深夜影院

Shares in AG Barr (BAG) climbed 7 per cent this morning, after the Irn-Bru maker hiked its dividend on higher sales and profits.

The Scottish group grew revenue by 4 per cent to 拢437mn in the year to 31 January, while pre-tax profit jumped 18 per cent to 拢63mn as it kept a tight rein on costs.

The board boosted the final dividend to 15.27p as a result, marking an 11 per cent rise on last year. 鈥淭his was a year of significant strategic progress in which we also delivered on our targeted financial metrics,鈥� said chief executive Euan Sutherland.

2025 was a transition period for the fizzy drinks manufacturer, as it rejigged its portfolio after selling its Strathmore water business and buying turmeric shot brand Innate-Essence in July.

The integration of new acquisitions made after the period end, including juice brand Frobisher鈥檚, are progressing well so far, Sutherland added.

Future鈥檚 (FUTR) share price slumped by nearly a third this morning after the publisher warned of lower first-half and full-year Ebitda margins due to sharper-than-expected shifts in Google search traffic.

People鈥檚 growing use of Google AI Overviews, the generative summaries at the top of search results, means users often get the information they need without ever clicking through to a Future website.

These changes have reduced higher-margin programmatic advertising and ecommerce revenues and increased pay-per-click inflation, as the company has to spend more to attract audience sessions that were previously organic.

As a result, management now expects Ebitda margins of between 24 and 25 per cent for the first half of the year, and 25 to 27 per cent for the full year. That is down from the previous guidance of around 30 per cent, as provided with its 2025 results in December.

Chief executive Kevin Li Ying said Future is leaning into a 鈥楪oogle Zero鈥� strategy and using AI as a new source of revenue through products such as Future Optic. Given the share price, the company is also 鈥渁ccelerating鈥� its current 拢30mn share buyback programme.

UK lenders facing bills for miss-sold car finance breathed a sigh of relief after the Financial Conduct Authority cut the estimated compensation under its redress scheme from 拢11bn to 拢9.1bn.

The shares of FTSE 100 names Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) 鈥搘hich has a 拢1.95bn motor finance provision in its accounts 鈥� and Barclays (BARC) nudged higher in early trading, while FTSE 250 specialist bank Close Brothers (CBG) rose more than 3 per cent.

Close Brothers was the subject of a short-seller attack from Viceroy Research in March which argued its 拢300mn provision 鈥渟ystematically misrepresented鈥� what it would have to pay out under the FCA鈥檚 scheme.

While the FCA expects the average redress per claim to be higher than previously noted, at 拢829 versus 拢695 at consultation, it narrowed its eligibility criteria which means the number of loan agreements eligible for compensation was cut from 14.2 million to 12.1 million.

UK house prices rose 0.9 per cent in March from February levels, according to Nationwide. The average UK house price stands at 拢277,000, 2.2 per cent higher than a year ago.

The rise in house prices 鈥渟uggests that the market had regained momentum after the slowdown recorded around the turn of the year,鈥� said Nationwide鈥檚 chief economist Robert Gardiner.

However, Gardiner also noted that the 鈥渟harp rise in global energy prices in response to developments in the Middle East represents a significant shock to the global economy, clouding the outlook鈥�.

Mortgage rates have risen by 0.4 to 0.5 percentage points in the past week, reducing affordability. This may in time lead to a reduction in house prices.

Separately, UK mortgage approvals, a key measure of housing activity, rose 4 per cent in February from January levels to 62,600.

Videndum (VID) narrowed its pre-tax loss to 拢70mn from 拢91.3mn in 2025. However, the reduction was largely due to cost-cutting efforts as revenue continued to slide 鈥� falling by 19 per cent to 拢228mn.

The audio-visual equipment seller completed 2025 with net debt of 拢142mn, but on Monday completed a refinancing under terms which heavily diluted existing shareholders. This involved an 拢85mn equity raise 鈥� its third in three years 鈥� and swapping 拢39mn of existing debt for equity.

Chair Stephen Harris argued the fundraise put Videndum 鈥渙n a good footing for the future鈥�, with a medium-term target of restoring group sales to 拢350mn at a 鈥渕id-teens鈥� adjusted cash profit margin. Joint house broker Investec expects the company to make an operating profit and positive free cash flow this year.

The shares, which underwent a 1-for-200 swap under a pre-raise capital reorganisation, rose by 18 per cent in early trading to 390p per share, giving the company a market capitalisation of 拢156mn.