UK SMALLCAP ROUNDUP: Mariana Resources Raises GB6.75 Million

Dow Jones smallcap news is on Twitter, allowing you to catch up on the news away from your desk. Go to http://twitter.com/DJ_UK_Smallcaps MARIANA RESOURCES LTD. (MARL.LN), a gold, silver and copper explorer, Wednesday said it agreed to raise GBP6.75 million in a share sale to fund drilling at its flagship Las Calandrias gold discovery in Argentina. Mariana said it agreed to raise GBP6.75 million from institutional investors at 28 pence a share, a 4.7% premium to Tuesday's close. At 1344 GMT, shares +1.25 pence or 4.7% at 28 pence. The emergency Budget announced by the U.K's new coalition government is a mixed bag for the country's small- and mid-cap companies, the Quoted Companies Alliance said, adding it will continue to lobby for further ways to encourage investment in the sector. Chief Executive Tim Ward said more could be done through new and existing incentives to drive investment into the smaller quoted company sector, such as widening the scope of venture capital trusts and the enterprise investment scheme, as well as including shares listed on the Alternative Investment Market in individual savings accounts, or ISAs. HAMPSON INDUSTRIES PLC (HAMP.LN), an aerospace engineer, said it sold its automotive unit for GBP2.5 million. At 1343 GMT, shares flat at 55.5 pence. IMMUPHARMA PLC (IMM.LN), a biotechnology company, said partner Cephalon Inc. (CEPH) of the U.S. has begun recruiting patients into a Phase II trial of Lupuzor, an experimental lupus treatment it licensed from ImmuPharma. At 1343 GMT, shares +1.5 pence or 2.1% at 72 pence. GULF KEYSTONE PETROLEUM LTD. (GKP.LN), an oil and gas explorer, said it found oil at the Bijeel-1 exploration well but encountered technical problems that will delay drilling of a nearby appraisal well in the Shaikan field in Iraq. At 1343 GMT, shares +0.5 pence or 0.7% at 74 pence. ILX GROUP PLC (ILX.LN) expects the proportion of its revenue coming from international operations to equal or even exceed the U.K. in the next three years, Chief Executive Ken Scott said Wednesday, as the company eyes lucrative growth markets. Currently the online learning software and business training company gets just under 20% of total group revenue from overseas markets but Scott said the company's investment in markets like Australia and the Middle East would see this increase. At 1342 GMT, shares +0.5 pence or 2.3% at 22 pence. POLAR CAPITAL HOLDINGS PLC (POLR.LN), an asset manager, said it was more confident for the 2011 fiscal year after assets under management rose in the second half of the 2010 fiscal year, adding it is looking to boost figures further by expanding its range of funds. "At the moment we are in four [of the 18 equity sub-sectors defined by the U.K. Investment Management Association]," Chief Executive Tim Woolley told Dow Jones Newswires. "If we can address eight of these sectors it would be a significant improvement in our addressable market," he added. At 1342 GMT, shares flat at 94.5 pence. INTERNATIONAL PERSONAL FINANCE PLC (IPF.LN), a U.K. lender, said trading in April, May, and for the year to date has been ahead of targets after its second-quarter performance benefited from the reversal of impairment charges taken during the weather-stricken first quarter. At 1341 GMT, shares +2.3 pence or 1.15 at 221.5 pence. THOR MINING PLC (THR.LN), a minerals exploration company, said it plans to raise up to GBP2.7 million through a share placing which it will use to fund the exploration and evaluation of its Dundas Project in western Australia. At 1341 GMT, shares -0.3 pence or 29% at 0.75 pence. PRIMARY HEALTH PROPERTIES PLC (PHP.LN) said it has agreed to acquire primary care and pharmacy property company Health Investments Ltd. for around GBP11.7 million, in a move which will increase its total portfolio size by more than 10%. At 1341 GMT, shares +9.5 pence or 3.4% at 293 pence. GOINDUSTRY-DOVEBID PLC (GOI.LN), an auction services group, said it is optimistic it will be profitable in 2010, with its first-half results "significantly improved" from the adjusted loss of GBP1.6 million in the first half of 2009. At 1340 GMT, shares flat at 0.8 pence. ORIGO PARTNERS PLC (OPP.LN) said it has strengthened its presence in Mongolia by completing investments in two Mongolia-based exploration companies following its successful placing to raise $30 million June 11. At 1340 GMT, shares +1.25 pence or 4.4% at 29.5 pence. CARR'S MILLING INDUSTRIES PLC (CRM.LN) said it has acquired animal feed companies Scotmin Nutrition Ltd. and A.C. Burn Ltd. from Buccleuch Country Ltd. for a total of GBP5.62 million in cash. At 1339 GMT, shares -1 pence or 0.2% at 483.5 pence. THEO FENNELL PLC (TFL.LN), a high-end U.K. jeweler, said it has bought a 20% stake in independent design consultancy, The Original Design Partnership Ltd., which was set up by its own founder and namesake Theo Fennell. At 1339 GMT, shares flat at 36 pence. AXIS-SHIELD PLC (ASD.LN), a diagnostics company, said it has launched an automated anti-CCP test for the early detection of rheumatoid arthritis on its new Zenit RA analyzer system. At 1339 GMT, shares -0.5 pence or 0.2% at 268.5 pence. DJ UK Smaller Cos -0.5% AIM -0.6% -By Rachael Gormley, Jason Douglas & Hannah Benjamin, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0) 20 7842 9272; uksmallcaps@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires June 23, 2010 11:00 ET (15:00 GMT)