Barely a month seems to go by without another small cap company announcing its intention to delist from the London stock market. The latest escapee is leading cell therapeutics firm MaxCyte (MXCT:AIM) which announced its intention to cancel its AIM listing on 15 April. The proposed cancellation, if approved by shareholders, is expected to take place on 25 June. The board of directors believe...

Investors must be exasperated as tiny UK technology business CyanConnode (CYAN:AIM) once again trawls round the City with its cap in hand.It has today confirmed plans to raise £5.6m of fresh funding, with more than 10m new shares needed to be issued, priced at an 18.5% discount to yesterday's 12.25p close to lure investors in.Hence today's 15% slump in the share price to 10.4p.This is not...

UK and international online supermarket Ocado (OCDO) rallies to the top of the FTSE 100 leader board in early trade on an otherwise fairly quiet Tuesday for corporate hews.Shares in the company rise close on 4% to 947.6p after Ocado reported retail sales growth of 11.5% for the 13 weeks to 2 September. The company also said that its online grocery business received on average 283,000 orders...

The FTSE 100 opens in positive territory, up 9.45 points to 7,679.22. The UK's leading index has been buoyed by statements from the US Federal Reserve and better than expected Chinese service sector data.Embattled department store operator Debenhams (DEB) crashes 23.9% to 27.08p after revealing its like-for-like sales fell in the 17 weeks to 30 December. In its Christmas trading update, the...

Smart metering software minnow CyanConnode (CYAN:AIM) may have found a new route to markets in India. The company has struck a $150,000 deal with Indian integrator Innologix, which supplies electronic kit and software that helps connect electricity grid to users. Integrators could be a new channel beyond existing utility company agreements.

Donald Trump's surprise victory in the hotly contested US presidential election has sent shockwaves through many industries including the energy sector.Fears have been sparked that clean, green fuels - such as solar, wind, hydro, fuel cells - are for the chop, with the threat that the current administration's commitment to policies on climate change facing reverse.Not necessarily so. There are...

Further delays to the Government-backed programme to roll out millions of smart meters across the UK is unlikely to affect technology specialist Cyan (CYAN:AIM).The UK strategy should see every home and business offered an energy smart meter by the end of 2020, but an IT project to provide the vital communications link between smart meters and energy suppliers won't now be ready until the...

Cambridge-based Cyan (CYAN:AIM) is an AIM-quoted Internet of Things (IoT) hopeful looking to play the theme via smart metering solutions. Today it has unveiled ambitious plans to buy Swedish peer Connode in a not insignificant £6.8 million deal, with a £12.6 cash call to boot. Here are some initial thoughts...1) The deal is being funded by a complex financing arrangement that includes a...

London shares make modest gains in early trade on Tuesday as traders sniff out value buys after yesterday's sell-off. It remains unclear whether the positive bias will continue through to the close. Wall Street fell overnight, as did Japan.The benchmark FTSE 100 index rises around 25 points, or 0.45%, to 5,714,although midcaps continue to struggle, the FTSE midcap 250 index down 43 points at...

UK shares extend gains made on Tuesday in early deals Wednesday, with midcaps rallying to heights not seen since August, and blue-chips risers led by a string of pharma stocks. Wall Street was up overnight, while Asia was mixed, but most of the main European markets follow Lodon's lead higher.The FTSE 100 index rises around 20 points, or 0.3%, higher to 6,416, while the FTSE 250 index makes a...

UK stocks make solid gains in early deals Thursday, matching the strong progress of Wall Street overnight after the Federal Reserve calmed nerves over monetary policy tightening. The benchmark FTSE 100 index is trading roughly 50 points higher, or 0.7%, at 6,389, its third straight trading session of gains, easing investors concerns after the recent sell-off on falling oil prices and other...

Academic publisher Pearson (PSON) rises 3.5% to £11.39 on better-than-expected interims. Restructuring benefits are beginning to flow through and the North American operations are showing encouraging underlying growth.Part-nationalised lender Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) jumps 12.4% to 369.8p on pre-tax profits doubling to £2.6 billion in the first half of the year. Shares examines the...

Discount retailer Poundland (PLND) - a running Shares Play of the Week - jumps 4.4% to 343.1p as investors like full-year results. Trading has been very good in the first three months of its new financial year with 18% rise in sales. Its trial store in Spain has launched this week.Drug-maker Shire (SHP) improves 1% to £45.93 on newspaper gossip suggests would-be suitor AbbVie (ABBV:NDQ) is...

Russian oil producer Exillon Energy (EXI) gushes up 19% to 185.6p after putting itself up for sale following a number of preliminary approaches. Back in July (30 Jul) the firm, which used to be a constituent of the FTSE 250, announced it was subject to bid interest from its founder, Kazakh businessman Maksat Arip.Barclays (BARC) dives 6% to 281p as 3.2 billion new shares were issued under the...

The hot weather has, unsurprisingly, been a boost to trading among the quoted pub companies. Fuller, Smith & Turner (FSTA) leads the pack with 10% rise in like-for-like sales in the 16 weeks to 20 July, sending its share price up 1.7% to 941p. Read our news analysis from June on how the pub company has found a new lease of life.Given this tough industry comparative, poor old Marston's (MARS)...

On a quiet day for corporate news, Gem Diamonds (GEMD) caught the market's eye with a glittering $9 million sale of a 164 carat diamond (pictured above). It's also got a 103 carat diamond up its sleeve, ready to be sold at the next tender in June.Lloyds Banking (LLOY) dipped 0.6% to 61.41p despite selling a book of securities backed by US home loans for £3.3 billion. The bank says it will...