Full-year sales to meet forecasts Profit seen above consensus £15 million extra share buyback Investors in business services group Marlowe (MRL:AIM) seemed underwhelmed at the company's full-year trading update and news of a further share buyback. The shares, which last September jumped 100p or 42% to 340p on the spin-off of Optima Health (OPT:AIM), only managed a gain of 6p or 1.8% to 334p....

We start the review on a positive note with the news of two small-cap IPOs (initial public offers), one in the healthcare space and one in the red-hot AI (artificial intelligence) space.Having sold its governance, risk and compliance software business to private equity earlier this year and returned £225 million to shareholders via a buyback and special dividend, business services group...

Bumper return of capitalShares climb 7% on newsTrading 'in line' this yearIt has been something of a wild ride for investors in fire safety specialist Marlowe (MRL:AIM) over the past six months or so, but today they can celebrate after the firm announced it would return a significant part of the proceeds from the sale of some of its software and service assets.The shares, which collapsed more...

Divestment wipes out debt in fullMarlowe to return over £150 million to shareholdersCEO Alex Dacre to departShares in Marlowe (MRL:AIM) rocketed 35% higher to 569p on news the business-critical services and software firm has agreed to sell certain GRC (governance, risk and compliance) software and services assets to private equity firm Inflexion for an enterprise value of £430 million.The...

Senior management at business software and services group Marlowe (MRL:AIM) must be wondering what they need to do or say to revive the company's ailing share price.Despite delivering a 60% increase in first-half revenues and an 80% surge in EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) last month, the shares fell nearly 16% to 616p on the day of the results and they...

- Company is growing ahead of markets- Recurring revenues and earnings ahead of target- More earnings-enhancing acquisitions to comeCompliance services and software firm Marlowe (MRL:AIM) posted a sharp increase in revenues and earnings for the year to March.The main contribution came from acquisitions, although organic sales growth was also respectable and the company says over 85% of...

In light of the implications of the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine, the global growth outlook has dimmed, which means now more than ever, portfolios should be as diversified by asset class as possible to in order to maximise returns relative to risk.Higher risk assets they may be, yet 'micro caps', the London stock market's smallest quoted companies should form at least a portion of a...

Safety, testing and compliance company Marlowe (MRL:AIM) has an attractive business offering an unusual combination of defensiveness and profitable growth. The 'buy-and-build' strategy has been executed superbly, yielding impressive results.The shares have dropped around 20% from the recent highs in mid-January despite the company acquiring Optima Health for £135 million.The transformational...

UK shares continued to climb on Wednesday with the FTSE 100 rising 0.5% back above the 7,300 level thanks to buying of oil majors and mining stocks.Meanwhile, investors were awaiting the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve's latest Open Market Committee meeting, due after the market close, for clues as to the pace of interest rate hikes after recent strong inflation and jobs...

Shares in support services company Restore (RST:AIM), were trading lower this morning despite the company issuing a positive trading update for the eight months to 31st August.This is particularly surprising given that the group's strong performance may reignite bid interest in the group.Today's trading update has highlighted that trading in July and August has continued the positive momentum...

Having struggled for direction all morning, the FTSE 100 index surged from its lunchtime lows to tack on 32 points or 0.45% to 7,164 by the close, led by cyclical stocks including media companies ITV (ITV) and WPP (WPP).Gambling company Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) was the top FTSE performer, rallying 8% to £139.78 after it reported a better-than-expected trebling of first-half profit amid a...

The FTSE 100 was struggling for direction by midday, down a smidge at 7,128.53, amid the usual summer lull in trading volumes and with few big catalysts to shift sentiment in either direction.Accommodation giant Intercontinental Hotels (IHG) fell 1.7% to £46.54, having swung to a modest first-half profit, citing an improvement in demand, most evident in China.Intercontinental Hotels, however,...

The attempted takeover of Restore (RST:AIM) by Marlowe (MRL:AIM) represents an interesting development as the two businesses go back a long way. Strategically there is merit in combining the two entities.Marlowe has effectively emulated the success of Restore as a buy and build support service group. Both companies were backed by Lord Ashcroft and Marlowe's chief executive Alex Dacre ran the...

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...

Safety and compliance firm Marlowe (MRL) looks well set to achieve its ambitious three-year revenue and earnings targets after posting a solid set of results for the year to the end of March.Revenues were up 15% to £192 million thanks to underlying growth and a series of small acquisitions, while EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) was up 30% to £28.7...

Stocks made further gains on Wednesday after Fed chairman Jerome Powell repeated his view that price pressures in the US economy were temporary and confirmed the central bank would not raise interest rates pre-emptively.US markets rallied with the Nasdaq 100 tech index making a new all-time high, helped by gains in drugmaker Moderna and chipmaker Nvidia.By 8.30am the FTSE 100 index was up 18...

Business services outfit Marlowe (MRL:AIM) has momentum behind its share price and operational performance and a credible plan to increase profitability and market share.It is therefore an excellent time to snap up the shares as it embarks on a period of significant growth.The last two trading updates from the safety and compliance specialist have lit a fire under the shares, with the company...

The FTSE started the week on the back foot, giving up its morning gains as with few major company announcements or macro-economic events due traders scrabbled around for focus.Despite the lack of big market-moving news, there were healthy gains for several mid- and small-cap firms which raised earnings guidance.In the US, a cyber-attack on a company managing a vital east-coast oil pipeline...

The FTSE was slow out of the gate as the week began with few major company announcements or macro-economic events for traders to focus on.Despite the lack of market-moving news, there were healthy gains for several mid- and small-cap firms which raised earnings guidance.In the US, a cyber-attack on a company managing a vital east-coast oil pipeline boosted crude prices, with Brent futures...

Shares in safety and security services provider Marlow (MRL:AIM) climbed 3.8% to 789p after the company raised its full year earnings forecast for the second time in three months thanks to better than expected second-half trading.Marlowe, which operates in the fields of health and safety, fire safety, security, water treatment, hygiene and air quality, said that thanks to margin expansion and...