TSX runs higher on rate cut expectations
Investing.com -- British stocks closed lower on Thursday, with shares of Drax under pressure after the U.K. watchdog announced it had opened an investigation into the company, while Softcat climbed on the back of stronger-than-expected results.
The blue-chip index FTSE 100 fell 0.4% and the British pound rose 0.1% against the dollar to 1.35.
DAX index in Germany was flat, the CAC 40 in France rose 0.2%.
Drax faces U.K. regulatory probe over biomass sourcing practices
Drax Group (LON:DRX) fell over 7% after an investigation by the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority regarding its wood sourcing practices for biomass pellets following whistleblower allegations.
The energy company said the probe covers the period from January 2022 to March 2024 and will examine whether its annual reports for 2021 through 2023 complied with listing, disclosure and transparency rules.
Drax said it will co-operate with the FCA as part of their investigation.
Softcat shares jump on earnings beat
Softcat PLC (LON:SCTS) shares climbed more than 3% after the IT reseller posted better-than-anticipated results for fiscal 2025.
However, analysts cautioned that the performance was once again supported by a handful of large, irregular contracts, raising uncertainty over the 2026 outlook.
The company said it expects adjusted EBIT for fiscal 2025 to reach around £177 million, edging past consensus estimates of £174 million.
Chesnara H1 cash generation jumps, beats forecasts
In other U.K. market news, Chesnara (LON:CSN) reported a 26% increase in commercial cash generation for the first half of 2025, reaching £37 million compared to £29.2 million in the same period last year. This figure exceeded RBC Capital Markets’ estimate of £22 million.
The life and pensions consolidator said its results were bolstered by contributions from UK and Netherlands operations, while its Swedish business was negatively impacted by the stronger U.S. dollar due to its higher proportion of unit-linked business.
Chesnara’s board declared an interim dividend of 7.70p, representing a 3% increase from 7.48p in the prior year period.
Hunting posts mixed results; unveils $40 mln share buyback plan
Hunting PLC (LON:HTG) reported first-half revenue of $529 million and EBITDA of $70.2 million, both slightly below analyst expectations. Large Kuwait Oil Company contracts supported margins, but overall results missed consensus forecasts.
The British company also announced a $40 million share buyback program to be implemented in three phases. The first two tranches are expected to complete in early 2026, with the third scheduled for the second quarter of that year.
Hunting’s operating profit for the period was $36 million with net income of $21 million. Analysts had expected $545 million in revenue and $72.6 million in EBITDA, while RBC Europe had forecast $571 million and $75 million.
GSK secures U.K. nod for groundbreaking oral antibiotic for UTIs
In pharmaceutical news, GSK plc (LON:GSK) has received UK regulatory approval for its oral antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated urinary tract infections, the first new type of oral antibiotic for this condition in nearly 30 years.
Barclays to sell Entercard stake to Swedbank
Meanwhile, Barclays PLC (LON:BARC) announced it has agreed to sell its entire shareholding in Entercard Group AB to joint venture partner Swedbank AB (OTC:SWDBY) for approximately SEK2.6 billion ($300 million).
The transaction involves Barclays’ wholly-owned subsidiary Barclays Principal Investments Limited divesting its stake in the consumer credit provider at book value, equal to half of Entercard’s net assets as of March 31, 2025.