Author: Fiona Craig

The Gym Group (LSE:GYM) posted a strong financial performance in 2025, reporting an 8% increase in revenue while adjusted EBITDA less normalised rent climbed 19% to £56.7m. Adjusted profit before tax almost tripled year on year, supported by growing membership numbers, stronger yield and disciplined cost management.

Free cash flow reached £38.3m during the year, enabling the company to fund 16 new gym openings alongside upgrades to its existing estate and further technology investment. Despite this expansion, non-property net debt declined slightly and leverage improved to 1.0 times, helped by the extension and expansion of its bank financing facilities.

Operational momentum has been driven by the company’s “Next Chapter” strategy, which is delivering stronger returns across the portfolio. Mature-site return on invested capital reached 27%, increasing to 30% when excluding workforce-dependent gyms. Customer satisfaction remains high and member visit frequency continues to rise, reinforcing operational performance.

Management plans to accelerate expansion, targeting roughly 75 new gyms over the next three years, all expected to be funded through free cash flow. The company also anticipates that EBITDA less normalised rent in 2026 will land at the upper end of market expectations. In addition, a £10m share buyback programme has been launched, signalling confidence in the group’s long-term growth prospects and strengthening its position in the expanding low-cost fitness segment.

The company’s outlook reflects its improving financial profile and positive sentiment from recent earnings commentary. Nonetheless, investors should note potential risks including leverage levels and a comparatively elevated price-to-earnings valuation. Technical signals currently point to moderate bullish momentum, while initiatives such as an employee share scheme are intended to further align staff incentives with future growth.

More about The Gym

The Gym Group is a UK-based operator of affordable, round-the-clock fitness facilities designed for cost-conscious consumers seeking flexible memberships without long-term contracts. As of 31 December 2025, the company ran 260 gyms nationwide, serving more than 900,000 members and hosting around 70 million visits annually. The business has established itself as a leader in the value-focused fitness segment and has set validated science-based targets to achieve net-zero emissions.

Oil prices slid sharply on Tuesday, falling about 7% after hitting a more than three-year high in the previous session, as U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the conflict in the Middle East may soon wind down, easing fears of extended disruptions to global oil supply.

Brent crude futures dropped $6.79, or 6.9%, to $92.17 per barrel at 08:40 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $6.55, also 6.9%, to $88.22 per barrel. Earlier in the session, both benchmarks had declined by as much as 11% before trimming some of their losses.

On Monday, oil prices had surged above $100 per barrel — their highest level since mid-2022 — as output cuts from Saudi Arabia and other producers, combined with the escalating U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, raised concerns about significant supply disruptions.

Prices later pulled back after Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Trump and presented proposals aimed at reaching a swift resolution to the conflict, according to a Kremlin aide, helping to ease worries about supply shortages.

Trump said in a CBS News interview on Monday that he believed the campaign against Iran was “very complete” and that Washington was “very far ahead” of his initial estimate of four to five weeks.

“Clearly Trump’s comments about a short-lived war have calmed markets. While there was an overreaction to the upside yesterday, we think there is an overreaction to the downside today,” said Suvro Sarkar, energy sector team lead at DBS Bank, adding that markets may be underestimating the risks at current Brent levels.

“Murban and Dubai grades are still well above $100 per barrel, so practically nothing much has changed in terms of ground realities,” he added, referring to benchmark Middle Eastern crude grades.

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said they would “determine the end of the war,” and warned that Tehran would not allow “one litre of oil” to leave the region if U.S. and Israeli strikes continued, according to Iranian state media citing an IRGC spokesperson.

Meanwhile, according to several sources, Trump is considering easing oil sanctions on Russia and tapping emergency crude reserves as part of a range of measures aimed at containing the recent surge in global oil prices.

“Discussions around easing sanctions on Russian oil, comments from Donald Trump hinting that the conflict could eventually de-escalate, and the possibility of G7 countries tapping strategic oil reserves all pointed to the same message – that oil barrels will somehow continue to reach the market,” said Phillip Nova analyst Priyanka Sachdeva in a note on Tuesday.

“Once traders sensed that supply routes could still be maintained, the initial ’panic premium’ that had pushed prices above the $100 mark yesterday started to fade, and oil prices quickly pulled back.”

Goldman Sachs said it was maintaining its oil price outlook unchanged due to ongoing uncertainty, forecasting Brent at $66 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2026 and WTI at $62 per barrel.

The Group of Seven nations said on Monday they were prepared to take “necessary measures” in response to rising global oil prices, although they stopped short of committing to release emergency reserves.

Gold prices edged up in Asian trading on Tuesday, though the metal stayed within a narrow range as investors continued to look for clearer signs of a potential de-escalation in the U.S.–Israel conflict with Iran.

Bullion gained alongside a broader improvement in market sentiment after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested the Iran conflict could end soon and indicated that Washington was considering measures to ease the recent surge in oil prices.

Spot gold rose 0.8% to $5,175.48 an ounce by 01:55 ET (05:55 GMT), while gold futures increased 1.6% to $5,184.79 an ounce. Spot prices had closed Monday slightly higher after experiencing sharp swings throughout the session.

Gold holds in $5,000–$5,200 range as haven demand stays mixed

Gold continued to trade within the $5,000–$5,200 per ounce band seen over the past week, as investors weighed a mix of geopolitical risks and economic uncertainty.

While the conflict with Iran has driven some safe-haven demand for gold, the metal’s gains have been limited by concerns that rising energy prices could fuel inflation and prompt major central banks to maintain tighter monetary policy.

Analysts at ANZ said that gold’s rally earlier this year had also been tempered by profit-taking as investors sought liquidity during a sharp sell-off in global equity markets.

Other precious metals also posted gains on Tuesday, with spot silver jumping nearly 6% to $89.1915 per ounce. Spot platinum rose 0.7% to $2,201.48 per ounce.

Among industrial metals, copper futures on the London Metal Exchange advanced 1.3% to $13,095.30 per tonne.

Trump points to possible de-escalation and oil supply measures

Risk appetite improved on Tuesday while oil prices declined after Trump said several times on Monday that the war with Iran could soon draw to a close.

He also highlighted potential steps to mitigate supply disruptions from the conflict, including temporarily easing sanctions on certain oil exporters, most notably Russia.

However, Trump did not outline a specific timeline for any de-escalation and continued to strike a largely hawkish tone toward Tehran. He warned that Iran would face severe consequences if it attempted to block the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them,” Trump said.

Iran dismissed Trump’s statements and said it would keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz until U.S. and Israeli attacks on Tehran come to an end.

The conflict entered its eleventh straight day on Tuesday, with tensions in the Middle East showing little sign of easing.

A prolonged confrontation is expected to continue supporting gold prices, as demand for safe-haven assets remains elevated amid the risk of inflation shocks stemming from oil markets.

Bitcoin (COIN:BTCUSD) moved back above the $70,000 level during Asian trading on Tuesday as investor sentiment improved after U.S. President Donald Trump indicated that the ongoing U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran could end in the near term.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency rose 3.4% to $70,201.3 by 01:02 ET (05:02 GMT), after touching an intraday high of $70,558.4 earlier in the session.

Over the previous day, Bitcoin had briefly fallen to around $65,000 as investors reduced exposure to riskier assets amid a surge in oil prices that fueled concerns about rising global inflation.

Trump comments support risk sentiment

Market confidence improved after Trump said the conflict involving Iran could be resolved soon, helping stabilize financial markets that had been unsettled by the possibility of an extended regional confrontation.

Trump said the situation might be resolved but warned that it was unlikely to end this week. He also cautioned that the United States would retaliate “20 times harder” if Iran attempted to block the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipments.

Oil prices pulled back toward $90 per barrel on Tuesday after surging close to $120 per barrel on Monday, easing worries about an inflation spike that had pressured financial markets earlier in the week.

Asian stock markets rebounded on Tuesday, with major regional indices recovering part of the losses recorded during Monday’s steep selloff.

The positive tone followed gains seen overnight on Wall Street.

Cryptocurrency markets reflected the improvement in overall risk appetite. However, traders remained cautious as developments in the Middle East continue to affect commodity prices and broader market sentiment.

Investors are now awaiting key U.S. inflation data. The January consumer price index is due on Wednesday, followed by the February personal consumption expenditures price index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation — on Thursday.

Crypto prices today: altcoins post modest gains

Most altcoins edged higher on Tuesday, although trading remained within relatively tight ranges.

Ethereum, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency, rose 1.8% to $2,046.92.

XRP, the third-largest cryptocurrency by market value, advanced 2.3% to $1.38.

Solana gained 3%, while Cardano added 1.2%. Polygon was largely unchanged.

Among meme tokens, Dogecoin climbed 0.6%.

Renault (EU:RNO) announced plans to sell more than 2 million vehicles per year under the Renault brand by 2030, as the French automaker outlines a strategy to expand beyond its traditional European base amid growing competition in key markets.

The company intends to lift Renault-brand sales by roughly 23% compared with the 1.63 million vehicles sold in 2025. A key objective of the plan is to increase its international footprint, with half of Renault-branded vehicle sales expected to come from outside Europe by the end of the decade, up from 38% recorded last year.

To drive this expansion, Renault plans to introduce 36 new models by 2030. Over the next five years, the group will launch 22 vehicles in Europe, including 16 fully electric models, while an additional 14 models will target markets outside the region.

The strategy represents the first major update under Chief Executive Francois Provost, who assumed the role last year after the departure of Luca de Meo. Renault said it intends to lower production costs for electric vehicles while continuing to invest in hybrid technology beyond 2030.

“We will show that we are here for the long term and we will become the benchmark for the European automotive industry on the global stage,” said Provost.

Although demand for electric vehicles in Europe has grown more slowly than anticipated, Renault reiterated its commitment to electrification. By the end of the decade, fully electric models are expected to account for roughly 44% of the company’s planned product lineup.

At the same time, the automaker will maintain significant investment in hybrid powertrains. Through its Horse Powertrain joint venture with China’s Geely, Renault is working on a smaller engine designed for hybrid vehicles, a technology the company sees as important while EV adoption remains uneven.

For product development in Europe, Renault plans to rely mainly on its own technology, while collaborating with partners such as Geely to expand into markets including South America and South Korea. The company currently has no operations in the United States or China.

Looking further ahead, Renault is also developing a new electric vehicle platform scheduled for launch in 2028. The architecture will feature an optional range-extender system using a small gasoline engine to extend driving range to as much as 1,400 kilometers.

The automaker is also set to unveil two new models on Tuesday: the Bridger, a compact SUV aimed at the Indian market, and the Dacia Striker, a crossover estate designed to rival Volkswagen Group’s Skoda Octavia. Both vehicles will be presented at Renault’s research and development centre outside Paris.

Genuit Group plc (LSE:GEN) reported full-year results ahead of market expectations, with underlying operating profit reaching £94.4 million despite difficult trading conditions. The stronger-than-anticipated performance lifted the company’s share price by around 8.7%.

The UK’s largest supplier of sustainable water and climate management products generated revenue of £602.1 million for the year ended 31 December 2025. This represented a 7.3% increase compared with the previous year and a 3.2% rise on a like-for-like basis, although the figure came in slightly below analyst forecasts.

Underlying operating profit rose 2.4% year on year to £94.4 million, roughly 2% above consensus estimates that had been positioned toward the lower end of management’s guidance range of £92 million to £95 million. The result was achieved despite a notable slowdown in like-for-like sales during the fourth quarter, when UK construction activity softened ahead of the government’s November budget announcement.

Underlying earnings per share increased 5.7% to 26.0 pence. The company also proposed a final dividend of 8.7 pence per share, bringing the total dividend for the year to 12.9 pence, representing a 3.2% increase compared with the prior year.

Chief Executive Officer Joe Vorih said: “Genuit has again demonstrated its ability to grow and outperform in challenging markets. Against a backdrop of subdued market activity, we delivered organic revenue growth, driven by the adoption of new solutions in structurally attractive segments and targeted market share gains.”

The group’s underlying operating margin declined by 70 basis points to 15.7%, reflecting higher costs linked to increases in National Insurance contributions and the National Living Wage. However, margins improved during the second half of the year, reaching 16.4%, which was 140 basis points higher than in the first half.

Among the company’s divisions, Climate Management Solutions recorded the strongest growth, with revenue rising 10.7% to £178.9 million. Water Management Solutions revenue increased 5.3% to £169.5 million, while Sustainable Building Solutions generated revenue of £246.8 million, up 6.5%.

Genuit also completed two acquisitions during the year, purchasing Monodraught for £55.6 million in August and Davidson Holdings for £49.0 million in September. Both transactions were financed using existing debt facilities. As a result, net debt to underlying pro-forma EBITDA rose to 1.5 times at the end of the year, compared with 0.9 times in 2024.

The company said market conditions remained subdued toward the end of the year and into early 2026. Prolonged wet weather affected construction activity at building sites during January and February. Management noted “some positive signs on order intake” early in the year but did not provide quantitative guidance for the 2026 financial year.