Company News
Guardian enters formal negotiations to sell Observer to Tortoise Media
The Guardian's parent company has confirmed speculation that it in discussions with Tortoise Media to sell The Observer, the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.
Swiss watchdog seizes £11m from Mirabaud in laundering case
Switzerland's financial market regulator on Tuesday said it had confiscated 12. 7 million Swiss francs (£11. 36m) from private bank Mirabaud for breaches of financial market law and money-laundering obligations.
Director dealings: Oryx International, Elementis disclose director purchases
Directors and their associates at Oryx International Growth Fund and Elementis have increased their personal investments in their respective companies, according to disclosures released on Tuesday in London.
Physiomics secures new contract from existing pharma client
Physiomics, a specialist in mathematical modelling and data science for drug development and personalised medicine, announced on Tuesday that it has secured a new contract worth £65,000 from an existing large pharmaceutical client.
Franchise Brands confident after solid first-half sales
Multi-brand franchise business Franchise Brands announced robust interim results for the six months ended 30 June on Tuesday, with a 42% increase in system sales to £206m, marking a record performance across its key divisions despite anticipated moderation in certain sectors.
Learning Technologies revenue falls, earnings rise in first half
Digital learning and talent management specialist Learning Technologies Group said in its half-year results on Tuesday that despite a subdued macroeconomic backdrop affecting overall spending on learning and talent development, it recorded healthy profit growth and strong cash generation.
MediaZest secures £0.5m in new business
MediaZest announced on Tuesday that it had secured more than £0. 5m in new business over the last two months.
Fintel FY EBITDA seen ‘marginally lower’ due to additional staff costs
Fintel warned on Tuesday that full-year earnings would likely be "marginally" lower than expected due to additional staff costs in the second half.
BP Marsh flags strong half-year trading performance
Financial services investor BP Marsh announced a strong trading performance for the six months ended 31 July in an update on Tuesday.
McBride beats own forecasts with full-year profit growth
Cleaning goods maker McBride delivered full-year profits slightly ahead of market forecasts on Tuesday and said it remains on track to hit estimates this year on the back of a recovery in the contract manufacturing business.
Henry Boot confident despite fall in first-half profits
Henry Boot, a UK-based company specialising in land promotion, property investment and development, and construction, reported strong land and property sales in its interim results on Tuesday, although its profitability declined.
Headlam swings to first-half loss, pushes recovery outlook back
Floorcoverings distributor Headlam Group reported an underlying operating loss of £13. 1m for the first half on Tuesday, swinging from an £8. 2m profit in the same period last year.
Next 15 reports flat revenue in tough first half
Next 15 Group, a tech and data-driven growth consultancy, reported flat group net revenue in its first half on Tuesday, at £286. 8m, with statutory revenue unchanged at £364. 1m.
Kingfisher shares jump as FY profit range tightened
Shares in Kingfisher surged on Tuesday as the B&Q owner lifted the lower end of full year profit guidance despite consumers avoiding ‘big ticket’ items and a sharp fall in sales at its French outlets.
Profits at video game maker Team17 rise despite challenging new release market
British video game developer Team17 reported double-digit growth in the firs half, helped by the launch of new games, while profits rose by nearly a quarter.
JTC shares slide despite solid first-half results
JTC, a global provider of fund, corporate, and private client services, saw its shares slide on Tuesday morning, even after it announced robust interim results for the six months ended 30 June.
Urban Logistics refinances £151m facility, acquires four assets
Urban Logistics REIT announced the successful refinancing of its £151m debt facility on Tuesday.
THG announces plans to demerge Ingenuity arm as H1 results underwhelm
Ecommerce group THG announced plans on Tuesday to break up its business, demerging its tech platform Ingenuity into a separate entity and transfer its listing so the remaining company can be included in FTSE benchmarks.
Essentra FY profit to miss market expectations
Essentra warned on Tuesday that full-year adjusted operating profit would be below market expectations, pinning the blame partly on softer market conditions in Europe in August and into September.
Microsoft announces $60bn buyback, hikes dividend
Microsoft announced the launch of a share buyback of up to $60bn late on Monday, as it hiked its quarterly dividend.