Commercial property group British Land (BLND) has agreed to buy ailing Life Science REIT (LABS) for a small premium. The deal comes after LABS shareholders agreed to a managed wind-down of the company last November. BLND share price: 406p (-0.9%)PE: 7.4xMarket cap: £4.1bnYield: 5.6% ASSETS SUIT ‘CAMPUS’ STRATEGY In September 2025, Life Science REIT began a strategic review and formal sale process. The firm blamed high inflation and interest rates for a slowdown in leasing activity and negative investor sentiment. The slowdown in leasing was a ‘significant’ challenge as LABS had planned a high level of capex to drive up…

Shares in US medical care provider UnitedHealth (UNH) plummeted 19% to $284 after the firm forecast lower sales in FY26. The healthcare giant hasn’t experienced a drop in sales since 1989, hence the shakeout on Wall Street. Share price: $284 (-19%)PE: 14.9xMarket cap: $258bnYield: 2.5% FIRST FALL IN 35 YEARS UnitedHealth forecast FY26 revenue would be at least $439 billion, which would represent a 2% decline on FY25. It would also be well below the analyst consensus of $455 billion for this year. Sales for FY25 were up 12% to $447.6 billion, while the firm served nearly 50 million patients…

Shares in specialist software provider Eleco (ELCO) jumped 15% after the firm raised its FY25 earnings guidance. The company works with construction firms on scheduling, cost management, delivery and management of new buildings. Share price: 152p (+15%)PE: 32xMarket cap: £125mYield: 0.8% STRONG TOP-LINE GROWTH AIM-listed Eleco can trace its history back to 1895 when it began life as The Gilbert Arc Lamp Company. It also has plenty of years under its belt as a public company, having been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1939. Today, construction firms rely on its specialist software and services throughout the building lifecycle.…

Shares in betting and gaming company Evoke (EVOK) fell 10% after the firm withheld earnings guidance for 2026. The board said it was ‘not appropriate’ to provide an outlook given it was conducting a strategic review of the business. Share price: 24.65p (-10%)PE: 2.4xMarket Cap: £115mYield: n/a UK TAXATION HEADWINDS As announced on 10 December 2025, Evoke is reviewing its strategic options in order to ‘maximise shareholder value’. The decision comes after the shares lost around two thirds of their value between 1 January and early December. The board has blamed UK taxation of the regulated gaming industry for having…

Facilities management group Mitie (MTO) confirmed its FY earnings guidance after positive Q3 trading. The firm said it was ‘on track’ to deliver operating profit and free cash flow in line with market expectations. Record order book Mitie provides a range of support services to private and public-sector customers in the UK and abroad. These range from ‘hard’ services like engineering to ‘soft services’ like site management, security, training, fire safety and hygiene. The firm traded well in the third quarter to December, posting 10% growth in revenue to £1.45 billion. That included 4% like-for-like growth and came against a…

In this article we look at four lesser-known UK-listed stocks serving the defence industry. The defence sector has been an outstanding performer in the last few years, and investors are searching for new names. Our choices range from a £5 billion FTSE 100 metals and energy group to a £13 million AIM-listed consultancy. They also range in terms of business model, from supplying actual defence hardware to providing high-impact personnel solutions. Which of the four appeals will depend very much on your appetite for risk. METLEN ENERGY & METALS (MTLN) Share price: €42.20PE: 11.8xMarket cap: £4.9bnYield: n/a The first of…

Shares in digital media group S4Capital (SFOR) leapt 40% after it upgraded its FY25 earnings guidance. Trading in the final part of last year was ahead of forecasts, meaning results will beat previous estimates. Share price: 27.2p (+40%)PE: n/aMarket cap: £181mYield: 3.2% EARNINGS ‘ROLLERCOASTER’ On 24 November, S4Capital cut its operating profit guidance due to lower project-based revenue and ‘continued client caution’. At the time, it forecast EBITDA of around £75 million against a consensus of £81.6 million. The shares dropped 2p or around 12% to 15.7p on the news and bumped along at 16p during December. They perked up…

Shares in private hospital operator Spire Healthcare (SPI) jumped 15% after the group confirmed talks with private equity firms. The healthcare group announced in September 2025 it was undertaking a strategic review of its business. Share price: 205.5p (+15%)PE: 23xMarket Cap: £825mYield: 1.3% ‘WELL-INVESTED’ ASSET BASE Spire operates 38 private hospitals and over 50 clinics, medical centres and consulting rooms across Great Britian. It also operates a network of private GPs and provides occupational health services to over 800 corporate clients. The group confirmed Bridgepoint Advisers and Triton Investment Advisors were among the parties in talks over the strategic review.…

Shares in infrastructure group Costain (COST) jumped as much as 10% on plans to increase dividends and buy back shares. The infrastructure group also confirmed FY25 trading was positive and earnings would be in line with expectations. Share price: 175p (+8%)PE: 13xMarket cap: £470mYield: 1.7% MORE CONTRACT WINS Costain confirmed revenue and operating profit for 2025 would meet forecasts. The current consensus is for revenue of £1.13 billion, profit of £46.4 million and EPS of 14p. The firm said H2 revenue was similar to H1’s £525 million as it continued to secure ‘strong’ work volumes. Costain is active across the…

FTSE 100 defence group Babcock International (BAB) reported positive Q3 trading and maintained its FY guidance. After their recent strong performance, however, the shares trod water on the announcement. Share price: £14.61 (-0.2%)PE: 24.8xMarket Cap: £7.3bnYield: 0.6% POSITIVE MOMENTUM The defence group operates in the aviation, land and marine sectors as well as in nuclear power. It employs around 27,000 people, mostly in the UK where it makes 70% of its sales. For the quarter to the end of December, the company said it saw good organic revenue growth. With the majority of forecast revenue for the year to March…