotes to make sure they're not counterfeit - said it received confirmation from its licensee for covert materials supplied to 18 central banks that the royalty component of the licensee's payments will be higher than previously expected for 2017.
As a result, Spectra estimates that its profits for the year ended 31 December 2017 will "exceed market expectations".
Boss Nabil Lawandy said he was "delighted" with the news, and so were investors with the shares soaring 12.1% to 116p.
Stratex International plc (LON:STI) saw its shares jump on Thursday as the miner unveiled the proposed appointment of a new CEO and said it is currently identifying new value-appropriate projects in Africa and Europe.
In afternoon trading, Stratex shares were 16% higher at 0.87p.
In a statement, the AIM-quoted firm said experienced mining executive, Tim Livesey has been appointed as its CEO with effect from the 1 March 2018, and in the interim he will work as a technical consultant to the company.
The gold-focused exploration and development company in Turkey and Africa said some of Livesey's more notable roles to date include as exploration manager (Eurasia) for Barrick Gold Corp., project director and later CEO of Tethyan Copper Company Pty Ltd, and more recently as COO of TSX.V-listed Reservoir Minerals Inc.
Image Scan Holdings Plc (LON:IGE) saw more than a third wiped from its value come early afternoon trading on Thursday.
The X-ray screening systems supplier told investors only in December that it had started its new year with a "record order book", although it did note that delivery dates for some of those had yet to be confirmed.
Well, one of those deliveries still hasn't been confirmed by the customer so Image Scan is now negotiating terms for the cancellation of the order.
Unfortunately for the company and its shareholders, that deal was worth around ?1mln - an awful lot of money for a company valued at just over ?7mln.
While bosses reckon they'll still be able to sell the portable X-ray products that made up the order, they're not convinced they can do this in the current year.
"Whilst the board expects FY18 sales to be weighted towards the second half and the company to remain profitable for the financial year, given this development the company now expects its trading performance for FY18 will be materially below current market expectations," read the statement.
Shares are down 33.1% to 4.6p.
Stellar Diamonds PLC (LON:STEL) was by far and away the top riser in London on Thursday after the junior miner told investor investors it is in "advanced negotiations" over a possible takeover offer from Newfield Resources.
AIM-listed Stellar said the possible bid, as it currently stands, would see each shareholder receive approximately 0.76 of a Newfield share for each Stellar share held.
Given that Aussie-quoted Newfield's stock closed at A$0.29 on Wednesday, the offer would represent a whopping of 452% to Stellar's closing price of 2.3p yesterday.
The offer is conditional on Newfield securing underwriting for a A$30mln rights issue, the funds from which would be used to advance Stellar's Tongo-Tonguma project in Sierra Leone into production.
As well as a handful of gold projects in Western Australia, Newfield has a number of exploration licences in Sierra Leone which would complement Stellar's assets in the country.
Stellar wheeled out the usual "there can be no certainty of any offer" line, but investors still poured in. Shares surge 155% to 5.88p early on Thursday.
Keywords Studios PLC (LON:KWS) was also in demand after the video games services provider revealed it expects its 2017 revenues and profits to be "comfortably ahead" of market forecasts.
The AIM-quoted firm - which, among other things, tests video games for bugs and translates them into different languages - said it had enjoyed a year of strong organic growth which had been complemented by a "number of significant and successful acquisitions".
As a result, Keywords expects revenues to be at least ?,?150mln (FY16: ?,?96.6m) for the 12 months ended December 31 and adjusted profit to be not less than ?,?22.5mln (FY16: ?,?14.9m). Shares rose 7.1% to ?15.94.
Stratex International plc (LON:STI) saw its shares jump on Thursday as the miner unveiled the proposed appointment of a new CEO and said it is currently identifying new value-appropriate projects in Africa and Europe.
Diversified Gas & Oil plc (LON:DGOC) will triple its gas production through the acquisition of two producing assets in the Appalachian Basin, US, at a cost of US$180mln.
Video games services provider Keywords Studios PLC (LON:KWS) expects its 2017 revenues and profits to be "comfortably ahead" of market expectations.
Highlands Natural Resources Plc (LON:HNR) told investors that gas production rates have "intermittently peaked" at up to 216 thousand cubic feet per day in testing at the Helius Two project. The result, at the natural gas and helium project in Montana, represents an important step towards commercialisation of Highlands' growing land position, HNR highlighted.
European regulators have granted Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd (LON:FARN) a patent for the use of its Clever-1 antibodies - the mechanism behind the AIM-quoted firm's Clevegen potential cancer immunotherapy.
Powerhouse Energy Group PLC (LON:PHE) has issued 280.4mln shares in respect of the convertible notes arrangement with finance house Hillgrove Investments. The share issue finally settles the arrangement that was announced in February of last year; the shares were not issued to Hillgrove at that time as they were subject to a lock-in arrangement.
Lithium specialist Bacanora Minerals Ltd (LON:BCN) says the proposed investment from Chinese fund management Nextview will complete later than expected. NextView has agreed to invest ?31.2mln approximately at 94.53p per share. The original deadline was the end of January but this has now been extended.
LEKOIL Limited (LON:LEK) has now kicked off a new 3D seismic survey at the Otakikpo oil field in Nigeria. Sinopec is the contractor for the programme, which is expected to run through to completion in June.
Thor Mining Limited (LON:THR) expects to continue an aggressive approach at all of its core projects, executive chairman Mick Billing said in its December quarterly report.
Pharma services and drug development company Ergomed Plc (LON:ERGO) has successfully raised ?3.9mln from investors as it looks to bolster its PrimeVigilance platform.
Customised electronics supplier discoverIE Group PLC (LON:DSCV) has acquired Santon Group, a Dutch designer and manufacturer of custom switches for electronic applications.
Coal bed methane group Curzon Energy Plc (LON:CZN) has confirmed the start of well testing at the Coos Bay project, on January 29, and told investors that the initial results show the coals are fully saturated and do not need long-term dewatering. Curzon added that the well is "showing signs of early gas production" and it is anticipated that gas volumes will increase steadily as reservoir water is removed.
IronRidge Resources Limited's (LON:IRR) boss has said the group is encouraged by the results generated from the recent aeromagnetics survey on its extensive gold portfolio in Chad, Central Africa. In a statement, Vincent Mascolo, Ironridge's chief executive officer said: "The aeromagnetics data will help us to understand the structural settings and possible controls on known mineralisation; thereby helping define potential additional targets for follow-up work."
Ariana Resources plc (LON:AAU) said its Kiziltepe mine in Turkey saw the production and sale of 4,501 ounces of gold and 35,095 ounces of silver during the quarter ended 31 December 2017, exceeding feasibility forecasts by around 38% for recovered gold on an annualised basis.
The fourth quarter saw record production at Pickstone-Peerless, the gold mine in Zimbabwe operated by Vast Resources PLC (LON:VAST), but output at Manaila in Romania was hit by a planned shut-down of the plant.