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Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust plc (LSE:ORIT) has declared an interim dividend of 1.54 pence per Ordinary Share for the quarter ending 30 June 2025, covering the period from 1 April to 30 June. This payout is in line with the company’s annual dividend target of 6.17 pence per share, highlighting its ongoing commitment to delivering reliable and sustainable income for shareholders. The announcement further strengthens ORIT’s role in the renewable energy space and its alignment with long-term energy transition efforts.

The trust maintains a robust financial outlook, supported by strong balance sheet fundamentals and encouraging technical indicators. Recent corporate strategies, such as increased dividends and share repurchase initiatives, reflect a clear prioritization of shareholder returns. While its valuation remains elevated, the company’s dividend yield remains appealing to income-focused investors. However, a downward trend in revenues continues to pose a potential risk to future growth prospects.

About Octopus Renewables Infrastructure Trust plc

ORIT is a closed-ended investment company listed in London, with a focus on generating sustainable income and capital appreciation through investments in a diverse mix of renewable energy projects across Europe and Australia. As an impact-focused fund, ORIT plays a part in advancing the global transition to net zero and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Its investment manager, Octopus Energy Generation, oversees approximately £6.8 billion in renewable energy assets across 21 countries—producing clean power for about 2.6 million homes each year.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Here’s what investors should keep an eye on from the FTSE 100, FTSE 250, and a few standout global names reporting their results during the week starting 4 August 2025.

Scheduled Earnings Releases

4 August

• Clarkson – Half-year results
• Palantir Technologies – Q2 results
• Senior – Half-year results

5 August

• Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) – Q2 results
• BP – Q2 results
• Diageo – Full-year results
• Domino’s Pizza – Half-year results
• Fresnillo – Half-year results
• International Workplace Group – Half-year results
• Keller Group – Half-year results
• Rotork – Half-year results
• Smith & Nephew – Half-year results
• Spirent – Half-year results
• Travis Perkins – Half-year results

6 August

• 4imprint – Half-year results
• Coca-Cola HBC – Half-year results
• Coca-Cola Europacific Partners – Half-year results
• Glencore – Half-year results
• Hiscox – Half-year results
• Ibstock – Half-year results
• Lancashire Holdings – Half-year results
• Legal & General – Half-year results
• Novo Nordisk – Q2 results
• Quilter – Half-year results
• Shopify – Q2 results
• TP ICAP Group – Half-year results
• Tritax Big Box – Half-year results
• Vesuvius – Half-year results
• Walt Disney Co – Q3 results

7 August

• Deliveroo – Half-year results
• Dowlais Group – Half-year results
• Eli Lilly – Q2 results
• Harbour Energy – Half-year results
• Hikma Pharmaceuticals – Half-year results
• InterContinental Hotels Group – Half-year results
• Just Group – Half-year results
• Morgan Advanced Materials – Half-year results
• Serco Group – Half-year results
• Spectris – Half-year results
• WPP – Half-year results

8 August

• Renewables Infrastructure Group – Half-year results
• TBC Bank Group – Q2 results
• TSMC – Corporate sales release

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BP: Eyes on Production and Share Buybacks

BP will report its second-quarter results amid weaker oil and gas prices, but higher production volumes should help offset some of the revenue pressure. Refining margins are also expected to climb by $300–500 million, while oil trading performance looks robust, giving analysts confidence that net income may have risen from $1.5 billion in Q1 to roughly $1.8 billion.

The company is guiding for net debt to tick down from the $27 billion reported last quarter, supported by the sale of its U.S. onshore wind business. Investors will be eager for updates on potential share buyback increases after BP slashed its buybacks to $0.75 billion last quarter.

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Palantir: High Expectations, Can the Company Keep Up?

Palantir heads into its Q2 earnings with strong share price momentum, but equally strong pressure to deliver. Markets are expecting earnings per share to surge by 53%, but anything less could spark a pullback. Sustained growth in government contracts, particularly outside the U.S., will be closely watched to see if Palantir can turn its international ambitions into reality.

Investors are also looking for updates on corporate adoption rates, especially from its AI-focused bootcamps. Palantir is well-placed in the booming AI data analytics space, but it must keep growth at a high level to justify its lofty valuation.

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Diageo: Navigating Tariffs and Leadership Changes

Diageo’s full-year results follow a strong third quarter, with sales up nearly 6% to $4.4 billion, thanks in part to pre-tariff stockpiling by customers. But attention now turns to how well Diageo is handling the roughly $150 million in expected annual costs from new tariffs. Half of these costs should be absorbed by efficiency gains, but price increases may be needed to cover the rest.

Investors will also seek clarity on leadership plans after former CEO Debra Crew’s abrupt departure in July, capping a period of muted performance. For now, underlying operating profits for the year are forecast to dip slightly to around £5.7 billion, before expected growth resumes in the new financial year.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

The U.S. stock market stumbled into August, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 recording their sharpest weekly declines since May, and the Dow seeing its worst weekly drop since early April. For both the Nasdaq and S&P 500, it was their first dip below the 21-day exponential moving average since spring—a potential signal of weakening momentum. As the summer trading lull begins, this week’s earnings and events could help determine whether the broader rally can regain steam.

A wide range of companies will report this week, including Caterpillar (CAT), Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Axon Enterprise (AXON), and Eli Lilly (LLY). On the event side, all eyes in cybersecurity will turn to Las Vegas, where the annual Black Hat conference runs through August 7.

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Resilient Stocks: Mild Pullbacks, Key Support Holds

While major indexes took a hit last week—particularly on Friday—several individual names held up relatively well and remain close to potential breakout levels. These include Elbit Systems (ESLT), a defense company based in Israel; Rollins (ROL), a pest control firm; tech giant Alphabet (GOOGL); gold producer Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM); and asset management firm Blackstone (BX).

Elbit ended the week on a strong note, just under a buy point, while the others saw modest dips. Encouragingly, all of them maintained levels above their 21-day exponential moving averages, a sign that institutional support may still be intact.

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Economic Outlook: Jobs, Trade, and Productivity in Focus

The upcoming week features key economic data that may clarify the labor market outlook. The ISM services index, due Tuesday, is projected to climb to 52.2 from June’s 50.8—an indication of slightly faster growth. Also on Tuesday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis will update the June trade balance, adding service-sector data to the preliminary $86 billion goods deficit.

Sluggish hiring in Q2 could translate into a sharp increase in worker productivity, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report Thursday. Analysts are also watching for how recent tariff shifts might have artificially boosted GDP via trade and inventory distortions.

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Semiconductors: All Eyes on AMD’s 27% Revenue Growth

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) will report its fiscal Q2 results after Tuesday’s close. Analysts expect sales to jump 27% year over year to $7.42 billion, even as earnings per share are projected to decline 30% to $0.48.

Wall Street will be focused on AMD’s data center division, which includes Epyc server processors and Instinct AI chips. Meanwhile, PC chip demand could get a lift from accelerated orders tied to tariffs, as well as market share gains at Intel’s expense. Other chipmakers reporting include Astera Labs (ALAB), Macom Technology Solutions (MTSI), and SiTime (SITM).

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Blue Chip Earnings: Caterpillar Heads Key Dow Reports

Only a handful of Dow stocks have yet to report, and this week features four more: Caterpillar, Amgen (AMGN), Disney (DIS), and McDonald’s (MCD). Caterpillar is trading close to all-time highs, while Disney saw technical damage last week, falling below its 10-week support line. Among the group, only McDonald’s is forecast to post growth in both revenue and profits. Nvidia (NVDA) won’t report until later this month on August 27.

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AI Standout: Palantir Eyes New Growth Channels

Palantir Technologies is set to report Monday after the close, and expectations are sky-high. With the stock up around 110% this year, it’s 2025’s top performer on the S&P 500—continuing its leadership streak from 2024. Analysts are looking for 54% earnings growth and a 38% increase in revenue.

Investors will also be listening for updates on U.S. government spending, including the “Golden Dome” space defense initiative. Palantir is positioning itself to expand into new industries—especially health care and financial services—through its use of generative AI.

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Pharma Earnings: All Eyes on Eli Lilly

Several major pharmaceutical companies and biotechs are scheduled to release earnings this week. Tuesday features Pfizer (PFE), Amgen, and Bayer (BAYRY), while Thursday brings reports from Eli Lilly, Gilead Sciences (GILD), and Ligand Pharmaceuticals (LGND).

Of the group, the biotechs are showing stronger technical setups. Ligand recently broke out, and Gilead is hovering near a key buy point. But Eli Lilly remains the standout: analysts expect the company to post a 43% rise in earnings and a 30% boost in revenue—some of the strongest growth among large-cap pharma names.

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Cybersecurity Watch: Black Hat Conference Kicks Off

Cybersecurity will take center stage this week thanks to the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas. Fresh off Palo Alto Networks’ (PANW) $25 billion acquisition of CyberArk (CYBR), investors are watching to see whether industry consolidation continues—and how it affects smaller players.

Earnings are also on tap for key names in the sector. Qualys (QLYS) is expected to post a slight earnings dip of 2% to $1.48 per share, with an 8% gain in revenue to $161.3 million. Fortinet (FTNT) reports Wednesday, with analysts projecting 4% earnings growth to $0.59 per share and a 13% revenue increase to $1.625 billion.

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More Key Earnings to Watch

• Axon Enterprise (AXON): The law enforcement tech company will report Monday evening. Analysts anticipate slower growth, though interest is rising in the firm’s drone and surveillance offerings. Shares are currently building a bullish base-on-base pattern.
• MercadoLibre (MELI): Also reporting Monday, the Latin American e-commerce powerhouse is expected to post a 14% earnings increase to $11.93 per share, with revenue up 32% to $6.68 billion. Shares are up 40% year to date.
• Wayfair (W): Despite a 50% stock gain this year, the online furniture retailer is expected to report a 30% decline in Q2 earnings. Revenue is projected to be flat year over year.
• Arista Networks (ANET): The networking company, a beneficiary of cloud and AI infrastructure spending, reports Tuesday. Analysts expect Q2 EPS to rise 24%, with sales increasing 25%. The stock has rebounded over the past six weeks.
• Shopify (SHOP): The e-commerce software firm reports Wednesday. Analysts forecast EPS of $0.29, up 11% from a year ago, on revenue of $2.546 billion (up 25%). Gross merchandise volume is expected to climb 21% to $81.4 billion.
• Occidental Petroleum (OXY): Also due Wednesday, Occidental is expected to post a 72% decline in profit and a 9.4% drop in revenue. Analysts will pay close attention to production guidance in the Permian Basin after CEO Vicki Hollub warned of a possible plateau in output earlier this year.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

U.S. stock futures dropped Friday night as investors weighed newly announced tariffs from former President Donald Trump and underwhelming earnings from Amazon, all ahead of July’s crucial jobs report.

As of 05:55 ET, Dow Jones futures were down 375 points (0.9%), S&P 500 futures slipped 55 points (0.9%), and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 218 points (0.9%).

The previous session saw Wall Street’s major indexes retreat from earlier gains, with escalating trade tensions overshadowing strong results from tech leaders Meta Platforms and Microsoft.

Trump Unleashes New Round of Tariffs

Trump signed an executive order Thursday raising tariffs—up to 50% in some cases—on dozens of countries. The move comes as a “reciprocal tariff” deadline passed after weeks of negotiations.

Key U.S. trade partners such as the EU, Japan, and South Korea will face new duties of 15%, while countries running a trade surplus with the U.S. will see 10% tariffs. Brazil will be hit with 50% levies, and Canada’s tariffs rise to 35% for non-compliant goods under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

The new tariffs are set to take effect at 12:01 a.m. on August 7. Meanwhile, Mexico was granted a 90-day extension to reach a trade deal.

Amazon Falls on Cloud Concerns

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) shares declined in premarket trading after issuing weaker-than-expected operating income guidance for the current quarter. While Amazon Web Services posted $30.9 billion in sales—up 17.5% year-over-year and slightly above expectations—investors were disappointed amid fears AWS is losing market share.

In contrast, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) rallied after beating Q3 expectations, helped by strong iPhone sales in China and record-high services revenue.

More corporate earnings are on deck Friday from Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Colgate-Palmolive, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and Kimberly-Clark.

All Eyes on July Payrolls

Investors are now awaiting the U.S. Labor Department’s July jobs report, due Friday morning. Economists expect 106,000 new jobs, down from 147,000 in June, with unemployment ticking up to 4.2% from 4.1%.

Earlier this week, the Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for the fifth consecutive meeting, resisting political pressure from Trump to cut rates. While the labor market has held firm, inflation remains above the Fed’s 2% target, and early signs suggest new tariffs may already be pushing up prices on certain trade-exposed goods.

Oil Slips as Tariffs Cloud Outlook

Crude prices edged lower Friday as traders assessed the potential economic drag from the new tariffs.

At 05:55 ET, Brent crude dipped 0.3% to $71.47 per barrel, while U.S. WTI fell 0.4% to $69.01. Both benchmarks are still set to close the week up roughly 5%, supported by Trump’s earlier threat to impose sanctions on

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc, LSE:PRD, has provided an interim update on its MOU-3 well in Morocco, reporting successful perforation using larger perforating guns and ongoing efforts to resolve formation damage. Looking ahead, the company intends to apply a new well design for MOU-6 to reduce formation damage and boost reservoir performance. Notably, these operations were completed under budget, reflecting Predator’s strategic focus on operational efficiency and sustained exploration progress.

Read the full RNS Here

About Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc

Predator Oil & Gas Holdings Plc is an exploration and production company with assets in Morocco and Trinidad. In Morocco, the company targets onshore gas opportunities, benefiting from attractive fiscal terms and strong gas pricing. In Trinidad, it is focused on optimizing output from mature oil fields, aiming to enhance production and unlock further development potential.

U.S. stock futures are signaling a solid gain at Thursday’s open, following a mixed and volatile trading day on Wednesday.

Investor enthusiasm is being fueled by upbeat quarterly earnings reports from tech leaders Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT).

Shares of Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, surged 11.3% in pre-market trading after the company delivered better-than-expected Q2 results and issued optimistic guidance for Q3 revenue.

Microsoft’s stock also climbed sharply, gaining 8.8%, buoyed by fiscal Q4 results that topped analyst forecasts on both revenue and earnings.

The positive sentiment in futures persisted after the Commerce Department released its June inflation data, showing consumer prices rose in line with expectations.

After a slight pullback on Tuesday, Wednesday’s session was marked by uncertainty, with major indexes oscillating around the unchanged line before closing with mixed results.

The Nasdaq Composite edged up 31.38 points (0.2%) to 21,129.67, the S&P 500 slipped 7.96 points (0.1%) to 6,362.90, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 171.71 points (0.4%) to 44,461.28.

The mixed performance followed the Federal Reserve’s anticipated decision to keep interest rates steady in a divided vote. The Fed maintained the target range for the federal funds rate at 4.25% to 4.50%, emphasizing its goals of maximum employment and 2% inflation over the long term.

However, two Fed governors—Michelle Bowman and Christopher Waller—voted to lower rates by 0.25 percentage points.

In the press briefing, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said no decision has been made on rate cuts for September.

“We don’t do that in advance,” Powell said. “We’ll be taking that information into consideration and all the other information we get as we make our decision.”

On the economic front, ADP reported stronger-than-expected private sector job growth in July, with an increase of 104,000 jobs versus forecasts of 78,000.

The Commerce Department also revealed that U.S. real GDP rebounded by 3.0% in Q2, surpassing the anticipated 2.5% increase, after a 0.5% contraction in Q1.

This growth was largely driven by reduced imports, which positively affect GDP calculations, and higher consumer spending.

Despite these gains, most sectors showed only mild movement, leading to a subdued market overall.

Transportation stocks were a notable exception, with the Dow Jones Transportation Average dropping 3.0%.

Gold stocks also declined sharply, as the NYSE Arca Gold Bugs Index fell 2.9%.

Energy and commercial real estate sectors showed weakness, while semiconductor and brokerage shares ended the day higher.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.

European stock markets displayed a mixed performance on Thursday as investors absorbed a wave of corporate earnings and reacted to a series of trade and tariff announcements from U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of his Friday deadline.

On the economic front, initial data indicated that inflation remained steady month-over-month in two key German regions during July.

Meanwhile, Germany’s unemployment figures showed a modest increase of 2,000 in July, falling well short of analysts’ predictions, according to the labor office.

In market movements, the U.K.’s FTSE 100 Index is up 0.3%, while Germany’s DAX Index slipped 0.2%, and France’s CAC 40 Index fell 0.4%.

Among individual stocks, French utility giant Veolia Environnement (EU:VIE) dropped 1.7% after reporting a dip in first-half revenues.

Specialty biopharma company Ipsen (EU:IPN) saw its shares decline 4% despite reporting strong half-year results and raising its full-year outlook.

Hotel operator Accor (EU:AC) experienced a sharp 12% fall, following disappointing second-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR) figures.

In the airline sector, Lufthansa (TG:LHA) posted slight gains, while Air France-KLM (EU:AF) surged 4.3% on the back of stronger-than-expected second-quarter profits.

Reinsurer SCOR (EU:SCR) shares fell 4% despite robust Q2 earnings.

Bouygues (EU:EN), a diversified firm in construction, media, and telecoms, declined 3.4% after reporting weak organic growth for the first half of the year.

French bank Societe Generale (EU:GLE) jumped 6.2% after raising its full-year profit guidance.

Pharmaceutical company Sanofi (EU:SAN) saw its shares drop nearly 3% after missing profit expectations for the quarter.

German defense electronics manufacturer Hensoldt (BIT:1HENS) rallied 3.5% following solid revenue growth and record order backlog in its first half of 2025 results.

Swiss cement producer Holcim (TG:HLBN) climbed 1.1%, beating profit forecasts for the quarter.

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal (EU:MT) slipped 3.6% after lowering its forecast for steel demand outside China.

Aerospace companies Safran (EU:SAF) and Rolls-Royce Holdings (LSE:RR.) rose 4% and 9%, respectively, after boosting their profit outlooks.

British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS) gained over 1% following better-than-expected first-half profits.

Energy giant Shell (LSE:SHEL) advanced 1.5% after reporting strong quarterly earnings and announcing a $3.5 billion share buyback plan over the next three months.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or other professional advice. It should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any securities or financial instruments. All investments involve risk, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. You should conduct your own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.