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Shares in Cab Payments Holdings PLC (LSE:CABP) climbed sharply on Monday, rising 12.9% after the company disclosed that it had received a potential takeover approach from StoneX Group.

StoneX said it had put forward an all-cash proposal to acquire the payments firm at 95 pence per share. The indicative offer represents a 32% premium to CAB Payments’ undisturbed closing price of 72 pence on January 30 and an 11% premium to the 85 pence per share offer made by the Helios Consortium on March 2.

CAB Payments confirmed that its independent board is currently reviewing the proposal from StoneX. As part of this process, directors will also assess the group’s financial and operational performance for the 2025 fiscal year.

StoneX said it believes there is strong strategic alignment between CAB Payments’ operations and its own payments division. According to the company, combining the two businesses could create a specialist platform focused on payments across emerging markets. StoneX added that it believes it would be the most suitable long-term owner for CAB Payments.

Economic prospects in the euro area are coming under increasing strain from the conflict in the Middle East and tighter financial conditions, according to a recent note from Barclays Research. The bank expects the European Central Bank to leave its key deposit rate unchanged at 2% at the March 19 policy meeting.

Barclays now forecasts eurozone real GDP growth of 1.1% in 2026, down from 1.5% expected for 2025. At the same time, headline inflation is projected to rise to 2.4% this year—0.6 percentage points higher than the brokerage’s December estimate—before easing back to around 2% by 2027.

According to Barclays’ nowcasting model, the eurozone economy could contract by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter in the first quarter of 2026, weaker than both the bank’s own forecast and the ECB’s projection of 0.3% growth.

“The ECB will do what is necessary to maintain medium-term inflation at target,” Barclays expects President Christine Lagarde to reiterate during the press conference following the meeting. The Governing Council is also likely to emphasize that policy rates are “not on a predetermined path.”

Recent economic indicators point to weakening momentum in the region’s industrial sector. Euro area industrial production fell 1.5% month-on-month in January, including declines of 1.3% in Germany, 0.6% in Italy and 0.5% in Spain. In Germany, factory orders plunged 11.1% from the previous month, reversing most of the gains recorded in the second half of 2025.

Barclays outlined a scenario in which Brent crude stabilizes around $100 per barrel and TTF natural gas remains near €70 per megawatt-hour—roughly 40% and 120% higher respectively since the start of the conflict. Under these conditions, the bank estimates eurozone GDP could be about 0.6 percentage points lower after one year, while consumer prices might increase by as much as 1.4 percentage points within 12 months.

The bank also suggested that any fiscal response from governments would likely be “more limited and more targeted” than the measures implemented after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when emergency support amounted to roughly 3% of nominal GDP.

Among the eurozone’s four largest economies, Spain is expected to remain the most resilient, with Barclays projecting growth of 2.3% in 2026. Germany’s economy is forecast to expand by 0.9%, France by 1.1% and Italy by 0.7%.

France is also seen facing the heaviest fiscal pressures, with its budget deficit expected to reach 5.2% of GDP in 2026 and public debt rising to 118.6% of GDP.

On the trade front, the United States launched an investigation on March 12 into EU trade practices to determine whether they contribute to excessive manufacturing capacity.

In the political arena, France will hold the first round of municipal elections on March 15. Barclays highlighted that the performance of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National could serve as an indicator of the party’s momentum ahead of the country’s presidential election in 2027.

SRT Marine Systems (LSE:SRT) reported strong performance for the six months to 31 December 2025, with revenue almost doubling year-on-year to £51.1 million and profit before tax increasing 48% to £3.1 million. Growth was largely driven by the company’s sovereign maritime surveillance systems division. Gross cash rose to £41.6 million, including substantial restricted funds linked to ongoing projects, while an order book of roughly £350 million across five sovereign clients and continued cash inflows support management’s confidence in meeting market expectations.

The group’s systems segment continues to expand rapidly, supported by a visible contract pipeline estimated at around £1.8 billion. During the period, SRT secured a £15.3 million follow-on contract from an existing customer and signed a new £195 million sovereign maritime surveillance agreement that is awaiting formal activation. Operational progress also included the first unmanned surface surveillance vessel programme becoming fully operational in Kuwait. After the reporting period, the company launched its NEXUS VHF/AIS communications system, further enhancing its technology portfolio and strengthening its position as a provider of integrated maritime domain awareness solutions.

Despite strong revenue growth and improving operational efficiency, the company’s outlook is tempered by weak cash flow dynamics. Technical indicators remain negative with limited momentum, although the shares may be approaching oversold levels. Valuation also appears stretched, with a very high price-to-earnings ratio and no dividend yield to provide additional support.

More about SRT Marine Systems

SRT Marine Systems is a UK-based technology company specialising in maritime intelligence, surveillance and navigation safety systems for civil defence and commercial maritime users. Its solutions are deployed by sovereign organisations such as coast guards, fisheries authorities and maritime agencies, as well as by commercial shipping and leisure vessel operators seeking improved maritime domain awareness and digital navigation capabilities.

Avacta Therapeutics (LSE:AVCT) has initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial for FAP-Exd (AVA6103), its second program to enter the clinic and the first sustained-release therapy developed using the company’s pre|CISION peptide-drug conjugate platform. The study has begun enrolling patients at specialist oncology centres in Virginia and Texas. The investigational treatment is designed as a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-activated form of exatecan, a potent topoisomerase I inhibitor, with the goal of delivering the drug’s effects more precisely within solid tumours.

The Phase 1a dose-escalation study will evaluate safety, tumour and plasma pharmacokinetics, and early indications of therapeutic activity in adults with advanced cancers, including pancreatic, cervical and vulvar, gastric and gastroesophageal junction, and small cell lung cancer. Patients will receive the therapy on either biweekly or triweekly dosing schedules. Avacta’s chief executive noted that AVA6103 has progressed into clinical testing more quickly than is typical for comparable drug development timelines. The company believes the therapy could enhance the anti-tumour potential of exatecan while reducing the severe toxicity that previously restricted its clinical use, representing an important step forward in expanding Avacta’s oncology pipeline.

Despite the clinical progress, the company’s overall outlook remains constrained by weak financial performance and bearish technical indicators. While pipeline advancement provides some positive momentum, ongoing funding needs and the absence of major partnerships continue to present challenges. Valuation metrics are also limited by negative earnings and the lack of dividend yield.

More about Avacta Group plc

Avacta Therapeutics, part of Avacta Group plc, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted oncology therapies using its proprietary pre|CISION platform. The technology is designed to release highly potent cytotoxic drugs selectively within the tumour microenvironment, aiming to improve treatment effectiveness while minimising systemic side effects. The company’s pipeline includes pre|CISION peptide-drug conjugates and Affimer-based drug conjugates intended to deliver next-generation cancer therapies with improved precision.

Beeks Financial Cloud Group (LSE:BKS) reported mixed interim results for the six months ended 31 December 2025, with Annualised Committed Monthly Recurring Revenue increasing 15% to £32.8 million and new contract activity pushing Total Contract Value up 23% to £11.9 million. Despite this momentum in bookings, reported revenue declined to £14.65 million and underlying profit before tax moved to a loss, reflecting contract timing effects and the transition of its Exchange Cloud offering to a revenue-share structure that defers upfront income recognition.

Operational progress remained strong during the period. The company secured £6 million in Proximity Cloud contracts toward the end of the half year, expanded its Exchange Cloud platform by onboarding two additional exchanges and introduced its AI-powered Market Edge Intelligence analytics solution. Management noted that a major global bank is progressing toward signing a contract for the new platform. The group expects roughly £4.5 million of additional revenue to be recognised in the second half from recently secured deals and believes its expanding sales pipeline, limited competitive landscape and growing roster of Tier 1 financial clients position it for stronger and more profitable growth over the medium term.

Beeks’ outlook is supported by underlying operational progress and continued expansion of its contracted revenue base, although near-term cash flow pressures remain a consideration. Technical indicators point to a broadly neutral trend with some bullish momentum, while valuation concerns—such as a relatively high price-to-earnings ratio and the absence of a dividend yield—temper the overall assessment.

More about Beeks Financial Cloud Group Plc

Beeks Financial Cloud Group is a UK-listed provider of managed private infrastructure designed for capital markets and financial services firms. Through its Infrastructure-as-a-Service model, the company delivers low-latency cloud computing, connectivity and analytics solutions that enable hybrid cloud deployment and secure connectivity to global exchanges and trading venues.

ECR Minerals (LSE:ECR) has confirmed it will maintain a royalty interest worth up to A$2 million tied to the Avoca and Timor gold licences in Victoria, Australia, despite a recent ownership change affecting one of the projects. Leviathan Metals has agreed to sell the Timor Gold project to Au Gold Corp., and ECR has approved the transfer of its Timor royalty to Havelock Gold, a subsidiary of Au Gold. The royalty linked to the Avoca project will remain with Leviathan Metals.

Under the existing agreement, ECR’s Australian subsidiary is entitled to receive A$1 per ounce of gold—or gold equivalent—identified in future resource estimates and an additional A$1 per ounce for gold produced from the licences. Each of these payments is capped at A$1 million, creating a potential combined value of up to A$2 million. Although the company has no direct operational involvement in the projects, management considers the royalty a potentially valuable legacy asset that could provide financial upside if exploration and development progress in Victoria’s resurgent gold sector.

The company noted that the royalty arrangement requires no further capital commitment, meaning any future proceeds would flow directly to ECR’s bottom line. The assignment of the Timor royalty to Havelock Gold includes warranties and indemnities designed to protect ECR’s rights, helping ensure the integrity of this non-core but strategically relevant income stream alongside its core exploration portfolio in Australia.

ECR’s broader outlook remains constrained by weak financial fundamentals, including the absence of revenue, continued operating losses and ongoing cash burn. These factors are partially offset by the company’s debt-free balance sheet and some modest improvement in losses and cash flow. Technical indicators remain neutral to slightly negative, with the share price below shorter-term averages and a bearish MACD signal, while valuation metrics are limited by negative earnings and the absence of dividend support.

More about ECR Minerals

ECR Minerals PLC is a mineral exploration and development company focused on gold assets in Australia, operating through wholly owned subsidiaries across Victoria and Queensland. Its project portfolio includes the Bailieston, Creswick and Tambo gold projects in Victoria, as well as the Raglan and Blue Mountain alluvial gold projects and several exploration licences in northern Queensland that the company aims to advance toward production.

In addition to its active exploration portfolio, ECR retains legacy interests in previously owned Victorian assets, including potential royalty income of up to A$2 million from the Avoca and Timor gold projects. The company’s Australian subsidiary also holds approximately A$76 million in unused tax losses from prior operations, which could offer future tax advantages if its exploration activities are successfully developed into producing mines.