A rally at in-vitro diagnosics (IVD) specialist Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH:AIM) could be a sign of things to come if ambitious growth targets can be met. Immunodiagnostic recorded an underlying revenue decline of 9% in the six months to 30 September an improvement from full-year declines of 18.4%. And there are a number of other lead indicators in the business which show the ...

The FTSE 100 opens modestly higher at 7,040.6 buoyed by further sterling weakness and deal making in the tobacco sector. Cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco (BATS) gains 2.3% to £49.13 as it announces a $47bn offer to buy the 57.8% of US peer Reynolds American (RAI:NYSE) it does not already own. The news accompanies an otherwise robust third quarter trading update, showing good ...

The UK stock market opens cautiously higher in early trade on Wednesday with financials and housebuilders leading the early northbound charge. With less than 24 hours before voting on whether the UK should stay or exit the European Union, latest polls suggest the results is too close to call, keeping investors on the fence. The FTSE 100 index nudges around 10 points higher to 6,236, although ...

Profit warnings have become a regular feature of Immunodiagnostic Systems’ (IDH:AIM) business in the past few years. The latest warning on Thursday morning that revenues will miss expectations for the year to 31 March wiped 11% off the medical testing kit-maker’s value to leave it trading at 132.5p a share. The problem stems from a client described as a ‘global healthcare ...

A sharp drop in demand for residential property sends housebuilders into a spin during early trading on the stock market in London. The FTSE 100 is down 0.8% at 6,253 on the back of choppy overnight trading which saw losses in Tokyo and gains in New York. European markets also trade lower this morning. In London, all eyes are on Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) data which ...

London stocks sink into the red in early trade on Monday as pressure on the mining sector drag on the UK's leading index and renewed worries over the health of the UK high street following BHS's crash into administration. The FTSE 100 index slides around 35 points, or 0.5%, to 6,275. BHP Billiton (BLT), Anglo American (AAL) and Rio Tinto (RIO) all feature among the bigger blue-chip losers as ...

It’s that time of the year when many people’s thoughts have turned to self-improvement. Let’s join the gym, avoid the pub and buy a self-help book in the hope that this year will be different. Come March or April, we’re all back to our old habits. It’s a different situation in the corporate world. The mantra of ‘self-help’ is a key driver for earnings and share prices that runs ...

There’s more woe for Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH:AIM) as it posts first half figures, but chief executive Patricio Lacalle unveils a strategy he hopes will revive the medical testing kit-maker’s fortunes. Shares plummet 16.6% to 225p as rising competition among manual and automated diagnostic kit-makers forces the North East-based company’s pre-tax profits 70.1% lower to £827,000 in ...

Escalating tension in the Middle East weighs on markets as Turkish fighters down a Russian jet near the border with Syria. Leisure stocks and airlines in particular bear the brunt of the pressure which sees the FTSE 100 index trade 0.8% lower at 6,257 and the FTSE 250 fall 0.7% to 16,988. British Airways and Iberia operator International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) falls 3.3% to 549p and ...

London equities recover from declines posted at the market open to rally modestly with miners reversing early falls despite commodity prices acting as a drag on the sector. The start of the UK government's £2.1 billion share sale of its stake in Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is another big issue that will be closely watched by investor on Tuesday. The benchmark FTSE 100 index manages to nudge ...

The FTSE 100 trades 19.88 points (0.28%) lower at 7,021 as International Monetary Fund (IMF) boss Christine Lagarde piled more uncertainty on the markets by saying that Greece leaving the eurozone was possible. Investors were also spooked by a GfK survey claiming that UK consumers are less optimistic about the economy than they were in April. In company news, life insurer and wealth ...

Management quality is one of the key ingredients in the success or failure of a company and management change can be a significant catalyst for a share price. Investors are ever keen to hitch a ride with a new and revered corporate leader, or to sell when a respected captain of industry decides to voluntarily call it quits. Yet betting on new management blood, or abandoning a prized holding when ...

There is more to healthcare than bottles of pills and tablets. While the rewards offered by companies that bring new drugs to market can be high, investors could reduce exposure to the huge development risks by backing technologies or services that seek to meet the medical demand from the world’s ageing population. Rising longevity and increasing instances of lifestyle diseases, such as ...

Eagle Eye (EYE:AIM) 165p AIM is littered with strugglers chasing the mobile commerce dream but Eagle Eye is off to a decent start. SMS marketing and vouchers space has potential, but this is also high-risk territory. Earthport (EPO:AIM) 45.25p New management is key to ending years of failure and cash calls. Making rapid progress to promised global platform for medium-sized cross-border ...

With Wall Street markets having hit fresh highs overnight amid hopes low fuel prices will stoke a consumer spending boom, London's FTSE 100 edges 7.99 points higher to 6737.8 early on Tuesday, although falling oil and mining stocks limit gains. Among the biggest risers is defence specialist Chemring (CHG), which flashes 5% higher to 238p as its latest trading statement flags a pick-up in orders ...

UK markets continue to slide on Tuesday as gains across the mining sector are offset by gloomy corporate newsflow, led by upmarket fashion brands Burberry (BRBY) and Mulberry (MUL:AIM), and from recruiter Michael Page (MPI). The benchmark FTSE 100 index loses 30 points in early trading, down to 6,337, testing 2014 lows. Fashion brand Burberry slides 5% to £14.05 as chief executive Christopher ...

Medical testing kit manufacturer  Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH:AIM) expects to miss revenue expectations by 15% this year. The Tyne & Wear-based company has plummeted 19.5% to 382.5p following the revision (15 Sept), but this has not created a buying opportunity given the potential for this set-back to knock a long-term growth strategy off course. Immunodiagnostic, which makes manual and ...

Stat of the week: 15% This is the maximum percentage by which testing kit-maker  Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH:AIM) expects to miss revenue expectations this year. The Tyne & Wear-based company has plummeted 19.5% to 382.5p following the revision (15 Sept), but this has not created a buying opportunity given the potential for this set-back to knock a long-term growth strategy off ...

Beverages behemoth SABMiller (SAB) jumps 4.8% to £35.69 as Dutch brewing giant Heineken (HEIN:AS) rejects a takeover offer. The Grolsch-to-Peroni Nastro Azzurro brewer's move  is possibly designed to protect SABMiller from being gobbled up by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI:BR). Software group Micro Focus (MCRO) surges more than 11% to 936.5p as it confirms a $2.4 billion merger with US peer ...

Insurance services group Quindell (QPP:AIM) drops 4.4% to 201p despite reporting a 193% rise in  in adjusted pre-tax profit. Cenkos says the shares, trading on a mere 3.2 times forecast earnings for 2014, 'continue to discount balance sheet risk rather than any fundamental value across the Group’s two divisions'. It forecasts 61.7p earnings per share for 2014, rising to 99.6p in 2015. The ...