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EKF Diagnostics (LSE:EKF) said trading during the early part of 2026 has progressed in line with management expectations, providing a positive start to the second year of the company’s five-year strategic development programme.

Ahead of its AGM, the group said it has continued simplifying its product portfolio, increasing focus on core commercial opportunities and strengthening its marketing capabilities to support future organic growth initiatives.

The company reported strong operational cash generation and confirmed a cash balance of £15.0 million as of 8 May. EKF also continues to invest internally across the business while maintaining its ongoing share buyback programme.

Demand for the group’s hematology instruments and consumables remained strong during the period. Within life sciences, EKF said β-HB sales exceeded expectations and the contract fermentation pipeline continued to expand, supporting confidence that the company will achieve current market expectations for 2026 revenue and adjusted EBITDA.

The company’s broader outlook is underpinned by a conservative balance sheet with low debt levels and solid cash generation, helping to limit financial risk. However, these strengths are partly offset by uneven revenue trends and profitability that remains significantly below earlier peak performance levels. Technical indicators are mixed, while valuation remains a concern due to a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio and the absence of notable dividend yield support.

More about EKF Diagnostics Holdings

EKF Diagnostics Holdings is an AIM-listed global diagnostics business focused on point-of-care testing solutions for haematology and diabetes, alongside life sciences operations producing specialist enzymes and custom products for diagnostic, food and industrial applications. Headquartered in Penarth near Cardiff, the company operates manufacturing facilities in the United States and Germany and distributes products to more than 120 countries worldwide.

Victorian Plumbing Group (LSE:VIC) reported strong first-half trading, with revenue rising at a double-digit rate to £168.8 million as record order volumes and continued growth in tiles and flooring supported performance. The company also maintained healthy gross margins despite the impact of a new packaging tax and changes in product mix.

The group said it strengthened its position as the UK’s leading bathroom retailer during the period, while also improving marketing efficiency and expanding both its trade-focused operations and tiles division. Adjusted profit before tax declined, however, reflecting planned investment in the MFI homewares business and costs associated with securing a new long-term distribution centre lease.

Management highlighted encouraging early progress at MFI, where the product range has expanded rapidly and customer feedback has been positive. The business contributed modest revenue during the half year and is being developed as a key long-term growth platform alongside Victorian Plumbing’s core bathroom operations.

Strong cash generation and a net cash balance enabled the company to increase its interim dividend, complete the acquisition of logistics provider Sovereign Transport, and continue investing in fulfilment infrastructure and category expansion initiatives. Despite cautious consumer sentiment, Victorian Plumbing said it remains on course to meet its full-year revenue and profit expectations.

The company’s outlook is primarily supported by robust financial performance, particularly revenue growth and strong cash flow generation. Technical indicators point to broadly neutral market momentum, while valuation metrics suggest the shares are fairly priced, contributing to a balanced overall investment profile.

More about Victorian Plumbing Group Plc

Victorian Plumbing Group Plc is the UK’s largest bathroom retailer, supplying bathroom products to both retail and trade customers through an online-led business model. The company sells a mix of own-brand and third-party products and also operates MFI, an online furniture and homewares platform launched in 2025.

DCC (LSE:DCC) reported resilient trading and continued strategic progress for the year ended 31 March 2026, with adjusted continuing operating profit increasing 3.6% to £634 million. Adjusted continuing earnings per share rose 9.9%, reflecting stronger operational performance and disciplined capital management.

The group, which generated revenue of £15.4 billion during the period, also raised its dividend by 5%. Free cash flow improved to £690 million, while net debt was reduced to £691 million, contributing to a return on capital employed of 16.8%.

DCC Energy, the company’s largest operating division, delivered 3.5% growth in operating profit for the full year, with momentum strengthening in the second half as growth accelerated to 7.9%. Strong performances in Energy Products and Mobility helped offset softer results in Energy Services.

The company continued to streamline its portfolio through the disposal of DCC Healthcare and selected assets within DCC Technology. As part of its shareholder return programme, DCC has now distributed £700 million of its planned £800 million capital return through share buybacks and a tender offer.

Reflecting its sharpened strategic focus, the group plans to rename itself DCC Energy plc as it targets doubling Energy operating profit to £830 million by 2030. Growth is expected to come from a combination of organic expansion and targeted acquisitions.

The company’s outlook remains supported by strong underlying financial quality, particularly cash generation, although broader trends in revenue, profitability and return on equity remain under pressure. Investor sentiment has also been aided by maintained guidance, a clearer strategic focus and significant shareholder returns. Technical indicators remain positive overall, although some overbought signals suggest the potential for near-term volatility. Valuation metrics are mixed, partly due to a negative price-to-earnings ratio, though the dividend yield provides some support.

More about DCC plc

DCC plc is a Dublin-based FTSE 100 company specialising in multi-energy sales, marketing and distribution across Europe and the United States. The group supplies energy solutions to millions of commercial, industrial and residential customers, with a focus on off-grid energy markets including liquid gas, alongside service station and fleet-related operations aimed at supporting the transition to cleaner and more secure energy sources.

Forterra (LSE:FORT) said trading conditions remained challenging during the first four months of 2026, with like-for-like revenue falling 11% as UK brick despatches weakened following a wet start to the year. Despite softer demand, the company said its share of the UK brick market remained stable.

The group introduced modest price increases across its brick products to help offset anticipated cost inflation. However, escalating disruption linked to the Middle East crisis has created additional pressure on operating costs, leading Forterra to adjust production schedules and increasing the expected weighting of earnings toward the second half of the year.

To counter rising diesel, transport and gas expenses, the company has implemented surcharges on concrete products and confirmed further brick price surcharges effective from June. Forterra noted that some of the impact from higher energy prices has been mitigated through forward gas purchasing arrangements.

While customer demand has so far remained resilient, management warned that uncertainty has increased due to wider macroeconomic pressures and elevated borrowing costs. Even so, the board said it remains confident that recent investment in production capacity leaves the business well positioned to benefit when construction activity and housing markets recover.

The company’s overall outlook is supported by signs of improving financial performance, including lower leverage levels and stronger cash generation across 2024 and 2025. However, weak technical indicators continue to weigh on sentiment, with the shares trading below major moving averages and broader momentum trends remaining negative. Valuation metrics appear broadly reasonable, while the dividend offers some support, although not enough to offset the current market downtrend.

More about Forterra

Forterra plc is one of the UK’s largest producers of clay and concrete building materials, supplying bricks and related construction products primarily to domestic housing and infrastructure markets. The company serves major UK housebuilders and construction projects, maintaining a significant position within the British brick manufacturing sector.

Hilton Food Group (LSE:HFG) delivered resilient trading across its core meat and fresh prepared food divisions, supported by strong demand in Australia, New Zealand and Central Europe within its East region. In the West region, volumes edged higher, helped in part by seasonal demand ahead of Easter.

The company said difficult market conditions continue to weigh on its seafood, vegetarian and vegan operations. In response, Hilton Food is pursuing cost-saving initiatives at Seachill, transitioning Foppen exports to the U.S. from air freight to sea freight, and working to improve volumes at its Dalco production site.

Hilton Food also reported continued progress on several strategic commercial and investment projects. These include an extended long-term partnership with Tesco in the UK, a Canadian expansion project that remains on schedule for a full launch in 2027 alongside additional bacon production capabilities, a new Saudi Arabian facility expected to open in the second half of 2026, and plans to expand production capacity in Poland.

Management reiterated its 2026 guidance, forecasting adjusted profit before tax of between £60 million and £65 million, alongside capital expenditure of roughly £100 million. The company said the outlook reflects confidence in both near-term trading and longer-term growth opportunities despite ongoing inflationary and geopolitical pressures.

The group’s outlook continues to be constrained by weaker cash flow visibility and cautious guidance for 2026, which points to pressure on short-term earnings even as profitability remains relatively stable. However, these concerns are partly offset by an attractive valuation, including a low price-to-earnings ratio and strong dividend yield, as well as improving short-term market momentum, although the broader long-term trend remains less supportive.

More about Hilton Food

Hilton Food Group is an international supplier of red meat and fresh prepared foods, working with major retail customers across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The company has expanded into seafood as well as vegetarian and vegan categories, with a strategy focused on long-term supply agreements and strategic retail partnerships, including its extended collaboration with Tesco in the UK.

Last week’s U.S. macroeconomic data was, to say the least, disappointing for the markets, though not yet for the S&P 500 or Nasdaq. As now-former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned, the conflict in the Middle East, or more precisely the resulting rise in oil prices, is driving inflation.

CPI rose 0.6% from the previous month, in line with expectations, while core inflation increased 0.4%, above the projected 0.3%. On an annual basis, the CPI stood at 3.8% versus the expected 3.7%, while core inflation reached 2.8%, slightly above the forecast of 2.7%.

Producer inflation was even worse. The PPI surged 6% year-over-year versus expectations of 4.8%, while monthly growth stood at 1.4%, well above the forecast of 0.5%. Core PPI also surprised on the upside, rising 5.2% year-over-year versus the expected 4.3%, and 1% month-over-month versus forecasts of 0.3%.

At this point, hopes that the Fed will cut rates this year basically vanished. More than that, CME FedWatch now shows around a 40% chance of another rate hike. 

Against this backdrop, the bond market came under pressure toward the end of the week. Yields on U.S. Treasuries rose to their highest level in a year, while German Bund yields reached levels not seen since 2011. In the UK, political developments may also have contributed to the pressure.

Still, calling this a full-blown debt crisis might be premature, as tensions in the Middle East ease, inflationary pressures could ease, and markets could stabilize quickly. 

The problem is that, despite optimistic posts on Truth Social, the situation around the Strait of Hormuz has hardly improved; if anything, it has worsened, with Trump threatening to “annihilate” the country, while Israel openly states that the operation is far from over.

As the UK and the wider world push forward with renewable energy, advanced technology, and modern defence capability, one challenge is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the rising demand for critical minerals. Often unseen in everyday life, these materials underpin the systems we rely on, from electric vehicles and solar panels to smartphones, aircraft, and essential defence infrastructure.

This trailer provides a first look into the complex and fast-moving world of critical minerals, with a particular focus on tungsten, one of the most strategically important metals globally. Featuring Guardian Metal Resources (LSE:GMET)(AMEX:GMTL)(USOTC:GMTLF)and drawing on expert insight and real-world exploration, it explores how global supply chains, geopolitical pressures, and decades of underinvestment have exposed vulnerabilities that could impact UK industry, energy security, and national resilience.

At the same time, it highlights a new wave of mining innovation, where advanced technology, AI, and modern exploration techniques are transforming how resources are discovered and developed. This is a story that connects geology, innovation, economics, and global competition, and asks a critical question: how will the UK secure the materials it needs in an increasingly uncertain world?

Episode Two will be available on the 26th of May on the following Link – https://invest.investorshub.com/innovationreport/

Funding Round Supports Expanding Exploration Portfolio

Sintana Energy (LSE:SEI) (USOTC:SEUSF) (TSX-V:SEI) has conditionally secured US$11.5 million in fresh funding to help finance a growing exploration pipeline, including activity linked to the Chevron-operated Nabba-1 well offshore Namibia in PEL 90.

The fundraising was completed at 22.5 pence per share on AIM and C$0.41 per share on the TSX Venture Exchange, with approximately 38.0 million new common shares set to be issued.

The AIM issue price reflected a 13.5% discount to the company’s closing mid-market share price of 26 pence on May 14.

Directors Participate in Oversubscribed Raise

The transaction consisted of a US$10.8 million placing covering around 35.6 million shares, alongside a US$0.7 million subscription for approximately 2.37 million shares purchased by directors and eligible investors from Canada and Australia.

Chief executive Robert Bose and company president Eytan Uliel each invested US$250,000 through subscriptions for 826,105 shares apiece.

Proceeds to Fund Drilling and Strategic Acquisitions

Management said the oversubscribed fundraising, together with existing cash reserves and proceeds from the company’s Exxon settlement in Colombia, provides additional flexibility to pursue key exploration and acquisition opportunities.

The proceeds are expected to help finance activity at the Nabba-1 well and support the cash consideration tied to acquisitions involving interests in PEL 37 in Namibia’s Walvis Basin and KON-16 in Angola’s Kwanza Basin.

Gold prices moved in a volatile range on Monday as traders assessed rising global bond yields alongside renewed geopolitical tensions involving Iran.

Precious Metal Gives Up Early Gains

By 07:24 ET (11:24 GMT), spot gold slipped 0.1% to $4,536.03 an ounce, while gold futures fell 0.5% to $4,539.59 an ounce.

Earlier in the trading session, gold had posted modest gains after previously touching its lowest level since March 30.

The metal has weakened compared with levels seen at the beginning of the Iran conflict in late February, as investors shifted toward the U.S. dollar as a preferred safe-haven asset. Market participants believe the U.S. economy may be relatively insulated from the energy shock because of its position as a major oil exporter.

A stronger U.S. dollar typically reduces overseas demand for gold by making it more expensive in other currencies.

Rising Inflation Expectations Hurt Gold Demand

Investors have also become increasingly concerned that the conflict could intensify inflationary pressures globally.

Higher inflation raises the possibility that central banks may keep interest rates elevated or even tighten policy further, reducing the attractiveness of non-interest-bearing assets such as gold.

Drone Incidents Raise New Questions About Ceasefire Stability

Over the weekend, a drone strike caused a fire at a nuclear installation in the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia reported intercepting three drones.

The incidents increased uncertainty surrounding the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

President Donald Trump stated on social media that “the clock is ticking” for Iran to reach a peace agreement or potentially face renewed U.S. military action.

China Visit Produces No Immediate Diplomatic Progress

Last week, some investors had hoped Trump’s visit to China could help unlock progress in negotiations with Iran, given Beijing’s role as a major importer of Iranian crude oil.

However, the summit concluded without any immediate breakthrough or commitments from China.

“The weekend […] saw a return of concerns over the ongoing war between the U.S. and Iran,” said David Morrison, Senior market Analyst at Trade Nation, in a note.

“These fell out of focus while the Trump administration was in Beijing. But they bounced back into sight as it became painfully apparent that the Chinese trip was a non-event, while Iran appears in no mood to accede to the U.S. peace plan.”