Tricorn Group PLC (LON:TCN) was a stock to hang your hat on today as it advanced 12.3% following a trading update.
The tube manipulation specialist – handy when there’ a delay on the Circle Line, no doubt - said revenue for the year just ended is expected to be up slightly on the year before.
Trading improved towards the end of the year and second half revenue was some 7.5% higher than the preceding six months and was up 20% year-on-year.
Click here for the Proactive newsletter
It all seemed to be pipes and tubes on the sunny side of the market today as Norcros PLC (LON:NXR), the supplier of branded showers, taps and bathroom gubbins, spurted 10% higher.
Group underlying operating profit for the year just ended is expected to be in line with the board's expectations “reflecting a robust performance and demonstrating the group's resilience”.
This was another company that had a better second half to the year.
On a like-for-like basis, UK revenue for the whole year was 1.8% higher than the prior year, reflecting a strong recovery in all segments in the second half (+8.3%) following softer conditions in the first half of the year (-5.0%).
11.12 ... PipeHawk's pipeline starts to gush
The PipeHawk PLC (LON:PIP) order pipeline has started gushing, pushing the share price up by almost two-thirds.
The engineering solutions provider’s QM Systems arm has received three orders with contract values ranging from £100,000 to £250,000.
Since the company’s interim results were announced on 20 March, total orders received by QM Systems amount to £ 662,000.
In addition, the enquiry pipeline remains very strong and the directors remain confident that the increased order intake will be maintained throughout the remainder of this financial year, the company said.
Data solutions provider D4t4 Solutions PLC (LON:D4T4) has some data in its trading update the market took a liking to.
The shares climbed 18.4% to 157.5p as it said profit (excluding gains from currency fluctuations) for the financial year just ended is expected to be ahead of market expectations.
Sales of Celebrus, its big data analytics offering, grew significantly year-on-year.
"Our strategy continues to deliver and is reflected in strong profit growth and increasing gross profit margins. The business enters the new financial year in robust shape and we are encouraged by the opportunities and outlook for the business in the coming year,” said Peter Kear, chief executive of the company.
09.36 ... Hayward Tyler climbs; Westmount Energy subsides
The specialist engineer Hayward Tyler Group PLC (LON:HAYT) was hit last year as it suffered order delays, but those orders are now starting to come through.
The shares rose 4.3% today is it unveiled new orders worth £3.7mln.
They include £1mln-worth of after-market business, a £1.5mln deal to deliver eight electric submersible motors and two contracts worth £1.2mln to supply three glandless boiler circulating pumps.
Shares in Westmount Energy Limited (LON:WTE) tumbled 11.5% to 5.75p as it announced a subscription and open offer.
The company is seeking to raise £200,000 by selling shares at 5p a pop.