Shares in AIM-listed semiconductor products firm IQE (LON:IQE) gained 18% after it announced a deal with US partner Tower Semiconductor (NASDAQ:TSEM). The multi-year agreement will see IQE supply specialist wafers for optical connectivity in AI-driven data centre infrastrusture. IQE’s InP (indium phosphide) epiwafers will be used in several of Tower’s advanced silicon photonics platforms as part of its next-generation optical technologies. The firms will collaborate on transceivers and prototype modulators as well as optical circuit switches and other critical applications for data centres. There is no mention of the monetary value of the agreement between IQE and Tower. However, Tower…

According to the latest analysis by FactSet, last quarter S&P 500 companies posted the strongest earnings growth since Q4 2021. Not only that, the number of companies beating forecasts was the highest since Q2 2021. Tech leads the way The average increase in earnings during Q1 2026 was 28.6%, the highest growth rate since the end of 2021. Unsurprisingly, the Information Technology sector showed the highest earnings growth at 55%. Information Technology includes several Mag 7 stocks, such as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). The second biggest increase in earnings came from the Communication Services sector, which includes…

Online sports betting and gaming firm Flutter Entertainment (LON:FLTR) has announced it will delist its London shares in early August. The group, which includes iconic brands like Paddy Power, FanDuel and SkyBet, said it would maintain its US listing. The chips are down Flutter said given the costs, regulatory and administrative obligations involved, it was better off quitting the London market. The delisting will become effective 8am London time on Monday 3 August, making Friday 31 July the last trading day. The firm has posted a list of answers to FAQ (frequently asked questions) which can be found on its…

The reporting season is easing as we head into the summer. While the calendar is lighter than peak earnings season, companies reporting will offer useful insight into trends in technology and consumer spending, with Jabil (NYSE:JBL), Tesco (LON:TESCO) and Beauty Tech (LON:TBTG) updates on deck. In the US, Jabil will be in focus given the company is a supplier to big-name brands such as Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA). Alongside Jabil, an update from supermarket operator Kroger (NYSE:KR) should provide insights into US consumer behaviour amid rising prices. In the UK, consumer spending will also be in focus with updates from AO…

Household cleaning products maker McBride (LON:MCB) lowered its FY26 and FY27 outlook due to higher input prices. The firm faces ‘sustained’ cost increases in petrochemical-derived and energy-intensive materials due to the Middle East conflict. 5% to 10% downgrade McBride works on a three-month pricing approach and says it has worked with customers to recover some of the increase in costs. However, the cumulative impact on input costs has exceeded its expectations, meaning a second round of price increases. The firm said at this stage direct cost pressures were ‘unlikely to rise considerably further or experience meaningful near-term decline’. It expects…

Richard Shepherd-Cross, manager of Custodian Property Income (LON: CREI), says ‘all the lights are green’ for the investment trust. The FY26 10% NAV total return, the highest since FY22, was driven by rental growth, higher valuations and higher occupancy. The trust, which invests in smaller regional UK properties with strong income potential, saw a 26% increase in IFRS pre-tax profit to £48.3 million. IFRS EPS (earnings per share) rose 20% to 10.4p, while EPRA EPS rose 3.3% to 6.3p resulting in a fully-covered dividend. Like-for-like rents rose 3.4% with just under a third of properties enjoying new lettings, lease renewals…

Global analytics, technology and safety group Halma (LON:HLMA) posted better-than-expected FY26 results and sounded upbeat about FY27. However, given the strong performance of the shares year-to-date, the shares succumbed to a bout of profit-taking. Record results For the year to March 2026, revenue rose 15% to £2.58 billion, topping market forecasts. Meanwhile, adjusted EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) rose 22% to £595 million, also ahead of forecasts. On an underlying basis excluding one-offs, revenue rose 14% and EBIT rose 20%. The increase in EBIT for FY26 marks 23 years of unbroken growth, despite repeated ructions to the global economy.…

With the Strait of Hormuz still more or less shut to traffic, oil and gas prices remain at elevated levels. Brent crude oil futures continue to trade around $90 per barrel compared with $60 at the start of the year. As Ecofin Redwheel fund manager Michel Sznajer describes it, Hormuz could be ‘the new Fukushima’. ‘Explosive price volatility, fuel rationing and demand-based restrictions evoke the systemic vulnerability felt after Fukushima’, says Sznajer. Even if the Strait reopened tomorrow, it would take a long time for normal service to resume. Moreover, energy prices will still carry a ‘Hormuz premium’ according to…

AIM-listed games developer and publisher Frontier Developments (LON:FDEV) posted record adjusted operating profit for FY26. The firm also said it expected FY27 to start positively and was confident in delivering results in line with expectations. Jurassic-sized profits For the year to end-May, Frontier registered a 16% increase in revenue to £104.8 million, the second-highest level in its history. CEO Jo Cooke put the firm’s success down to the popularity of its CMS (creative management simulation) games. Almost 90% of FY26 sales came from CMS games including Jurassic World Evolution 3, alongside continued revenue contributions from the Planet Coaster and Planet…

In the latest special edition of the podcast, we’re joined by George Ferguson IV, Senior Aerospace & Defence analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. George talks us through the recent surge in interest among European investors for defence stocks, plus the upcoming SpaceX IPO. We discuss the potential for SpaceX’s ‘lift’ or launch business, as well as the value inherent in the Starlink business. With much of the long-term value of the company pinned on xAI, we also discuss how reliable analysts’ forecasts are likely to be. Finally, when it comes to the issue of automatic inclusion in the major US indices,…