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Directa Plus reports 'strong' Q1 trading performance
Graphene nanoplatelets producer Directa Plus said on Thursday that first-quarter trading had been "strong", with revenues projected to show a marked improvement year-on-year.
Lookers says its expects £10m profit for 2020, shares surge
Lookers shares surged on Thursday after the car dealership chain said it now expects to post a small profit for 2020, versus consensus expectations of a small loss.
Keywords Studios acquires 85% stake in Australian video games developer
Video games industry technical and creative services provider Keywords Studios has acquired an 85% interest in Australian multi-platform title developer Tantalus in a deal valued up to $46. 8m.
OSB shares drop after £28.6m fraud alert
OSB shares fell after the bank revealed it might have to write off as much as £28. 6m because of possible customer fraud.
London open: Stocks flat ahead of BoE rate announcement
London stocks were little changed in early trade on Thursday as investors digested a dovish statement from the Federal Reserve but erred on the side of caution ahead of the latest policy announcement from the Bank of England.
TPG fund puts $200m into Airtel Africa money business
Telecommunications company Airtel Africa announced an agreement with TPG investing platform the Rise Fund on Thursday, which would see the fund invest $200m (£143. 27m) in its wholly-owned subsidiary Airtel Mobile Commerce.
Audioboom narrows losses as revenues outpace predicted industry average
Podcast company Audioboom narrowed losses in 2020 as full-year revenues outpaced the predicted wider industry average growth by 93%.
Premier Oil swings to loss ahead of Chrysaor merger
Premier Oil reported operating cash flow of $630m (£450. 99m) in its full-year results on Thursday, down from $1. 08bn year-on-year, as it swung to a loss following some one-off non-cash charges.
888 Holdings lifts dividend despite profit fall
UK online gambling company 888 Holdings lifted its dividend despite a sharp fall in annual pre-tax profits on the back of higher costs.
3i says Action's open stores trading strongly
3i said stores of its Action discount retail business that are fully open were trading strongly but that outlets in countries under lockdown had lost “significant sales”.
Portmeirion FY revenues and pre-tax profits tumble amid pandemic
Pottery company Portmeirion's full-year results came in ahead of recently upgraded market expectations, driven by a "strong" second-half trading performance and a return to profitability.
BT plans 20m fibre connections after Ofcom market review
BT confirmed its plans to build full fibre connections to 20 million premises on Thursday, following the outcome of Ofcom’s fixed line market review.
Sage appoints Andy Duff as new chair
Sage has appointed Andy Duff to succeed Sir Donald Brydon as chair of the software company when he retires at the end of September.
Royalty income, litigation win see Vectura beat expectations
Vectura reported a 6. 9% improvement in its total revenue on Thursday, to £190. 6m, driven by development services and a surge in income from royalties.
Tullow says Suriname well encountered only minor oil shows
Tullow Oil said on Thursday that the Goliathberg-Voltzberg North exploration well offshore Suriname has reached total depth and encountered good quality reservoir but only minor oil shows.
National Grid buys Western Power for £7.8bn
National Grid has agreed to buy Western Power Distribution (WPD) from PPL Corp of the US for £7. 8bn and to sell Narragansett Electric (Neco) to PPL for $3. 8bn (£2. 7bn) to shift its business towards electricity.
Hipgnosis buys Carole Bayer Sager catalogue
Award-winning songwriter Carole Bayer Sager has become the latest musical artist to sell their song catalogue after a deal with Hipgnosis Songs Fund for an undisclosed sum.
National Express swings to loss in 2020 due to pandemic
National Express said on Thursday that it swung to a loss in 2020 as it took a hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ocado flags positive second quarter revenue growth, royalties drive performance at Vectura
London open The FTSE 100 is expected to open 14 points higher on Thursday, having closed down 0. 6% on Wednesday at 6,762. 67.
London pre-open: Stocks seen up after dovish Fed, ahead of BoE
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Thursday following a dovish statement from the US Federal Reserve.