- Sales up almost 50% on previous year- Strong demand continued into fourth quarter- Shares on single-digit price to earningsDublin-based agricultural solutions business Origin Enterprises (OGN) issued a strong trading update for the seasonally-important third quarter to April and raised its full year earnings guidance.Despite 'exceptional' price volatility for both agricultural products and...

Sam Cosh-steered European Assets Trust (EAT) ticked up 0.7p to 80.7p on Friday on news it outperformed the benchmark in 2019, which proved a good year for European smaller companies.While the alarming coronavirus outbreak has thrown economic projections for 2020 up in the air, lead manager Cosh insisted the trust is 'in the fortunate position not to be leveraged heading into this market...

Despite weakness on Wall Street and Parliament failing to support any of the Brexit options put before it last night, the FTSE 100 is in fairly chipper mood on Thursday opening up 0.5% at 7,228.The biggest contributors by sector are Banks, Healthcare, Mining and Tobacco, which doesn't tell us much about sentiment as Banks and Miners are typically 'risk-on' while Healthcare and Tobacco are...

Agri-services company Origin Enterprises (OGN:AIM) typically generates over 90% of its earnings in the seasonally-vital second half of its financial year.It was therefore encouraging to see underlying operating profit grow 12.6% to €2.3m in the six months to 31 January 2018, its first-half period. That could give Origin a solid foundation ahead of its peak trading period.Providing...

European markets are off to a strong start on Valentine's Day, the FTSE 100 continuing to show resilience in the face of yesterday's high inflation figure and trading 42.2 points up at 7,210.2 early on.Distinctly unloved however is housebuilder-to-construction firm Galliford Try (GFRD), which slumps 14.8% lower to 841.5p despite posting robust half year results with its Linden Homes arm in...

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...

UK drugs giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) falls 1.5% to £16.08 as the Serious Fraud Office launches a criminal investigation into several bribery allegations made against the group's international business.Glasgow engineering firm Weir Group (WEIR) falls 1.6% to £25.63 as it abandons a merger with Finnish rival Metso (MEO1V:HSX) after an improved offer was rejected. Weir raised its offer to 0.95...