Market Pulse
London close: Stocks mixed as UK inflation slows to BoE target
London stocks ended the day with mixed results on Wednesday, as new data indicated a decrease in annual consumer price inflation, aligning with the Bank of England's target of 2% for May.
Director dealings: Young's, Aminex disclose non-exec transactions
Young’s Brewery and Aminex were among the companies disclosing director dealings on Wednesday.
FTSE 250 movers: Games Workshop rallies on results; Spectris hit by profit warning
London’s FTSE 250 was flat at 20,412. 14 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
FTSE 100 movers: Smurfit Kappa rallies; Berkeley slumps
London’s FTSE 100 was up 0. 2% at 8,203. 91 in afternoon trade on Wednesday.
Avingtrans flags record full-year revenue
Energy, medical, and industrial components, modules, systems, and services provider Avingtrans reported record revenue from continuing operations for the financial year ended 31 May in an update on Wednesday.
Maintel confident dspite slower first half
Cloud, network, and security managed communications services provider Maintel said in an update on Wednesday that it had focussed on strategic organic growth initiatives in the first five months of the year, successfully securing significant new contracts and launching new product initiatives, including the Maintel Application Platform aimed at enhancing customer offerings.
Alpha FMC surges as Bridgepoint proposes 505p a share takeover
Alpha Financial Markets surged on Wednesday after saying it had received a 505p a share takeover proposal from buyout firm Bridgepoint that it would be willing to recommend.
London midday: Stocks pop higher as investors digest inflation reading
London stocks had popped into the black by midday on Wednesday as data showed that annual consumer price inflation eased to the Bank of England’s 2% target in May, but services inflation remained high.
Brave Bison trading in line with expectations
Digital advertising and technology services company Brave Bison said in an update on Wednesday that trading in the first five months of 2024 met expectations, with the board anticipating adjusted profit before tax for the six months ended 30 June to surpass the prior year's figures.
Light Science Technologies secures £0.75m contract
Light Science Technologies announced a significant contract worth over £0. 75m on Wednesday, with a new blue-chip customer, for its passive fire protection division LSTH IFB.
Powerhouse installs crucial kiln at Bridgend Technical Centre
Powerhouse Energy announced the successful delivery and installation of its thermal conversion chamber (TCC) at its Bridgend Technical Centre on Wednesday.
Jefferies lifts Hargreaves Lansdown price target, cuts to ‘hold’
Jefferies lifted its price target on Hargreaves Lansdown on Wednesday to 1,140p from 1,035p but cut the rating to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’ after the investment platform said a day earlier that it would recommend a 1,140p a share takeover offer from a consortium led by CVC.
Asia report: Markets mixed as investors digest Japan trade data
Asian markets saw a mixed performance on Wednesday, with notable gains in Hong Kong.
Severfield profits beat forecasts despite lower revenue
Structural steel specialist Severfield reported revenue of £463. 5m in its final results on Wednesday, down from £491. 8m in 2023 amid softer market conditions.
Ixico wins £1m research contract
Precision analytics company Ixico announced a new contract valued at over £1m on Wednesday.
Alliance Pharma posts strong results after audit delay
Alliance Pharma reported strong preliminary results for the year ended 31 December on Wednesday, after an audit delay, driven by a robust second half that led to record sales and expanded underlying profit.
Victoria still outperforms market as full-year losses widen
Flooring manufacturer and distributor Victoria said in its final results on Wednesday that despite macroeconomic challenges affecting consumer spending on flooring, it still outperformed the broader market in several key regions.
Vodafone sells 18pc stake in Indus Towers
Vodafone Group confirmed several days of speculation on Wednesday, as it announced the sale of 484. 7 million shares in Indus Towers, representing 18% of Indus' share capital, through an accelerated bookbuild.
London open: Stocks edge down as investors mull inflation data
London stocks edged lower in early trade on Wednesday as data showed that annual consumer price inflation eased to the Bank of England’s 2% target in May.