The FTSE 100 starts Friday on the back foot, down 0.3% to 7,583.96, as mining stocks fall on worries over slowing growth in the world economy.
Aviation services firm John Menzies (MNZS) guides for full year earnings to be at best flat year-on-year after a weaker than expected first half performance. Its shares fall 14.1%.
In a first half trading update specialist building materials supplier SIG (SHI) says it expects to hit full year expectations but says it 'will continue to monitor how trading conditions develop'. Investors took fright as the stock declines 5.9%.
The company reports a 3.8% like-for-like decline in revenue in the first six months of its financial year. This encompasses a 12.7% like-for-like decline in the UK and a 3.3% advance in Mainland Europe.
Marine services provider James Fisher and Sons (FSJ) appoints Eoghan O'Lionaird as CEO, dipping 0.6% in response.
Miner Ferrexpo (FXPO) falls 2.9% as it said it expected first-half sales to increase by approximately 4% amid ‘stronger’ iron ore prices and premiums for iron ore pellets.
Dechra Pharmaceuticals (DPH) advances 0.4% as it acquired a further 15% stake in Medical Ethics for a total of about AUD$13.5m from the current shareholders, taking its total holdings in the company to 48%.
Westminster Group (WSG:AIM), a supplier of managed services and technology-based security solutions worldwide, enters into a strategic alliance agreement with the Gulf Aviation Academy of Bahrain (GAA) for the provision of aviation and other specialised training services. Its shares are up 12.3% in response.
