17 March 2021 | 07:07am
StockMarketWire.com - Services provider Serco said it had won a contract extension worth up to around £870 million to provide support services at the 5 Wing forces base in Goose Bay, Canada.
The initial 10-year contract period had an estimated ceiling value of C$694 million or about £400 million.
The contract had provision for two further five-year extensions with a potential ceiling value to Serco over the full 20 years of about C$1.5 billion (around £870 million).
The contract was awarded after an open tender process and would commence in September.
Serco said it anticipate annual revenue of £20 million-to-£30 million in the opening years, which was similar to the level seen in recent years on an existing agreement.
17 March 2021 | 08:25am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened modestly lower on Wednesday as investors braced for a crucial announcement by the US Federal Reserve later in the day about the direction of monetary policy.
At 0818, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 8.24 points, or 0.1%, at 6,794.24.
Any sign that the Fed might ease off on its dovish stance on interest rates would indicate the US economy was on the mend, but could spook markets grown accustomed to an abundance of cheap credit.
Wealth management company Hargreaves Lansdown climbed 2.6% to £15.89, having upgraded its profit outlook after reporting elevated share dealing volumes since the end of January.
16 February 2021 | 08:50am
StockMarketWire.com - UK stocks opened higher on Tuesday as investors grow increasingly confident that US lawmakers will push through a large stimulus package, while big miners released some positive dividend news.
At 0836, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 16.42 points, or 0.3%, at 6,772.53.
BHP eased back 0.2% to $22.2448 even as it reported a 13% rise in first-half pre-tax profit to $8.83 billion, as revenue was boosted by higher iron ore and copper prices.
The world s biggest mining company hiked its interim dividend 55% to 101p per share. Its bottom line profit fell, though, on a higher tax expense.
Miner and commodities trader Glencore rose 2.1% to 288.35p after it said it would resume dividends in 2021 with a payout of 12c per share.