Filta shares up 80% as it produces coronavirus sanitisers

Filta rocketed 80 per cent to 111.6p after swapping de-greasing kitchen equipment to launch a new sanitiser designed to protect surfaces from bacteria for up to a month.

The anti-viral solution leaves a protective layer that bonds to the surface, creating a safer environment in shared spaces such as restaurants, bars, shops, offices and healthcare facilities.

It is currently available in the UK but the firm, which usually works in commercial kitchens to recycle oil and seal fridges, is planning a roll-out in Europe and the US too.

The grease manager is also offering temperature screening devices which can measure up to 30 people per second for a fever, having teamed up with one of its technology suppliers.

A partnership that appears to be working well was that between Modern Water and Integumen, which jumped 40 per cent to 1.5p and 11% to 1.7p respectively after doubling production of Modern Water’s monitoring bacteria reagent.

Demand has been through the roof lately, as countries have increased water hygiene controls during the current health crisis.

Integumen agreed in March to manufacture and provide logistical support for MW in exchange of 40% of total sales, estimated to be at least US$1.25million until December.

Looking at the wider market, the AIM All-Share index and the FTSE 100 both advanced 2 per cent.

Among the risers, Motif Bio zoomed 263 per cent to 0.7p after appointing the current chief financial officer Jonathan Gold as president and chief business officer.

The pharma company, operating as a cash shell since its flagship drug candidate iclaprim failed to make it to market, raised £650,000 via a share placing and now has £815,000 in the bank, enough to see it through to February 2021.

Environmentally friendly detergents firm Itaconix soared 104 per cent to 1p after posting a 42 per cent increase in sales to US$600,000 for the four months to April.

Elsewhere, Westminster climbed 41 per cent to 12p as investors focused on the technology solutions provider’s fever screening kit, now that Heathrow plans to roll out temperature checks for passengers.

Biotech firm Genedrive added 22 per cent to 164p after its hepatitis-C diagnostic has received what’s called ‘prequalification’ from the World Health Organisation, meaning member states are encouraged to buy it.

Jersey Oil and Gas ‘jogged’ up 21 per cent to 69p on an increase in its resource inventory to over 120mln barrels.

In the pharma space, ReNeuron Group rose 19 per cent to 167p after new data on its CTX cell therapy candidate showed some very early promise in Huntington’s disease.

SimiGon, which specialises in military simulations for training purposes, rose 12 per cent to 7p after the US Air Force extended a contract for flight training devices worth up to US$700,000.

Among the fallers, Microsaic Systems slumped 41 per cent to 0.7p after the developer of mass spectrometry instruments said it has not been able to operate normally during the crisis.

Chemicals firm Iofina dropped 28 per cent to 13p after saying its IO#8 iodine plant in western Oklahoma will see a decline in brine supply just weeks after coming online. Volumes of brine available at the plant are likely to be affected by oil and gas operations shutdowns due to low oil prices.

Elsewhere, virtual reality entertainment firm Immotion Group tumbled 26 per cent to 2p after unveiling plans to raise £1.3million by selling shares at a 28.6 per cent discount to shore up its balance sheet.

Similarly, Ethernity slipped 17 per cent to 36p after announcing an extraordinary meeting with shareholders to allow directors authority to issue shares as the coronavirus crisis dents the tech supplier’s finances.

Finally, investor Tern shed 9 per cent to 10p after posting that group’s loss before tax in 2019 more than doubled to £780,643 from £312,564 in 2018.