Shares News

Shares in Neil Woodford-backed Eve Sleep (EVE:AIM) were suspended at 4.9p this morning as the online mattress maker confirmed press speculation that a merger with rival Simba is on the cards. Talks are at an early-stage and striking a deal cannot be guaranteed but it could be a useful way for Eve Sleep to increase its own buying power and strip out duplicated costs. The loss-making mattress ...

Despite potential looming gloom in the form of this week’s UK jobs, retail and inflation data, as well as more possible news from the US-China trade war and Brexit, the FTSE 100 has made a strong start this morning. Investors appear somewhat optimistic with the UK’s leading basket of stocks opening 0.6% higher at 7,297.32, while the FTSE 250 – considered more representative of the UK ...

Shares in package holiday retailer On The Beach (OTB) have hit a rough patch after the firm gave the market a nasty shock with a profit warning. The share price plunged 17% to 370p in early trading after the company said full year performance will be below expectations because the likelihood of no-deal Brexit has made the pound weaker. In a trading update, On The Beach explained that, unlike ...

A 6.4% advance in the share price to 973.4p seems a somewhat strange response to a set of first half results from advertising giant WPP (WPP) showing a 44% slide in profit, owing to shrinking margins and a one-off gain in the previous year. However, there were signs that the turnaround plan introduced by chief executive Mark Read since his appointment a little under a year ago is taking ...

Shares in downtrodden security and cash-handling firm G4S (GFS) rallied 6% from recent lows to 195p after reporting positive half-year earnings and unveiling plans to split the business in two. G4S is one of the world’s biggest employers with security and cash handling operations around the globe but its reputation has taken several knocks in recent years. Today’s update shows an ...

London’s FTSE 100 was on the back foot again on Friday as fears of renewed turmoil in Italy pushed the blue chip benchmark 27.6 points lower to 7,258.3, thereby surrendering some of Thursday’s gains. Sterling was also in the red ahead of UK GDP data and one company counting the cost of the weak currency was travel outfit On The Beach (OTB). Bookie William Hill (WMH) galloped 7p or ...

Shares in Sussex-based car insurer Hastings (HSTG) hit a new low for 2019, down 9.5% to 173p after it reported a 25% fall in first half operating profits. While the number of live policies increased by 4% to 2.8m and its share of the UK car insurance market increased from 7.5% at the end of last year to 7.8% in June, gross written premiums were up just 3% thanks to a round of price ...

Shares in Irish food producer Kerry (KYGA) rose 3.5% to €107.10 on Thursday after the ingredients-to-packaged foods supplier tightened up its full year guidance. Giving it that extra confidence is solid second quarter volume growth. The first half dividend was increased by almost 12%. Chief executive officer (CEO) Edmond Scanlon said his charge continued to deliver volume growth ahead ...

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UK stocks regain their poise on Thursday after a quiet session overnight in the US and Asia and early gains in Europe. The FTSE 100 rises 18 points or 0.25% to 7,216 with most sectors in the black. Leading the charge are aerospace, healthcare, industrials, oil services and software. In corporate news, insurance giant Aviva (AV.) delivers what by its own admission is a mixed half year earnings ...