London's FTSE 100 rebounds on Monday, up 82.15 points to 6,792.43, recovering from Friday's banking stock-led falls. The market is drawing strength from a rally in Asian stocks triggered by a firmer oil price and brushing aside caution ahead of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting.
In corporate news, the session's main casualty is outsourcing giant Mitie (MTO), which slumps 26.5% to 197.6p following a severe profit warning partially blamed on 'uncertainty both pre and post the EU referendum'.
The FTSE 250 support services firm warns full-year operating profit is expected to be 'materially below management's previous expectations' due to a reduction in higher-margin project work volumes and discretionary spend by clients, pricing and cost pressure, a deterioration in its local government-facing Healthcare and Property Management businesses as well as the need for further restructuring.
Elsewhere, Manchester-based wealth manager and stockbroker W.H. Ireland (WHI:AIM) surges 16.3% higher to 117.5p as it confirms that Kuwaiti European Holdings (KEH) is looking to take a stake. W.H. Ireland is responding to a weekend report from Sky News that KEH, an investor usually focusing on property, health and leisure businesses, is close to buying nearly 30% of the company.
Food producer Dairy Crest (DCG) gains 6.5p at 674.5p as CEO Mark Allen says he expects first-half profit to be ahead of last year and maintains full-guidance following an improved second quarter performance from key brands Cathedral City, Country Life, Clover and Frylight. Though cream prices have recently doubled and will impact butter volumes and margins in the second half, Allen insists that 'as a strong branded and added value business, Dairy Crest is well placed to deal with inflationary pressures.'
Cake, bread and morning goods maker Finsbury Food (FIF:AIM) firms 1.5% to 137.5p as better-than-expected full-year results, showing tasty top and bottom line growth, trigger another round of earnings upgrades.
Indian infrastructure group Skil Ports & Logistics (SPL:AIM) dives 51.3% to 9.5p after announcing the need to raise £36 million to finish its port terminal. That far eclipses the £4.18 million current value of the business.
Bullish comments on the state of the diamond market help lift Petra Diamonds (PDL) by 1.1% to 114.75p. The company tells Shares there are ‘definitely strong signs of stabilisation in the market’, although it doesn’t pay a full-year dividend as it says net debt is too high versus earnings at present.
Aviation services provider Gama Aviation (GMAA:AIM) rises 1.4% to 183p on half-year results despite analysts nudging down earnings forecasts amid weaker European market conditions. The company expects a stronger second-half performance.
Drug developer Redx Pharma (REDX:AIM) races 10.7% higher to 36p on tests showing that its Porcupine inhibitor improves the immune system's response to cancer when taken with existing immunotherapy treatments.
Acquisitions drive rents at Birmingham-focused commercial property company Real Estate Investors (RLE:AIM) 31% higher to £15.6 million in the six months to June. The value of its net assets slipped 2.2% to 63.1p during the period. Shares move 4.4% higher to 58.5p on the news.
