magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Investment ramp hints at Accesso opportunity
Thursday 12 Jan 2017An R&D ramp-up may be the precursor to a new major contract win for Accesso Technology ( ACSO:AIM ) . The company specialises in attractions and theme park ticketing, queuing and payments technology. It is committed to scaling up as part of its 100-odd site worldwide roll out with attractions...
The big and small names set to IPO in London
Thursday 12 Jan 2017Telecoms, jewellery and halal food are among the industries that may feature in the IPO (initial public offering) market in 2017. We’ve pulled together all the official announcements and rumours for stocks linked to a London stock market flotation this year. Heading the pack is mobile phone...
Halma bolts on
Thursday 12 Jan 2017FTSE 250 company Halma ( HLMA ) has continued its long-run acquisition spree of small bolt-ons with the $28m purchase of FluxData, a digital imaging systems supplier. The plan is to integrate the new technology into its core health and safety, medical and environmental markets solutions. Halma...
Rentokil on a roll as it nets £437m
Thursday 22 Dec 2016Shares in Rentokil ( RTO ) enjoyed a boost after it punted non-core assets into a joint venture with family business Haniel in exchange for €520m (£437m) in cash and an 18% stake in the new business. Rentokil’s plan to refocus on its world-leading pest control and hygiene business while offloading...
Lloyds’ dividends threatened by MBNA deal
Thursday 22 Dec 2016L loyds Banking Group ( LLOY ) looks unlikely to pay a special dividend previously forecast by analysts. Its £1.9bn acquisition of MBNA’s consumer credit card business, announced on 20 December 2016, will effectively use up all its excess capital up to the end of 2017. Shore Capital had forecast 4p...
Cataloging Christmas retail winners and losers
Thursday 22 Dec 2016Momentum continued in November according to the latest ONS Retail Sales figures (15 Dec), with strong consumer spending boosted by Black Friday and Cyber Monday in the run-up to Christmas. Yet with the GfK Consumer Confidence Index falling by five points in November, and inflationary pressures...
SigmaRoc seals first deal in construction strategy
Thursday 22 Dec 2016A Channel Islands construction firm previously owned by one of the world’s biggest building materials businesses will join the UK stock market early in 2017. Cash shell SigmaRoc ( SRC:AIM ) is paying £45m for Ronez, a profitable quarries-to-road paving group with operations in Jersey and Guernsey...
Avanti pulls off funding rescue
Thursday 22 Dec 2016Satellites network operator Avanti Communications ( AVN:AIM ) is no longer up for sale after bondholders supported a $242m funding deal that appears to secure its near-term future. The agreement includes $130m of fresh cash plus the deferral of $112m worth of interest payments. The shares jumped 10...
BP’s contrasting acquisitions
Thursday 22 Dec 2016Oil major BP ( BP. ) is bolstering its production base and boosting exposure to exploration. It is paying circa $2bn in shares for 10% of Abu Dhabi’s ADCO onshore oil concession. A further $1bn will get 62% of exploration projects owned by Kosmos Energy (KOS:NYSE) . Kosmos was Tullow Oil’s ( TLW )...
Over optimism dents NCC
Thursday 15 Dec 2016Cyber security company NCC ( NCC ) is having to accept it was too optimistic about its ability to recover a profits shortfall from contract losses and delays in its Assurance business that sparked a shock profit warning on 20 October. The Manchester-based company now admits that adjusted earnings...