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Hill & Smith acquires WAPCO in $42m deal
Infrastructure products and galvanising services provider Hill & Smith Holdings has completed the acquisition of the business and assets of Work Area Protection Corporation and its associated affiliates for a total cash consideration of $42. 0m, on a debt free, cash free basis, it announced on Wednesday.
Renishaw upgrades full-year forecasts after strong nine months
Renishaw upgraded its forecasts for annual results after the engineering group reported a 39% increase in profit for the first nine months of 2018.
Renew Holdings to buy Scottish rail contractor QTS, placing announced
Engineering services group Renew Holdings has announced plans to buy Scottish rail contractor QTS for £80m in cash, a deal it will part-fund through a placing.
Burberry tanks as Belgian billionaire Albert Frere sells entire stake
Luxury fashion brand Burberry was under the cosh on Wednesday after Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, the holding company of Belgian billionaire Albert Frere, sold its entire 6. 6% stake in the group.
Imperial Brands shares 'too cheap' for RBC Capital
First-half results from tobacco giant Imperial Brands impressed RBC Capital Markets, which saw management "doing the right thing" and the shares "too cheap".
Imperial Brands confident despite slow burn in first half
First-half profits for Imperial Brands fell 7% as tobacco sales fell, sterling swung back and UK distributor Palmer & Harvey called in the administrators, but earnings beat average City forecast and there was optimism about developments in e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn tobacco.
Grafton hit by bad weather after positive start to year
Adverse weather in March and early April hit trading at builders' merchant Grafton Group following a positive start to the year in January and February.
Marshalls revenue rises 10% despite bad weather
Marshalls said freezing conditions affected sales severely but the paving specialist’s revenue still rose 10% in the first four months of 2018.
N4 Pharma quick to file premature ejaculation patent
Specialist pharmaceutical company N4 Pharma made a patent application for its premature ejaculation treatment, an oral reformulation of an anti-depressant drug duloxetine that will be marketed as Cymbalta.
St Modwen sells off more than a quarter of retail property portfolio
Property regeneration specialist St Modwen Properties disposed of two of its retail assets in separate transactions on Wednesday at a combined discount to book value, trimming its retail portfolio by 27% as a result.
Bonds: Oil price gains push yields higher across the board
These were the movements in some of the most widely-followed 10-year sovereign bond yields: US: 2. 98% (+3bp) UK: 1. 44% (+4bp) Germany: 0. 56% (+3bp) France: 0. 81% (+4bp) Spain: 1. 32% (+4bp) Italy: 1. 87% (+11bp) Portugal: 1. 73% (+6bp) Greece: 4. 20% (+6bp) Japan: 0. 05% (+1bp).
Provident Financial reports positive start to 2018
Provident Financial said it made a positive start to 2018 as the subprime lender seeks to emerge from a disastrous period that threatened its survival.
Primary Health Properties lands €5.8m Irish health centre
Healthcare facility investor Primary Health Properties has acquired a purpose-built primary care centre in Ireland.
London open: Oil majors lead rise after US withdraws from Iran deal
London stocks rose in early trade on Wednesday as investors mulled over US President Trump's largely expected decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal and sifted through a raft of corporate news, with bakery chain Greggs bucking the trend on the back of a cautious outlook.
Wetherspoon chairman calls for UK to go it alone on customs
After sales from his JD Wetherspoon pub chain slowed in recent weeks, founder Tim Martin has weighed into the debate about post-Brexit customs arrangements by calling for Britain to go it alone and calling the EU a protection racket.
Grainger acquires Southampton build-to-rent development
The UK's largest listed residential landlord Grainger has unconditionally agreed to fund and acquire a 132 property build-to-rent development in Southampton from National Regional Property Group for roughly £27m.
OneSavings Bank loan book up 5% in first quarter
The loan book at OneSavings Bank grew 5% in the first quarter, the company said on Wednesday, as it reiterated its guidance for the year.
G4S Q1 trading in line, revenue growth to accelerate in second half
Security group G4S said on Wednesday that first-quarter trading was in line with the outlook it provided in March and that it expects growth to accelerate in the second half of the year after organic revenues fell 2% in the first quarter.
London pre-open: Stocks to edge up as investors mull US Iran deal withdrawal
London stocks were set to edge up at the open on Wednesday, with oil prices in focus after US President Trump announced that he was pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal.