The FTSE 100 ticks through the 7,000 mark after rising strongly yesterday afternoon on sterling weakness.Pest control firm Rentokil (RTO) advances 7.9% to 228p as the market gives a nod of approval to a joint venture with German peer Haniel for its workwear and hygiene units. Under the terms of the agreement Rentokil will bank an initial €520m and will have an 18% stake in the...

Marine seismic specialist Thalassa (THAL:AIM) has increased guidance for full year revenue and pre-tax profit from $10.5m to $13.9m and from $1.1m to $1.6m respectively. This is thanks to $2m of late data sales (10 Oct) and strong cost control. The company says profit could be boosted by a further $1.5m if its 'very conservative' provisions for increased costs prove too conservative. (TS)

Marine seismic specialist Thalassa (THAL:AIM) gains 17.3% to 44.6p as it ups 2016 revenue and profit guidance for its WGP Group subsidiary and says there could be further upgrades to come.Thalassa is a holding group for two businesses - WGP is its core operation and sits alongside an autonomous underwater vessel venture, Autonomous Robotics.WGP's portable modular source (PMSS) equipment is...

Retirement property expert McCarthy & Stone (MCS) shocks the market with a different message about trading since the Brexit vote versus the mainstream housebuilders. Its shares fall 12% to 184.45p after noting fewer reservations since the end of June and higher cancellation levels.This has negative read-across to other housebuilders with shares in most of the sector falling by 2% to 3%....

As oil prices hold their head above $40 per barrel, the market appears to think the oil services sector has bottomed out. We think this is premature and see the risk of further disappointments down the line making a sector average forward price-to-earnings ratio of 11.5 (according to Thomson Reuters) too rich.Anyone looking for exposure to the sector should focus on companies with a bias...

A specific area of the value investing discipline, 'deep value' investing has been around for a long time and historically generated big returns for contrarians willing to stand apart from the herd. Yet many investors dismiss deep value as a dangerous, short-term investing methodology, akin to trying to sift for gold within a pile of trash.Though recovery investing can be a high-octane...

Amid the widely expected news (5 Jun) that oil producers' cartel OPEC will keep its production quotas unchanged at 30 million barrels of oil per day the outlook for the Oil Equipment & Services sector is far from rosy.Its year-to-date performance has followed the lead given by a recovering oil price - with shares rebounding from a very low base.Not every stock has participated in this rally -...

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 stocks opened in the red on Tuesday as investors continue to tread cautiously ahead of a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) decision and vote on Scottish independence on Thursday. The London FTSE 100 index is trading 33 point off at 6,770 in early deals after a subdued session on Monday.Fallen 'fast fashion' star ASOS' (ASC:AIM) annus horibilis continues, the online retailer giving up...

Data capture software supplier Kofax (KFX) crashes more than 16% to 396p as full year results miss expectations. The company blames several seven-figure licence sale failures for the miss. That wipes out almost all of the shares' recent 40% rally since early May.Gauloises Blondes-to-Golden Virginia maker Imperial Tobacco (IMT) rises 3.87% to £27.62 as it confirms possible acquisition talks...

307.4pGain to date: 23%Marine seismic firm Thalassa (THAL:AIM) continues to gather momentum as it secures new work and next week's prelims (17 Mar) are an imminent catalyst for the stock. The counter is up by nearly a quarter on the 250p level at which we identified its potential (see Plays, Shares 19 Sep '13). Last week (5 Mar) the group announced it is to collaborate on a project with its...

Mothercare (MTC) slumps 30% to 292.63p on a profit warning. Over the 12 weeks to 4 January, the mother and child retailer's international sales were crimped by currency deflation and weaker-than-expected conditions in key markets. In the UK, where Mothercare remains loss-making, like-for-like sales softened 4% amid sluggish high street footfall over Christmas, while heavy promotions hit...

Downgraded earnings estimates and an uncertain outlook for the price of crude mean the oil services sector does not look like a compelling value opportunity even after its significant underperformance of the broader market in 2013. A selective approach is necessary and investors need to be wary of companies which are chasing growth for its own sake. Small-cap names have probably already...

290.0pGain to date: 16.1%Marine seismic data specialist Thalassa (THAL:AIM) is better placed to finance its continued growth after a conditional £18.1 million placing (30 Oct) which got a good reception from the market. The dilution is a negative but the new shares (at 250p) were priced at a narrow discount and the institutional shareholder base has been broadened. Executive chairman Duncan...

Among the London market's main risers on Wednesday is Barclays (BARC), which is buoyed 3.6% to 275.7p as it reports a £2.8 billion statutory taxable profit for the nine months to 30 September, up from £962 million a year ago. The bank, which says it will review how its currency trading operated over recent years, has decided against increasing its compensation pot for mis-selling payment...

The scope for further earnings upgrades means we see potential for more upside in marine seismic firm Thalassa (THAL:AIM). The successful initiation of a seismic shoot for Norwegian oil major Statoil (STL:OL) in October is the next likely catalyst for the share price.Strong momentumA string of positive announcements have supported a 468% rise since we first flagged the firm's attractions last...

On a quiet day for corporate news, the market is marginally down with a 0.5% drop in the FTSE 100 to 6,386. The blue chip index is now several weeks into a choppy trading pattern, struggling to revive the massive rally enjoyed between January and March.Aggreko's (AGK) trading statement gave few surprises, but this is what the market wanted as we discuss in detail here. Reassurance is a...

Good news comes in fours at FTSE 250 life and pension fund consolidator Phoenix (PHNX) which is sloshing in cash. During 2012 profits and dividends increased, management reduced gearing while generating cash at the top end of its targets, sending the shares up 6.9% to 647.5p. Phoenix made a £410 million operating profit, up from £395 million a year earlier, and generated £690 million cash....

Roll up, roll up! The US online gambling revival is in full swing after New Jersey governor Chris Christie approved the activity within the state's border. The green light should help boost state revenues and revive Atlantic City casinos. The flurry of excitement sent the UK-quoted gambling stocks to the top of the FTSE leaderboard, led by Bwin.Party (BPTY) advancing 11.2% to 153.2p. This...