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UK stocks opened higher on Monday, paring some of last week's losses, as local companies continued to release positive trading updates and upgrade guidance.
At 0822, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 49.34 points, or 0.7%, at 7,137.24.
Sainsbury's jumped 6.1% rise to 312.6p following a report in the Sunday Times that private equity group Apollo was mulling a bid for the supermarket giant.
Budget airline EasyJet ascended 1.6% to 812p following news that chairman John Barton was standing down and would be replaced by former RSA Insurance chief executive Stephen Hester.
Hester, also a former CEO of RBS and British Land, would join the board as a non-executive director on 1 September and then succeed Barton as chairman on 1 December.
London West End retail property investor Shaftesbury firmed 0.2% to 622.5p as its vacancy rates fell and rental collection improved, amid a recovery in footfall following an easing of lockdowns.
In a trading update for the period between 1 April and 20 August, Shaftesbury said its available-to-let vacancy rate had fallen to 4.6% at the end of July and 4.1% by 13 August.
Advertising company WPP added 0.7% to 979.6p amid news that it had acquired technology group Satalia.
Satalia, with more than 80 staff across multiple markets in Europe, offered artificial intelligence solutions for clients that included BT, DFS, Tesco and Unilever, WPP said.
Consumer goods group UP Global Sourcing, also known as Ultimate Products, rose 4.0% to 220p as it forecast a 37% rise in annual underlying profit underpinned by growth at supermarkets and other retail channels.
Underlying pre-tax profit for the year through July was seen rising to £11.2 million, up from £8.2 million year-on-year and ahead of market consensus of £10.8 million, UP Global Sourcing said.
Industrial chain maker Renold jumped 15% to 22.49p, having upgraded its guidance after revenue in the first four months of its financial year rose 14% amid a recovery in demand.
Renold said it now expected its adjusted operating profit for both the first half and full year to be higher than both market expectations and the equivalent prior-year period.
Subtitles and dubbing group Zoo Digital fell 4.5% to 135.15p, even as it forecast its first-half revenue to jump at least 51%, as production operations resume in the film and television industry.
Zoo Digital said it was 'confident of exceeding' current full-year revenue expectations.
Facilities management services group Mitie added 1.0% to 71.9p aftr it agreed to sell its document management business to Swiss Post Solutions for £40 million, in line with a plan to sell non-core assets.
The document management business had delivered revenue of £48 million and an earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of £4.2 million for the year through March.
Building materials supplier SigmaRoc gained 2.4% to 103.92p, having booked a doubling for first-half profit after acquisitions helped boost revenue.
SigmaRoc's rre-tax profit for the six months through June increased to £7.1 million, up from £3.5 million year-on-year, as revenue jumped 56% to £84.8 million.
Analytics-as-a-service company Actual Experience rallied 8.4% to 110p said it had been awarded a multi-year continuous improvement contract from an unnamed energy supplier.
Compliance and energy services group Sureserve firmed 5.1% to 95.6p after it retained a long-term gas servicing, repair and installation contract with social housing provider the Guinness Partnership.