Commercial cell-engineering company MaxCyte (MXCT:AIM) increased full-year revenue guidance on Tuesday after reporting a strong first quarter to 31 March 2022. Based on expectations for the core business which generates revenue from instrument and disposables sales to cell therapy and drug discovery customers, management anticipates ‘at least’ 25% growth for the full year. The company ...

Sensor and testing equipment specialist Spectris (SXS) announced its first acquisition since announcing the £403 million sale of its Omega Engineering business in April. The company has signed a purchase agreement to acquire California-based Dytran Instruments for £66 million. While the size of the deal is modest, that shouldn’t detract from what it can bring to the business and ...

Supported by a bumper order book, natural extracts-to-ingredients supplier Treat (TET) insisted it is on track to serve up full year pre-tax profits in line with the £21.7 million consensus of analysts’ estimates on revenue growth now set to exceed 15%. The shares weakened 7% to 933p as first half results revealed a dip in profits, although this reverse reflected the anticipated return to a ...

Shares in tobacco stocks traded higher following news overnight that US firm Philip Morris (PM:NYSE) was in talks to buy its smaller competitor Swedish Match (SWMA:STO). Swedish Match shares jumped 25% to SEK 94, while British American Tobacco (BATS) added 1.5% to £33.50 and Imperial Brands (IMB) climbed 2.6% to £16.96. ATTRACTIVE BLEND Unlike Marlboro-maker Philip Morris, Swedish ...

UK engineering firm Renishaw (RSW) cut its annual profit forecast after warning of potential disruption to its business from the latest Covid lockdowns in key market China. Shares in the FTSE 250 company initially fell sharply before recovering as morning trading progressed, marking a 0.5% decline by 9.30am on Tuesday (10 May 2022) to £41.67. The stock had fallen around 15% this year. The ...

Stock markets in Europe were on the rise Tuesday morning, with London trailing slightly amid a lower oil price, as investors ignored declines in the US and Asia overnight. The FTSE 100 index was up 55.30 points, or 0.8%, at 7,270.54 early Tuesday. The mid-cap FTSE 250 index was up 167.46 points, or 0.9%, at 19,471.10. The AIM All-Share index was up 3.98 points, or 0.4%, at 949.99. The Cboe ...

Stocks across the UK and Europe ended Monday deep in the red, following news from China that its Covid curbs have caused the country’s exports to plummet to their lowest levels in almost two years. China’s export growth slowed in April, customs data showed, as a Covid resurgence shuttered factories, sparked transport curbs and caused congestion at key ports. Export growth plunged to ...

Investors gave a distinctly luke-warm reception to news two of the largest London-focused REITs (real estate investment trusts) were in merger talks. The boards of Shaftesbury (SHB), a large West End landlord, and rival Capital & Counties Properties (CAPC) revealed they were in ‘advanced discussions’ regarding a potential all-share merger of the two firms. Shares in Shaftesbury ...

Rising interest rates in the US and UK, weakening export growth in China, and the continued conflict in Ukraine were sapping enthusiasm for equities around the world on Monday. The FTSE 100 index was down 135.72 points, or 1.8%, at 7,252.22 midday Monday. The mid-cap FTSE 250 index was down 471.54 points, or 2.4%, at 19,348.60. The AIM All-Share index was down 19.52 points, or 2.0%, at ...

High-end designer furniture site Made.com (MADE) has bought online platform Trouva in a bid to accelerate its strategy to build a marketplace for homewares and enhance the choice of products available to customers. Made.com pointed out the acquisition will allow it to avoid some anticipated capital expenditure (capex), though the acquisition of loss-making Trouva didn’t sit too well with ...