Activist Ed Bramson makes shock £1.9bn share swoop on Barclays (BARC). The intervention sets the scene for a dust-up between one of the UK’s most infamous corporate raiders and one of its most important City institutions.
Aldermore Group (ALD) boss stoked up by firepower from new owner after £1.1 billion deal.
GKN (GKN) and Melrose Industries (MRO) throw in kitchen sink to win over City investors. Melrose confirmed a £1 billion promise to the GKN pension scheme to soothe pension trustee concerns. GKN promised a secondary London listing of shares in its car shaft spin-out with rival Dana.
Hammerson (HMSO) furious at £5bn French raid by Klépierre. The owner of London’s Brent Cross shopping centre on Monday slammed a shock £4.9 billion takeover attempt by French rival Klépierre, calling the move which could derail its recent swoop for Intu Properties (INTU) “opportunistic”.
Micro Focus International (MCRO) value halves as tech giant sounds the alarm. Micro Focus shares lost £4.5 billion on Monday after the business warned that sales would be drastically lower because of a botched US merger. The FTSE 100 tech group, which owns vintage software systems, said revenue would be up to 9% lower than last year — more than twice the hit it predicted in January.
Loo roll seller Accrol Group Holdings (ACRL) plunges over 50%. The firm said it expects to post a £13 million loss and widening debt.
Conviviality (CVR) boss could depart this week. This morning there are reports that Diana Hunter, chief executive of Conviviality, is about to fall on her sword. There was also plenty of speculation that the firm it is planning a £100 million rights issue.
Baker Finsbury Food Group (FIF) is looking to YouTube star JoJo Siwa for sales rise.
E learning firm Learning Technologies Group (LTG) has reported a profit of £0.7 million in the year to the end of December, compared with a loss of £1.2 million last year, as revenue increased by 84% to £52.1 million.
Maintel Holdings (MAI) said its annual profit slipped 2%, largely due to project delays. Its shares gained 4%.
Miton Group (MGR) rallied 6% after the investment manager booked a 44% increase in annual profit amid rising assets under management swelled.
Security software developer Petards Group (PEG) said the UK’s defence ministry had exercised an option to extend an existing three-year contract for a further two years until the end of 2021.
Telit Communications (TCM) in the dock. The first level tax court in Italy has rejected appeals filed by the firm against penalty deeds issued by Italian tax authorities in August 2015.
TechFinancials (DI) (TECH) shares on the slide. It said this morning that Cedex, a company in which it currently has a 2% interest in, completed after selling of 25 million CEDEX tokens.
Brickmaker Michelmersh Brick Holdings (MBH) has been making gains despite booking a fall in annual profit, with costs associated with its acquisition of Carlton offsetting rising revenue.
Carpetright (CPR) shares were off 11%. A real sense of fear has crept into the High Street amid fears that more retailers could go bust this year. Other retailers lost ground this session, include Mothercare (MTC) off 12%, JD Sports Fashion (JD.) down 2% and French Connection Group (FCCN) 4% lower.
