Among the most significant director dealings of the last week, non-executive director Andrew Stone has sold out of his remaining stake in Gamma Communications (GAMA:AIM).After selling 35,000 shares last Friday for £435,000, Stone sold a further 108,551 shares of Gamma for £2.62 million in four separate trades this week, closing out his holding.Gamma features as a new Great Idea in this...

Marine seismic specialist Thalassa (THAL:AIM) gains 17.3% to 44.6p as it ups 2016 revenue and profit guidance for its WGP Group subsidiary and says there could be further upgrades to come.Thalassa is a holding group for two businesses - WGP is its core operation and sits alongside an autonomous underwater vessel venture, Autonomous Robotics.WGP's portable modular source (PMSS) equipment is...

Filtronic hopeCommunications kit designer Filtronic (FTC:AIM) has hardened hope that it may be drawing a line under 30 months of disappointment. The company has just posted (2 Aug) full year results to 31 May showing lower, but better than expected, revenue and lowered operating costs.(SFr)Bonmarche on backfootWomen's value fashion purveyor Bonmarche (BON) has its work cut out to meet...

Weak overnight trading in Asia takes its toll on a number of stocks in early deals in London, sending the FTSE 100 index 54 points lower to 6,042.Stocks in Shanghai fell 2.9%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 1.3% and Japan's Nikkei shed 1.0% after a meeting of the world's 20 largest economies in China over the weekend flagged a series of risks to global economic growth.Emerging markets-focused...

Healthcare has been one of the most talked-about sectors over the past year, making investors lots of money. While most people would gravitate towards the large drug sellers like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca (AZN), we see merit in trying to spot less well-known companies who are tapping into hot trends. In our opinion, personalised medicine is the place to start.The practice targets...

On a thin day for corporate newsflow, London's FTSE 100 falls another 37.98 points to 6,873.82 on Monday, tracking global market falls following a better-than-expected US jobs report on Friday. This has renewed speculation that a US rate rise may occur in the summer and is giving investors the jitters.One stock with wind in its sails is shipping services group Clarkson (CKN), which rises 5.2%...

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...

Despite the arrival of Black Friday shopping mania, investors are in anything but festive mood as the FTSE 100 falls 42.9 points to 6680.52, dragged lower by fresh declines in oil stocks. The sector is under significant pressure after producers' cartel OPEC failed to cut its output leading to an extension in the collapse in crude prices - BG (BG.) slips 7.5% to 911.3p, BP (BP.) is down 3.2% to...

UK stocks snap a five-day winning streak on Wednesday that had sparked the FTSE 100 to a six-week high, as investors turn cautious over a swathe of corporate earnings and await the Bank of England's (BoE) Inflation Report. News of massive fines across the UK banking sector also drag on the Footsie. The benchmark FTSE 100 index drifts 26 points lower to 6,601, having closed at 6,627.4 on...

London shares begin Tuesday trading modestly on the back foot with investors casting a concerned eye towards weakness overnight on Asian markets. The FTSE 100 eases 4.5 points lower to 6,242 in early deals.Heading the Footsie leaderboard is part state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which now expects to 'significantly' beat bad loan loss estimates of around £1 billion thanks to sturdy...

Yesterday's modest gains are wiped out as investors cool on equity markets on a quiet end to the week. The FTSE 100 eases off by 17 points in early tradingto 6,623, the blue-chip index's lowest level since early August. Mike Ashley's pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap sports and fashion retailer Sports Direct (SPD) heads the Footsie faller board just a day after backing a Tesco (TSCO) turnaround,...

By number the UK's quoted Health Care industry is dominated by small and mid-sized companies working to create the next wonder drug or invent a technology that will improve peoples' lives. However these businesses aren't purely motivated by the desire to help the sick and instead are chasing the huge financial rewards that can be made when a blockbuster product receives the regulator's stamp...

Follow Proteome Sciences' (PRM:AIM) non-executive Roger McDowell and back the life sciences research specialist which hopes to soon develop a blood test to detect Alzheimer's disease.McDowell bought 500,000 ordinary shares at 37.4p each (8 Jul) a week after joining the board of directors (1 Jul). He bought the shares on the day Proteome announced progress with research into Alzheimer's. The...

Diagnostic-focused research company Proteome Sciences (PRM:AIM) improves 5.1% to 40.5p as it continues to climb on news that it's close to developing an Alzheimer's detection test.Niche drug maker Shire (SHP) opens 1.2% down at £44.73 following yesterday's £51.15 a share offer from US outfit AbbVie (ABBV:NDQ). The £30.1 billion bid is the fourth the Chicago-based firm has made for the UK...

Sweeteners giant and rumoured bid target Tate & Lyle (TATE) ticks 4.3% higher to 703.5p on relief full-year figures to March meet downgraded forecasts, with taxable profits souring 2% to £322 million. In February, Tate & Lyle warned of a sharp decline in prices for its higher-margin 'SPLENDA Sucralose' sweeteners brand sold to global food and beverages makers amid a growing Chinese generic...

Laird's Asian planFull-year results later this month (24 Feb) should give hints on how electronic components maker Laird (LRD) is faring in its bid to reduce its reliance on Apple (AAPL:NDQ), the source of around one-third of its revenues. Laird has set up or expanded a number of manufacturing centres in the Far East. (SFr)Bank on HSBC's yieldImproved core lending income should help HSBC...

On a very quiet day for large cap corporate news, the FTSE 100 advances 0.2% to 6571. There's a stronger performance from the mid caps with the FTSE 250 up 0.3% to 15,838. We explore this index in the latest issue of Shares, looking at ways to play momentum, income, growth as well as big themes to consider among the mid caps. This link will give you an overview of the magazine's contents.The...

Positive Proactis Next week's (16 Dec) annual general meeting update should underscore Proactis' (PHD:AIM) impressive execution. Recurring revenues represent 68% of group sales and a renewal rate of 100% for its electronic procurement platform should help operational gearing to kick in and drag operating margins up from the 18% level seen in the second half of last year. (SFr)Keller kicks on...

The scope for further earnings upgrades means we see potential for more upside in marine seismic firm Thalassa (THAL:AIM). The successful initiation of a seismic shoot for Norwegian oil major Statoil (STL:OL) in October is the next likely catalyst for the share price.Strong momentumA string of positive announcements have supported a 468% rise since we first flagged the firm's attractions last...

Protein biomarker contract research organisation Proteome Sciences (PRM:AIM) is expected to return to profit in 2013 after winning a major contract last week (19 Apr).The £130 million cap's SensiDerm product, a test for the allergenic potential of compounds, has been chosen as an alternative to testing cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs and household goods on animals.The deal was awarded...