News 5 July 2026

Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) hit £1bn cash-return question after China OK on Honeywell deal
··

Johnson Matthey (LON:JMAT) hit £1bn cash-return question after China OK on Honeywell deal

Johnson Matthey Plc starts the week with one less worry over its pending deal, but the share price still shows some caution. On Friday, the chemicals company said China’s State Administration for Market Regulation approved Honeywell International Inc.’s buyout of Catalyst Technologies. With that, Johnson Matthey said all closing conditions are now satisfied. The deal is set to finish by the end of August. The shares gained 95p, or 4.95%, on Friday to finish at 2,014p. The FTSE 250 was up 0.52%. The move lifted LSE equity value by about £160 million, putting the market cap at £3.385 billion at Friday’s close. London markets were closed Sunday.
July 5, 2026
Ingenta (AIM:ING) lands £2m in contracts, valuation in focus
·

Ingenta (AIM:ING) lands £2m in contracts, valuation in focus

Ingenta plc starts the week with shares last at 63.50p, a gain of 5.13% on Friday. The AIM-listed software group shows some chunky contract numbers, but the market still seems wary, keeping the stock in legacy runoff territory. Pricing is based on Friday’s delayed close, July 3, 16:26 BST. Enterprise value looks different. Google Finance lists Ingenta’s market cap at £9.21 million. The company’s 2025 numbers show £4.7 million in cash at year-end, no debt. That puts the enterprise value close to £4.5 million. For comparison, Ingenta said in its June 25 AGM update that it secured more than £2 million in new contracts over three years.
July 5, 2026
Schroder European REIT’s share price surge puts £45m gap between NAV and market ahead of wind-down vote
·

Schroder European REIT’s share price surge puts £45m gap between NAV and market ahead of wind-down vote

Schroder European Real Estate Investment Trust Plc jumped 5.4% on Friday to 65.6p/66.6p, but the stock’s big discount to what the board says the assets are worth hasn’t budged. The move came as the FTSE All-Share was up just 0.28%. London markets were closed for the weekend. The trust last posted a NAV of 101.0p a share, or £132.1 million, as of March 31. AJ Bell lists the market cap at £87.25 million after Friday’s move. That gives an implied equity gap of around £44.9 million, about 34% under NAV.
July 5, 2026
Hercules up 23% for the week as CEO holding nears free float
·

Hercules up 23% for the week as CEO holding nears free float

Hercules plc faces Monday’s AIM open after shares snapped back. The move followed a CEO stock buy, a new funding deal, and June’s numbers—sales rose, but first-half profit fell. The rebound also put the spotlight again on the company’s slim free float. The infrastructure and construction services group finished the day up 1.5p at 29p, a gain of 5.45%. Volume hit 391,542 shares, about 69% above its 231,260 average. The shares are now 38.1% above the June 24 52-week low at 21p, but still down 50.8% from their Jan. 16 high of 59p.
July 5, 2026
Kistos Holdings PLC surges 17% this week on Oman reserve bid talk
·

Kistos Holdings PLC surges 17% this week on Oman reserve bid talk

London markets didn’t open Sunday, so Kistos Holdings PLC heads into the new week riding Friday’s jump. The AIM-listed energy name finished at 269p on July 3, up 14p. Volume was around 207,000 shares. AJ Bell data put the FTSE AIM 100 down 0.28% on the session. Kistos shares posted a bigger gain week-on-week. The stock finished June 26 at 230p, then climbed every day from June 29 through July 3 except for Tuesday, when shares were flat. By the end of trading Friday, Kistos was up 39p, or 17.0%, in those five sessions.
July 5, 2026
EnQuest shares: Malaysia deal details now in focus for ENQ after Brent-driven rally
·

EnQuest shares: Malaysia deal details now in focus for ENQ after Brent-driven rally

EnQuest PLC opened the week with lighter trading, though the stock isn’t frozen. Friday’s close was 23.25p, down 15.1% from the June 12 high at 27.39p, but up from 22.85p at last Wednesday’s end. The London Stock Exchange holds weekday sessions, so Sunday still shows Friday’s close. Volume is the latest number to watch. The Malaysia news week saw 170.8 million shares traded, but last week volume dropped to 25.5 million. The stock edged up 1.8% even as activity dried up. Fewer traders could mean the next move depends less on June’s headline and more on things like deal approvals, oil skimming EnQuest’s hedge floor, or news on pre-emption rights.
July 5, 2026
Smarter Web Company shares lag Bitcoin as court weighs capital reserves
·

Smarter Web Company shares lag Bitcoin as court weighs capital reserves

The Smarter Web Company PLC rallied into Friday, closing at 28.39p, up from a low of 24p hit on Monday. But the main thing investors are watching is the discount. The London-based web-services and Bitcoin-treasury group trades on the London Stock Exchange, open Monday to Friday, 0800 to 1630 local. London markets were closed Sunday. The stock added 5.7% Friday and is up 5.1% from last Friday’s 27p close. Still, it ended the week under the 32p net Bitcoin value per fully diluted share from SWC’s analytics page, and well below the 37p gross Bitcoin value per share. The spread is now the key market issue—whether SWC is just cheap Bitcoin exposure, or if its debt, dilution risk and Bitcoin
July 5, 2026
FTSE 100 this week: London stocks focus on single key rate decision
·

FTSE 100 this week: London stocks focus on single key rate decision

London cash trading is closed for the weekend. The London Stock Exchange trades 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST, Monday to Friday, making Friday’s close the last open cash print until Monday. Last week’s advance in the FTSE 100 was narrow. The index climbed 171.01 points for the week, but almost all of that came from Thursday’s 174.53-point leap. Excluding that U.S.-payrolls session, the FTSE 100 lost ground during the other four days. The FTSE 250 also did most of its work in one move—Wednesday’s 316.62-point jump made up 81% of its gain for the week. Daily closes from Investing.com were used for the FTSE 100 and Investors Chronicle market data for the FTSE 250.
July 5, 2026
Gem Diamonds (LON:GEMD) eyes Monday after Letšeng sales top market cap
·

Gem Diamonds (LON:GEMD) eyes Monday after Letšeng sales top market cap

Gem Diamonds Limited opens the week in London with some big numbers that stand out. The miner reported first-quarter sales at about five times its current market cap, yet shares still look stuck at micro-cap levels. ADVFN, using data from the London Stock Exchange, showed the last automated trade on Friday at 3.40p, up 3.03%, giving a market cap of £4.76 million. MarketWatch’s delayed quote had the price at 3.50p, up 6.06%, and a £4.9 million market value. The split is showing up in the market. Hargreaves Lansdown quoted a 3.29p sell and 3.71p buy, a spread of around 12.8% of the sell price. Volume was 193,420 shares on Friday. That spread matters—a small buyer is down right away unless
July 5, 2026
IQE’s AI photonics surge fades, stock slips ahead of sales test
·

IQE’s AI photonics surge fades, stock slips ahead of sales test

IQE shares gave up gains after their AI photonics rally, with the stock facing scrutiny on sales multiples after this week's late pullback. IQE plc jumped Friday, but the Cardiff wafer maker still faces investors betting on a fast switch to AI data-centre chips after weakness in handsets. Shares finished at 44.85p on July 3, a 6.79% gain for the session, while the FTSE AIM 100 dropped 0.28%. Still, the stock is off 4.2% on the week.
July 5, 2026
Cirata trades steady over 15p ahead of July share dilution vote
·

Cirata trades steady over 15p ahead of July share dilution vote

Cirata Plc saw its last trade on Friday, since London markets are shut on Sunday. The stock ended the week a bit above the new equity raise price. Investors go into the new week with that gap giving some idea how much dilution they’ll put up with. Cirata finished the July 3 session at 17.90p, gaining 6.87% with 54,812 shares moved. The FTSE AIM All-Share lost 0.17% to close at 776.09 the same day. Cirata now stands 19.3% over the 15p fundraising price, though still far from AJ Bell’s posted high of 29p for the year.
July 5, 2026
Autins Group (LON:AUTG) posts first profit since 2017 as AIM stock weighs recovery
·

Autins Group (LON:AUTG) posts first profit since 2017 as AIM stock weighs recovery

Autins Group Plc starts the week trading close to a 52-week high after closing up 6.9% to 15.50p on Friday. The AIM-listed automotive insulation supplier last traded at that price, with London markets closed Sunday and the latest timestamp at 17:01 BST. The bigger story isn’t the day’s move. It’s the spread between where the shares trade now and Autins’ stated profit goals. At £8.46 million, the stock trades at 42.3x profit after tax before non-underlying items for FY26. The multiple falls to 10.6x for FY27 guidance, 6.0x for FY28, and 4.5x by FY29 if management can hit those targets.
July 5, 2026
Aterian PLC shares: JV value benchmark now over £5.3 million market cap after Friday rise
·

Aterian PLC shares: JV value benchmark now over £5.3 million market cap after Friday rise

Aterian PLC wrapped the week higher, with shares rising 8% to finish at 27 pence on Friday. Trading volume hit 227,560 shares. The company’s market cap stood at £5.27 million, according to Investors Chronicle/LSEG data. For investors, the main point is this: Aterian’s own notional benchmark for all nine projects tied to its Lithosquare JV is around £5.8 million. That’s about 1.1x the company’s entire Friday market cap. This isn’t an official valuation—just a raw project figure that doesn’t include discovery risk, future costs, royalties, parent spending, or any net debt or cash. Still, it puts a fixed number out there for the market to compare.
July 5, 2026
Oberon Investments stock: thin Aquis trading leaves revenue multiple gap in view
·

Oberon Investments stock: thin Aquis trading leaves revenue multiple gap in view

Oberon Investments Group plc goes into the new week with a valuation gap that is less about Friday’s price move and more about how little stock changed hands. The boutique wealth manager and corporate broker was quoted at a 2.05p mid on Aquis, flat on the day, with a £16.40 million market value. The only July 3 trade shown by Aquis was 487,142 shares at 2.02p, worth £9,840.27. That was about 0.06% of the quoted market cap by value and about 0.06% of the 799.9 million tradable shares by volume.
July 5, 2026
CRISM Therapeutics trades just above 10p placing level ahead of key ChemoSeed trial update
·

CRISM Therapeutics trades just above 10p placing level ahead of key ChemoSeed trial update

CRISM Therapeutics Corporation closed out last week trading a touch over 10p, the same price as its most recent fundraising. Investors looked at a modest move up in the AIM-listed shares as new details came out on ownership and options ahead of a clinical trial site update expected later this month. London markets didn’t open Sunday. AJ Bell last quoted CRISM at 10.50p, up 1.00p or 10.53%, with volume at 1,043,387 shares. The broker’s site listed a 10.00p sell price and 11.00p buy price. Shares opened at 9.50p and hit a 10.48p session high. Market cap stood at £8.31 million. On July 3, the same feed had the FTSE AIM All Share off 0.17%.
July 5, 2026
Close Brothers shares climb after FCA holds off on motor finance review decision
·

Close Brothers shares climb after FCA holds off on motor finance review decision

Close Brothers Group plc opened the week in better shape after Thursday’s noise, but the jump looks more tied to relief on timing than real balance-sheet changes. Shares last changed hands on Friday, up 7.9% at 439.8p, compared to a 0.52% gain for the FTSE 250. Markets in London were closed over the weekend. The move came after the UK Financial Conduct Authority paused parts of its motor finance redress scheme due to ongoing legal challenges. Shore Capital also upgraded Close Brothers to “buy” from “hold” and bumped its price target up to 495p from 490p.
July 5, 2026
ASA International trades at 52-week high after index move on thin volume
·

ASA International trades at 52-week high after index move on thin volume

The London Stock Exchange trades Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. ASA International Group PLC closed out last week at 270.00 GBp and doesn’t see trading resume until Monday. The company’s site listed regulatory news from June 19, June 18, June 9, and June 3. Friday brought a striking move for the small-cap lender. Fidelity data showed ASAI sitting at a 268p/272p spread late in the session, up 18p, or 7.14%, at 16:51 BST. Shares hit a session peak at 278p, matching the year high. The stock traded down to 250p, putting the intraday swing at 11.2%.
July 5, 2026
RC365 (LON:RCGH) jumps as June warrants go in the money after Blacksilver deal
·

RC365 (LON:RCGH) jumps as June warrants go in the money after Blacksilver deal

London, July 5, 2026, 15:08 BST. RC365 shares jumped Friday, pushing the June warrants into the money after the group announced a deal with Blacksilver, sending volumes higher in London trading. RC365 Holding PLC finished last week with shares trading back above where its June financing priced. That means investors are now watching RC365's RC3.0 payment platform effort on its own terms, with focus shifting to the contract fee income versus any dilution from warrants. London stocks were closed Sunday. Regular trading for the London Stock Exchange is Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. BST.
July 5, 2026
1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 492