Earnings from JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) soared past estimates thanks to ‘a particularly favourable environment’ said CEO Jamie Dimon. The world’s largest bank posted Q2 revenue of $57.3 billion and EPS of $7.70 against forecasts of $48.7 billion and $5.52. However, the stock price fell 2% pre-market as investors questioned whether the ‘particularly favourable’ environment in Q2 could continue. JPMorgan Chase shares have more than trebled since late 2022 valuing the bank at more than three times book value. As good as it gets? The bank reported ‘very strong’ results across all divisions in Q2 with each business hitting a new…

Shares in animal genetics company Genus (LON:GNS) jumped as much as 13% to £23 after it raised its FY26 guidance. The firm said trading in the second half of the year to June 2026 had been better than expected. Raised FY guidance Genus operates two divisions, PIC (porcine genetics) and ABS (bovine genetics), helping farmers produce more meat and milk. It sells its products in over 75 countries worldwide, and supports farmers with its after-sales services. Trading in H2 was better than anticipated, with PIC delivering strong growth in Latin America and Asia, including China. That more than offset a…

Shares in BP (LON:BP.) continued their winning streak after the energy giant issued updated Q2 production and margin guidance. Higher average Brent crude prices during the quarter mean higher margins, despite a drop in oil and gas output. Higher prices, higher margins Upstream production is forecast around 2.2 billion boepd (barrels of oil equivalent per day) against 2.34 billion in Q1. That breaks down to around 1.45 billion boepd of oil and 750 million boepd of gas and low carbon energy. The firm said the dip in output was due to seasonal maintenance in the Gulf of America and disruption…

When a company is due to report earnings, investors will look first at analysts’ forecasts, but they will also want to know the ‘whisper number’. This is the unofficial or ‘unspoken’ estimate, and is usually higher than the official consensus. When investors anchor their expectations on the ‘whisper number’ rather than the consensus, which is typical in bull markets, it can cause problems. This is because they are setting a higher bar than is strictly necessary, raising the risk of a downside surprise. Technology-driven Q1 ‘beat’ As we revealed in a previous article (below), analysts had originally forecast Q1 2026…

Shares in trading platform Plus500 (LON:PLUS) fell as much as 14%, despite the firm posting record H1 customer income. The reaction came as investors and analysts expressed concern about a visible slowdown in growth in Q2 compared with Q1. Marked Q2 slowdown In a trading update covering the six months to June, the Israel-based company said it had enjoyed the strongest customer income in five years. It also saw the highest group revenue in three years, ‘reflecting the quality of our customer base, the power of our proprietary technology, and the growing breadth of our global platforms’ said CEO David…

AIM-listed advertising platform System1 (LON:SYS1) has rejected two approaches from major shareholder Brave Bison (LON:BBSN). Media and marketing firm Brave Bison, also listed on AIM, already owns 3.5 million shares or just under 28% of System1. No premium for control On 8 June, Brave Bison sent an unsolicited proposal to acquire System1 in an all-share offer. The proposed exchange ratio of 3.6 Brave Bison shares represented zero premium to System1’s share price of 297p at the time. Nevertheless, System1 continued to engage with Brave Bison in the hope the firm would materially improve its offer. As no further proposal was…

The board of Picton Property Income (LON:PCTN) said it was ‘minded to recommend’ the raised offer from LondonMetric (LON:LMP) and Schroder Real Estate (LON:SREI). The two firms made an initial offer on 12 May after Picton initiated a strategic review to maximise value for shareholders. Raised offer Under the revised terms of the offer, Picton investors will receive shares to the value of 77p each, a 6.8% premium to last night’s close. The offer values Picton at £397 million, with 46% represented by LondonMetric shares and 54% represented by SREIT shares. The board cited an implied earnings accretion of 39.4%…

The global corporate reporting calendar steps up a gear next week, with investors turning their attention to a series of major earnings releases that could set the tone for markets through the second half of 2026. In the US, the spotlight will be on the start of bank earnings season, with JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), alongside other major financial groups, providing a key update on the health of the US economy, consumer credit trends and whether investment banking activity is recovering. Technology and AI will also remain firmly in focus, with TSMC (NYSE:TSM) and Netflix (NASDAAQ:NFLX) among the most closely watched…

US investor Apollo Global Management (NYSE:APO) has swooped in with a 715p per share offer for easyJet (LON:EAJ), outbidding current suitor Castlelake. The easyJet board has subsequently said it is ‘no longer minded to recommend the Castlelake proposal’. ‘Significant long-term potential’ Apollo’s cash offer trumps the fifth and latest proposal from Castlelake, which was pitched at 690p. It also represents a significant premium to Bloomberg Intelligence’s 640p per share valuation based on the airline’s projected 2028 earnings. The US asset manager calls easyJet ‘one of the most attractive businesses in the global aviation sector with significant long-term growth potential’. It…

Shares in pharma giant AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) have dropped £14.40 or 10% today on negative drug trial news. The move has wiped around £30 billion off the company’s stock market valuation in one fell swoop. Missing its endpoint The company said its Wainua heart drug treatment had not met its primary efficacy endpoint in Phase III trials. Adding Wainua to existing treatments in patients with a particular cardiovascular condition ‘did not provide a statistically significant benefit’. Sharon Barr, Astra’s executive vice president of biopharmaceutical R&D said: ‘Although the trial did not meet its primary objective, we believe the results support greater…