Tax payer-backed bank Lloyds Banking (LLOY) reports its highest full-year profit in a decade on Wednesday. This has investors excited that the previously embattled bank is at last closing in on a complete recovery from its crisis-era past, sending the share price soaring to the head of the FTSE 100 leader board, up more than 4% to 69.5p.
Britain's biggest housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) posts a 9% rise in first-half pre-tax profit despite building fewer homes. Critics may point to the potential harm this may do to government efforts to boost housing supply to tackle a growing crisis, but investors appear quite happy, bidding the shares around 3% higher to 530p.
British recruiting company Hays (HAS) remains confident for the rest of its financial year after reporting a 3% rise in first-half net fees, at constant currencies, on growth in Europe and Australia. Performance in the UK and Ireland remains challenging for the FTSE 250 firm, leading the stock 1% lower to 155.7p.
British outsourcer Serco (SRP) posts a 14% fall in underlying trading profit to £82m for the year to 31 December 2016, meeting targets as it emerges from an overhaul. But the Shares Top Pick for 2017 (at 141p), tumble 14% to 127.8p as investors zoom in on underlying revenue contractions.
Speculation emerges that Deutsche Boerse and the London Stock Exchange (LSE) are planning further concessions to satisfy the European Commission's concerns about their planned merger, according to reports. The LSE shares price remains flat at £31.10.
Embattled cyber security business NCC (NCC) crashes more than 28% to 91p in response to another profit warning issued late in the trading day on Tuesday. Its Assurance division remains at the heart of the problem, now subject to a strategic review. Management hopes to also cut costs across the division, although few figures are currently available. The stock has effectively halved from Monday’s 179.25p close.
Media business UBM (UBM) advances more than 5% to 763p as investors welcome robust full year 2016 results.
A puzzling $2m share subscription fund raising by mobile streaming and security technology minnow SerVision (SEV:AIM) sparks a soaring 130%-plus share price surge. The new 14m subscription shares have been snapped up by US investor Cascade, bizarrely at a 11.4p per share price, close on four-times the stock’s 2.76p closing price on Tuesday. The new cash will be used to expand sales of the company’s IVG40-N camera security product, particularly in the bus and coach market.
Blue Prism (PRSM:AIM) surges 11% to 496p as it confirms revenue will be ‘materially ahead’ of expectations thanks to a swathe of new business and upsells into existing clients. The start of the current year to 31 October 2017 has seen 83 contracts bagged. The market had been anticipating £14.1m revenue for the year but investors can expect those estimates to move higher. Shares first flagged the potential of Blue Prism in an in-depth feature back in July last year at 127.5p.
