A busy morning of corporate news spans the full market-cap spectrum, with Amcomri making a bolt-on acquisition in rail services, Capita issuing a significant profit warning tied to pension contract failures, and AstraZeneca reporting a Phase III trial miss in cardiomyopathy. Guidance upgrades from Playtech and Computacenter provide a more constructive counterpoint, while Workspace is heading into a shareholder showdown with activist investor Saba Capital.
Amcomri acquires Lancashire train overhaul business NTS
Amcomri Group (AMCO) has acquired North West Transport Supplies, a Lancashire-based specialist in train overhaul and repair, for an initial cash consideration of £3 million with up to a further £1 million deferred and contingent on performance. The deal adds a dedicated rail maintenance capability to Amcomri's engineering services portfolio.
Workspace board urges shareholders to reject Saba's AGM resolutions
Workspace (WKP) has formally rejected the disposal strategy being pushed by activist shareholder Saba Capital, with the board warning that the plan would turn the company into a forced seller of assets at the wrong point in the cycle. "Saba's plan is high-risk, short-sighted and not suitable for Workspace," the board said, calling on shareholders to vote against Saba's resolutions at the upcoming AGM. The confrontation marks an escalation in one of the more prominent activist campaigns in the UK property sector this year.
Severn Trent lifts first-quarter capex 22% with full-year on track
Severn Trent (SVT) reported a 22% increase in capital expenditure in the first quarter of FY27, with the water utility confirming it remains on track with its full-year spending programme. Management is targeting at least £50 million in regulatory performance incentives for the year, signalling confidence in operational delivery against its AMP8 investment commitments.
Playtech upgrades full-year guidance on Americas momentum
Playtech (PTEC) has raised its full-year guidance after a first-half performance that beat expectations, driven by an exceptionally strong showing in the United States through its partnership with Hard Rock Digital. Chief executive Mor Weizer said returns on recent investments are now accelerating and contributing significantly to profitability, with the Americas emerging as a key growth engine for the group's B2B technology division.
Computacenter lifts guidance after first-half profit doubles
Computacenter (CCC) upgraded its full-year profit outlook after first-half adjusted earnings doubled year-on-year, a result the technology services group described as reflecting strong demand across its infrastructure and managed services businesses. The company now expects full-year adjusted profit to come in comfortably ahead of market consensus, a meaningful step-up from prior guidance.
Capita warns of significant earnings miss on pension contract failures
Capita (CPI) issued a profit warning, citing operational failures on its Civil Service Pension Scheme contract, its flagship outsourcing engagement, as the primary driver of a significant shortfall against earnings expectations. The group sought to temper the news by pointing to record first-half contract wins as evidence that its commercial pipeline remains healthy, though the pension contract difficulties represent a material setback for a business still working through a multi-year turnaround.
Hostelworld holds full-year outlook as H1 revenue rises 12%
Hostelworld (HSW) reported net revenue of €52.2 million in the first half of 2026, a 12% increase on the prior year, with growth attributed to higher commission rates delivered through its Elevate monetisation tool. The online hostel booking platform reiterated its full-year guidance unchanged, indicating management sees the first-half trajectory as consistent with its annual targets.
GlobalData launches share tender amid elongated sales cycles
GlobalData (DATA) announced a share tender offer while flagging a challenging macroeconomic environment and elongated sales cycles that have weighed on near-term growth, with underlying expansion holding at 1%. The data and analytics group guided full-year adjusted EBITDA to the low end of consensus, reflecting continued caution on the pace of enterprise spending decisions.
capAI extends option runway across three AI media platforms
capAI (CPAI) has extended the development runway for three AI-focused media platforms in which it holds options, giving each additional time to build a commercial user base before any option exercise decision is taken. Professor Ronjon Nag, commenting on the extension, said it "simply gives each platform the runway it needs to keep building a genuine commercial user base before we take any decision on exercising our options."
Avacta settles £3.67 million convertible bond tranche in cash
Avacta Group (AVCT) elected to settle a £3.67 million convertible bond payment in cash rather than through share conversion, reducing the remaining principal balance on the instrument to £16.8 million. The cash settlement avoids near-term dilution for existing shareholders and signals that the group had sufficient liquidity to meet the obligation without recourse to equity.
Toscafund given four more weeks on Spire Healthcare approach
The deadline for Spire Healthcare (SPI) suitor Toscafund to announce a firm intention to make a takeover bid has been extended to 6 August, giving the investment firm an additional four weeks to finalise its position. The extension keeps the potential offer alive but leaves shareholders in continued uncertainty over the outcome of the approach.
AstraZeneca and Ionis ATTR-CM trial misses primary endpoint
The CARDIO-TTRansform Phase III trial of Wainua, developed by AstraZeneca (AZN) in partnership with Ionis Pharmaceuticals, failed to meet its primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular mortality and major cardiovascular events in patients with transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy. The miss is a significant setback for the programme, which had been targeting a competitive position in the fast-growing ATTR-CM market alongside established RNA-based therapies.
Centrica locks in £70.50/MWh Sizewell B strike price through 2055
Centrica (CNA) has secured a regulated asset base contract for its stake in Sizewell B at a strike price of £70.50 per MWh, with the agreement running through to 2055. Chief Executive Chris O'Shea described Sizewell B as critical to Britain's energy security and zero-carbon baseload ambitions, and the long-dated contract provides Centrica with decades of revenue visibility from the nuclear asset.
Smith+Nephew backs first German clinical consensus on single-use wound therapy
Smith+Nephew has lent its support to a newly published interdisciplinary expert consensus in Germany that establishes the first risk-based framework for the use of single-use negative pressure wound therapy on closed surgical incisions. The consensus document specifically cites Smith+Nephew's PICO 7 device as a targeted option within the framework, providing the company with a clinical endorsement that could support adoption across the German market and potentially inform broader European practice.
