A bidding war for commercial property-focused fund Alternative Income REIT (LON:AIRE) has broken out with AEW UK REIT (LON:AEWU) re-entering the fray. AEWU, whose management group AEW previously ran AIRE, is mulling a possible all-share offer at a 6% discount to AIRE’s NAV. This is a more attractive offer than the cash bid on the table from Glenstone REIT. Glenstone is AIRE’s largest shareholder with a 25% stake. An AEWU takeover would allow AIRE’s investors to retain a position in a listed REIT that has paid an 8p per share annual dividend since 2016. Earnings accretive deal AEWU is considering…

Shares in Dunelm (LON:DNLM) rallied after the UK homewares leader maintained FY26 profit guidance off the back of ‘solid’ Q4 sales. The cushions-to-curtains seller’s CEO Clo Moriarty insisted Dunelm’s best growth opportunities are ‘still in front of us’. Moriarty plans to set out her bold growth strategy for the FTSE 250 business in September. A ‘solid’ showing The bedding-to-kitchenware purveyor assured investors FY26 pre-tax profits will be in line with the company-compiled consensus estimate of £210 million. This followed the delivery of ‘solid’ Q4 sales of £428 million, up 2.9% year-on-year despite a tough consumer spending backdrop. Q4 sales growth…

In the latest Sharesify podcast, the team talk US indices testing new highs. They also discuss defensive trusts and why dog-wash machines are a growth driver for one unique, UK-listed stock. Tech whizz Steven talks us through another impressive quarter from Dutch chip equipment manufacturer ASML (AMS:ASML). He also explains why a joint takeover proposal from Stripe and Advent has thrust PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL) back into the spotlight. Income seeker Ian lends us his view on Barratt Redrow (LON:BTRW), BP (LON:BP.) and blowout results from US banks. And James walks us through encouraging updates from consumer-facing firms Dr Martens (LON:DOCS) and Sosandar (LON:SOS). The…

Out-of-favour renewables trust NextEnergy Solar (LON:NESF) rallied on news the company has put itself up for sale. The board blamed the decision on a wide share price discount to net asset value (NAV) that has ‘persisted for several years’. It also bemoaned the short-term horizons of some investors. The launch of a formal sales process comes as no great surprise. It follows the sales process conducted by rival Bluefield Solar Income Fund (LON:BSIF). This culminated in a successful £548 million bid from Drax (LON:DRX). NextEnergy Solar’s proposed dividend cut and capital recycling plan also met with a poor investor reaction. The…

Shares in Dr Martens (LON:DOCS) flashed green after the British footwear brand flagged growth in the US and maintained FY27 guidance. Investors were relieved as the firm insisted trading since the start of the financial year has met expectations. Back in May, Dr Martens announced a return to profit growth for FY26. This confirmed its Levers for Growth strategy is working. Profit growth was delivered despite a 29% drop in revenue to £764.9 million as the boot brand pulled back on clearance activity. The move was designed to improve the quality of its revenues and protect margins as part of CEO…

Risk-averse investors are now asking whether AI and technology stocks are in a bubble. The AI trade has boosted the performance of the US equity market for some time, but many now believe the market is overvalued. Bears argue we are close to a market top and see signs of irrational exuberance everywhere they look. Elon Musk’s SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX) recently floated at a stratospheric valuation. Craziest IPO in history? Legendary investor Jeremy Grantham, co-founder of GMO Asset Management, has dubbed SpaceX ‘the craziest IPO in the history of man’. Meanwhile, hundreds of billions of dollars are being spent annually on…

Women’s fashion brand Sosandar (LON:SOS) returned to strong revenue growth in FY26. This robust sales growth was generated despite a cyber incident that impacted retail partner Marks & Spencer (LON:MKS) and removed roughly £1 million of third-party revenue. AIM-listed Sosandar also delivered record gross margins thanks to a shift away from discount-led trading. Investors welcomed news of a good start to FY27 too. Sales were up 22% to £11.6 million in Q1 despite a tough retail backdrop. ‘Trading with third-party partners continues to be strong, including M&S,’ insisted Sosandar, ‘with all partners trading ahead of the prior year.’ Adjusted profits…

Shares in Debenhams (LON:DEBS) rallied after the online fashion group said ‘continued positive trading’ persisted through June and July. The recent UK heatwave has proved more help than hindrance. And the update confirmed the boohoo-to-Karen Millen brand owner’s turnaround strategy has traction. Debenhams expects net debt to be ‘materially lower’ in the current year due to improved trading and the sale of non-core properties. The retailer could even sell off some of its brands in a bid to eliminate debt entirely. Multi-year turnaround in train In a statement ahead of the firm’s annual general meeting (AGM), CEO Dan Finley said:…

Shares in PageGroup (LON:PAGE) rallied after the recruitment firm maintained FY26 guidance. The FTSE 250 company also flagged ‘improvement and signs of normalisation in trading’ in a number of its markets. Despite subdued client and candidate confidence, the staffing specialist generated a better-than-expected rise in Q2 gross profit. And continued growth in the Americas and Asia Pacific offset weakness in the UK, France and Northern Europe. PageGroup also pleased investors with news of a return to growth in Q2 in Southern Europe. However, the company also warned of a ‘high degree of uncertainty in the outlook for the rest of the year’.…

Photobooths-to-laundry machines operator Me Group (LON:MEGP) recently cut FY26 profit guidance following a weak April performance. This reflected a slowdown in the French photobooth and laundry businesses as the Middle East conflict knocked consumer confidence in Me Group’s most profitable market. However, Me Group’s shares rallied today after it reported a return to more normal trading patterns in H2-to-date. Sales improved materially in May and June. And the FTSE 250 firm remains on track to meet downgraded FY26 expectations for pre-tax profits in the £69 million to £74 million range. What does ME Group do? Me Group is an international…