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  • Phoenix Copper Suspends Senior Executives as Funding Pressures Intensify

    Phoenix Copper Suspends Senior Executives as Funding Pressures Intensify

    Phoenix Copper (LSE:PXC) has placed its Executive Chairman, Marcus Edwards-Jones, and Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, Richard Wilkins, on immediate suspension while the board investigates allegations linked to their recent conduct and historic payments made to former corporate finance adviser Lloyd Edwards-Jones S.A.S. In response, the company has put interim financial controls in place, outsourced the company secretary function, and delegated oversight to the audit chair, chief executive, and the wider board to ensure business continuity during the investigation.

    At the same time, the miner flagged a tightening liquidity position, warning that current cash resources are expected to fund operations only into early Q2 2026 unless additional financing is secured. Phoenix Copper is reviewing both short- and medium-term funding options and remains in discussions with Riverfort regarding a potential short-term loan facility. As a result, investor attention is split between the outcome of the internal probe and the company’s ability to raise capital in time to support its development plans.

    The overall outlook remains under pressure due to the group’s weak financial profile, characterised by a lack of revenue, widening losses, and increasing cash burn, all of which heighten dilution and funding risk. Share price technicals are mixed but skew negative, with the stock trading below key moving averages, while valuation offers limited downside support given negative earnings and the absence of a dividend.

    More about Phoenix Copper

    Phoenix Copper is an AIM-quoted, U.S.-focused emerging producer and exploration company targeting base and precious metals, primarily copper, gold, and silver. Its core asset is the Empire Mine near Mackay, Idaho, located in the historic Alder Creek district, which hosts proven and probable reserves. The portfolio is complemented by additional regional assets, including past-producing mines, the Red Star silver-lead discovery, the Navarre Creek gold project, and cobalt properties within the Idaho Cobalt Belt.

  • Cora Gold Lines Up Up to £15.7m to Drive Sanankoro Toward Production

    Cora Gold Lines Up Up to £15.7m to Drive Sanankoro Toward Production

    Cora Gold Limited (LSE:CORA) has announced a conditional strategic financing of up to £15.7m, comprising a proposed £13.7m subscription from Singapore-based Eagle Eye Asset Holdings at 6p per share and a planned retail offer of up to £2m for existing shareholders at the same price. If fully completed, the transaction could result in Eagle Eye holding up to 29.9% of Cora’s enlarged share capital.

    The investment is subject to several conditions, including shareholder approval, a satisfactory legal title opinion on the company’s Malian assets, and the admission of the new shares to AIM, which is targeted for early April. The fundraising represents a significant step in strengthening Cora’s capital base as it advances its lead asset.

    Funds raised are intended primarily to progress the Sanankoro Gold Project in southern Mali toward development and production, alongside continued exploration across the company’s wider permit portfolio and general working capital. The financing builds on momentum generated by the completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study in 2025, marking Sanankoro’s transition from evaluation into the development phase.

    Beyond the capital injection, the deal introduces a new strategic cornerstone shareholder with prior exposure to Malian gold projects. A relationship agreement includes the proposed appointment of Aryann Gupta as a non-executive director representing Eagle Eye, while discussions are ongoing around a broader project finance package that could further reduce development risk and support construction at Sanankoro.

    More about Cora Gold

    Cora Gold Limited is a West Africa-focused gold development company with advanced and de-risked assets in Mali and Senegal. Its principal focus is the Sanankoro Gold Project in the Yanfolila Gold Belt of southern Mali, which is being advanced toward an open-pit oxide gold operation by a management team with a strong track record in large-scale gold discoveries and mine development.

  • Cornish Metals Moves South Crofty Forward While Reaffirming 2028 Restart Timeline

    Cornish Metals Moves South Crofty Forward While Reaffirming 2028 Restart Timeline

    Cornish Metals (LSE:TIN) has reported continued progress at its South Crofty tin project, with underground and surface activities advancing in tandem as the company works toward a planned mid-2028 return to production. Recent milestones include completion of refurbishment at the New Cook’s Kitchen mid-shaft pump station, the resumption of shaft refurbishment and dewatering, and ongoing development at the 25 level to put in place essential rock-handling infrastructure while supporting miner training.

    The development schedule has been refined, with management bringing forward pre-production work on the 290 level to the third quarter of 2026. This adjustment is expected to improve ventilation access through the Roskear shaft and allow underground drilling to begin earlier, while leaving the targeted date for first tin production unchanged. On the surface, excavation for the pre-concentration plant is under way, alongside construction of the Bartles Foundry workshop and Mine Dry facilities, and early works at the Roskear ventilation shaft.

    In parallel, the company is preparing a March 2026 exploration drilling programme aimed at expanding the South Crofty mineral resource. Cornish Metals also confirmed that a previous option agreement with Cornish Lithium has now expired.

    More about Cornish Metals

    Cornish Metals is a mineral exploration and development company focused on advancing the South Crofty underground tin project in Cornwall, UK. The historic mine hosts one of the highest-grade undeveloped tin resources globally and is fully permitted for underground mining and new processing facilities, positioning the company as a potential first primary tin producer in Europe or North America with a relatively low environmental footprint.

  • BRCK Group Rebrand Signals Expanded Role Across Construction Supply Chain

    BRCK Group Rebrand Signals Expanded Role Across Construction Supply Chain

    BRCK Group PLC (LSE:BRCK) has completed a name change from Brickability Group PLC to BRCK Group PLC, a move intended to better represent the breadth of its activities across the construction products and services supply chain. The new branding is designed to establish a unified, scalable group identity while retaining the individual names, specialist focus, and market reputations of its operating subsidiaries.

    Trading under the new company name on AIM is scheduled to begin on 10 February 2026. The share ticker BRCK and all existing security identifiers remain the same, and there is no impact on shareholder holdings or share certificates. The change is therefore positioned as a strategic branding initiative rather than a structural or corporate reorganisation, helping to clearly differentiate the parent group from the Brickability operating subsidiary.

    From a performance perspective, the group presents a mixed outlook. Strengths include resilient revenue growth and an attractive dividend yield, supported by a solid balance sheet. These positives are tempered by ongoing pressure on profitability and cash flow, alongside bearish technical indicators. Recent corporate actions and strategic initiatives add a constructive element, pointing to longer-term growth potential despite near-term challenges.

    More about BRCK Group PLC

    BRCK Group PLC, formerly Brickability Group PLC, is a leading supplier of specialist products and services to the UK construction sector. The group operates through four divisions spanning bricks and building materials, importing, distribution, and contracting. Its capital-light, decentralised model is supported by a strong balance sheet and a workforce of more than 800 people, focused on delivering complex construction supply solutions and supporting sustainable development.

  • Seraphim Space Portfolio Builds Pace as Space Funding Environment Improves

    Seraphim Space Portfolio Builds Pace as Space Funding Environment Improves

    Seraphim Space Investment Trust (LSE:SSIT) reported accelerating momentum across its portfolio in its January 2026 update, with a number of investee companies landing significant commercial and defence-related wins, fresh funding rounds, and key technical breakthroughs. Portfolio businesses including ICEYE, LeoLabs, D-Orbit, Voyager Technologies, Xona, Tomorrow.io, Pixxel and Astroscale continue to advance capabilities spanning SAR imaging, space domain awareness, in-orbit manufacturing and servicing, and commercial Earth observation.

    The update also points to a broader recovery in the global space investment cycle. Seraphim’s Space Index recorded a record level of funding activity during 2025, alongside landmark industry developments such as the proposed $1.25tn SpaceX–xAI merger. Against this backdrop, SSIT has been increasing its own market profile through expanded media engagement, industry events, and enhanced investor-facing content via platforms such as Curation Connect, reinforcing its role as a core participant in the rapidly scaling space economy.

    Despite the operational progress, the trust’s outlook continues to be constrained by weak earnings quality and limited cash generation, even as it maintains a notably conservative balance sheet. From a technical perspective, the share price trend remains strong but appears stretched. Valuation metrics also look demanding, with a high earnings multiple and no stated dividend, though these concerns are partly balanced by a steady stream of positive portfolio news led by major defence-related contract awards.

    More about Seraphim Space Investment Trust Plc

    Seraphim Space Investment Trust Plc is a London-listed investment company dedicated to the SpaceTech sector. It focuses on early- and growth-stage businesses developing satellite constellations, in-orbit services, Earth observation capabilities, and space-based data and infrastructure, targeting applications across defence, climate monitoring, connectivity, and emerging space-enabled digital services worldwide.

  • Panther Metals Secures £1.19m to Push Canadian Assets and North American Listing

    Panther Metals Secures £1.19m to Push Canadian Assets and North American Listing

    Panther Metals (LSE:PALM) has completed a £1.19m fundraising after a heavily oversubscribed placing of 1.7m new shares priced at 70p. The issue represents roughly 24.3% of the company’s existing share capital and was completed at a small discount to the prevailing market price. The placing attracted strong demand from both new and existing institutional investors, bolstering the company’s balance sheet ahead of a proposed dual listing in North America.

    The capital raised will be directed toward accelerating drilling at the Wishbone VMS discovery within the Obonga Project, progressing feasibility studies at the Winston tailings project for the recovery of multiple high-value metals, and carrying out magnesium-focused metallurgical test work on Dotted Lake core samples. A portion of the proceeds will also be allocated to general working capital.

    Management views the financing as a key enabler to fast-track development across its Canadian portfolio, reinforcing an exploration-driven growth strategy while improving Panther Metals’ positioning within the critical minerals and gold exploration sectors.

    From a market perspective, the company’s outlook continues to be weighed down by its pre-revenue status, ongoing losses, and cash burn, resulting in a valuation profile dominated by negative earnings metrics and the absence of dividend visibility. These factors are partially offset by supportive technical signals, including a strong trend relative to moving averages, although an overbought RSI suggests near-term caution.

    More about Panther Metals Plc

    Panther Metals plc is a London-listed mineral exploration company focused on base, precious, and critical metals projects in Canada, with a particular emphasis on Ontario. Its asset portfolio includes the Obonga Project targeting volcanogenic massive sulphide and critical minerals, the Dotted Lake gold project near the Hemlo mining camp, and the Winston tailings project, all located within established mining regions supported by strong infrastructure.

  • Shell names PwC as incoming auditor, ending EY mandate in 2027

    Shell names PwC as incoming auditor, ending EY mandate in 2027

    Shell (LSE:SHEL) announced on Friday that it has appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as its next external auditor, with the firm set to assume the role from 2027 after the conclusion of a formal tender process.

    PwC will replace EY, whose audit work at the energy group has come under scrutiny. In December, the UK’s Financial Reporting Council opened an investigation into EY’s audit of Shell’s 2024 accounts, focusing on possible breaches of audit partner rotation requirements.

    Shell had already flagged regulatory issues last July, disclosing that rules obliging listed companies to rotate lead audit partners every five to seven years, as well as enforce cooling-off periods before partners can return to the same client, had not been fully complied with.

    At the time, the company said it would need to restate its 2023 and 2024 annual reports after EY failed to meet U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission standards on partner rotation. Shell emphasized that the revisions would be technical in nature and would not affect the underlying financial results.

  • Wall Street Seen Opening Firmer as Investors Eye Bargains After Tech Rout: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq

    Wall Street Seen Opening Firmer as Investors Eye Bargains After Tech Rout: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq

    U.S. equity futures were pointing to a higher open on Friday, signaling a potential rebound after stocks slid sharply over the past several sessions.

    Some investors appear ready to step back into the market, picking up shares at cheaper valuations following the recent technology-driven selloff that dragged the Nasdaq to its lowest close in more than two months. Still, trading could be relatively quiet after the U.S. Labor Department postponed the release of its highly anticipated monthly jobs report until next Wednesday.

    Any upside may be restrained by lingering unease over heavy spending on artificial intelligence, alongside a steep premarket drop in Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). The e-commerce and cloud computing giant was down about 8.5% ahead of the opening bell after reporting slightly weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and unveiling capital expenditure plans for 2026 that far exceeded market expectations.

    “All the hyperscalers are competing to win the AI race, for which the prize could be significant,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell. “However, investors are being asked to countenance enormous amounts of cash going out the door in service of this goal.”
    He added, “With the exact direction and trajectory of artificial intelligence still uncertain there is understandable concern that this money could be wasted.”

    Wall Street suffered broad losses on Thursday, extending the choppy tone seen a day earlier. Technology shares led the decline, with the Nasdaq sliding to its weakest close in over two months.

    Although the major indices pared some losses before the close, they still finished decisively lower. The Nasdaq fell 1.6%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average also lost 1.2%.

    Pressure on tech stocks was compounded by a sharp fall in Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). The chipmaker sank 8.5% after delivering better-than-expected fiscal first-quarter results but issuing disappointing guidance for the current quarter.

    Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG), the parent of Google, also weighed on sentiment. While it recovered from earlier lows, the stock still ended down 0.5% after the company reported solid fourth-quarter results but flagged a substantial increase in capital spending planned for 2026.

    Recent sessions have seen technology stocks retreat sharply as investors reassess stretched valuations and the longer-term returns from AI-related investments.

    On the economic side, data from the Labor Department showed first-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits jumped far more than expected in the week ended January 31. Initial claims rose to 231,000, up from 209,000 the prior week and well above forecasts for around 212,000, marking the highest level since early December.

    A separate report also showed U.S. job openings unexpectedly fell in December to their lowest level in more than five years.

    Sector performance was broadly negative on Thursday. Gold mining shares tumbled alongside a drop in bullion prices, sending the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index down 6.3%. Software and computer hardware stocks also sold off heavily, with their respective indices falling more than 4%.

    Oil service stocks weakened as crude prices slid, while financials, retailers and pharmaceutical names also posted notable declines, leaving most major sectors under pressure by the end of the session.

  • European Markets Rebound as Stocks Climb Despite Mixed Economic Data: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European Markets Rebound as Stocks Climb Despite Mixed Economic Data: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European equities pushed higher on Friday, regaining ground after ending the previous session largely in negative territory.

    Germany’s DAX advanced about 0.5%, while the UK’s FTSE 100 rose 0.2% and France’s CAC 40 edged 0.1% higher as investors weighed fresh economic data alongside company-specific news.

    On the macro front, figures from Destatis showed German industrial production fell sharply in December, sliding 1.9% month on month after a 0.2% increase in November. The decline was significantly steeper than expectations for a modest 0.2% drop. On an annual basis, output contracted by 0.6%, reversing a 0.5% rise recorded the previous month.

    In France, data from the customs office indicated a widening trade gap at the end of the year. The country’s foreign trade deficit increased to €4.8 billion in December from €4.0 billion in November, exceeding forecasts for a shortfall of around €4.1 billion, as imports outpaced exports.

    At the stock level, Vinci (EU:DG) shares jumped after the infrastructure and construction group reported full-year results that exceeded market expectations. Vinci posted net income attributable to shareholders of €4.90 billion for 2025, or €8.65 per share, up from €4.86 billion, or €8.43 per share, a year earlier.

    By contrast, Metlen Energy & Metals (LSE:MTLN) came under heavy pressure after warning that its 2025 EBITDA is now expected to be around 25% lower than previously targeted, despite what it described as solid performance across its core business divisions.

  • Flowtech Fluidpower Secures Shareholder Backing for Fundraise, Acquisition and Capital Restructure

    Flowtech Fluidpower Secures Shareholder Backing for Fundraise, Acquisition and Capital Restructure

    Flowtech Fluidpower (LSE:FLO) has received shareholder approval for a package of resolutions that unlocks fresh funding, clears the path for a planned acquisition and reshapes its capital base.

    Flowtech Fluidpower said all proposals were passed at its general meeting, enabling the company to move ahead with a £9 million institutional placing alongside a £0.6 million retail offer. The enlarged share capital is expected to be admitted to trading on AIM on 9 February 2026.

    The vote also satisfies the final shareholder condition linked to Flowtech’s proposed acquisition, which is expected to complete once the placing proceeds are received. In parallel, investors approved a capital reorganisation that will subdivide each existing 50p ordinary share into a 5p voting ordinary share and a 45p deferred share. Following the reorganisation, Flowtech will have approximately 81.4 million ordinary shares in issue, a step intended to simplify the group’s capital structure and support future fundraising and growth initiatives.

    From a market standpoint, Flowtech’s shares continue to reflect underlying financial pressures, particularly around profitability and recent revenue trends. Technical indicators remain bearish, but recent corporate developments are seen as supportive, pointing to improving revenue momentum and a stronger sales pipeline. Valuation metrics remain challenging, however, given the company’s negative earnings profile and lack of dividend support.

    More about Flowtech Fluidpower

    Flowtech Fluidpower is an AIM-quoted specialist distributor and engineering services provider focused on hydraulics, pneumatics and process engineering solutions. The group serves industrial customers across the UK, Ireland and the Benelux, supplying components, systems and technical expertise to a broad manufacturing and processing client base.