深夜影院

Workspace鈥檚 (WKP) new chief executive Charlie Green used his first trading statement to reset market expectations for the flexible office provider.

The company has guided for a 鈥渟ubstantial鈥� reduction in trading profit for the year to March 2027, versus the current year where Workspace has performed in line with market expectations of 拢60mn profit before tax.

Workspace attributed the reduction in profitability to a shrinking rent roll and rising operating and finance costs. It is also considering further disposals in addition to the 拢200mn it has already identified.

Workspace has also rebased the dividend, targeting a dividend cover of 1.2 times. This implies a FY 2027 dividend per share of 20p, according to analysts at Panmure Liberum, 30 per cent down from their current forecast of 28.4p.

Green said that Workspace鈥檚 strategy would 鈥渞equire investment in our portfolio and our scale鈥�, and that 鈥渨e can see a clear path to鈥elivering sustainable earnings growth鈥�.

Shares fell 12 per cent in early trading.

Optima Health (OPT) has issued a bullish trading update for the year ended 31 March 2026, saying full-year adjusted Ebitda will come in around 10 per cent ahead of market expectations of 拢18.1mn. Shares rose 5 per cent in early trading.

Optima said the recently completed acquisition of PAM had strengthened its position in the corporate health market. Management reiterated medium-term targets of 拢40mn adjusted Ebitda, with PAM expected to contribute meaningfully.

The company also drew a line under a previously disclosed procurement dispute, recognising 拢2.3mn of other operating income in the first half and a further 拢2.4mn in the second.

The occupational health group has its origins in the break-up of Marlowe, which sold its GRC software division to Inflexion Private Equity for 拢430mn in mid-2024 before demerging Optima onto AIM in September 2024. The rump of Marlowe鈥檚 testing, inspection and certification business was subsequently acquired by Mitie (MTO) for 拢366mn in August last year.

A fuller trading update is expected later in the second quarter.

Equipment hire group VP (VP.) said full-year profit for the year just closed will be in line with guidance set in February, when it issued a profit warning following a weak start to the year.

The company said profit before tax, amortisation, impairments and other one-offs will come in at between 拢26mn-拢29mn. Rail and housebuilding activity remain 鈥渟ubdued鈥�, but there has been a pick-up in water-sector-related work and in the specialist construction market. 

Management also said the programme of site closures in its Brandon Hire business was now largely complete, 鈥渄elivering efficiency and utilisation benefits in line with expectations鈥�.

VP has cut the number of Brandon Hire sites from 100 to 40, triggering 400 lay-offs. It said at the half-year stage that this would lead to an exceptional charge of 拢22mn, but will improve its return on capital by 2 percentage points.