Market Pulse
London midday: Stocks stay up as Frasers surges; jobs data in focus
London stocks were still in the black by midday on Thursday as investors mulled the latest UK jobs data, with Frasers Group pacing the advance after well-received results.
Netcall delivers 'strong' FY24 performance as cloud uptake grows
Software firm Netcall said on Thursday that it had delivered a "strong" trading performance for the year ended 30 June, driven by increased uptake of its cloud offerings.
Dianomi warns on FY profits
Digital advertising firm Dianomi warned on Thursday that profits would be lower in FY24 as gross margins looked set to remain flat half-on-half.
Berenberg downgrades Babcock to ‘hold’
Berenberg downgraded Babcock on Thursday to ‘hold’ from ‘buy’, pointing to the fact the shares have re-rated since it initiated coverage in 2022 and now adequately price in the benefits of the company’s strategic turnaround.
Good Energy strikes partnership with Ripple Energy
Renewable energy firm Good Energy said on Thursday that it has partnered with cooperative clean energy ownership outfit Ripple Energy to offer customers the option to own their portion of large-scale wind or solar projects.
CPP EBITDA from continuing operations falls in H1
Insurance and financial services company CPP Group warned on Thursday that interim underlying earnings from continuing operations were expected to be lower year-on-year.
Morgan Stanley upgrades Schroders, switches preference from DWS
Morgan Stanley lifted Schroders to ‘overweight’ from ‘equalweight’ on Thursday as it took a look at European asset managers and switched its preference from DWS.
Asia report: Most markets fall on fresh geopolitical concerns
Asia-Pacific markets experienced a mostly negative performance on Thursday, driven by a significant drop in chip-related stocks following reports of the US implementing stricter export restrictions.
Pharos reports first half of strong progress
Pharos Energy reported group revenue of $65m in a first half update on Thursday, while cash balances stood at $31m as of 30 June, compared to $32. 6m at the end of 2023.
Trufin subsidiary wins contract with UK specialist lender
Fintech business Trufin revealed on Thursday that its Satago subsidiary had won a contract with a UK-based specialist lender to provide customers with invoice financing via its proprietary lending technology.
Centamin completes Sukari waste stripping programme ahead of schedule
Gold miner Centamin said on Thursday that it Capital Ltd has completed its 120. 0m tonne four-year contract waste stripping programme at its Sukari mine in Egypt ahead of schedule.
Evoke shares slide on mixed first half
Shares in Evoke were sliding on Thursday morning, after the gambling operator revealed mixed results for the first half but maintained a positive outlook in a trading update.
Kier sees full year in line as order book jumps 7%
Construction firm Kier said on Thursday that full-year revenue and profit were set to be in line with market expectations as its order book hit nearly £11bn and it hailed a "strong" operational performance.
Franchise Brands flags steady first-half performance
Franchise Brands reported a steady performance in a trading update on Thursday, confirming that it was on track to meet market expectations for 2024.
Qinetiq on track to meet FY guidance following 'good' Q1 performance
Defence technology company Qinetiq said on Thursday that it was on track to meet full-year expectations following a "good" Q1 operational performance.
London open: Frasers Group paces gains as investors mull jobs data
London stocks rose in early trade on Thursday as investors mulled the latest UK jobs data, with Frasers Group pacing the advance after well-received results.
SSE reports first-quarter performance in line with forecasts
SSE reported a strong operational performance in its first quarter on Thursday, aligning with expectations, with significant growth in its renewables sector.
Dunelm sees FY profit ‘slightly ahead' of market views after ‘strong’ Q4
Homewares retailer Dunelm said on Thursday that full-year pre-tax profit was set to be "slightly ahead" of current market expectations of £200m after a "strong" final quarter.
UK wage growth eases, vacancies fall
UK wages grew at their slowest pace in nearly two years in the three months to May, according to figures released on Thursday by the Office for National Statistics.
London pre-open: Stocks to rise as investors mull UK jobs data
London stocks were set to rise at the open on Thursday as investors mulled the latest UK jobs data.