Company News
Friday preview: U.S. non-farm payrolls, U.K. house prices in focus
Investors' attention at the end of the week will be squarely on the U. S. non-farm payrolls report for March.
Thames Water at loggerheads with lenders over £190m loan
Chinese state-owned banks will play a pivotal role in the future of Thames Water as the utility provider remains at loggerheads with lenders in a stand-off over debt at its parent company.
Google parent Alphabet reportedly eyeing up HubSpot
Google’s parent Alphabet is reportedly considering making an offer to acquire HubSpot, an online marketing software firm valued at $35bn.
Director dealings: Breedon chairman ups stake via Abicad
Breedon Group revealed on Thursday that chairman Amit Bhatia had purchased 1. 5m ordinary shares in the London-listed construction materials firm via his interest in Abicad Holding Limited.
React Group secures three big contracts
Cleaning, hygiene and decontamination service provider React Group announced the acquisition of three significant contracts, collectively valued at over £1. 3m annually, on Thursday.
Gooch & Housego confident despite some reduced demand
Photonic components and systems specialist Gooch & Housego said in an update on Thursday that in its first half, it saw some customers in its industrial and medical laser markets adjusting their inventory levels, resulting in reduced demand for certain products.
International Paper to seek secondary London listing if DS Smith deal goes ahead
International Paper said on Thursday that it had made "significant progress" in reciprocal due diligence with regards to a potential takeover offer for UK-based DS Smith, and that it could seek a secondary listing in London if a deal goes ahead.
GetBusy acquires pricing intelligence platform SmartPath
GetBusy announced the acquisition of the trade and assets of SmartPath on Thursday, which it described as a pricing intelligence and revenue optimisation platform tailored for the accounting industry.
Gulf Marine Services annual profits grow, FY24 outlook strong
Energy industry services business Gulf Marine Services said on Thursday that both revenue and profits had grown in 2023.
Union Jack Oil starts US trading on OTCQB Venture Market
Onshore hydrocarbon explorer and developer Union Jack Oil announced the approval of its ordinary shares for trading on the OTCQB Venture Market in the US on Thursday, with trading starting at market open under the ticker ‘UJOGF’.
Kering drops £1.1bn to snap up historic building in Milan
French luxury giant Kering has announced that it is spending €1. 3bn (£1. 1bn) on a historic building in Milan, giving it one of the largest retail spaces in the city's fashion district.
Cavendish Financial flags significant second-half growth
Cavendish Financial said in an update on Thursday that in the second half of its financial year it experienced significant growth, with revenues expected to reach £34. 5m, representing an increase of around 77% compared to the pro forma revenue of £19. 5m in the first half.
Amazon to cut hundreds of jobs in AWS division
Amazon's cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced significant layoffs affecting hundreds of employees overnight on Thursday, in its physical stores technology and sales and marketing sectors.
Space NK owner Manzanita preparing £400m sale - report
The long-standing owner of high street beauty retailer Space NK is reportedly preparing to put it up for sale with a price tag of more than £300m.
Eco Animal Health sells equine parasite treatment for EUR 1.3m
Eco Animal Health announced the sale of ‘ECOmectin Horsepaste’ to its manufacturing partner Acme Drugs in Italy on Thursday, for total consideration of €1. 3m.
Ocado chair Haythornthwaite to step down next year
Ocado said on Thursday that chairman Rick Haythornthwaite will be stepping down next year "due to his increasing commitment" as the recently-appointed chair of NatWest.
Plant Health Care registers nematode control product in Mexico
Plant Health Care announced the registration with the Mexican Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risk (COFEPRIS) of PHC68949, a biological nematode control product, and its impending commercial launch in Mexico on Thursday.
Co-op Group FY profits slump amid record levels of shoplifting
Supermarket chain Co-op Group posted a sharp drop in full-year profits on Thursday as a result of record levels of shoplifting and competition from discount rivals.
Lords Group appoints new finance chief
Building materials distributor Lords Group announced the appointment of Stuart Kilpatrick as its new chief financial officer on Thursday, succeeding Chris Day.
Motorpoint sees FY losses at 'favourable end' of expectations
Vehicle retailer Motorpoint said on Thursday that full-year pre-tax losses were set to be "at the favourable end" of management expectations following a strong performance in the fourth quarter.