DS Smith, down 3.3%, in its pre-close trading update, announced that it has witnessed strong growth in profitability and financial performance, which was in line with the board’s expectations.
Johnson Matthey, down 1.3%, announced that it has appointed Simon Price as Company Secretary, with effect from 07 June 2023.
Hilton Food Group, down 0.7%, announced that its 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) would be held and broadcast from Hilton Food Group plc, 2-8 The Interchange, Latham Road, Cambridgeshire PE29 6YE on 23 May 2023.
Kier Group, up 1.1%, announced that Mark Pengelly, Group Managing Director of its Infrastructure business and Managing Director of Eiffage, Kier, Ferrovial Construction and BAM Nuttall (EKFB), would retire from his positions at the end of 2023.
Aferian, up 31%, announced that Non-Executive Director and current Chair of the Board's Remuneration Committee, Steve Vaughan, has stepped down with immediate effect. Meanwhile, Non-Executive Director, Max Royde would take up the position of Chair.
Bango, up 3.7%, announced that its 2023 AGM would be held on 24 May 2023, at Bango Cambridge offices.
Oracle Power, up 1.3%, in its 1Q 2023 update, announced that it has made significant progress during the first quarter of 2023, developing a series of strategic industry partnerships as it advances the development of its flagship asset, the 400MW Green Hydrogen Project in Pakistan, through its subsidiary Oracle Energy.
Cambridge Cognition, unchanged at 97.5p, announced that it would release its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2022 on 03 May 2023.
GetBusy, down 5.1%, in its AGM trading update, announced that its annualised recurring revenue (ARR) as at 31 March 2023 stood at £20.5m, representing an increase of 6% at constant currency since the start of the financial year on 1 January 2023.
Xaar, down 4.7%, announced that its AGM would be held on 31 May 2023.
1Spatial, down 4.1%, in its final results for the year ended 31 January 2023, announced that revenues rose to £30.00m from £27.03m recorded in the previous year.
Checkit, down 3.6%, in its results for the year ended 31 January 2023, announced that revenues rose to £10.30m from £8.40m recorded in the previous year. Loss before tax widened to £12.30m from £8.50m. Quixant, down 0.6%, announced that it would be changing its name to Nexteq Plc.
UK markets ended mostly higher last week, led by gains in energy sector stocks. On the data front, UK’s public sector net borrowing deficit widened in March, representing its second-highest level since monthly records began in 1993. Moreover, UK’s Rightmove house prices grew less than expected in April. The FTSE AIM 100 index rose 0.4% to close at 3,980.0, while the FTSE techMARK 100 index gained 0.4% to end at 6,901.2. Meanwhile, the FTSE 100 index declined 0.6% to settle at 7,870.6.
US markets ended higher in the previous week, following robust corporate earnings from tech giants. On the macro front, the US durable goods orders rebounded in March, driven by an increase in demand for aircraft, while the nation’s weekly jobless claims unexpectedly fell in the week ended 21 April 2023. Additionally, the US new home sales climbed to a 1-year high in March, reflecting lower mortgage rates, while the housing price index climbed in February. Also, the US Michigan consumer sentiment improved in April. Meanwhile, the US gross domestic product (GDP) grew less than expected in 1Q23, amid slowdown in business investment growth, decline in inventories and rising interest rates. Moreover, the US pending home sales fell by the most since September 2022 in March, amid lack of housing inventory, while the nation’s consumer confidence index fell to a 9-month low in April, amid renewed concerns about a recession. The DJIA index rose 0.9% to end at 34,098.2, while the NASDAQ index gained 1.3% to close at 12,226.6.
