News

Indigovision Group said it is confident the current year should show strong growth in sales overall and will see a "material" improvement in operating results.

The group said it has seen a strong first quarter with sales for the thirteen weeks to 28th October up 38%. Order intake by value in the first quarter was up 68%.

"Along with higher sales, gross margins in the first quarter have also been ahead of last year, continuing the strong margin performance seen in last year's second half," said the group.

Waterford Wedgwood said results for the first half have slowed with revenue down and pre-tax losses increasing.

Sales for the half-year were down 10% to €317.4m, while losses increased 36.8% to €57.5m.

"There was genuine consumer enthusiasm for our products, especially in the US, but sales were affected by product shortages over the six months to September, and adverse currency fluctuations," said the group.

A Real Estate Opportunities subsidiary has been selected as a joint venture partner by Drogheda Port Company to develop Ireland's new deep-water Port at Bremore following an open tender process.

"Current estimates of its total development costs are in the order of €300m," said the group.

Worthington Group said its reduced operations gave it a profit of £20,000 in the first half.

"Several strategy changes have been considered during the period to better utilise our cash reserves but because of our asset value any proposed changes would probably require a Class 1 circular to shareholders and possibly Pension Regulator approval, incurring significant costs for the group," it said

Biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer Angel Biotechnology announced an extension to its GMP manufacturing contract with ReNeuron Group. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Under the existing contract, started in the second quarter this year, Angel is manufacturing to GMP a cell bank and clinical grade material for ReNeuron's ReN001 cell line for stroke. The original contract has been extended to undertake additional cell expansion work.

Canadian-based oil and gas exploration company Bankers Petroleum said "there is nothing known at this time that could be contributing to the company's recent rise in share price."

Shares in Condor Resources doubled after the oil explorer said drilling at the El Cacao Prospect in Nicaragua showed at least two mineralised zones containing high grade shoots over a strike length of 330 metres.

"The results from the initial drilling phase at the 100% owned El Cacao Project, have again confirmed that better grades and widths usually occur at depth below sometimes meagre surface results in epithermal systems," said CEO Nigel Ferguson.

Crosby Capital narrowed losses in the third quarter to $28.2m from $47.3m in the same period last year. Turnover rose to $21.6m from $6.4m previously.

Gatekeeper Systems expects total revenues for the current financial year to be in the range of $31m to $32m. Net income is expected to be in the range of $2.2m to $2.5m.

Television production and distribution company RDF Media said ITV has confirmed lifting the temporary suspension on new commissions and normal commissioning relations have resumed with immediate effect.