ADVFN UK Market News

Author: Fiona Craig

  • Supermarket Income REIT Appoints Peel Hunt as Joint Corporate Broker

    Supermarket Income REIT Appoints Peel Hunt as Joint Corporate Broker

    Supermarket Income REIT plc (LSE:SUPR), the London- and Johannesburg-listed property investor focused on grocery assets, has named Peel Hunt LLP as an additional joint corporate broker. The firm will work alongside Goldman Sachs International and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited to advise the REIT on capital markets activities.

    The move broadens the company’s advisory bench as it continues to manage and potentially expand its £1.6 billion portfolio of supermarket properties across the UK and Europe. By strengthening its broker coverage, Supermarket Income REIT is expected to enhance shareholder engagement, improve trading liquidity and reinforce its access to capital markets across its dual listings. The strategy supports its objective of maintaining efficient funding channels while promoting its investment case to a wider pool of institutional investors.

    The REIT’s portfolio is structured to deliver long-term, inflation-linked rental income derived from grocery-led assets that serve both online fulfilment and physical retail demand. Its stable income profile underpins a progressive dividend policy and offers scope for sustained capital appreciation. Recent corporate activity and steady operational execution have contributed to resilient financial performance, while valuation metrics — including an attractive dividend yield — continue to draw investor interest.

    More about Supermarket Income REIT plc

    Supermarket Income REIT plc is a FTSE 250-listed real estate investment trust specialising in grocery property investments that form part of critical food infrastructure. The company focuses on omnichannel supermarket assets, primarily leased to leading grocery operators in the UK and Europe. As of 30 June 2025, it managed a portfolio valued at approximately £1.6 billion, designed to generate secure, long-duration income streams.

  • Capita Lands £137m, Decade-Long UK Pension Contract Extension

    Capita Lands £137m, Decade-Long UK Pension Contract Extension

    Capita’s (LSE:CPI) Pension Solutions arm has secured a renewal with an existing UK pensions client, locking in a contract worth £137 million for a term of up to 10 years. Recognised at £137 million under IFRS 15 accounting standards, the agreement strengthens Capita’s foothold in the pensions administration space and highlights the recurring nature of its long-standing outsourcing partnerships.

    The extended mandate will see Capita introduce upgraded technology aimed at simplifying transactions, increasing processing capacity and improving overall customer service. Management described the renewal as a clear sign of client trust in the group’s service delivery and digital capabilities. The long-duration structure of the contract is expected to enhance revenue predictability and aligns with the company’s strategy of expanding technology-enabled service offerings.

    Capita plc continues to navigate a challenging financial landscape, marked by elevated leverage and ongoing cash flow pressures. While recent operational progress and supportive corporate developments offer some encouragement, valuation questions and regulatory headwinds remain factors influencing investor sentiment.

    More about Capita plc

    Capita plc is a UK-based outsourcing specialist that supports both public and private sector organisations in managing complex operations more effectively. With a workforce of around 34,000 employees across eight countries, the company delivers technology-enabled, people-driven services primarily in the UK and Europe, playing an integral role in essential day-to-day public and commercial services.

  • U.S. Futures Signal Higher Open as Nvidia Gains in Pre-Market: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street

    U.S. Futures Signal Higher Open as Nvidia Gains in Pre-Market: Dow Jones, S&P, Nasdaq, Wall Street

    U.S. stock futures pointed to a stronger start on Wednesday, suggesting Wall Street could build on the modest advances recorded in the previous session.

    Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) was among the standout movers before the bell, climbing about 1.9% after unveiling a sweeping, multi-year strategic alliance with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META), the parent company of Facebook. The agreement spans on-premise systems, cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence platforms, and is expected to support large-scale deployment of Nvidia CPUs along with millions of its Blackwell and Rubin GPUs.

    Another member of the “Magnificent Seven,” Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), also looked set for early gains after it emerged that Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square boosted its stake in the e-commerce giant by 65% in the fourth quarter.

    Despite the upbeat tone, overall trading volumes could remain restrained as investors await the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting later in the day. At its late-January gathering, the central bank opted to keep interest rates unchanged, and the minutes may provide additional insight into policymakers’ thinking on the rate outlook.

    Tuesday’s session reflected that cautious stance. After opening lower, the major indexes fluctuated around the flatline for much of the day before finishing slightly higher. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 32.26 points, or 0.1%, to 49,533.19. The Nasdaq Composite added 31.71 points, or 0.1%, to 22,578.38, while the S&P 500 edged up 7.05 points, or 0.1%, to 6,843.22.

    The uneven performance came as traders held back ahead of several key economic reports due in the coming days. December’s personal income and spending data is likely to draw particular focus, as it includes the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauges.

    Earlier Tuesday, technology shares had weighed on the broader market, with the Nasdaq sliding to its lowest intraday level in nearly three months. Questions surrounding the return on heavy artificial intelligence investments have recently pressured the tech sector, which had previously propelled indexes to record highs.

    “Investors are increasingly questioning whether the marginal dollar spent on AI will generate the expected return,” said Daniela Hathorn, Senior Market Analyst at Capital.com. “At the same time, market uncertainty is rising as new AI models frequently disrupt established players.”

    “With competitive dynamics evolving rapidly, it is unclear who the long-term winners will be,” she added. “This uncertainty has led to underperformance across much of big tech, even as the broader market remains relatively resilient.”

    On the economic front, the National Association of Home Builders reported that U.S. homebuilder confidence unexpectedly declined in February. The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index slipped to 36 from 37 in January, missing expectations for a rise to 38 and marking its lowest reading since September.

    Sector-wise, computer hardware stocks remained under pressure, with the NYSE Arca Computer Hardware Index falling 3.2%. Gold-related shares also retreated alongside the price of the metal, sending the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index down 3.2%. Housing, software and energy names likewise posted notable losses.

    In contrast, airline stocks rallied sharply, lifting the NYSE Arca Airline Index by 2.5% for the session.

  • European Equities Advance as Geopolitical Concerns Ease: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European Equities Advance as Geopolitical Concerns Ease: DAX, CAC, FTSE100

    European markets traded broadly higher on Wednesday, supported by signs of easing geopolitical strain and fresh reports suggesting a potential leadership change at the European Central Bank.

    According to the Financial Times, ECB President Christine Lagarde is considering stepping down before the end of her eight-year term, which is due to run through October 2027.

    In currency markets, the British pound slipped below $1.36 after new figures showed U.K. inflation cooled to a ten-month low in January, bolstering expectations that the Bank of England could begin cutting rates as early as March.

    Data from the Office for National Statistics showed consumer prices rose 3.0% year over year, in line with forecasts. That marked the slowest pace since March 2025, when inflation stood at 2.6%, and followed a 3.4% annual increase in December.

    In France, annual consumer price growth also moderated, easing to 0.4% in January and matching the preliminary estimate released earlier this month.

    By midday, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 was higher by 1.0%, Germany’s DAX had gained 0.8%, and France’s CAC 40 was up 0.3%.

    Among individual stocks, defense contractor BAE Systems (LSE:BA.) rallied strongly after posting a 12% increase in full-year operating profit that exceeded expectations and announcing higher shareholder returns.

    Commodity giant Glencore (LSE:GLEN) also climbed despite reporting a decline in annual earnings.

    Swiss dental implant specialist Straumann Holding (TG:QS51) jumped after surpassing fourth-quarter sales forecasts and guiding for high single-digit percentage revenue growth in 2026.

    On the downside, Carrefour (EU:CA) fell after Europe’s largest food retailer reported lower operating profit for 2025, citing costs related to recent acquisitions.

  • Connecting Excellence Group Begins Trading on U.S. OTCQB Market

    Connecting Excellence Group Begins Trading on U.S. OTCQB Market

    Connecting Excellence Group Plc (AQSE:XCE) announced that its shares have commenced trading on the U.S. OTC Venture Market under the ticker (USOTC:XCELF). The company confirmed that no new ordinary shares were issued in connection with the secondary listing.

    The OTCQB is considered a mid-tier marketplace for growth-oriented companies and is recognised by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public trading venue.

    The board said the OTCQB admission is expected to provide access to a broader pool of U.S. investors, many of whom are already familiar with listed companies operating Bitcoin treasury strategies. Management believes the move could enhance liquidity and expand the shareholder base.

    XCE’s core executive search business, Spencer Riley, has an established footprint in the United States, generating approximately 30% of its revenue from U.S. clients over the past year. The company said OTC trading aligns with its growing brand presence in the U.S., particularly across high-growth traditional industries and among firms seeking executive talent with expertise in Bitcoin-focused strategies.

    The listing is also intended to support XCE’s broader ambition of promoting Bitcoin education and corporate adoption, integrating its recruitment operations with a disciplined Bitcoin treasury framework.

    Chief Executive Officer Scott Ellam described the OTCQB listing as a key milestone. “Our admission to trading on the OTCQB is a strategic milestone for the Company. We are a profitable operating business first, with a proven international executive recruitment platform at our core, and an experienced capital markets team to deliver on our Bitcoin treasury strategy.

    “US investors also have a strong understanding of Bitcoin, innovative capital structures and the value of cash-generative businesses that grow as a direct result of their ability to attract high performing revenue generating individuals and cash flowing companies to the organisation. Our business is a people driven business, backed by a Bitcoin treasury strategy so the OTCQB trading opens the opportunity for US investors, along with US clients, US based Executive Recruiters and US based competitor companies to join XCE on the journey as we positively disrupt international executive search and champion Bitcoin corporate adoption.

    “The OTC will help to broaden our reach, increase liquidity and align XCE with a shareholder audience that shares our long-term conviction in building sustainable value through people, performance and disciplined Bitcoin accumulation.”

    About Connecting Excellence Group Plc

    Connecting Excellence Group is an international executive recruitment firm combining a scalable search platform with a long-term Bitcoin treasury strategy. Its flagship subsidiary, Spencer Riley, places senior leaders across global markets including engineering, logistics, life sciences, automation, technology, professional services and B2B industries.

    The company’s Bitcoin treasury approach is designed to underpin long-term growth, with performance-linked equity incentives aimed at attracting and retaining top revenue-generating talent. XCE also intends to pursue strategic acquisitions using performance-based equity structures and is developing a specialist Bitcoin executive recruitment division to serve both native Bitcoin companies and traditional businesses seeking digital asset expertise.

  • Zenith Energy Launches Construction Activities for 7 MWp Solar Projects in Italy

    Zenith Energy Launches Construction Activities for 7 MWp Solar Projects in Italy

    Zenith Energy Ltd. (LSE:ZEN) has started construction-phase preparations for three solar installations with a combined capacity of 7 MWp in Italy’s Puglia region, the company said in a press release.

    The projects—Andria-1, Andria-3 and Andria-4—are being developed via Zenith’s fully owned Italian subsidiary, WESOLAR S.R.L. Layout designs for the ground-mounted facilities have been finalized, and grid connection requests have been submitted.

    The total projected investment for the three plants is about €3.87 million. This includes roughly €3.15 million allocated to solar panels and construction works, along with €720,000 earmarked for land purchases. Zenith expects the projects to generate approximately €14.8 million in gross revenue during their first 10 years of operation, with an anticipated operational life of around 30 years.

    Groundbreaking is planned for July 2026. The company is currently running a competitive tender process for construction contractors and is in advanced talks with banks to arrange financing that could cover about 80% of the overall project costs.

    In addition, Zenith disclosed the acquisition of two further ground-mounted photovoltaic projects in Puglia with a combined planned capacity of around 5 MWp. The agreed land purchase price is €779,000, subject to obtaining the required regulatory approvals.

    Following these additions, Zenith’s solar portfolio now totals approximately 125.5 MWp across several Italian regions, including Liguria, Lazio, Piedmont and Puglia.

    The portfolio comprises projects at varying stages of development, from early-phase initiatives to ready-to-build assets. Zenith said it aims to pursue a balanced strategy—progressing projects toward construction readiness while selectively building and retaining assets to establish recurring electricity production revenues.

  • KR1 Allocates $1.5 Million in NXM Tokens to DeFi Underwriting Pools

    KR1 Allocates $1.5 Million in NXM Tokens to DeFi Underwriting Pools

    KR1 plc (LSE:KR1) has initiated a new revenue-generating strategy by deploying 40,000 Nexus Mutual (NXM) tokens—worth roughly £1.5 million—to provide underwriting capacity within Ethereum’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem.

    The allocation accounts for around 36% of KR1’s total NXM holdings and represents the first implementation phase of its newly unveiled Financial Infrastructure Strategy. The tokens have been assigned to two distinct Nexus Mutual underwriting pools, with lock-up periods running between January 21 and April 22, 2027.

    By contributing capital to these pools, KR1 will earn a proportion of insurance premiums generated, while assuming the risk of potential payouts should covered protocols face validated claims. According to the company, annualized returns on NXM underwriting over the past three months have ranged from approximately 2.81% to 13.31%.

    KR1 indicated that it plans to deploy the majority of its remaining NXM holdings under the same framework, with further allocations anticipated during the first half of 2026.

    Nexus Mutual—an organization KR1 backed at seed stage in 2017—has delivered more than $6 billion in cumulative crypto coverage since inception and has paid out over $18 million in legitimate claims.

    “KR1 plc provides public market access to the infrastructure powering the global migration of assets onchain,” said Peter Holsgrove, Head of Investor Relations at KR1 plc. “The commencement of our Financial Infrastructure operations marks an important step in extending the productivity of our digital asset holdings.”

    The company noted that it remains exposed to fluctuations in the market value of NXM during the lock-up period, meaning that changes in token prices could affect the fair value of the deployed capital irrespective of underwriting performance.

  • Halo Minerals Rebrands from Guardian Metals Ahead of Planned AIM IPO

    Halo Minerals Rebrands from Guardian Metals Ahead of Planned AIM IPO

    Halo Minerals has officially adopted its new name following shareholder approval at a 6 January 2026 general meeting, completing its transition from Guardian Metals. The company said the rebrand signals a more focused strategy centered on the production of strategic and battery metals—particularly copper—by reprocessing low-risk, metal-rich historic mine waste already stockpiled at surface.

    The name change comes as Halo advances plans to rejoin London’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) after securing pre-IPO funding. Subject to market conditions and final due diligence, the company is aiming to complete an IPO fundraising and resume trading on AIM toward the end of the first quarter of 2026.

    Copper-focused “circular economy” model

    Chief Executive Andy Dennan described the rebranding as the beginning of a new phase for the company, emphasizing an approach designed to supply critical metals while promoting circular production and environmental restoration.

    Halo’s strategy centers on extracting value from legacy mining materials rather than pursuing higher-risk greenfield exploration, positioning the business as aligned with sustainability objectives.

    Playa Verde project in Chile

    The company’s primary asset is the Playa Verde Project in Chile’s Atacama Region, which it says has the potential to “re-define sustainable mining” by combining copper production with environmental clean-up efforts in the Chañaral Bay area.

    Halo acquired Playa Verde in March 2025. The project spans 15.25 square kilometers and is reported to contain a resource of 53 million tonnes grading 0.24% copper.

    With copper widely regarded as a key metal underpinning electrification and grid expansion, Halo is presenting Playa Verde as an ESG-focused supply opportunity, targeting material that has already been mined and accumulated rather than initiating new large-scale extraction.

    Part of a broader sector trend

    The rebranding also reflects a wider trend across the mining industry. Sector data show nearly 300 mining companies changed their names between 2018 and 2024. In Australia alone, close to 70 ASX-listed firms rebranded in 2024, followed by more than 70 additional name changes among ASX-listed companies in 2025, many within the resources space.

  • Greatland Resources Appoints Acting COO Following Tyrrell’s Departure

    Greatland Resources Appoints Acting COO Following Tyrrell’s Departure

    Greatland Resources Limited (LSE:GGP) has confirmed a change in its senior leadership team, with Chief Operating Officer Simon Tyrrell stepping down from his position. Tyrrell will remain available to assist with the handover process through 30 June 2026 to ensure a smooth transition.

    The company has initiated a formal recruitment process to identify a permanent replacement, underscoring its focus on maintaining operational stability and leadership continuity during the interim period.

    In the meantime, long-serving Group Mining Engineer Otto Richter has been appointed Acting COO. Richter brings more than 25 years of experience in both open-pit and underground gold mining and has played a central role in Greatland’s operational planning and development strategy. His appointment is intended to provide steady oversight of the company’s Telfer mine and Havieron project as the board reviews its longer-term executive structure.

    Greatland’s outlook is largely supported by a marked improvement in financial performance in FY2025, characterised by strong margins, solid cash generation and low leverage. Technical indicators remain favourable, reflecting a sustained upward trend in the share price, although overbought conditions may introduce short-term volatility. Valuation metrics remain stretched, however, with a high price-to-earnings ratio weighing on the overall assessment.

    More about Greatland Resources

    Greatland Resources Limited is a gold and copper mining company dual-listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and AIM in London, with operations based in Western Australia. Its core assets include the wholly owned Telfer gold-copper mine, the nearby Havieron development project, and a substantial exploration portfolio in the Paterson Province, positioning the group to build a long-life gold-copper production centre.

  • Anglo Asian Eyes Threefold Increase in Copper Output as 2026 Becomes Key Expansion Year

    Anglo Asian Eyes Threefold Increase in Copper Output as 2026 Becomes Key Expansion Year

    Anglo Asian Mining PLC (LSE:AAZ) has released its 2026 production and cost outlook, highlighting what it describes as a landmark year as it operates for the first time as a multi-asset producer in Azerbaijan. The company expects copper to overtake gold as its main revenue driver as production accelerates at the recently commissioned Gilar and Demirli mines, complementing output from its long-standing Gedabek site.

    Total copper production for 2026 is projected to almost triple to between 20,000 and 25,000 tonnes. Gold output is forecast at 28,000 to 33,000 ounces, while silver production is expected to reach 170,000 to 210,000 ounces.

    Management indicated that all-in sustaining costs should remain competitive, underpinning its objective of delivering another year of strong operational growth and progressing toward its ambition of becoming a mid-tier producer.

    The company’s broader outlook remains weighed down by weaker financial performance, including falling revenues, negative profit margins and worsening free cash flow. Valuation metrics are also less attractive given ongoing losses. These challenges are partly counterbalanced by positive technical signals, with the share price trading above major moving averages and momentum indicators pointing upward.

    More about Anglo Asian Mining

    Anglo Asian Mining is an AIM-listed copper, gold and silver producer with production and exploration assets across Azerbaijan. In 2025, the company produced 7,915 tonnes of copper and 25,061 ounces of gold. It is pursuing a long-term strategy to evolve into a diversified, mid-tier copper and gold producer by 2030, targeting annual copper output of 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes from a portfolio that includes Xarxar, Garadag, Zafar, Gilar and Demirli.