LONDON: Reckitt Benckiser Group reported a resilient first-half performance as it continued to reshape itself into a leaner, health- and hygiene-focused company, posting 4.2% like-for-like revenue growth in its Core business and announcing the divestment of its Essential Home division. Group net revenue fell 2.6% to £6.98 billion due to foreign exchange headwinds, but Core…
Lloyds Banking Group reports higher profits, boosts dividend on strong first half
LONDON: Lloyds Banking Group plc announced increased profits and a higher dividend for the first half of 2025 on Thursday, citing income growth, cost discipline, and robust asset quality. The UK-focused bank reported a statutory profit after tax of £2.5 billion for the six months ending June 30, 2025, up 4% from £2.4 billion in…
iomart revenue rises 13% in FY2025 amid Atech boost; Profitability hit by goodwill impairment
LONDON: iomart Group plc (AIM: IOM) on Wednesday posted a 13% rise in annual revenue to £143.5 million, driven by contributions from acquisitions and six months of trading from Atech, which saw unaudited annual revenue growth of 27%. Despite topline growth, the secure cloud services provider swung to a statutory loss before tax of £53.2…
BATM divests three non-core units to sharpen focus on core technologies
LONDON: BATM Advanced Communications Ltd. (LSE: BVC; TASE: BVC) said Wednesday it has sold three of its non-core businesses, part of an ongoing strategy to streamline operations and concentrate on its core segments of network infrastructure, cybersecurity and diagnostics. The divestments include Celitron, the company’s eco-medical unit in Hungary, and Zer Laboratories, which manages third-party…
Wall Street futures steady after S&P 500 hits record on trade optimism
Dow Jones ends just shy of record close as IBM weighs on futures, trade optimism offsets earnings pressure U.S. stock futures held steady Wednesday night after the S&P 500 closed at a fresh record high, lifted by renewed hopes for progress on international trade deals. Futures linked to the benchmark index edged up 0.1%, while…
BlackRock declares $5.21 dividend amid record ETF flows and HPS acquisition
BlackRock maintains strong momentum despite major client redemption, boosts AUM to $12.5 trillion BlackRock Inc. (NYSE: BLK) on Wednesday reported robust second-quarter earnings and declared a quarterly cash dividend of $5.21 per share, payable on September 23, 2025, to shareholders of record as of September 5, 2025. The world’s largest asset manager posted diluted EPS…
Halyk Bank to acquire minority stake in Uzbekistan’s Click; Sells shares in Tenge Bank
ALMATY: JSC Halyk Bank, Kazakhstan’s largest financial group, said Wednesday it will acquire a 49% stake in Uzbekistan-based payment services provider Click JSC for $176.4 million, while selling an identical stake in its wholly owned Tenge Bank JSCB to Click’s shareholders for $60.76 million. The dual transaction, subject to regulatory approval in both countries, paves…
Corpay to acquire Alpha Group International in £1.8 billion cash deal
Deal offers 55% premium to Alpha’s pre-announcement share price LONDON: U.S.-based Corpay, Inc. (NYSE: CPAY) will acquire British financial services firm Alpha Group International (LSE: ALPH) in a recommended cash deal valued at approximately £1.8 billion ($2.3 billion), the companies announced Thursday. Under the terms, Alpha shareholders will receive 4,250 pence per share—a 55% premium…
CPP Group sells India arm to focus on insurtech platform Blink
LONDON: CPP Group (AIM: CPP) has agreed to sell its India-based subsidiary, CPP Assistance Services Private Ltd, for US$21 million (approx. £15.7 million), marking a key milestone in the Group’s transformation into a pure-play InsurTech business. The buyers, OneAssist Consumer Solutions and Bolttech Device Protection India, will acquire 100% of the company in a transaction…
Software Circle reports solid FY25 growth amid AI expansion
LONDON: Software Circle plc (AIM: SFT) on Wednesday reported preliminary results for the year ended March 31, 2025, with strong revenue growth and improved adjusted EBITDA, bolstered by acquisitions and expanding use of artificial intelligence across its operations. The Group posted full-year revenue of £18.3 million, up from £16.2 million in FY24, while adjusted EBITDA…
Informa powers ahead: 20%+ earnings surge triggers upgraded guidance and £150m buyback boost
LONDON: Global B2B events and academic information giant Informa PLC (LSE: INF.L) delivered a robust set of half-year results for 2025, showcasing significant growth across key financial metrics and prompting an upgrade to its full-year outlook. The company also committed to a further £150 million in share buybacks, underscoring confidence in its trajectory. Strong Core…
CyanConnode sees dip in annual revenue, triples order book amid India expansion
LONDON: CyanConnode Holdings plc (AIM: CYAN), a UK-based provider of narrowband RF mesh networks, reported a 24% decline in full-year revenue, citing delayed deployment momentum in its largest market, India. Revenue fell to £14.2 million for the year ended March 31, 2025, from £18.7 million in FY24, primarily due to election-related business uncertainty and consumer…