Barclays reissued its “Hold” rating on ARM Holdings, down 5.4%, with a target price of 1000p. The stock received mixed ratings from various brokers. Deutsche Bank and Credit Suisse both gave a positive rating on Johnson Matthey, up 5.2%, with the latter issuing a target price of 3100p. Goodbody reaffirmed its “Hold” rating on DS Smith, up 3.1%, with a target price of 375p.
Horizon Discovery Group, up 1.2%, announced that it has launched a new platform for immuno-oncology research, which enables researchers to test thousands of potential anti-cancer drugs that recruit the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. The company also announced that it has signed a Supply and Distribution agreement with Agena Bioscience to launch iPLEX® reference standards when studying and treating tumours on the MassARRAY® System.
Vernalis, remained unchanged at 51.3p, having announced that it has successfully completed its single-dose comparative bioavailability study of its CCP-08 cough and cold treatment. The product will now be moved into a multiple-dose comparative bioavailability study. The company also announced that a similar study of its CCP-07 treatment has been successfully completed. Stifel Nicolaus reiterated its “Buy” rating on the stock with a target price of 103p.
Barclays lowered its target price on AVEVA Group, down 0.3%, to 1500p from 1541p with an “Equal Weight” rating. Cambridge Cognition Holdings, down 2.4%, announced that it will launch its first ever web-based product, CANTAB Recruit, an online patient recruitment portal for pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms for identifying prospective clinical trial participants.
Gaming Realms, down 4.9%, announced that it has launched a new gaming website, BGTGames.com, which is a part of its three-year deal with FremantleMedia. The deal sets up a platform for developing gaming content under the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and ‘The X Factor’ brands.
Ubisense Group, down 4.9%, announced that it has signed a partnership agreement with CAS, a specialist in supplying, installing and servicing industrial production tooling, for providing assistance in developing smarter manufacturing in the UK. The company will make use of its industrially proven Real-Time Location System (RTLS) Dimension4 and the Smart Factory software platform.
UK markets ended mostly higher in the previous week, led by advances in mining and energy sector stocks. Meanwhile, the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged at its recent policy meeting, amid concerns over Britain’s possible exit from the EU. The FTSE 100 index rose 2.2% to 6,343.8, while the FTSE AIM 100 Index climbed 1.6% to finish at 3,450.5. However, the FTSE techMARK 100 Index eased 0.1% to 3,881.9.
US markets closed firmer last week, amid upbeat quarterly earnings result from some banks. The consumer prices index rose less than expected in March, while the University of Michigan survey indicated that consumer confidence weakened in April. The DJIA index advanced 1.8% to 17,897.5, while the NASDAQ Index jumped 1.8% to 4,938.2.
____________________________________________________