UK stocks gave up some of Friday’s gains as markets in Asia softened and US futures also pointed down. At 9am the FTSE 100 index was trading down 70 points or 1% at 6,554 as government bond yields rose around the world, spurred by reflation hopes, and copper hit its highest price for nine years. Mining stocks were the principal gainers, accompanied by a handful of banks and travel and ...

The new venture capital trust (VCT) offer season is now in full swing where investors can apply for new shares and enjoy immediate tax benefits. Recent offers from Amati AIM VCT and Octopus AIM VCT have already closed, having hit their subscription target. Others are filling up quickly. Each year VCTs seem to attract money faster than the previous year, meaning interested investors need to ...

When a company makes a claim that its fabric coating kills all known bacteria and viruses including Covid-19 within 30 minutes and has a shelf-life of up to seven years, it tends to get attention. The Viroblock product from Swiss-based HeiQ Materials was originally developed as an antimicrobial for the Ebola crisis in 2013 and now it is seeing strong demand following the Covid-19 ...

Infection prevention and contamination control specialist Tristel (TSTL:AIM) reported full-year revenues up 21% to £31.7 million and pre-tax profit up 27% to £7.1 million, slightly ahead of the level indicated in July. The shares added 2.4% to 510p. Excluding acquisitions, the underlying growth in revenues was 11%, in line with the medium-term target of 10%-to-15%. The company has been ...

London’s FTSE 100 ended Friday’s session in the red as a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in Europe, a growing number of outbreaks in the UK and a warning from Michel Barnier that a UK-EU Brexit trade deal ‘seems unlikely’ weighed on sentiment. These negatives overshadowed the UK’s better than expected retail sales figures for July, while the FTSE may have fared worse but for a drop in ...

Britain’s main stock index fell back into the red by lunchtime on Friday after an up and down morning, tumbling 0.46% to 5,985 by 12.50pm. The benchmark index had edged higher in mid-morning trading, despite skittishness caused by a resurgence of coronavirus cases in Europe, with investors initially buoyed by news that Pfizer could receive regulatory approval for its coronavirus vaccine as ...

Infection prevention specialist Tristel (TSTL:AIM) has received approval from India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its Duo high-level disinfectants for the decontamination of semi-critical medical devices . The announcement pushed the shares up 2% to 485p. Chief executive Paul Swinney said, ‘The three Duo products provide Indian hospitals with an affordable and ...

The FTSE 100 fluctuated above and below the 6,000 mark during volatile early trading on Friday morning, falling 0.21% to 6,000.91 by 9am, despite data showing UK retail sales rose above pre-pandemic levels in July and beat market expectations. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said retail sales grew by 3.6% in July, though it this was not as big as the 12% rise seen in May and 13.9% jump ...

Tristel (TSTL:AIM) 427p Loss to date: 12.9% Original entry point: Buy at 490p, 27 February 2020 It’s not often you see shares in a company fall on a statement that says full-year results will be ahead of market expectations. Sadly that is what happened with infection prevention specialist Tristel (TSTL:AIM) which dropped nearly 10% on 22 July after publishing what initially looked ...

The FTSE 100 closed firmly in the red on Wednesday as investors were hit with a trifecta of negative news. Coronavirus cases in the US especially continued to climb, while reports emerged that the UK is about to give up on trying to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. To top it all off, the US has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, over allegations of espionage ...

The UK markets went firmly into reverse by lunchtime on Wednesday with investors continuing to fret about soaring Covid-19 numbers in the US and elsewhere.  Reports have also emerged that the UK is set to abandon hopes of a Brexit trade deal with the EU. By 12pm the UK’s leading basket of stocks fell 0.86%, or 53.77 points, to 6,215.96. Home improvement retailer Kingfisher (KGF) soared ...

London’s FTSE 100 got off to a slow start in early trade on Wednesday as a worsening Covid-19 pandemic dragged on optimism of a swift economic recovery. The benchmark index slipped 0.2% lower to 6,257.37 in early deals, tracking declines in Europe with global coronavirus infections surging past 15 million, while losses for engineering firm Melrose Industries (MRO) added extra weight to the ...

While no firm wants to be seen publicly to be ‘having a good crisis’, given the gravity of the threat to the economy and public health from coronavirus, the fact is some firms are doing rather well despite, or in some cases as a result of, the pandemic. Some have been in the right place at the right time – think of healthcare, sanitation and hygiene firms – while others have been less ...

Shares in specialist infection prevention and control firm Byotrol (BYOT:AIM) are up 360% so far in 2020, reflecting the exceptional demand seen for the company’s technologies in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The company recently (27 April) reported a trading update for the financial year to 31 March 2020, and confirmed it is benefiting from a secular shift towards the heightened ...

The third best performing share on the UK market this year is about to update investors on its role in helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Byotrol (BYOT:AIM) is helping to save lives by supplying its novel hand sanitiser to the NHS, with a proven ‘kill claim’ against coronavirus. Its shares have risen by 213% year-to-date versus a 28% drop in the FTSE All-Share. On 23 March it ...

Hand sanitiser company Byotrol (BYOT:AIM) said it has seen a very substantial spike in demand for its range of infection protection products over the last seven weeks. Consequently, its full-year results for the period ended 31 March are expected to exceed guidance given at the interim stage. The shares shot up 42% to 5.1p. At the interim stage the company was guiding for positive earnings ...

Even before the appearance of China’s coronavirus, infection and contamination-control products group Tristel (TSTL:AIM) was delivering strong growth as it taps into increasing demand for safe, high-level disinfectants that kill all microorganisms. On 24 February the company reported revenue for the six months to 31 December 2019 up 22% at £14.6m accelerating from the 18% growth in the ...

Shares in infection prevention and contamination-control products group Tristel (TSTL:AIM) bucked the weak market trend gaining 7% to 422.5p on Monday after it reported interim pre-tax profits up 25% to £3m, 7% higher than indicated at the annual general meeting in December. Today's move takes the gain in the shares over the last six months to almost 50%. Chief executive Paul Swinney ...

The FTSE 100 tumbled on Monday as Italy’s lockdown and a sharp rise in cases in South Korea fueled market fears over the coronavirus outbreak becoming a pandemic. The UK’s benchmark index plunged close on 3% to 7,187.17, worse than Asian markets overnight. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.8% to 26,820 and the Shanghai Composite in China fell 0.3% to 3,031. Though, as is usually the case ...

Infection prevention and contamination control group Tristel (TSTL:AIM) released strong revenue growth of 18% to £26m for the full year to 30 June 2019, pushing the shares up 3.6% to 304p. The UK saw accelerating growth of 9% (2%), while continuing international expansion drove 26% growth and overseas business now accounts for 55% of group revenue. Pre-tax profit advanced by 19% to ...