Tobacco and vape firm Imperial Brands (IMB) posted in-line H1 results and maintained its FY26 financial guidance. CEO Lukas Paravini said the firm had seen ‘no material impact’ from the Middle East conflict but was monitoring events. Guidance maintained For the six months to March, Imperial reported tobacco and NGP (new generation product) revenue of £3.73 billion. That was marginally ahead of the consensus of £3.68 billion as compiled by the company. Tobacco revenue rose 1.5%, with higher prices offsetting lower volumes, while NGP revenue rose 7.5%. New product sales jumped 60% in AAACE (Asia, Africa and Central Europe) while…

Shares in foodservice group Compass (CPG) gained 2.3% to $30.17 after the firm raised its FY26 profit outlook. On an underlying basis, the company now sees operating profit rising 11% instead of 10% previously. Margin improvement For H1 to March 2026, Compass registered underlying operating growth of 12%, ahead of forecasts. The firm attributed the better outturn to higher revenue and M&A synergies which led to an improvement in margins. Revenue for H1 rose 9% to $25 billion with underlying organic growth of 7.2%, slightly ahead of forecasts. Revenue from existing clients was strong, with client retention an impressive 96%…

British Airways and Iberia owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) said FY profit will ‘inevitably’ miss expectations due to higher fuel prices. However, it said it aimed to recover 60% of the impact through revenue and cost management actions. Minimal disruption to flights IAG posted a small increase in Q1 turnover to €7.18 billion and a 77% increase in operating profit to €351 million. It admitted the quarter was ‘relatively unaffected’ by the Middle East conflict but it would have ‘a more substantial impact’ over the FY. The group is well hedged for this year at 70%, and so far there is…

The US results season is slowly winding down, but there are still a few important tech companies to report, not least networks giant and AI infrastructure enabler Cisco Systems (CSCO), which is due to post Q3 earnings after the US market close on Wednesday. In Europe, earnings season is still in full swing with plenty of results and trading updates to come. We kick the week off with FTSE 100 foodservice and hospitality group Compass (CPG), which publishes its 1H earnings on Monday. Among the slew of UK results due on Thursday, we believe fashion house Burberry (BRBY) is one…

Property portal Rightmove (RMV) confirmed its outlook for FY26 despite weakness in the new build housing market. The group said it expects growth in its core estate agency business to offset ‘subdued’ new build rates. On track for full year Over the last few years, Rightmove has offered more tools to allow developers to promote their new homes on its site. These have proved popular with housebuilders and potential buyers alike, with leads increasing as a result. However, the core of the business remains existing homes which are marketed via estate agents. Here it is seeing low growth, but crucially…

Shares in sports betting firm Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) hit a five-year low after Q1 results failed to impress. In addition, the firm lowered the midpoint of its guidance range for total revenue for FY26. Losing its appeal Despite a 17% increase in Q1 revenue due to acquisitions, net profit dropped a whopping 38% to $209 million. Adjusted EPS fell 23% to $1.22, which was actually better than expected as the consensus was $1.11. However, weaker average monthly player numbers and a decline in Fanduel sportbook players in particular weighed on sentiment. Moreover, continued investment in prediction markets meant EBITDA for…

Defence technology group BAE Systems (BA.) confirmed its FY financial targets after a ‘strong’ start to 2026. The firm said it had seen an increase in defence spending across all its key markets. Strong performance The group has traded well in the first four months of 2026, ‘delivering strong operational and financial performance’. Security threats continue to grow around the world leading governments to increase defence spending. The combination of increased defence spending with strong portfolio alignment ‘provides a supportive backdrop for growth over the medium term’. The firm sees ‘significant opportunities’ in space systems, missile and air defence systems,…

Shares in oil and gas giant Shell (SHEL) dropped 2.5% despite the firm posting forecast-beating Q1 earnings. The group also raised its dividend and proposed a further $3 billion share buyback. Weaker Q2 outlook For Q1 to March, Shell posted adjusted earnings of $6.9 billion, well above the $6.36 billion consensus. The beat was down to higher oil and gas prices and a strong result from its trading division. However, for Q2 the company lowered its production forecasts for oil and gas due to the Middle East conflict. Upstream oil production is seen between 1.62 million and 1.82 million barrels…

Shares in magazine and newspaper wholesaler Smiths News (SNWS) gained 2% despite the firm posting lower 1H profits. Investors focused instead on the company’s confirmation FY results would be in line with market expectations. Guidance confirmed For the six months to end-February, the firm posted a 3% drop in adjusted net profit on the back of a 4% drop in revenue. On a reported basis, net profit was down nearer 10% and earnings per share were down close to 11%. However, the company put the drop down to higher NIC contributions and ongoing investment in technology. That investment appears to…

Drinks giant Diageo (DGE) had investors popping corks after Q3 organic sales growth surprised positively. Instead of a 2.3% decline in net revenue for the three months to March, the firm reported a 0.3% increase. Clear improvement Analysts’ growth forecasts for the period varied from -4.2% to +0.5%, putting the firm’s performance towards the top end of the range. Better still, quarterly net sales of $4.48 billion were above both the consensus of $4.26 billion and the top forecast of $4.39 billion. Encouragingly, growth was driven by better volumes and a better combination of price and product mix. Volumes were…