News

Mobile phone repairer Regenersis said it remains confident of reporting first half results in line with management expectations. "We continue to manage soundly the cost and working capital base of the Group; our financial position is strong and we have more than sufficient headroom to finance our activities," it said.

Shares in NHS staff supplier Nestor Healthcare moved higher after it reported trading in line with directors' expectations. The group's social care businesses are continuing to perform well, while the two private homecare businesses are also going well, it said. Several contracts have also been extended in its primary care operations.

Speciality pharmaceuticals group ProStrakan expects full year results to be in line with expectations after total product revenues rose by a third in the first ten months. Sales of Adcal-D3, a chewable tablet used to treat osteoporosis and sold in the UK, climbed by 17%, while organic growth and the stronger euro against the pound helped lift sales of pan-European products such as rectal ointment Rectogesic and nausea treatment Xomolix.

Hardy Underwriting Bermuda reported a rise in gross earned premium to £138.6m for the 9 months to 30 September from £125.5m last year and said it expects a 'significant' increase in rates during 2009 for most lines of business.

"I am pleased that Hardy has continued to deliver a strong performance during 2008 despite the most extraordinary developments in the financial markets," said chairman David Mann. "The next 12 months will see a number of opportunities for us to push ahead and the whole team is focused on making the most of what could be extremely beneficial market conditions," said the group.

Scientific instruments group Judges Capital has abandoned plans for a reverse takeover that would have doubled sales and profits after failing to get the funding. Judges will take a £300,000 hit for abortive transaction costs incurred to date on the deal. It added that trading remains satisfactory and it is confident of a good trading performance for the year to December.

Computer network hosting specialist Nasstar cut losses from £493,000 to £129,000 as sales jumped 75% to £2.1m in the year to September. Operating profits came in at £32,000 compared with a loss of £365,000. "The board believes that the market for Nasstar Hosted Desktop will continue to grow and that the launch of our partner programme will create a large opportunity to expand its reach. We are confident about future growth prospects," chairman Lord Daresbury commented.

JPMorgan has signed a 999 year lease for Riverside South site at Canary Wharf for £237m. Infrastructure work on this site has already started and JPM has instructed Songbird subsidiary Canary Wharf Group to complete on its behalf the design, planning and further infrastructure works for a new European headquarters building.

Television programming distributor producer DHX Media saw gross profit rise 55% to $5.12m on revenue that increased 59% to $16.99m.

"We are very pleased with our strong first quarter results as we continue to move towards closing our previously announced proposed reverse takeover by Entertainment One," said the group.

DQ Entertainment has been chosen to produce the animation for a TV series based on the best selling children's novel Geronimo Stilton.

The animation and gaming content production firm said the programme, produced by Atlantyca Entertainment and MoonScoop Productions, is due to be released internationally in autumn 2009.

"We are also exploring other commercial opportunities with the Atlantyca Group, including other high profile animation projects, game development for Geronimo and ways of maximising our own Indian IP content," said DQE chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti.

Loss-making African Copper disappointed the market with its third quarter results which showed a pre-tax loss of £43,154, compared with a profit of £394 a year earlier.

The loss was largely due to an impairment charge of £42,971 relating to the value of property, plant and equipment.

Broadband satellite operator Avanti Communications has contracted BT Business to provide satellite network services for its HYLAS satellite, which is due to be launched next month.

BT Business will use its existing Goonhilly satellite uplinking facility in Cornwall to transfer all traffic between the Internet and Avanti's HYLAS satellite.

The two companies also plan to co-operate on various opportunities to deploy satellite broadband services.

The South West Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) is chipping in with £1.5m to help Avanti fund necessary investment at Goonhilly.

Battersea Power Station redeveloper Real Estate Opportunities said portfolio occupancy remains at over 95%, despite of the difficult economic climate.

The UK & Ireland focused property company said its investment portfolio has continued to perform strongly in the 20 weeks to 17 November.

Security and fire alarm systems provider Westminster Group has won a contract to provide low voltage systems to a high rise development in London.

The contract, worth around £310,000, involves the installation of a wide range of fire, safety and security systems, and runs until the fourth quarter of 2009.