The FTSE 100 closed Wednesday down 1.1% to 7588 points, with global market sentiment dampened due to rising tensions in the Middle East, CMC Markets U.K. chief market analyst Michael Hewson said in a note. Shares of the Anglo-Swedish pharma heavyweight Astrazeneca closed down 5.8%, dragging the bluechip index into negative terrain after data indicated that its new lung and breast cancer medicine wasn't as effective on treating lung cancer as early results suggested, Hewson added. Barratt Developments followed the list of worst performers, closing down 5.1%, after the house builder reported that forward sales were down quite sharply from the same period a year ago, Hewson said. House builder Taylor Wimpey shares also slipped 4.25% on the Barratt news.

COMPANIES NEWS:

Barratt Developments Maintains FY 2024 Guidance Despite Slip in Reservation Rates

Barratt Developments said its private reservation rate fell 10% at the start of fiscal 2024 in a difficult business environment, though it still expects to meet home completions guidance for the full year.

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Antofagasta Backs Full-Year View After Copper Output Rose on Quarter

Antofagasta backed its full-year copper production forecast after output rose sequentially in the third quarter.

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Segro Says It Is on Track for Strong 2023 Rental Income Growth Despite 3Q Fall

Segro said its contracted rental income fell in the third quarter of 2023 but that it is on track for a strong year of rent roll growth given demand for its products and its active asset management.

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Kin & Carta Agreed to GBP203 Mln Private Equity Takeover

Kin & Carta has agreed to a 203 million pound ($247.3 million) takeover by Kelvin UK Bidco, a new company indirectly owned by Apax Partners funds.

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Whitbread 1H Pretax Profit, Revenue Rose; To Launch Further GBP300 Mln Buyback Program

Whitbread said pretax profit rose for the first half of fiscal 2024 as revenue increased on higher occupancy levels and food & beverage sales, and that it will conduct an additional 300 million pounds ($365.5 million) buyback program.

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Town Centre Securities Swung to Loss on Impairments, Lower Property Value

Town Centre Securities said Wednesday that it swung to a pretax loss, driven by property valuation falls and impairments on car parking assets.

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Supreme PLC to Report Record 1H Earnings; Backs Full-Year Guidance

Supreme PLC expects to report a record performance for the first half of its fiscal year and backed its recently upgraded full-year guidance.

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Hochschild Mining Backs Full-Year Estimates After Gold, Silver Output Rose on Quarter

Hochschild Mining said third-quarter gold and silver production rose on quarter, and that it maintains its full-year estimates to output and costs.

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Marshalls Keeps 2023 Views Despite Slight Revenue Slip in Year-to-date

Marshalls maintained its full-year expectations though revenue slipped slightly in the nine months to date.

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Quilter Posts Stable 3Q Assets Under Management

Quilter said its assets under management were stable over its third quarter given steady markets and its usual slower summer activity.

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Sosandar Sees Full-Year Revenue Rising Despite 1H Swing to Loss

Sosandar said that it expects fiscal 2024 revenue to rise, though it swung to a first half pretax loss as it trials reducing promotional activity.

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Redx Pharma Raises GBP14.1 Mln to Progress Pipeline

Redx Pharma has raised 14.1 million pounds ($17.2 million) via a share subscription and plans to use the money to progress its pipeline.

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888 Holdings 3Q Revenue Fell; Backs Guidance

888 Holdings said that third-quarter revenue fell as it invested in the business, and backed its fourth quarter and full-year guidance.

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Liontrust's Second-Quarter Assets Under Management and Advice Fell on Subdued Sentiment

Liontrust Asset Management said its assets under management and advice fell over the second quarter of fiscal 2023 due to subdued investor sentiment given rising interest rates and increased yield available on cash.

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Hardide FY 2023 Revenue Rose, Sees Further Growth in Year Ahead

Hardide said it will report a 10% revenue rise for the year ended Sept. 30, and that it expects to deliver further growth in line with its strategy in fiscal 2024.

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Cake Box Sees Profit Growth on Franchisee Stores Expansion Strategy

Cake Box Holdings said that first-half earnings were in line with the board's expectations and that it expects higher revenue and adjusted profits on the back of its expansion strategy.

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Manolete Partners Shares Rise on Significant Increase in New Insolvency Case Investments

Manolete Partners shares rose after it said that the number of new case investments in the first half of the year more than doubled.

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SigmaRoc Backs Full-Year Views After Revenue, Earnings Rose

SigmaRoc backed its full-year targets after revenue and underlying earnings rose in the third quarter of the year.

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Comptoir Group Financial Director Michael Toon to Step Down

Comptoir Group said Financial Director Michael Toon intends to step down from the role, though he will continue working until Jan. 12 to ensure an orderly handover.

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Abingdon Health CFO Melanie Ross Resigns, Will Leave End of November

Abingdon Health said Chief Financial Officer Melanie Ross has resigned with immediate effect, and will leave the company on Nov. 30.

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Bodycote Appoints Jim Fairbairn Group Chief Executive; to Succeed Stephen Harris

Bodycote said Jim Fairbairn has been appointed group chief executive and will succeed Stephen Harris on his retirement, which is expected at the next annual general meeting on May 31.

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ActiveOps Backs Guidance on Higher 1H Revenue, Earnings

ActiveOps said it is well placed to meet its revenue and core earnings guidance for fiscal 2024 as it expects to post growth for the first half of the year.

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Cirata Revenue Fell But Returned to More-Normal Trading After Disruption

Cirata--formally known as WANdisco--has reported lower revenue for the third quarter as it returned to more normal trading after suffering significant activity disruption in the first half due to the discovery of potentially fraudulent irregularities.

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LBG Media Buys Betches Media for Up to $54 Mln

LBG Media has acquired U.S. digital publisher Betches Media for up to $54 million, in line with its plan to expand in the country.

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Syncona Seeks to Buy Remaining Shares of Freeline Therapeutics

Syncona that its investment manager has submitted a proposal to buy the shares of Freeline Therapeutics Holdings that it doesn't already own, and plans to start talks with the company over a potential deal.

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Aukett Swanke Buys TR Control Solutions for GBP360,450

Aukett Swanke Group has bought TR Control Solutions for 360,450 pounds ($439,172) in a shares-and-cash deal as it aims to become a leading provider of smart-building technology, it said.


Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires;


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

10-18-23 1208ET