TRADING UPDATES: Brave Bison earnings jump; Aptamer begins Ebola work
The following is a round-up of updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News:
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Guardian Metal Resources PLC - London-based miner focused on tungsten exploration in Nevada - Enters deal with Montana Mining Association to work on a tungsten mining and recovery pilot programme to support defence applications. Guardian Metal will supply stockpiled legacy ore from the Tempiute tungsten project. "As a critical defence metal, tungsten has been formally designated a strategic priority by the US government. Guardian Metal's mission is to advance its co-flagship projects, Tempiute and Pilot Mountain, as a cornerstone of US tungsten supply, directly supporting national efforts to reshore production. This strategy is expected to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains, strengthen economic and defense security, and deliver long-term value for shareholders," Guardian Metal says.
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Brave Bison Group PLC - London-based advertising and communications agency - Brave Bison expects to report that net revenue has jumped 97% in the first half of 2026 to £23.7 million from £12.0 million, with adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation surging 87% to £4.2 million from £2.3 million a year prior. "As a result of accretive acquisitions and strong organic growth, notably at MiniMBA which grew organically by over 20% cohort-to-cohort, we are pleased to report net revenue growth of 97% year-on-year, and an increase in Adjusted Ebitda of 87%. Despite taking our largest-ever loan in 2025, the company is now in a net cash position, and we expect further cash generation in the second half of the year, absent any additional acquisitions," Executive Chair Oliver Green says.
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Aptamer Group PLC - York, England-based synthetic binders developer - Aptamer begins the development of Optimer binders for a possible diagnostic test of highly infectious Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. A significant outbreak of the strain began in May in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as well as Uganda. "Fatality rates for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola range from approximately 30% to 50%, depending on several factors, including virus strain, patient care quality, and speed of recognition and treatment. Early detection is critical to patient outcomes and outbreak containment," Aptamer says. "Unlike the more common Zaire strain of Ebola, for which vaccines and treatments exist, the Bundibugyo strain has substantially different viral proteins, rendering existing diagnostic approaches and antibody-based detection methods insufficiently sensitive. Current diagnostic tests struggle to rapidly and reliably identify Bundibugyo, creating a critical gap in outbreak response capabilities." Aptamer estimates the global Ebola testing market was valued at USD1.2 billion last year, is set to rise to USD1.3 billion in 2026 and then to USD2.3 billion by 2033.
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Tungsten West PLC - London-based miner and owner of the past producing Hemerdon tungsten and tin mine in Devon, England - Tungsten West will will begin commissioning a phased production ramp-up later in July at the Hemerdon asset in Devon, UK. "In advance of this, Tungsten West has commenced an enhanced programme of stakeholder engagement, including local community and regulators, to ensure all parties are informed of the timing, scope and staged nature of the commissioning activities," it says. "This programme is consistent with the company's previously stated timeline, which includes recommissioning of the fines gravity circuit and downstream processing facilities during Q3 2026. The company remains on track for the next milestone of commissioning, the coarse gravity circuit, in Q4 2026, with full project commissioning expected in Q1 2027. The project is also forecast to be completed within budget."
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Norman Broadbent PLC - London-based recruitment firm - Norman Broadbent reports net fee income of £3.1 million for the second quarter of 2026, rising from £2.2 million in the first. "Momentum has improved significantly year to date after a slow January, as we rebuilt the pipeline following the strong finish to 2025," the firm says. For the first half, it was down to £5.3 million from a record £6.0 million a year prior. "The improving NFI momentum year to date and increased level of work in progress underpin the board's confidence in delivering a record level of NFI for the second half of the year," it adds.
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Aterian PLC - minerals exploration and trading in Africa, including copper-silver projects in Morocco and Botswana and an exploration licence in Rwanda - Says it generated gross profit of £295,000. Aterian adds: "The result follows the record performance achieved during the first quarter of 2026 and reflects the continued successful execution of the company's strategy to build a scalable, cash-generative critical minerals trading business alongside its exploration and development portfolio.
Importantly, the quarter's performance was achieved despite a significant decline in underlying prices of both tin and tantalum products during the period, and demonstrates the robustness of Eastinco's sourcing network, working partnerships, and operational execution. Prices and margins have subsequently stabilised with a reduction in market volatility."
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Avation PLC - Singapore‑based aircraft leasing - Enters two long-term leases for two ATR 72‑600 aircraft with a new customer aircraft with new customer. "The aircraft, which are owned by Avation, will be placed on six-year leases scheduled for commencement in July 2026 and September 2026 respectively, following their transition from a previous lessee as part of that airline's debt restructuring," Aviaton adds.
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