Ceramic products specialist Churchill China (CHH:AIM) has a well-deserved reputation for its cash generation and resilience and for making statesmanlike progress in overseas markets. But shares in the Stoke-on-trent-based outfit slumped 20% to a five-year low of 650p today (20 November) on a warning annual profits will be 'materially below' market expectations. Churchill China pinned the blame...

The accounting software space isn't very exciting and is savagely competitive so the promise of improving profitability from Sage Group (SGE) has understandably got investors fired up. Shares in the business jumped 19%, their biggest one-day rally in eons. The software supplier to small and medium-sized businesses reported a 21% rise in underlying operating profit for the fiscal year 2024 (to 3...

Animal genetics specialist Genus (GNS) jumped 4% after reporting strong trading for the four months to 31 October and reiterating full year profit guidance. The shares are down around 20% over the last year following a profit warning in February 2024, reflecting weak pork prices in China impacting demand for its services. The company also flagged currency headwinds. Consensus full year profit e...

Specialist business services group FRP Advisory (FRP:AIM) delivered a strong first-half update with chief executive Geoff Rowley saying he was 'confident' in meeting market expectations for the full year. The shares climbed 9p or 6% to a new 12-month high of 155p, topping their October peak. STRONG ORGANIC GROWTH Performance in the six months to the end of October was impressive, with the group...

European equities traded higher on Wednesday morning, as stocks in London shrugged off a hotter-than-forecast UK inflation reading for now. Sage shone on the FTSE 100, while Severn Trent also impressed. The FTSE 100 index climbed 23.61 points, 0.3%, at 8,122.63. The FTSE 250 edged up 22.23 points, 0.1%, at 20,449.85, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.56 points, 0.4%, at 726.79. The Cboe UK 100 was...

An increasingly tense geopolitical backdrop knocked European stocks on Tuesday, while the pound continued to struggle ahead of Wednesday's UK inflation print. The FTSE 100 index ended down 10.30 points, 0.1%, at 8,099.02. The FTSE 250 rose 32.21 points, 0.2%, at 20,427.62, and the AIM All-Share faded 3.32 points, 0.5%, at 724.23. The Cboe UK 100 ended flat at 814.55, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.1% t...

Stock prices in London were in the red at midday Tuesday as eurozone consumer prices were confirmed to have risen as expected in October, while global geopolitical tensions rose. Ukraine is utilising its new ability to hit Russia with US missiles, reportedly prompting stocks to fall as investors lose their appetites for risk. Investors are also starting to scale back expectations for interest r...

Unloved cosmetics company Revolution Beauty (REVB:AIM) swung from pre-tax profits of £400,000 to a £10.9 million loss after a one-off stock provision during a transitional half to August 2024. Why then, did shares in the beauty retailer rise 2% to 13.9p today (19 November)? Well, the company highlighted encouraging progress in its underlying profitability driven by cost savings and margin gai...

Shares in Imperial Brands (IMB) climbed 2% to £24.48 in morning trading as the multi-national tobacco company reported a robust set of full-year results despite a big push by governments to curb the number of people smoking and vaping. The FTSE 100 company, which owns several tobacco brands including Davidoff, West, Golden Virginia and JPS, said revenue was marginally lower at £32.4 billion f...

Computer servers maker Super Micro Computer (SMCI:NASDAQ) saw its share price surge overnight after it named BDO USA as its auditor and said it had submitted a plan to Nasdaq seeking more time to comply with listing rules. In a wild trading session, Super Micro shares jumped close to 30%. Pre-market data has them opening at $27.83 when US markets open later today. The Silicon Valley company sa...

The FTSE 100 on Tuesday morning outperformed its French and German peers, as investors await consumer price inflation data from the eurozone. The UK government is having a busy week. Downing Street has confirmed that the UK is set to relaunch trade talks with India, while ministers continue to face calls from farmers and opposition parties to scrap its changes to agricultural inheritance tax. T...

Stocks in London saw a mixed start to the week on Monday, as housebuilders and the property sector weighed on mid-caps, while rising commodity prices lifted large-caps. The FTSE 100 index rose 45.71 points, 0.6%, at 8,109.32. The FTSE 250 declined 81.23 points, 0.4%, at 20,395.41, and the AIM All-Share climbed 0.41 of a point, 0.1%, at 727.55. The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 814.60, the Cboe U...

Stocks in Europe were mixed on Monday midday amid more staffing announcements by incoming US president Donald Trump, while the gold price continued to climb. 'The FTSE 100 ticked higher on Monday, helped by a decent showing for resources and financial stocks,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. Meanwhile in Europe, the eurozone's trade surplus with the rest of the world grew significantly in Septe...