Source: Sharecast
STOCKS TO WATCH
DIY retailer Kingfisher lifted its annual guidance on Tuesday after a jump in half-year profits driven by a strong performance at its Screwfix unit, which reported a 5.6% jump in like-for-like sales. The owner of B&Q, Brico Depot and Castorama said it now expects adjusted pre-tax profits of £595m to £635m, up from £565m to £625m, and free cash flow of £480m to £520m. Adjusted earnings for the six months ended 31 July rose 9.9% to £404m, driven by gross margin expansion.
Rentokil Initial said on Tuesday that it has agreed to sell SOLitude and its Vertex Aquatic Solutions division to Bain Capital for $230m. Total estimated net cash proceeds after tax were expected to be around $180m, highlighted Rentokil.
Biotechnology firm Oxford Biomedica said on Tuesday that strong commercial momentum and expanding manufacturing capacity continued to underpin its long‑term growth outlook, as the group reiterated full‑year guidance alongside a solid first‑half performance. Oxford Biomedica delivered 10% constant‑currency revenue growth in H126 to £80.2m, supported by demand across manufacturing and development services. Revenue visibility also strengthened, with a backlog of around £193m at 30 June and roughly £168m of forecast FY26 revenue already covered by contracted orders as of September.
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Airlines have called for "action and accountability" over the UK's air traffic control services after a technical issue led to flights being disrupted for the second time in a fortnight. Dozens were cancelled and others severely delayed after a fault on Monday morning at National Air Traffic Services, this time at its second control centre at Prestwick in South Ayrshire. – Guardian
Paramount has reached a settlement with California and several other states that sued over a proposed $81bn merger with Warner Bros Discovery, the California attorney general announced Monday, clearing the way to consolidate some of Hollywood's most recognizable TV networks and studios under one owner. Though the merger was approved by the justice department in June, a coalition of 12 states, led by California, had sued over concerns that combining two of the five last legacy studios in Hollywood would "extinguish competition" and lead to fewer movies in theatres and on streaming platforms. - Guardian
The Bank of England's new office in Leeds is owned by a Monaco-based Reform UK donor, filings show. Bank officials confirmed on Monday that it had signed a three-year lease for Capitol House in Bond Court, a property owned by Evans Property Group. Electoral Commission records show that an arm of Evans Property Group donated £200,000 to Nigel Farage's party before the 2024 general election. Evans Property Group was founded by the late Michael Evans, who died in Monaco in November 2023. – Telegraph
Sir Nick Clegg stands to make as much as $40m (£30m) from the Wall Street flotation of an AI company he joined six months ago. The former deputy prime minister owns more than 900,000 shares in Nscale, a British data centre company, thanks to his role as a member of its board. Nscale said last week it had filed for an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. Sir Nick, 59, owns 917,460 shares in the company, roughly 0.12% of its existing stock. – Telegraph
The City regulator is suing a major promoter of loan note investments in an attempt to return money to investors, its most forceful attempt to tackle a sector that has put billions of pounds of consumer funds at risk. The Financial Conduct Authority has begun High Court proceedings against Osborne Baldwin, which trades as Hunter Jones, a property investment firm claiming to have raised more than £300m. – The Times
US CLOSE
Major indices moved higher on Monday as gains across major technology names combined with softer oil prices and easing Treasury yields to help Wall Street rebound from a mostly lower week.
At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.71% at 52,048.83, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.49% to 7,764.70 and the Nasdaq Composite saw out the session 2.26% firmer at 27,122.09.
Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com