The Morning news update with Barclays, Kier, Fastjet and Vertu Motors

FTSE 100

Barclays (BARC) – has agreed to sell its Retail Banking, Wealth and Investment Management and Corporate Banking businesses in Spain. Has also completed the sale of its UAE Retail Banking business to Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.

British Land (BLND) – Regent’s Place, its 13 acre mixed-use campus in the West End, is fully let with The Guinness Partnership agreeing terms for the final remaining accommodation at 30 Brock Street.

FTSE 250

Kier (KIE) – the Construction division has been appointed by Knight Dragon Developments Ltd as the preferred bidder to design and build a new £50m residential tower on the Greenwich Peninsula, one of the largest regeneration schemes in Europe.

Grafton (GFTU) – has completed the acquisition of Direct Builders Merchants Ltd, a general merchanting business trading from three branches located in Sittingbourne, Whitstable and Ashford in Kent. 

Berkeley (BKG) – Earnings this year are anticipated to be in line with current market expectations.

Small caps

Fastjet (FJET) – is launching flights between Dar es Salaam and Entebbe. Entebbe is fastjet’s fourth international destination and the new route will be the only direct air link between the two African capitals.

Vertu Motors (VTU) – has continued to trade in line with market expectations.

XL Media (XLM) – announces the acquisition of ExciteAd Digital Marketing, a leading social and mobile gaming marketing company, for a consideration of up to $19 million in cash and shares.

Benchmark Holdings (BMK) – Animal Health division has entered into an agreement with HypoPet AG, a Swiss research company based at the University of Zurich, for the final commercialisation, manufacture and distribution of a breakthrough vaccine for cats, HypoCat®, which neutralises the Fel d 1 protein, the primary cause of human allergic reaction to cats.

Crimson Tide (TIDE) – has signed an agreement with one of the world’s largest food companies which will last in excess of three years. The new agreement is expected to equate to a minimum of £250,000 of contracted margin revenue over the term for the company and demonstrates the increasing scalability of the mpro solution.