Diploma books 28% drop in April revenues as it continues to operate
Operating profits and cash flows remain "good", the technical products supplier said
Company
LON:DPLM
Diploma PLC is a United Kingdom-based company engaged in the supply of specialized technical products and services. The Company operates through three segments: Life Sciences, Seals and Controls. The Life Sciences sector businesses supply a range of consumables, instrumentation and related services to clinical, research and environmental applications. The Seals sector businesses supply a range of hydraulic seals, gaskets, cylinders and attachment kits used in heavy mobile and industrial machinery. The Controls sector businesses supply specialized wiring, connectors, fasteners and control devices used in a range of applications.
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Operating profits and cash flows remain "good", the technical products supplier said
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Footsie finished up over 242 points, or 4.45% at 5,688.
The FTSE 250 company, which supplies fluid seals and lab testing equipment, said revenues rose 12%, helped by "record" spending on four acquisitions last year
Full-year revenues are expected to grow by 13%, with operating margins also predicted to be “modestly ahead”
The flight to safety in 2019 has pushed the share price premium for a handful of UK industrial stocks to "nose-bleed multiples" not seen since the financial crisis, the broker said
Analysts forecast that discoverIE would have around £30mln of acquisition firepower in the near term, which if deployed in similar terms to previous purchases could lift earnings by 10%
The bank’s analysts said: “We view both Diploma and Electrocomponents as being high-quality operators compared to most other distributors”
New CEO Johnny Thomson said: “Despite macroeconomic uncertainties, the group remains on track to deliver good growth in revenues with modest margin progression for the full year”
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The UK's blue-chip index finished the day around 39 points lower at 7,163
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The week ahead's highlights include updates from Burberry, Land Securities, British Land, Premier Foods, Experian, Kingfisher, Aston Martin, Dignity, Centrica, Thomas Cook, On the Beach and Countryside Properties.
Revenue growth was driven by a strong performance in the controls unit, which makes wiring, cables, connectors, fasteners and control devices
The broker's analysts were mainly concerned that strong performances over the last year had left the three stocks trading at large premiums compared to their peers
Johnny Thomson joins a company in rude health, with Diploma reporting a 9% rise in first-quarter revenues
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The UK's blue-chip index closed down around 32 points at 6,862 on the day
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The result of Parliament's vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal, which is predicted to be defeated, will be at the forefront of the market's mind come Wednesday morning
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Aside from the Brexit merry-go-round, the Week Ahead will bring UK inflation and retail sales numbers, plus updates from the likes of AB Foods, Persimmon, Bovis Homes, and Whitbread
Diploma's revenues were boosted by recently acquired FS Cables and Coast Fabrication
The chief negotiator for the EU, Michel Barnier, has proposed extending the transition period for the UK to leave the bloc until as late as 2022. Theresa May said she was not keen on the idea
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Aside from the inevitable Brexit drama, the Week Ahead will be dominated by another batch of corporate updates from the likes of Kingfisher, Centrica, easyJet, and Compass Group
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A host of data releases should give a much clearer picture of where the UK economy stands with the country on the brink of hopefully inking a Brexit deal