Companies: ACC    GLF    GOAL    LPA    NBT    PMK    RPP    SPG   

AIM pulled back 17.8 points this week to 1,159.6, with most of the Index’s largest stocks falling, after hitting a four-year peak of 1,182 last Monday. This was in contrast to the FTSE 100’s giants, as bid rumours maintained recent buoyancy and added 19 points to 5,850.1.

The biggest loser on the junior index this week was innovative marine propeller maker Ringprop (RPP), which saw its shares plunge 61 per cent to 20.5p after its aluminium propeller supplier called in the administrators. Management said that ‘any meaningful sales during the 2006 season’ have been restricted so, ‘rather than risk failure in the longer term’, it has delayed the roll-out of the range and slashed overheads.

Share market operator PLUS Markets Group (PMK) provided a more optimistic update, having shaved last year's loss from £1.32 million to £1.15 million. Operating the OFEX market, PLUS provides competitive trading platforms for some London Stock Exchange sectors and now trades more than 750 securities with a combined value of £65 billion, against 140 securities worth £1.4 billion a year ago. The shares lost 1p on the day to 27p though.

Offer for Springboard?

Venture capitalist Springboard (SPG) had to delay the release of its interim results as private equity fund manager Nova Capital said it ‘potentially’ might make an offer for the company. Nova, whose director Simon Smith was chief executive of Springboard until last year and still has 0.9 per cent of the shares, has upped its stake the company to 14.99 per cent, leading to a week’s increase of 19 per cent to 134p.

There was good news from AIM plays that managed to get their results out promptly, particularly the management team at five-a-side football play Goals Soccer Centres (GOAL). It scored a 355 per cent improvement in profit before tax to £2.8 million in calendar 2005. News that four more centres are expected to open this year, to bring the tally up to 22, helped the shares net an 18 per cent increase to 225p over the week.

Interim revenues and pre-tax profits at internet domain name specialist Group NBT (NBT) came in ahead of expectations at £6.2 million (£5.4 million last time) and £970,000 (£670,000) along with a maiden dividend of 0.4p. News of bolstered sales teams and a war chest of £4.3 million for an impending acquisition lifted the shares up 4p to 133.5p on the day.

Hamer seeking Access acquisitions

Information, data storage and procurement specialist Access Intelligence (ACC), where serial entrepreneur Jeremy Hamer chairs the board, says it is scouting acquisitions after cutting its annual deficit from £381,000 to £10,000. Originally floated at 37p as 'hot air shell' Readymarket, the shares fell a fraction of a penny to 7.63p.

Shares in electronic components designer LPA (LPA), which had been depressed after a bad start to the financial year, were given a restorative 34 per cent jolt to 21.5p in the week. Chairman Michael Rusch informed the market of excellent order receipts in February, which, ‘together with a number of near term opportunities, should deliver a recovery in the second half’.

Gold Frost (GLF), an Israeli company which researches, designs and distributes kosher dairy foods, commenced trading on Thursday after a £4.5 million placing. The company, whose directors include former Marks & Spencer veteran Barry Morris and accountancy and finance expert Yael Rothschild, schlepped to a 9p premium of 44p on its second day.