UK stocks decline in early trade on Friday as crude prices continue to slide, sending oil producers into the red. Industry giants Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) are among the major drags on the blue chip fallers as Brent crude drops 0.1% to $39.68 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate loses 0.2% to $36.68 per barrel. The carnage also sparks a 7.7% slump at Premier Oil (PMO), among the wors

London shares sag in early deals, following lower US and Asian markets, as miners and financials retreated. Ballast was also provided by some big-ticket corporate news with supermarkets a feature thanks to disappointment from Morrisons (MRW). The market is looking to Bank of England's interest rate and quantitative easing (QE) calls later today.Miners are under pressure once more, again, with BHP

Latham (James) (LTHM:AIM) 577.5pSheet and hardwood supplier Latham has been consistently profitable for the past 10 years, more than doubling operating profit in the same period. The Hemel Hempstead-based company is expected to grow earnings per share 19% to 39.5p this year.Leaf Clean Energy (LEAF:AIM) 34pRenewable energy investor Leaf Clean is a closed-end fund in run-off. At a meeting in July 20

The market is reacting with scepticism to Mycelx (MYXR:AIM) full-year expectations despite the first half facing a hit from customer delays. The shares are down 10.7% to 437.5p. The AIM-quoted concern, headquartered in Georgia, owns a patented technology which separates hydrocarbons from waste water.Confidence in the long-term future has led the group to hire new staff and add fresh infrastructure

Private hospitals operator Spire Healthcare looks set for a near-£1 billion IPO valuation with the range set at between 210p and 300p per share. Final pricing is expected next week (18 Jul) for the flotation first covered by Shares last month.Housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) slips 1.3% to 115.6p despite a trading update revealing a strong first half performance. The group remains on track for ope

Downgraded earnings estimates and an uncertain outlook for the price of crude mean the oil services sector does not look like a compelling value opportunity even after its significant underperformance of the broader market in 2013. A selective approach is necessary and investors need to be wary of companies which are chasing growth for its own sake. Small-cap names have probably already travelled

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Three different parties have got British machine gun manufacturer Manroy (MAN:AIM) in their sights, sending the small cap's shares up 48% to 82.9p. It confirmed preliminary takeover talks with Belgium's Herstal, Italy's Beretta and Nevada-based US Ordnance. The announcement triggers a formal takeover offer period, meaning the potential bidders have until the end of Christmas Eve to announce an int

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Interest in water technology specialist Mycelx (MYXR:AIM) should continue to build as the group moves towards break-even and accrues valuable contract wins. House broker Numis believes the group will generate pre-tax profits this year of $1.8 million against a pre-tax loss in 2012 of $1.6 million. Although the shares have already shot 40.7% higher in the last six months, they still trade at a 24%

The average oil field produces three times as much water as it does oil and this is a big issue for crude explorers and producers, especially in regions where water is scarce. Mycelx (MYXR:AIM) has a patented technology used by oil companies to separate hydrocarbons from waste water and the installation of its first system in India could be the start of a torrent of positive news from the £33 mil