Companies: CASH    FIF    MME    MTT    QAR    STG    SYNC    TAL    TVL    WGN   

Television production and DVD distribution play Medal Entertainment & Media (MME) zoomed up 81 per cent to 70.5p this week after assuring results to March were in line with expectations and that 'the trading outlook is positive'.

Highlights at the DVD division included a five-year licensing deal with ITV and distribution rights to the Ashes cricket series for 2005 and 2006.

TV production and publishing company Ten Alps (TAL) edged up 1.25p to 67.75p after announcing more than 20 new TV and radio production contracts with a total value over £6.1 million. The company now has 13 docudramas, six factual series and 8 factual one-offs in production for UK and US TV channels.

Munich-based children's TV and film producer TV-Loonland (TVL) figures for 2005 included sales down 15 per cent to €12.3 million and operating loss more than tripled to €19.3 million. The shares were unchanged today at 151p.

There were no slips for the AIM Index, as it continued recent weekly gains with a ten-point increase to 1,256.7. In contrast, after ending last week on a five-year high, the FTSE 100 lost some ground, conceding 74.6 points to 6,054.3.

QuestAir enjoys Exxon boost

Gas purification specialist QuestAir Technologies (QAR) received a substantial boost as experts at oil giant ExxonMobil recommended funding for its prototype hydrogen purifier, propelling the shares up 41.46 per cent over the week to 87p.

Canada-based QuestAir develops systems for oil refining, biogas production, natural gas processing and fuel cell plants and has development agreements with ExxonMobil and Shell Hydrogen.

Israeli speciality metals and chemicals group Metal-Tech (MTT) trebled pre-tax profits to £15.7 million in 2005 on revenues up 113 per cent to £74 million, with profitability helped by rising raw material prices. A 2.25p dividend is proposed on the shares, which rose 27.5p on the results to 233.5p.

Metals trader Wogen (WGN) offered up less lustrous news, advising that it has seen a fall in prices for a number of key trading metals, and that margins on trading have been towards the lower end of expectations. The shares shed a quarter to 133.5p.

Chaired by tech company backer John Gunn, Synchronica (SYNC), which produces software for mobile devices, saw losses grow slightly to £2.7 million in calendar 2005.

Syncronica still had healthy cash balances of £6.6 million at year-end but analysts aren't expect profits until 2007. The shares, miles from their 530p peak last March, fell 11 per cent since Tuesday's results to 26p.

Bid for Cardpoint

In response to recent upward movement in its share price, ATM and mobile-top up terminal operator Cardpoint (CASH) admitted it had received a bid approach. The shares charged up 15 per cent over the week to 106.75p.

Property manager Solitaire (STG) increased pre-tax profits 10.6 per cent to £2.7 million in 2005 and expects a 'substantial increase' in business this year.

Concentrating on residential property, the company brought over 10,000 further properties under management. The shares, up six per cent to 690p since the start of the week, yield about two per cent after an increased dividend.

Hot cross buns have been selling like hotcakes at Finsbury Foods (FIF) and the group cheered with the news that profits for the year to June are likely to exceed expectations after its 'excellent' performance during the first three months of 2006. The shares have risen 2p since Monday to 69p.