Thruvision appoints finance chief as new CEO, Helix agrees to buy helium processing plant

Stocks to watch

Thruvision Group announced the appointment of Victoria Balchin, currently its chief financial officer, as its new chief executive officer on Monday, effective 2 January, following Colin Evans' departure in October. The AIM-traded company’s board said that, after considering external candidates, it unanimously decided an internal appointment would best support the company’s growth strategy, with Balchin playing a key role in maintaining operational effectiveness during the leadership transition. Balchin would continue as CFO with support from company secretary Hannah Platt, while executive chairman Tom Black remained actively involved, particularly in overseeing a sales function review.

Helix Exploration announced an agreement to acquire a helium pressure swing adsorption (PSA) processing plant for $0.5m on Monday, with a $0.1m downpayment, as part of its strategy to establish itself as a leading helium producer in Montana. The plant, previously capable of producing 48,000 Mcf of high-grade helium annually, would be refurbished and installed at Helix’s Rudyard Project in partnership with Wikota Design & Construction. It said the acquisition would reduce capital costs, shorten production timelines, and support the firm’s goal of starting production in 2025.

Newspaper round-up

Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, a broker of peace in the Middle East in his time, and a tireless advocate for global health and human rights, has died, it was announced on Sunday. He was 100 years old. A Georgia Democrat, Carter was the longest-lived president in US history. He only served one term in the White House and was soundly beaten by Ronald Reagan in 1980. But Carter spent the decades afterward focused on international relations and human rights, efforts that won him the Nobel peace prize in 2002. - Guardian

House prices tumbled across swathes of London this year as hard-pressed buyers shunned property in some of the most expensive parts of the country. Seven of the 10 areas in the UK which suffered the biggest price falls were in the capital, according to Halifax. Prices in Westminster fell 3.5pc in 2024 to an average of just under £731,000, while those in the Borough of Ealing dropped by almost 5pc, to just under £560,000. - Telegraph

The Issa brothers are looking at floating their petrol station empire in the United States for as much as £13 billion, in a fresh blow to the London Stock Exchange. EG Group, their forecourt business, has sounded out banks for a potential listing in 2025, which would mean a significant payday for the brothers and their private equity partner, TDR Capital. - The Times

A majority of UK businesses expect a positive start to 2025, according to two economic confidence surveys which show managers planning for growth after a challenging period for the economy. About 70% of UK businesses expect their turnover to increase over the next year, up from 62% in December 2023. Meanwhile, 73% are confident of greater profitability, according to research from Lloyds bank. - Guardian

Retailers cut almost 170,000 jobs this year, the highest level since the depths of the first Covid lockdown as shopkeepers battle rising taxes and a slowdown in spending. Data published by Altus Group and the Centre for Retail Research found a total of 169,395 retail jobs have been lost so far this year, soaring by almost 42pc compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 when retailers were forced to shut their stores under strict Covid rules during lockdown. - Telegraph

US close

US stocks declined sharply on Friday as bond yields rose to an eight-month high, with the tech sector providing a big drag.

The supposed Santa Claus rally – which tends to begin on Christmas Eve and continue through to the first couple of trading sessions of the new year – has proved short-lived, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both falling for the second straight session.

The S&P 500 fell 1.1%, the Nasdaq dropped 1.%, while the Dow pulled back 0.8% after five straight days of gains.

Dragging on investor sentiment was another move higher in 10-year US Treasury note yields. Yields touched an intraday high of 4.635% – up from 4.582% on Thursday to hit their highest level since late-April.

The 10-year bond yield has risen sharply from below the 4.2% mark at the start of the month due to the perceived risk of higher inflation resulting from the uncertainty around the incoming Trump administration.