Company News
Friday preview: Global PMIs, UK retail sales, in focus
Investors' focus at the end of the week will be on a raft of preliminary survey results, covering the month of June, for manufacturing and services sector activity in the UK, euro area and US.
Ocado tanks as Canadian partner Sobeys pauses launch of Vancouver warehouse
Ocado tumbled on Thursday as it said the planned launch of North American partner Sobeys' customer fulfilment centre in Vancouver had been paused and that the two have agreed to end terms related to mutual exclusivity.
Director dealings: M&G chair invests, Investec director offloads shares
Among the director dealings were disclosed to the market on Thursday were two involving executives from M&G and Investec Group.
Interpath in advanced talks to buy KPMG’s French restructuring arm - report
Interpath Advisory is reportedly in advanced talks to buy KPMG’s restructuring division in France, with a deal possible as soon as next month.
Avacta Group appoints new non-executive chair
Life science company Avacta Group announced the appointment of Shaun Chilton as its non-executive chairman on Thursday, succeeding Eliot Forster, who was stepping down from the board with immediate effect.
Strix reports promising signs of kettle control market recovery
Kettle safety and water technology specialist Strix issued an optimistic update on Thursday, reporting promising signs of recovery in the kettle controls market as the peak season approached.
Energean to sell Med portfolio to Carlyle for up to $945m
Energean said it had signed a deal to sell its portfolio in Egypt, Italy and Croatia to Carlyle Group for an enterprise value of up to $945m, with the private equity firm setting up a separate company to be chaired by former BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward.
Sirius Real Estate makes £31m worth of UK acquisitions
Germany and UK-focussed business and industrial park investor Sirius Real Estate announced £31m worth of completed acquisitions in the UK on Thursday.
GCP Infrastructure upbeat on first-half performance
GCP Infrastructure Investments reported a strong first-half performance on Thursday, with a total shareholder return of 12. 5%.
Trading apps found to encourage risk-taking as FCA keeps platforms under review
UK financial regulators have announced that they are keeping trading apps under review over concerns that they are encouraging risk-taking among users.
XPS Pensions Group reports year of strong growth
XPS Pensions Group reported a 21% increase in group revenue in its final results on Thursday, to £196. 6m.
Harworth sells Ironbridge land parcel to Taylor Wimpey
Land and property regenerator Harworth Group announced the completed sale of a 16-acre serviced land parcel at its Benthall Grange mixed-use development on the site of the former Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire on Thursday.
Speedy Hire inks big contract with Amey Group
Tool and equipment rental provider Speedy Hire announced a significant infrastructure contract with Amey Group Services on Thursday.
Sales of electric vehicles fall in Europe
Sales of battery-powered electric cars in the European Union fell sharply in May, industry data showed on Thursday, as demand in Germany softened notably.
Syncona adds two oncology investments to portfolio
Life science investor Syncona announced the addition of two new oncology companies to its portfolio on Thursday.
Cyber security revenues push higher at NCC
NCC Group said on Thursday that cyber security revenues had returned to growth, helping annual operating profits come in ahead of expectations.
LSL Property reports robust trading performance
LSL Property Services reported a robust trading performance in an update on Thursday, on the back of the strategic transformation work it completed last year, which, combined with improving market conditions, had positioned the company for growth.
Lords Group trading in line as it integrates acquisitions
Building materials distributor Lords Group reported stable revenue in line with management expectations in an update on Thursday.
Profits surge at CMC Markets, shares spark
CMC Markets posted a better-than-expected surge in annual profits on Thursday, boosted by a strong performance across both its retail and institutional divisions.
Urban Logistics posts stable results after second-half recovery
Urban Logistics REIT reported an 8. 4% improvement in net rental income in its full-year results on Thursday, to £57. 4m.