At the close on Friday, the FTSE 100 index increased by 0.61%. The pensions company Phoenix led the gains, which rose by 8.40%, with NatWest following up 3.04%. On the other hand, JD Sports experienced the largest decline, falling 6.28%, and Ocado dropped by 1.76%.
The FTSE 250, however, experienced a slight decrease of 0.09%. The top performer was the food manufacturer Bakkavor, with a rise of 3.48%, and estate agent Savills was close behind, increasing by 3.09%. The most significant drop was seen in the cybersecurity firm Darktrace, down 7.35%, with JD Wetherspoon following, decreasing by 6.34%.
The AIM All-Share Index didn’t show as much upward momentum, yet it still succeeded in gaining half a percent, ending at 741 as it entered Friday.
Risers and fallers
Roadside Real Estate plc, owner of the regional Barkby Pubs chain, led the AIM market with the week’s largest gain. This rise came after it sold a part of its subsidiary, Cambridge Sleep Sciences, for £6 million and acquired new real estate through its partnership with Meadow Partners.
Shares of XLMedia PLC (AIM: XLM, OTC: XLMDF) soared, doubling in value following the announcement of a deal to sell its sports betting and gaming assets in Europe and Canada to Gambling.com for $42.5 million.
In the gaming sector, Gfinity PLC (AIM: GFIN) saw its shares increase by 30% after releasing its half-year results. Gfinity achieved profitability after spending the first half of the year focusing on growth as a digital media network, having sold its Athlos business and divested most of its esports division.
In biotech, GENinCode PLC (AIM: GENI) experienced a 35% surge after its Risk of Ovarian Cancer Algorithm (ROCA) test was recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for ovarian cancer surveillance in high-risk individuals.
Zephyr Energy led gains in the natural resources sector, with shares climbing 35%. The company announced the commencement of drilling operations at the State 36-2R well site in Utah’s Paradox basin. The initial phase involved drilling a 30-inch hole to a depth of 96 feet and successfully setting a 20-inch conductor casing.
On the downside, Hummingbird Resources PLC (LSE: HUM) fell 43% after reporting issues at its Kouroussa mining operations. The main contract miner, Corica Mining Services, halted operations due to various contractual disputes, which Hummingbird described as a breach of contract.
Small-cap fleet management firm Trakm8‘s shares dropped 35% following the collapse of negotiations for a significant software sales contract, leading to a warning of lower-than-expected full-year sales.
Focusrite PLC (AIM: TUNE), an audio technology company, also saw a notable decline of around 20% after a trading update. The company revised its 2024 revenue forecast downwards, citing continued challenging market conditions since January.
