Johnson Matthey, up 4.0%, announced that Hydrogen Europe's General Assembly has appointed Mark Wilson, Chief Executive of Hydrogen Technologies at Johnson Matthey (JM), as a new member of the Board of Directors.
Oracle Power, down 18.2%, announced that it has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), to provide a general framework for cooperation and collaboration between the two Parties in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Paris Climate Agreement.
Aferian, down 16.9%, in its trading update for the six months ended 31 May 2023, announced that its trading performance has been in line with management expectations for the period. Moreover, it expects to deliver Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of around $19.0m (31 May 2022: $15.8m), indicating 20% growth on the previous year, or 21% on a constant currency basis. The company expects its revenue for the period to be around approximately $23.1m (H1 2022: $44.5m). The Group expects to release its interim results for the six months ended 31 May 2023 in August 2023.
Bango, down 7.9%, announced that it has secured a 3-year loan contract with NHN Corporation (NHN) for KRW10.4b, equivalent to approximately $8m.
IQGeo Group, down 4.5%, today announced that its existing top 5 Japanese utility customer has signed a new subscription contract to expand its use of the IQGeo software for emergency response.
LPA Group, down 4.0%, announced that it has now received formal approval from its customer for the purchase of the product line of railway inter-carriage electrical connectors from Amphenol Limited.
Dialight, down 3.5%, announced that it has appointed Lynn Brubaker as an Independent Non-Executive Director, with effect from 1 July 2023.
Sareum Holdings, down 2.0%, announced that the first patent specifically relating to SDC-1801, its lead TYK2/JAK1 kinase inhibitor, has been granted in China. Further, a patent has been formally granted for SDC-1802 and several analogues in the US, extending the scope of protection beyond immuno-oncology.
UK markets ended mostly higher last week, as Britain’s economy grew as expected in 1Q23. On the macro front, UK’s GDP grew as expected in 1Q23. Additionally, the Nationwide housing prices fell less than expected in June, while the nation’s mortgage approvals rose more than anticipated in May. Meanwhile, UK’s BRC shop price index eased for a second consecutive month in May. The FTSE 100 index advanced 0.9% to settle at 7531.5, while the FTSE techMARK 100 index gained 1.0% to end at 6694.1. Meanwhile, the FTSE AIM 100 index fell 1.6% to close at 3573.3.
US markets ended higher in the previous week, following robust US economic data and after major banks cleared the US Federal Reserve’s annual stress test. On the macro front, US economy grew more than initially expected in the first quarter of 2023, while the nation’s consumer confidence advanced to a 17-month high in June, reflecting positive momentum in the labour market. Additionally, the US durable goods orders rose for a third consecutive month in May, driven by robust demand for transportation equipment and nondefense aircraft, while the US Richmond Fed manufacturing index climbed more than anticipated in June. Moreover, the US new home sales rose to a 15-month high in May, while the nation’s MBA mortgage applications advanced for a third consecutive week in the week ended 23 June 2023. Furthermore, the US weekly jobless claims unexpectedly dropped by the most in 20 months in the week ended 23 June 2023. Meanwhile, the US pending home sales unexpectedly declined to a five-month low in May. The DJIA index rose 2.0% to end at 34407.6, while the NASDAQ index gained 2.2% to close at 13787.9.
