Shares in construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall (MGNS) leapt 14% to a new all-time high of £24.10 after the firm posted a sharp increase in first half earnings and said its full-year results would be ‘significantly ahead’ of its previous expectations. In an unscheduled trading update, the firm said trading had been strong in the six months to June and the positive momentum ...

Shares in teleradiology services firm Medica (MGP:AIM) gained 5% to 162p after the company said elective procedures at hospitals had continued to recover, contributing to a positive first half to 30 June. Key drivers of performance came from the UK and Ireland which performed strongly against a backdrop of a ‘sustained recovery’ in diagnostic services. The firm said it had seen a ...

Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever (ULVR) was the FTSE 100’s biggest loser on Thursday, the shares marked down 4.2% to £41.22 after the Magnum-to-Marmite maker downgraded full year margin guidance due to rising cost inflation. This overshadowed the delivery of robust 5% second quarter underlying sales growth, in line with market estimates and despite surging Covid infections in ...

UK stocks inched higher after two days of strong gains in US markets. At 8.30am the FTSE 100 index was up 7 points to 7,005 points led by house builders and leisure stocks while consumer goods and utility companies were on the back foot. Oil prices retreated slightly after a strong bounce overnight with Brent crude futures dipping 0.2% to $72 per barrel while the gold price retreated to $1,800 ...

London’s FTSE 100 rallied for the second successive day following Monday’s correction, climbing on hopes that central banks might maintain support for the global economy for longer given rising Covid infections as well as a number of positive corporate updates. By the close, the blue chip benchmark finished 1.7% higher at 6,998.28 points, its recovery from a tough start to the week ...

London’s FTSE 100 was in recovery mode on Wednesday after the recent big sell-off, gaining as several companies reported positive results. By midday, the blue chip benchmark was up 1.6% to 6,990.22 points. UK shares were buoyed as official figures showed the Government borrowed less than expected with the budget deficit coming in at £69.5 billion in the three months to June, helped by the ...

Shares in delivery service Royal Mail (RMG) fell 2.2% to 518.7p as parcel volumes dipped year-on-year in the first quarter to 30 June 2021. Overall revenue for the period was up 12.5% to £3.16 billion, up from £2.81 billion year-on-year. There was no guidance on full year performance for the UK business and the GLS logistics arm remained in line with previous forecasts. Compared to two ...

Shares in point-of-care business EKF Diagnostics (EKF:AIM) gained 5.5% to 74.9p after the company confirmed that strong trading since the start of the year had continued into the second quarter of 2021, in line with prior upgraded expectations. This reflects improved trading in the core business which provides blood analysers and consumables for testing patients with diabetes and anaemia, and ...

Shares in retail bellwether Next (NXT) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Wednesday after the clothing and homeware purveyor increased full year profit guidance in a trading update pulled forward by a fortnight. Sales during the last 11 weeks have been ‘materially ahead of our expectations’ said Next, whose shares were bid up 9.7% to £81.14 on yet another profit upgrade and the news it is ...

A very strong trading update from media group Future (FUTR) has prompted stockbroker Numis to upgrade its 2021 pre-tax profit forecast by 10% to £183.7 million. Future has enjoyed considerable success in recent years with making money from editorial content. It owns a range of websites which provide interesting stories and information on products, such as computer games, bikes and hi-fi ...