Retail investors finally get a chance to freely trade Royal Mail (RMG) as the stock goes 'unconditional' following last Friday's market debut. Investors jump at the chance to pick up stock, despite a massive rally from the 330p IPO pricing level. Today's new wave of market interest sees the shares rise a further 1.4% to 481.5p.
A robust third quarter sends Rio Tinto (RIO) up 3.4% to £31.90 but there's a setback with getting paid for copper from one of its big mines, as we discuss in more detail.
Global luxury leader Burberry (BRBY) stumbles the best part of 5% (77p) to £15.08 on shock news CEO Angela Ahrendts is to leave next year to take up a role with technology giant Apple (AAPL:NDQ). We look at the situation in more detail here.
Atlantic Margin oil explorer Fastnet Oil & Gas (FAST:AIM) surges 15.7% as BP (BP.) takes a stake in its Foum Assaka block offshore Morocco. BP's deal is actually with Fastnet's partner Kosmos Energy (KOS:NYSE) but nevertheless adds third party validation of the asset. Fastnet is a Shares Tip for 2013.
Shanks (SKS) rises 4.8% to 99.25p after selling most of its UK solid waste operations to Biffa. It is buying the bit that collects, sorts and processes commercial and industrial waste. The remaining operations will also be sold including its Blochairn and Kettering materials recycling facilities. Shanks will keep its Elstow facility as this serves municipal customers. The small cap's strategy in the UK will focus on providing recycling and waste management services to local authorities.
Energy specialist Utilitywise (UTW) jumps 8.8% to 167.5p after a strong set of full-year results. House broker Finncap has increased its 2014 pre-tax profit forecast by 11% and reckons the dividend will more than double over the next two years. We've regularly flagged Utilitywise's attractions in Shares including these articles from April and June.
Fund platform provider Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) rises 2.5% to £10.34 as it reveals record assets under administration of £39.3 billion in its first-quarter trading update.
Digital marketing specialist Dotdigital (DOTD:AIM) soars 8.9% to 19.9p as it proposes a maiden dividend on the back of stellar finals with pre-tax profits up 18% to £3.3 million in 2013.
An encouraging update from Telford Homes (TEF) sees the housebuilder rise 6.4% to 329p. In its outlook statement, the group anticipates full-year profit will be ;significantly ahead of market expectations due to substantially improved margins and profit from affordable housing contracts on sites acquired ahead of schedule.'
Elsewhere in the housebuilding sector, Bellway (BWY) rises 3.2% to £14.30 after full-year pre-tax profit increases by more than a third to £140.9 million in the 12 months to 31 July. Operating margin rose 220 basis points to 13.6% and the Newcastle-based housebuilder also puts up the final dividend by 50% to 21p per share.
Investors are walking in their droves away from embedded translation software supplier SDL (SDL) after another profit warning. Adjusted pre-tax profit this year is now steered for £8 million versus £35 million a year ago. As Panmure Gordon analyst George O'Connor neatly puts it, 'there were four wheels on the wagon, but one keeps falling off.' It's certainly been a highway to hell for shareholders, the stock slumping another 11% today to 250p, which makes it a 55% collapse so far this year.
The WANdisco (WAND:AIM) star is shining that bit brighter after unveiling accelerating third quarter bookings from its applications lifecycle management (ALM) side, up from $2 million to $4.4 million. That's got the shares nudging 2% higher to £11.62, a mere whisker off their £11.75 all-time high. It looks like multi-year sign-ups are coming through in increased numbers, an encouraging flag for future visibility when you consider 100% renewal rates. Shares has consistently flagged the potential of WANdisco, most recently in June when we got under the bonnet of analyst price targets.
The medical side of BATM Advanced Communications (BVC:AIM) offsets sluggish telecoms markets. Diagnostics are a big driver helping third quarter medical revenues rise 8.4% against flat telco sales. Investors see promise, bidding the shares 1.5% higher to 17.75p, with analysts at broker finnCap slapping a 22p price target on the stock.
Minnow engineering firm Chamberlin (CMH:AIM) slumps 11.4% to 93p on a downbeat trading statement. Having already warned on profits in July (18 Jul) the group now says it will report a loss for its March 2014 financial year with its foundries businesses in Scunthorpe and Leicester the main culprits.
