Pure-play online fashion retailer Boohoo.com (BOO:AIM) struts 57.5% higher to 78.75p in debut Aim dealings. The company arrives on the stockmarket having bagged £300 million through a placing at 50p to expand its Burnley warehouse and support overseas growth. Selling value-for-money yet ‘on-trend’ fashion lines often inspired by celebrity trends, Boohoo is delivering eye-catching sales growth and boasts structural advantages which investors are clearly keen to tap.
A profit warning from magazine publisher Future (FUTR) triggers the second slump in its share price this year, following a sell-off in early 2014. A slowdown in advertising revenue is to blame, taking the stock down 24% to 9.9p. We take a closer look here.
Market rumours of a takeover of business-to-business telecoms supplier Daisy (DAY:AIM) by Liberty Global-owned Virgin Media surprisingly fails to capture investor's imaginations. Shares in the UK company nudge up just 2p, or 1%, to 190p. We look at the situation in more detail here.
Abu Dhabi-based Gulf Marine Services (GMS) makes a muted start to life on London market as conditional dealingsge underway - the shares unchanged on the 135p offer price which values the company at £472 million. Unconditional trading in the oil services vessel operator is set to commence on 19 March and the £66.9 million raised alongside the listing will be used to add to its nine-strong fleet and repay loans from shareholders.
Interim results fail to inspire investors in JD Wetherspoon (JDW) which is flat at 828p. This is probably due to the fact that the pubs operator had already flagged trading information in January. It managed to increase pre-tax profit by 3.2% but there's no growth in the dividend. Current trading is very good with a 6.7% like-for-like increase in sales in the six weeks to 9 March. We recently interviewed the company; you can read that article here.
Recruitment company SThree (STHR) nudges ahead 1.3% to 410.5p after a reassuring trading update. The group has delivered its first positive quarterly growth since Q4, 2012. The rate of decline in the permanent jobs market has significantly reduced and contract growth has speeded up.
Video games specialist Frontier Developments (FDEV:AIM) firms 0.5p to 226p after announcing its hotly-anticipated Elite: Dangerous game will be showcased to the North American games media next week.
US onshore oil and gas play Magnolia Petroleum (MAGP:AIM) gushes up 3.5% to 2.2p as it announcesfull-year earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) will be ahead of expectations and revenue growth of 240% in line. The numbers are set to be unveiled on 1 May but in the mean time the borrowing limit on the group's credit facility has been increased from $1.6 million to $2.1 million to reflect an increase in reserves and production.
IT staffing business Parity (PTY:AIM) continues to feel the weight of market disappointment after yesterday's underwhelming full-year results. The shares fall 6% to 19.5p, adding to the 10% slide on 13 March.
Instrument maker Scientific Digital Imaging (SDI:AIM) improves 5.8% to 22.5p as it addstwo imaging analysis cameras to its offering. The new generation of systems are aimed at researchers looking for high-performance imaging.
Clinical research specialist Venn Life Sciences (VENN:AIM) slips 2% to 24p on a £1 million placing. The proceeds will be used to develop its recently acquired animal testing alternative Labskin.
