Promethean leads flurry of floats

Notable amongst them were mobile content services provider Bango (BGO), which pulled in £7 million, and former Bank of Scotland chief Sir Peter Burt's financial services concern Promethean (PTH), raising £50 million. The FTSE 100 continued its recent ascent, running up 71.4 points to 5157.7.

Torex bids for Anker

The week's other major news centred around the EPOS market, where Torex Retail (TRX) announced it is taking over peer player Anker (ANK) in a recommended deal valuing its AIM rival at £98.5 million. Torex is consolidating this space - the company is also in the midst of mopping up XN Checkout (XNC) in a £72.7 million deal.

Corpora (CP.), the developer of text analytics software, gained 3.25p to 12.25p after announcing three contract wins. The Guildford-based play has bagged a distribution deal with Europower of Italy that will bring in sales of £500,000 in the first 12 months. The other wins were with SI International, to build applications for the US Defense Department, and US legal information services provider Potomac Publishing.

Hardide cleans up

There were encouraging numbers from Hardide (HDD), the provider of unique surface engineering technology that joined AIM in April with an oversubscribed £1.4 million funding. Hardide has just clinched approved supplier status with industry giant BAE Systems, and maiden interims to 4 April showed losses pared to £273,000 (£531,000) on much improved turnover of £496,000 (£125,000).

Stonemartin (SOA), the provider of high quality office environments, reported an encouraging year to March, although profits remained elusive. Losses narrowed to £1 million (£3.4 million) on a turnover of £4.1 million, and managing director Colin Peacock is convinced the managed and serviced office market is gathering momentum. 'It is really still in its infancy, but the trend is irreversible and we think now is a great time to be involved,' he enthuses.

Digital radio specialist UBC Media (UBC) tuned up by 0.25p to 25.75p, despite its former chairman, Michael Peacock, who steps down at this month's annual meeting, selling £480,000 of stock.

Friday trading

Friday saw a flurry of trading statements with mixed share price results. Punch Graphix (PGX), the Belgian printing systems play spun out of Euronext-quoted Punch International at 98p in May, for a meaty market value of £101 million, eased 3p to 130.5p. This despite an upbeat assessment for the first half - figures to 30 June will meet the expectations mooted at float.

Engineering play Dickinson Legg (DKL) sparked up by 7.4 per cent to 14.5p on news figures for the year to June will marginally beat management forecasts. Finally Public Recruitment (PUG) advanced 6p to 137.5p on a bullish pre-close statement, and the news both its locum doctor businesses have been confirmed as approved suppliers under the new NHS National Framework Agreement.