A busy session for small-cap news spanned resource acquisitions, profit upgrades, and a sharp equity raise, with Guardian Metal Resources (AIM:GMTL) making a strategic land and water rights purchase near its Nevada tungsten project, PZ Cussons (LSE:PZC) lifting its full-year profit guidance above the top of its prior range, and Frontier IP (AIM:FIPP) suffering a steep share price fall after tapping investors for fresh capital. Elsewhere, a StarCruises payment platform deal sent RC365 Holding (AIM:RCGH) sharply higher, while Speedy Hire (AIM:SDY) reported a swing to a pretax loss as interest costs from fleet investment bit into earnings.
Guardian Metal secures water rights and land near Tempiute project
Guardian Metal Resources (AIM:GMTL) has acquired Lincoln Estates Group, securing 2,540 acre-feet of annual water rights and 841 acres of land situated less than 10 miles from its Tempiute Tungsten Project in Nevada. The purchase addresses a critical infrastructure requirement for any future mine development, giving the company direct control over water supply in an arid region where such rights carry significant strategic value. The shares fell 6.36% to 16.48p on the day.
RC365 deploys payment platform aboard StarCruises fleet
RC365 Holding (AIM:RCGH) rocketed 29.23% to 2.52p after its Hong Kong subsidiary signed a point-of-sale agreement to deploy the RC3.0 payment platform across StarCruises vessels. The arrangement earns RC365 percentage-based fees on gross merchant sales processed through the platform, providing a recurring revenue stream tied directly to onboard transaction volumes across the cruise operator's fleet.
PZ Cussons upgrades full-year profit guidance above prior range
PZ Cussons (LSE:PZC) lifted its shares 6.69% to 97.515p after upgrading its FY26 adjusted operating profit guidance to at, or slightly above, the upper end of the £53-57m range, itself already an upgrade from the initial £48-53m guidance issued earlier in the year. The personal care brands group's successive upward revisions point to a meaningful recovery in underlying trading momentum, with the latest guidance implying adjusted operating profit of at least £57m.
Speedy Hire swings to pretax loss as ProService costs weigh
Speedy Hire (AIM:SDY) reported an adjusted pretax loss of £9.8m for the year ended 31 March, reversing a profit of £8.7m a year earlier, as higher interest costs from fleet investment and the ProService transaction eroded earnings. The tools and equipment hire group's shares fell 3.02% to 19.3p as investors weighed the scale of the earnings reversal against the strategic rationale for the investment cycle that drove it.
Savannah Resources formalises community deals at Barroso lithium project
Savannah Resources (AIM:SAV) has signed formal agreements with local stakeholder groups at its Barroso Lithium Project in Portugal, as a public consultation on a key bypass road gets underway. The company expects an environmental impact ruling on the road, a significant permitting milestone, by early in the fourth quarter. The shares eased 1.92% to 6.13p.
Frontier IP raises equity to support maturing portfolio, shares fall sharply
Frontier IP (AIM:FIPP) launched an equity fundraise to bolster its balance sheet as it works to realise value from its portfolio of university spin-out investments, with the announcement sending the shares down 24.12% to 12.9p. Chief executive Neil Crabb said the fundraising would support delivery on the "significant value" the company sees in its maturing portfolio, noting backing from both existing and new investors. The dilution implied by the raise at a material discount to the prevailing price drove the sharp sell-off.
Oriole Resources launches maiden drilling at Cameroon limestone project
Oriole Resources (AIM:ORR) has mobilised for a 1,000-metre diamond drilling programme at its Wapouzé project in Cameroon, targeting a JORC resource estimate at a limestone deposit the company believes could supply the country's cement industry. The commencement of maiden drilling at the project lifted the shares 12.76% to 0.38p, reflecting investor appetite for a catalyst that could underpin a formal resource statement.
GEO Exploration identifies MAG001 target and uranium anomalies at Gorge
GEO Exploration (AIM:GEO) flagged the identification of the MAG001 magnetic target and uranium anomalies at its Gorge Project, with chief executive Omar Ahmad describing the modern datasets being generated as moving the company "from historical prospectivity towards systematic target generation." The update lifted the shares 5.83% to 0.127p.
GSTechnologies secures US$10m facility for acquisition strategy
GSTechnologies (AIM:GST) secured a US$10m loan facility to support its acquisition pipeline, with executive chairman Tone Goh describing the terms as attractive and the arrangement as enhancing the company's financial flexibility as it executes its growth strategy. The shares rose 4.38% to 0.4175p on the news.
GreenRoc wins EIB advisory support and Greenland drilling approval
Greenroc Strategic Materials (AIM:GROC) announced a no-cost advisory agreement with the European Investment Bank alongside Greenland government approval for Phase III drilling at its Amitsoq graphite project. The company also reported its active anode material pilot plant has now processed more than 700kg of material, a tangible operational milestone. The shares gained 6.63% to 3.199p.
Tandem Group on track as Bikes and Home & Garden offset Toys softness
Tandem Group (AIM:TND) reported overall sales running 2% ahead of the prior year at the end of May, with strength in its Bikes and Home & Garden divisions compensating for weakness in Toys. The leisure products group confirmed full-year performance is expected in line with market expectations, nudging the shares up 2.06% to 173.5p.
Cadence Minerals completes Azteca mobilisation with plant readiness due August
Cadence Minerals (AIM:KDNC) confirmed that mobilisation at the Azteca processing facility within the Amapá iron ore project in Brazil is complete, with refurbishment work underway across processing and electrical systems. Plant readiness is targeted for the end of August, though commercial operations remain contingent on an outstanding operating licence. The shares rose 6.72% to 7.15p.
Georgina Energy pays rig deposit to lock in Q3 Hussar well spud
Georgina Energy (AIM:GEX) has paid a deposit to secure the Ensign 970 rig for its Hussar EP513 well in Western Australia, keeping a third-quarter 2026 spud date on track for the helium and hydrogen explorer. The shares edged up 3.69% to 6.18p as the deposit payment confirmed the drilling timeline remains intact.
Genflow to present aged-dog gene therapy results at Toronto longevity summit
Genflow Biosciences (AIM:GENF) has been invited to present clinical results from its aged-dog gene therapy study at the inaugural Animal Longevity Summit in Toronto on 1-2 October. The conference appearance provides a platform to advance the company's scientific profile ahead of further clinical development, with the shares slipping 2.82% to 2.065p on the day.
CleanTech Lithium heads to Las Vegas in search of strategic partner
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL) confirmed that chief executive Ignacio Mehech will attend the Fastmarkets Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials event in Las Vegas later this month as the company actively seeks a strategic partner for its Chilean lithium assets. The shares were down 4.0% to 6.0p.
Switch Metals begins maiden RC drilling at Issia for tantalum and lithium
Switch Metals (AIM:SWT) has mobilised a reverse circulation rig at its Issia Project in Côte d'Ivoire, with approximately 2,500 metres of drilling planned across two priority hard-rock targets prospective for tantalum and lithium pegmatites. The maiden drilling campaign marks the first systematic test of the project's critical minerals potential, with the shares down 2.33% to 10.5p.
Hercules launches Skills Gulf whitepaper in Parliament to address construction shortfall
Hercules (AIM:HERC) unveiled its The Skills Gulf whitepaper at the Houses of Parliament, setting out recommendations to close an estimated 250,000-worker shortfall in the UK construction and infrastructure sectors. The publication positions Hercules as a policy voice in the workforce development debate, with the shares easing 1.82% to 27.0p.
Oxford Metrics sets out medium-term growth and margin framework
Oxford Metrics (AIM:OMG) outlined medium-term ambitions centred on scaling revenues and improving margins across its two operating divisions in a strategic update to the market. The smart sensing group did not provide specific numerical targets in the summary, with the shares falling 6.29% to 43.81p as investors assessed the framework against current trading.
CML Microsystems approaches breakeven as second-half recovery improves cash
CML Microsystems (AIM:CML) reported a near-breakeven outcome for its financial year as a second-half trading recovery lifted its cash position, with group managing director Chris Gurry stating the company enters FY27 "expecting a return to revenue growth" on the back of an improving order backlog and easing inventory conditions across its customer base. The shares fell 4.41% to 282.0p.
ATC Music Group signs Robbie Williams as Push acquisition delivers early gains
ATC Music Group (AIM:ATC) signed Robbie Williams to its artist management roster and reported early operational gains from its March acquisition of digital marketing firm Push, with the two developments underscoring the group's strategy of combining talent management with digital marketing capability. The shares rose 1.43% to 169.9p.
Likewise Group reports 17% revenue growth year to date
Likewise Group (AIM:LIKE) reported sales running 17% ahead of the prior year to date, with expansion projects on track and the UK floor coverings distributor reaffirming full-year market expectations despite ongoing global uncertainty. The shares gained 5.78% to 28.56p.
Swedish parliament clears path for uranium mining, benefiting Aura Energy's Häggån deposit
Aura Energy (AIM:AURA) gained 4.17% to 6.25p after the Swedish parliament voted to remove the requirement for municipal consent in uranium mine permitting, a legislative change that directly benefits the company's 800m pound Häggån deposit. The removal of the municipal veto had been a longstanding regulatory obstacle to advancing the project, and the parliamentary decision materially improves the permitting pathway.
Brave Bison lifts first-half net revenue by 92%
Brave Bison Group (AIM:BBSN) reported a 92% increase in first-half net revenue, with executive chair Oliver Green saying the board looks forward to the remainder of 2026 "with considerable optimism." The shares rose 5.62% to 101.4p on the strong interim trading update.
Coiled Therapeutics appoints two oncology specialists to Medical Advisory Board
Coiled Therapeutics (AIM:COIL) added Professor Guru Sonpavde and Dr Alexander Spira as founding members of its Medical Advisory Board, providing clinical guidance as its TACC3-targeting drug moves toward expansion cohorts in the second half of 2026. The shares were unchanged at 10.0p.
Tristel appoints medical technology veteran Chris Lee as chief executive
Tristel (AIM:TSTL) named Chris Lee as its new chief executive, effective August, replacing outgoing CEO Matt Sassone. Lee brings medical technology sector experience to the infection prevention products maker as it continues to develop its international commercial footprint. The shares were unchanged at 385.0p.
Smiths News lands exclusive national distribution deal for News UK titles to 2037
Smiths News (AIM:SNWS) secured exclusive national distribution rights for The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times through to 2037, extending its position as the UK's largest news wholesaler with a long-duration contract covering three of the country's highest-circulation titles. The shares rose 6.15% to 67.3p on the announcement.
Capital Metals sponsors inaugural Sri Lanka mineral sands conference
Capital (AIM:CAPD) took a platinum sponsorship of Sri Lanka's first Mineral Sands Technical Conference, a sold-out event drawing more than 200 attendees including government ministers. The sponsorship reinforces the company's profile in the Sri Lankan mineral sands sector as it advances its local project interests. The shares were broadly flat, up 0.26% to 115.296p.
Social Housing REIT agrees £108.3m acquisition of ReSI senior living portfolio
Social Housing REIT (LSE:SOHO) agreed to acquire a senior living portfolio from ReSI for £108.3m, with chair Jos Short describing senior living as "a natural extension" of the company's existing strategy. The deal broadens the REIT's exposure beyond traditional social housing into the adjacent senior living segment, with the shares up 0.97% to 73.0p.
Tomahawk Metals clears due diligence on five Slovakian gold and antimony licences
Tomahawk Metals completed legal and operational due diligence on a portfolio of five Slovakian mineral licences prospective for gold and antimony, with the AIM-aspirant miner expecting to close the acquisition within four to six weeks. Slovakia's antimony and gold endowment has attracted growing interest given Europe's push to secure domestic critical and precious metals supply.
Arrow Exploration's Icaco-2 well delivers 830 bopd on time and under budget
Arrow Exploration (AIM:AXL) confirmed its Icaco-2 exploration well came in on time and under budget, with initial restricted production of 830 barrels of oil per day gross from the Ubaque formation. The operational and cost discipline demonstrated at Icaco-2 lifted the shares 9.43% to 29.0p.
80 Mile receives Greenland mineral rights protection ahead of Disko July drilling
80 Mile (AIM:80M) received regulatory confirmation that no third party can be granted overlapping mineral rights at its Jameson Land hydrocarbon concessions in Greenland, providing exclusivity protection as the company prepares for drilling at its Disko project in July. The shares edged up 0.75% to 0.81p.
Roadside Real Estate closes £28.6m Cumbria forecourt portfolio acquisition
Roadside Real Estate (AIM:ROAD) completed its purchase of 12 petrol stations and a convenience store in Cumbria for £28.6m, backed by a new £25m HSBC credit facility. The acquisition adds a geographically concentrated portfolio of energy forecourt assets to the AIM-listed landlord's estate, with the shares up 1.61% to 59.95p.
Meridian Mining hits second VMS mineralised zone at Santa Helena with visible gold
Meridian Mining (AIM:MNO) intersected a new gold-silver and zinc-lead mineralised zone below and east of the Santa Helena Central resource, representing a second volcanogenic massive sulphide layer at the system. The discovery keeps the deposit open for further expansion and adds structural complexity that could support a larger resource estimate, with the shares gaining 3.0% to 98.876p.
