Company News
Daily Mail owner buys New Scientist magazine for £70m
The publisher of the Daily Mail said it had bought the weekly science and technology magazine New Scientist for £70m in cash.
Hipgnosis appoints industry veteran Richard Rowe as executive president
Hipgnosis Songs Fund said on Wednesday that it has appointed music industry veteran and Round Hill Music co-founder Richard Rowe as executive president with immediate effect.
Nichols falls flat as pandemic weighs heavily
Vimto maker Nichols reported a slide in revenues and profits on Wednesday after the Covid-19 pandemic quashed demand.
PageGroup profit slumps nearly 90% as Covid dents hiring
Recruiter PageGroup reported a near-90% slump in full-year profit on Wednesday as hiring was hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Gamma buys partner Mission Labs in £40m deal
Technology-focussed communications services provider Gamma Communications has acquired the entire issued share capital of Mission Labs, it announced on Wednesday, for initial consideration of £40. 2m.
Prudential announces second 2020 dividend
Prudential announced a second interim dividend as the company reported a 4% increase in annual profit and an improving trend in Asia.
Urban Logistics announces £23m forward funding at two sites
Specialist industrial and logistics property investor Urban Logistics announced the £23m forward funding of two development sites on Wednesday.
International Personal Finance swings to loss amid Covid crisis
International Personal Finance reported a 22% fall in revenue in its final results on Thursday, to £772. 2m, as its customer numbers were down 20% year-on-year at 1. 68 million.
Vivo Energy FY profits drop as revenues slide on Covid-19 impacts
Fuels and lubricants retailer Vivo Energy said on Wednesday that gross profits had declined in 2020 as revenues slipped due to Covid-19 impacts throughout the year.
Biffa earnings to beat expectations, shares jump
Biffa said on Wednesday that full-year earnings would come in ahead of expectations, after the third national lockdown had less of an impact than feared.
JLEN acquiring grid-scale battery storage project in Dundee
JLEN Environmental Assets Group announced the acquisition of Gigabox South Road (GSRL) on Wednesday, which holds the development rights to construct the West Gourdie project, a 50MW lithium-ion battery energy storage plant based in Dundee.
Polymetal revenue, earnings surge in 2020
Polymetal reported a 28% improvement in its revenue for 2020 on Wednesday, to $2. 87bn, as its average realised gold and silver prices rose 27% for both metals during the year.
Beazley CEO Horton quits after 13 years
Andrew Horton has stepped down as chief executive of Beazley after almost 13 years to lead an Australian insurance company.
WPP buys NN4M for undisclosed sum
Advertising company WPP said it had bought retail commerce services group NN4M for an undisclosed sum.
US court rules in favour of AstraZeneca over Symbicort
A US court has ruled in favour of AstraZeneca in patent litigation concerning asthma treatment Symbicort, the Anglo-Swedish drugs firm said on Wednesday.
Micro Focus surges after signing commercial agreement with AWS
Micro Focus shares surged on Wednesday after the software company said it had signed a commercial agreement with Amazon Web Services.
Playtech names 888's Mattingley as chairman
Gambling technology firm Playtech named 888 Holdings' Brian Mattingley as chairman designate on Wednesday, with his appointment set to take effect on 1 June.
DS Smith sees trading in line with expectations
Packaging company DS Smith said trading was in line with expectations as higher box volumes were offset by a rise in input costs.
Avast FY results underpinned by consumer direct desktop business
Avast reported a rise in full-year profit and revenue on Wednesday, underpinned by growth in its consumer direct desktop business as more people worked from home due to the pandemic.
Persimmon pledges return to pre-crisis shareholder payouts
Persimmon pledged to restore shareholder payouts to pre-crisis levels in 2021 as the housebuilder reported an 18% decline in annual profit.