The FTSE 100 closed Wednesday up 1.8% to 7588 points, reaching its best daily performance in the year so far with housebuilders and real-estate stocks leading the table after better-than-expected U.K. CPI data, IG Group chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp says in a note. U.K. annual inflation fell to 7.9% in June from 8.7% in May, increasing hopes that the Bank of England will end its rate hike cycle. Hargreaves Lansdown was the best performer of the day, closing up 8.8%, followed by home builder Persimmon and Land Securities Group, up 8.3% and 7.65%, respectively. On the opposite side, WPP shares led a short list of fallers, closing down 1.6%.


COMPANIES NEWS:

Hargreaves Lansdown Assets Under Administration Rose in 4Q

Hargreaves Lansdown on Wednesday said its assets under administration ticked up over the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 as the end of the tax year boosted its net new business.

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Watkin Jones CEO Richard Simpson Steps Down, Alex Pease Named Interim

Watkin Jones on Wednesday said its Chief Executive Richard Simpson stepped down from the role and that Chief Investment Officer Alex Pease would take up the position in the interim, effective immediately.

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Severn Trent Says FY 2024 Began Strongly

Severn Trent said Wednesday that it has made a strong start to the year, operationally, and that with reservoir levels at 77% capacity, it is well-positioned for the summer months.

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Aviva Expects Higher 1H, FY 2023 Operating Profit; Restates Some 2022 Results

Aviva PLC said Wednesday that it expects both first-half and full-year operating profit to rise on year, as it restated its 2022 results to comply with accounting changes.

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Restaurant Group Considers Potential Disposals; Is Confident of Delivering on 2023 Expectations

Restaurant Group said Wednesday that it is evaluating potential disposals as part of its strategic options, and that it is confident in delivering management's expectations for 2023.

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National Grid to Sell Further 20% National Gas Stake for Around GBP700 Mln

National Grid said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell a further 20% interest in its U.K. gas transmission business National Gas to the existing majority owners, for total proceeds of around 700 million pounds ($912.5 million).

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Argo Blockchain Raises GBP5.13 Mln Via Discounted Share Placing

Argo Blockchain said Wednesday that it has raised 5.13 million pounds ($6.7 million) via the share placing announced late on Tuesday, more than planned.

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Personal Group 1H Revenue, Earnings Rose; Sees In-Line 2023 Results

Personal Group Holdings on Wednesday said it is confident its 2023 trading performance will be in line with market expectations as it posed a rise in revenue and adjusted earnings for the first half of the year.

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Antofagasta Cuts Full-Year Copper Production Guidance; 1H Production Rose

Antofagasta on Wednesday cut its full-year copper production outlook due to construction delays and water availability at Los Pelambres, although production rose in the first half of the year.

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Pebble Beach 1H Revenue Rose Despite Falling Order Intake; Sees Stronger 2H

Pebble Beach Systems Group said Wednesday that it sees revenue growth in the first half of the year despite decreasing orders, and that it expects a stronger second half.

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Mediazest Sees Improved Financial Results in 2H, Boosted by New Business

Mediazest said Wednesday that it expects to report improved financial results for the second half of fiscal 2023 driven in part by new business wins.

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Springfield Properties Expects Higher Revenue But Lower Profit for FY 2023

Springfield Properties said Wednesday that it expects to report fiscal 2023 revenue rose, and pretax profit slipped in line with market expectations on inflation.

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Audioboom Shares Fall After Swing to 1H Pretax Loss, Plans to Review Dividend Policy

Audioboom Group shares fell Wednesday after the company said it swung to a first-half pretax loss as revenue fell on the loss from its platform of the popular true-crime podcast "Morbid," and that the board will review its dividend policy for 2024 onward.

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Invinity Sees 1H Trading In-Line, Total Income Rise Nine-Fold

Invinity Energy Systems said Wednesday that performance has been in line with expectations in the first half of the year and that it sees total income rising nine-fold on year.

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Finsbury Food Says 2H Revenue Rose But Macroeconomic Challenges Persist

Finsbury Food Group said Wednesday that revenue in the second half of fiscal 2023 rose 17% as total group sales increased, but it expects macroeconomic challenges to continue in the new financial year.

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Boohoo Cancels Meeting Request After Terms of Revolution Settlement Carried Out

Revolution Beauty Group said Wednesday that peer and major shareholder Boohoo Group has withdrawn its requisition for a general meeting, and that the terms in its settlement agreement have been carried out.

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Skillcast Group Says It Had Strong 1H; on Track to Return to Profit

Skillcast Group said Wednesday that revenue for the first half of the year rose 16% due to a strong performance from recurring subscriptions and a stable professional services unit, and that it is on track to return to profit.

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Cohort Shares Rise on Higher FY 2023 Pretax Profit, Revenue

Shares in Cohort rose Wednesday after the company said pretax profit and revenue rose for fiscal 2023 as divisions reported higher revenue growth, and that it entered fiscal 2024 with a record order book of 329.1 million pounds ($429 million).

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Pennant International 1H Revenue Rose

Pennant International Group said Wednesday that revenue in the first half rose, and it continued to focus on increasing software and technical services revenue and further boosting its order book.

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Vast Resources Shares Rise as Barclays Bank Increases Stake to 8.04%

Vast Resources shares rose Wednesday after the company said it had received a notification that Barclays Bank has increased its shareholding to 8.04%, a stake worth around 860,279 pounds ($1.1 million) based on Tuesday's closing market cap.

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Bloomberg's Planned Takeover of Broadway Technology Faces UK Regulator Probe

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday said it is considering whether Bloomberg's acquisition of Broadway Technology might substantially lessen competition within U.K. markets for goods and services.

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Nucleus's Acquisition of Curtis Banks to Be Probed by UK Regulator

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday said it launched an inquiry into Nucleus Financial Platforms' acquisition of Curtis Banks Group to determine whether a merger will lessen completion within the region's market.

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Capital Ltd. Backs 2023 Revenue Guidance, Sees Strong 2H After 2Q Rise

Capital Ltd. on Wednesday backed its 2023 revenue guidance, and said it sees a strong second half and expects three, quality contracts to start and posted an increase in its second-quarter revenue, despite some temporary operational interruptions.

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Afentra Temporarily Suspends Shares Pending Angola Acquisitions Resolution

Afentra said Wednesday it asked for its shares to be temporarily suspended from trading on AIM pending the announcement and publication of an admission document related to offshore acquisitions in Angola.

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Broadcom's Planned $61 Bln Acquisition of VMware Provisionally Cleared by UK Regulator

The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority on Wednesday said it has provisionally cleared Broadcom's deal to buy VMware as it concluded the merger wouldn't weaken competition in the supply of critical computer server products in the U.K.

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Autolus Therapeutics Names Robert Dolski Chief Financial Officer

Autolus Therapeutics on Wednesday said Robert Dolski will join the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company as chief financial officer, effective Aug. 7.

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BiVictriX Therapeutics Seeks to Raise More Than $2.6 Mln Via Placing, Subscription

BiVictriX Therapeutics said Wednesday that it seeks to raise more than 2 million pounds ($2.6 million), through a share placing and subscription, and that proceeds will be mainly invested in its BVX001 treatment for acute myeloid leukemia.

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Destiny Pharma Appoints New CEO, Chair to Step Down

Destiny Pharma said Wednesday that it has appointed Chris Tovey as chief executive officer with effect from Sept. 1.

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Corcel CEO James Parsons Steps Down After One Month in Role

Corcel said Wednesday that James Parsons is stepping down as chief executive officer as part of a previously announced transition of the company.

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Akari Therapeutics Names Wendy DiCicco Interim Finance Chief

By Ben Glickman

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Tintra Shares to Be Suspended on FY 2023 Report Delay

Tintra said Wednesday that fiscal 2023 audited results will be delayed and that shares are likely to be suspended.


Contact: London NewsPlus, Dow Jones Newswires;


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

07-19-23 1219ET