(Alliance News) - Driving services provider RAC is aiming for an initial public offering towards the end of 2026, rather than as soon as the first half of the year, prolonging the drought of IPOs in London, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. Read More
(Alliance News) - The Irish government is working on a "specific round of grants for targeted businesses" amid energy price pressures, Minister Darragh O'Brien has said. Read More
WPP PLC - London-based advertising and marketing services - Hires Peter Agnefjall to be a non-executive director, starting on May 11. Agnefjall was chief executive officer of Swedish furniture retailer Ikea from 2013 to 2017. Since then Agnefjall has served on boards, including as chair of the supervisory board of grocer Ahold Delhaize NV and as a non-executive director of budget airline Wizz Air Holdings PLC. Read More
(Alliance News) - Cambridge, England-based pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca PLC will pump GBP300 million into UK drugs development in a "major vote of confidence" in the country, the prime minister has said. Read More
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of earnings and trading updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Read More
Halfords Group PLC - Redditch, England-based motoring and cycling retailer - Reports 4.8% group like for like sales growth for the year ended April 3, with Retail LfL sales increasing by 4.1% and Autocentres LfL sales increasing 5.8%, excluding Halfords' Avayler software platform. With the Retail division, Motoring LfL sales rise 2.9% and Cycling sales rise 6.4%. Halfords says it continues to be cash-generative, and that its balance sheet was in a net cash position at the end of the year. Predicts that underlying pretax profit for the year will be "around the upper end" of the GBP36.0 million to GBP41.2 million consensus range. Read More
Pan African Resources PLC - Rosebank-headquartered gold producer - Secures court approval in the UK on Tuesday for its proposed share capital reduction, with the reduction set to become effective once the order of the court confirming the capital reduction is registered at Companies House in the UK. Expects this to occur in the coming weeks. The plan involves the cancellation of the company's share premium account as well as the cancellation of certain shares in its capital. Read More
Global Smaller Cos Trust PLC - invests in small-cap companies around the world based on fundamentals-based research process - Plans to change benchmark to the MSCI ACWI small cap index net from May 1. The trust's current benchmark is a blend of two indices: the MSCI all country world ex UK small cap index, at 80%, and the Deutsche Numis UK smaller companies (excluding investment companies) index, at 20%. "It is believed that this new benchmark is a better representation of the current composition of the global smaller company equity market and reduces complexity," the company says. Read More
(Alliance News) The National Investment Fund of the Republic of Uzbekistan JSC, known as UzNIF, on Wednesday announced the launch of its initial public offering. Read More
(Alliance News) - Treatt PLC on Wednesday accepted a GBP183 million cash bid from Darmstadt, Germany-based Dohler Group SE, and reported a fall in its half-year pretax profit. Read More
Frasers Group PLC - Shirebrook, England-based owner of Sports Direct, Flannels and Frasers retail chains - Acquires two retail destinations in the UK as part of its property strategy to invest in the outlet sector. Buys York Designer Outlet, a 250,000 square foot retail centre with 120 brands just outside York city centre, and East Midlands Designer Outlet, a 170,000 square foot centre with 65 brands near the M1 motorway. Provides no financial details for the two purchases. Read More
(Alliance News) - The Irish economy suffered another decline in the first three months of the year, numbers on Wednesday showed. Read More
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of earnings and trading updates by London-listed companies, issued on Wednesday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Read More
(Alliance News) - Stock prices in London extended losses by midday Wednesday, as weakness among blue chips outweighed strength in smaller caps. Read More
Murray Income Trust PLC - Edinburgh-based company investing primarily in UK equities - Appoints Jane Lewis as chair designate, and as an independent non-executive director, with effect from Friday. Lewis succeeds current Chair Peter Tait, who is retiring from the role at Murray Income's annual general meeting in October. She has previously served as chair of Invesco Perpetual UK Smaller Cos Investment Trust PLC and CT UK Capital & Income Investment Trust PLC, and is currently a non-executive director at Majedie Investments PLC and JPMorgan Global Growth & Income PLC. Read More