A record trading update from Computacenter dominated the technology sector's news flow, as the services giant lifted full-year profit guidance well above analyst forecasts on the back of surging North American demand. Elsewhere, Acuity RM Group reported a sharp narrowing of losses following a cost-cutting drive, Checkit edged closer to a conclusion on its long-running sale process by drawing a line under low-ball bids, and EnSilica announced plans to open a new semiconductor design centre in Milan to support its growing pipeline.
Computacenter raises full-year guidance after record first half
Computacenter (LSE:CCC), the independent technology and services provider, delivered what it called a record first half for the six months to 30 June, with adjusted operating profit up 87.6% in constant currency and gross profit rising 30.5%. The result was driven overwhelmingly by North America, where revenue growth exceeded 70% and operating profit more than doubled year on year, lifting the region to 62% of group adjusted operating profit before central costs, up sharply from 44% a year earlier. Shares fell 8.482% to 5125.0p despite the upgrade, a reaction that sits awkwardly against the scale of the improvement in trading.
The numbers underlying the upgrade were substantial. Committed product order backlog reached a record £9.3bn, up 323.2% year on year, while adjusted net funds stood at £308.7m and the interim dividend was raised 14.8% to 27.1p. The company completed two North American acquisitions during the half, AgreeYa and Government Acquisitions, broadening professional services capability and opening a route into the US federal government market. The UK saw accelerating momentum in Technology Sourcing, while Germany posted a robust underlying performance despite adjusted operating profit there being dented by earlier-than-expected costs tied to efficiency measures.
"Computacenter delivered a record first half, significantly ahead of our expectations at the start of the year, with hyperscale, neocloud and enterprise customers," said Mike Norris, chief executive of Computacenter.
Computacenter now expects full-year adjusted pre-tax profit to be no less than £380m, some 11.5% above the previously compiled analyst consensus of £340.9m. That scale of upgrade, anchored in a backlog that has more than quadrupled and a North American business reshaping the group's earnings mix, marks a structural shift in where Computacenter's growth is coming from rather than a one-off beat. The share price reaction suggests the market had already priced in much of the good news, or is questioning the sustainability of hyperscale and neocloud demand, but the underlying momentum in the order book gives the upgraded guidance credibility heading into the second half.
Acuity RM narrows losses on completed cost-cutting programme
Acuity Rm Group (AIM:ACRM), the cybersecurity risk management software provider, cut its operating loss to £10,000 for the six months to 30 June from £282,000 a year earlier, with administrative expenses down 38% to £792,000 following a completed cost-reduction programme. Loss before tax narrowed to £34,000 from £263,000 and loss per share improved to 0.01p from 0.16p, though shares stand at 0.725p. Revenue fell 23% to £877,000 from £1.145m, which the company attributed to prior-year subscription cancellations and an order pipeline weighted towards the second half of 2026.
The balance sheet also improved, with debt reduced to £79,000 at period end from £129,000 in December, supported by a £458,000 gross equity fundraise completed in July. Chief executive David Rajakovich said the results show "the improvement in financial performance we have been working towards," with the operating result now close to breakeven.
The near-breakeven operating loss marks a meaningful inflection for a company that has spent years absorbing losses, though the revenue decline underscores that the cost discipline has come ahead of a return to growth. With the order pipeline now weighted toward the second half of 2026, the next update will show whether Acuity RM can convert its leaner cost base into top-line momentum rather than merely surviving on reduced spend.
Checkit sets 30p floor as sale process nears conclusion
Checkit (AIM:CKT), the workplace monitoring and compliance software provider, is working to conclude the formal sale process it launched on 26 March, having received several non-binding indicative proposals since then, all at substantial premiums to the pre-process share price. Shares rose 4.38% to 21.92p as the board disclosed it has ruled out any proposal below 30p per share in the latest phase of talks.
Checkit, advised by EC M&A and Singer Capital Markets, said it has maintained "a disciplined approach to valuation throughout the FSP," progressing discussions only with parties offering sufficient value and execution certainty. Some bidders have already carried out detailed due diligence, including direct engagement with management, and the board now expects to determine within weeks whether any remaining party can produce a proposal it would recommend to shareholders.
Drawing a public line at 30p signals the board's confidence that it can extract a premium well above where the stock traded before the process began, even as the shares themselves sit well below that level. The coming weeks will determine whether that discipline yields a firm Rule 2.7 offer or whether the process closes without a deal, a binary outcome that leaves little middle ground for shareholders watching the situation.
Ensilica to open Milan semiconductor centre
Ensilica (AIM:ENSI), the maker of mixed-signal application-specific integrated circuits, is opening a Space & Communications Semiconductor Centre of Excellence in Milan, its third European location alongside an existing design centre in Budapest and a sales centre in Munich. The site will initially recruit 20 specialist modem and mmWave engineers over the next six months, with shares up 2.13% to 72.0p.
The Milan team will focus on modem architecture, physical-layer algorithms, digital signal processing and mmWave communications systems, working alongside Ensilica's existing ASIC engineering and operations staff. The company cited northern Italy's semiconductor, communications and space technology cluster as the draw, pointing to specialist talent, nearby customers and partners, and the possibility of EU-funded research collaboration. "Milan sits within one of Europe's major semiconductor and communications ecosystems, the specialist capability at both the systems and semiconductor level to support the existing pipeline," said Ian Lankshear, chief executive of Ensilica.
The expansion signals Ensilica is scaling capacity ahead of demand rather than in response to a specific contract, betting that space and communications semiconductor work will require deeper in-house expertise in mmWave and modem design. Adding a third European site also diversifies the company's talent base beyond Budapest and Munich, reducing reliance on any single hiring market as it builds out both customer-funded ASIC programmes and its own standard product lines.
