Trading updates from housebuilders Bellway (LON:BWY) and MJ Gleeson (LON:GLE) did little to dispel the gloom surrounding the sector. Bellway maintained its guidance but saw a fall in reservations and its forward order book while Gleeson lowered its FY outlook. ‘Uncertain’ outlook Newcastle upon Tyne-based Bellway said it had performed ‘robustly’ year to date and confirmed its FY26 operating profit target. However, it noted the market had become ‘increasingly challenging with customer demand having moderated in recent weeks’. Moreover, while it is on track for the year to end-July, the firm cautioned the outlook beyond that was ‘uncertain’. Geopolitical tensions…

Shares in AIM-listed podcast provider Audioboom (LON:BOOM) sank 14% despite the firm promising record H1 results. Instead, investors were dismayed the firm had ended its strategic review despite receiving three indicative offers for the business at a premium. ‘Read the room’ For the six months to the end of June, Audioboom said it expects to report record results. Revenue is seen rising nearly 30% to $45 million while adjusted EBITDA is seen rising at least 66% to a minimum of $3 million. The firm said the positive trading it experienced in Q1 and which it reported on in April had…

The latest UK index review by FTSE Russell, part of LSE Group (LON:LSEG), means a major shake-up of the FTSE 250. While the large-cap FTSE 100 sees three changes, the mid-cap index faces nine changes. Winners and losers New additions to the FTSE 100 are Aberdeen Group (LON:ABDN), Computacenter (LON:CCC) and Investec (INVP). The three stocks have gained 16%, 48% and 12% respectively this year. Making way for the new entrants are Berkeley Group (LON:BKG), Mondi (LON:MNDI) and Rightmove (LON:RMV). These three stocks have lost 11%, 18% and 16% respectively so far this year. The FTSE 100 joiners have effectively…

European gaming and lottery firm Bally’s Intralot confirmed it had reached an agreed £243 million takeover of Evoke (LON:EVOK). The offer values the UK company at 52p per share, 77% above its response to media chat regarding a potential takeover. Game over Intralot is offering Evoke investors 0.537 new Intralot shares with a value of €1.12 each, equivalent to 52p. It is also offering a cash alternative although this will be capped at £117 million or 48% of the deal by value. The combination will create ‘a global gaming and lottery champion with scaled pan-European B2C’, according to the press…

Investors head into a busy stretch of the earnings season in the week of 8–12 June, with a select but influential group of companies from both London and New York markets set to report. While the calendar is lighter than peak reporting periods, results from a mix of technology, consumer, and industrial names will offer important insight into global demand trends, margins, and the outlook for the second half of the year. In the US, Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) will be the standout release, drawing close attention to cloud infrastructure growth, AI-related demand, and enterprise spending resilience. Alongside Oracle, updates from companies…

UK construction activity in May showed its sharpest decline in six years as measured by the S&P Global UK Construction PMI. Excluding the pandemic, the fall was the worst since March 2009 during the global financial crisis. The UK Construction PMI (Purchasing Managers’ Index) dropped from 39.7 in April to 38.2 last month, the steepest fall since May 2020. The figure also extended the run of sub-50 readings, which signals a contraction in activity, to 17 consecutive months. S&P attributed the decline to shrinking order books and rising economic uncertainty. At the same time, higher energy, fuel and transport costs…

Facilities management group Mitie (LON:MTO) posted a double-digit increase in revenue and operating profit for FY26. The results include the benefits of the Marlowe acquisition and major contract wins during the year. Delivering growth For the year to March, Mitie reported revenue of £5.62 billion, up 10.5% on the previous year. Half the increase was organic, driven by new contract wins, scope increases, pricing and upselling, with the rest from acquisitions. Operating profit before one-off items increased 13% to £264 million, despite higher NI costs and the loss of some contracts. EPS before items rose 7% to 13.6p as higher…

Specialist electronic components maker DiscoverIE (LON:DSCV) posted record FY26 earnings which marginally topped forecasts. The firm also said the outlook for FY27 was ‘positive’ and earnings were set to meet expectations. Strong finish For the year to March, sales increased 5% to £443.3 million, fractionally above the consensus of £442.5 million. Adjusted EPS (earnings per share) rose 4% to 40.3p, again slightly higher than the consensus. The firm had a ‘strong finish’ to the FY with organic sales rising 5% in Q4 and orders rising 14%. The order book at 31 March was £165m or 4.5 months of annualised H2…

Tune in to this special edition of the Sharesify podcast with guest Salih Yilmaz, Senior Oil Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Salih discusses the outlook for energy prices and why the Strait of Hormuz remains a key part of the equation. The conversation covers output, inventories, the potential for ‘demand destruction’ and the role of OPEC. The key takeaway for investors is oil prices are unlikely to return to their pre-Iran conflict levels. For a variety of reasons, including an embedded ‘Hormuz premium’, prices are likely to establish a new, higher floor. Meanwhile, if inventories hit ‘tank bottom’, then prices could…

AIM-listed optical components firm Gooch & Housego (LON:GHH) issued a positive H1 update and confirmed its FY guidance. It also stuck to its medium-term target of a mid-teens return on sales. Strong demand For the six months to March, G&H posted a 15.5% increase in revenue to £81.9 million driven by 9% underlying growth. Aerospace and Defence revenue jumped 52% to £35.6 million thanks to strong demand and the contribution from recent acquisitions. Group operating profit rose 17% to £7.2 million, with margins improving to 8.8% against 8.7% previously. Aerospace and Defence profitability improved ‘significantly’ to £3.6 million, accounting for…