Vodafone swings to €2.8bn operating profit but shares slide
Vodafone Group (LON:VOD) delivered a headline turnaround in its full-year results, swinging to an operating profit of €2.8bn from a €0.4bn loss a year earlier, with group revenue rising 8.0% to €40.5bn. The numbers failed to impress investors, however, with the shares falling 8.8% to 109.8p as the market looked past the headline improvement.
RUA Life Sciences spins out structural heart unit and secures £3m funding
Rua Life Sciences (LON:RUA) has established a new subsidiary, RUA Structural Heart, converting £4.8m of intercompany debt into equity in the new entity and raising a further £3m via convertible unsecured loan stock from the Leducq Foundation. The proceeds will fund design, testing and pre-clinical work on the AurTex mitral valve programme, with Rua retaining majority equity in the spin-out. The shares edged up 2.67% to 25.67p.
Device Authority partners with Xalient to embed KeyScaler in managed cybersecurity
Tern (LON:TERN) surged 27.5% to 0.765p after portfolio company Device Authority, in which Tern holds a 25.3% stake, signed a strategic partnership with Xalient. Under the agreement, Device Authority's KeyScaler platform will be embedded into Xalient's managed identity-led cybersecurity offering for IoT and OT environments, expanding the platform's commercial reach through an as-a-service model.
Smarter Web Company adds 25 Bitcoin, taking treasury to 2,830 BTC
Smarter Web Company (LON:SWC) purchased a further 25 Bitcoin for £1.5m, bringing its total holdings to 2,830 BTC with an aggregate book value of £230.23m. The acquisition continues the company's strategy of accumulating Bitcoin on its balance sheet, though the shares slipped 4.04% to 36.945p on the day.
Bytes Technology separates finance and operations roles in executive restructure
Bytes Technology Group (LON:BYIT) has launched a search for a new chief financial officer after resolving to split its previously combined finance and operations functions. The software, security, AI and cloud services firm said the separation reflects the growing complexity of the business. The shares rose 1.76% to 323.6p.
Seeing Machines wins US$3.8m autonomous driving order in North America
Seeing Machines (LON:SEE) secured a US$3.8m purchase order to supply its Guardian Backup-driver Monitoring System to a leading North American autonomous driving company. The contract marks a meaningful step into the autonomous vehicle segment for the driver monitoring specialist, with the shares climbing 7.06% to 4.4p on the news.
