The FTSE 100 opens down by over 20 points to 7,274.85 as North Korea’s latest missile test spooks investors.
Cheap and cheerful pub operator JD Wetherspoon (JDW) ticks up 7% to £11.17 as its pre-tax profit before exceptional items hit £102.8m in the 53 weeks to 30 July, a 27.5% increase on 2016’s figure. Like-for-like sales increased by 4%.
Toys and games maker and distributer Character (CCT) falls 7.5% to 481p as the board announces it has fired finance director Mark Dowding due to a ‘loss of confidence’ in him. From today, joint managing director Kiran Shah will assume the responsibilities of group finance director, a position he held up until February 2016.
Gym Group (GYM) climbs 10.3% to 22.50p as it announces the acquisition of 18 gyms from Lifestyle Fitness for £20.5m. The deal is expected to complete on 29 September. The gyms, spread across the Midlands and the North of England will transfer to Gym Group including all existing members.
FTSE 100 group Coca-Cola HBC (CCH) is down by 0.5% to £25.94 on news that chief executive Dimitris Lois is taking a leave of absence to undergo medical treatment.
Recruitment agency SThree (STHR) enjoys a 1.5% hike to 335.75p as its third quarter results show gross profits up 5% year-on-year. The recruitment firm has seen strong growth in the US which is up 20% year-on-year and reveals that gross profits for the whole of 2017 are expected to be ahead of the current consensus.
Logistics firm DX (DX.:AIM) falls 7.2% to 6.12p after announcing it had used an incorrect accounting policy for a lease incentive for one of its sites. There will now be a £1.8m non-cash impact to previously guided underlying profit for the year to 30 June 2017.
Electronic payment platform Tungsten (TUNG:AIM) ticks up 4.9% to 62p as it reveals that revenue of £8.3m in its three months to 31 July was 12% higher on a year-on-year basis. The company also says it has three new financing mandates worth around $75m in its first quarter.
Farming equipment-to-gas masks provider Avon Rubber (AVON) is up 2.1% to 969.50p after saying that trading has been good across the group. The company expects full year adjusted pre-tax profit to be in line with market expectations with strong cash generation.
