UK corporate releases today brought positive trading momentum and major operational milestones across the pharmaceutical, asset management, and industrial sectors. Healthcare giant GSK secured a landmark US FDA approval for its chronic hepatitis B treatment Hibsago, while wealth managers Quilter and Aberdeen Group reported robust inflows, boosting Quilter's assets under management 19% year-on-year to £160.5 billion. Robust demand in commercial property and infrastructure saw SEGRO achieve a 32% rise in new contracted rent, while industrial firms Hercules, Hardide, and SigmaRoc all delivered trading results ahead of market expectations. Rounding out the morning's announcements, defense contractor MS International secured a £29.7 million naval gun systems contract with the German Navy, and real estate adviser Savills successfully finalized a $350 million private placement to refinance its Eastdil Secured acquisition.
Pharmaceutical major GSK GSK announced that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved Hibsago for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. The approval, granted under priority review and Breakthrough Therapy Designation, was backed by Phase III clinical data demonstrating significant functional cure rates compared with current standards of care. Bepirovirsen represents a first-in-class antisense oligonucleotide offering a potential cure option for an estimated 1.7 million patients affected by the condition in the US.
Industrial warehouse operator SEGRO SGRO delivered a resilient third-quarter performance, securing £70 million of new headline rent year-to-date, a 32 per cent increase on the prior year. Strong occupier demand enabled the group to capture market reversion, achieving an average 43 per cent rent uplift on UK reviews and renewals. Portfolio occupancy improved slightly to 94.7 per cent with customer retention standing at 80 per cent. The company completed 152,500 square metres of development space during the period, 59 per cent of which is already pre-let or leased.
Wealth management provider Quilter QLT sustained its growth momentum through the third quarter, generating core net inflows of £2.9 billion. Year-to-date core net inflows reached £8.9 billion, a 31 per cent increase year-on-year and equal to 9 per cent of opening assets. Total assets under management and administration expanded 19 per cent year-on-year to £160.5 billion, underpinned by £8.0 billion of platform net inflows. Advisers across the group also saw productivity increase by 9 per cent over the quarter.
Fast food operator Domino's Pizza Group DOM maintained its full-year outlook after delivering positive trading momentum across all core operational metrics in the third quarter. Total system sales rose 3.5 per cent over the period, supported by a 2.3 per cent improvement in like-for-like sales and a 2.6 per cent increase in total order volumes. Trading benefited from sustained demand for core pizza ranges alongside new product lines including CHICK 'N' DIP. Management highlighted that input cost visibility remains high, with all major expense categories fully fixed through the current financial year and into FY27.
Asset manager Aberdeen Group ABDN confirmed it remains on track to meet its full-year guidance of delivering at least £300 million in adjusted operating profit. Total assets under management and administration reached £578.9 billion by the end of the third quarter, representing a 4 per cent increase from year-end 2025. Growth was anchored by retail platform interactive investor, which generated Q3 net inflows of £2.5 billion and expanded customer numbers by 8 per cent to 533,000. In early October, the group also completed the sale of half its remaining stake in Standard Life for approximately £430 million.
Advanced surface coating provider Hardide HDD outperformed market expectations for the year ended 30 September 2026, delivering more than a 100 per cent increase in annual revenue to £13.5 million. The sharp growth drove earnings higher, with expected EBITDA reaching £5.8 million compared with £1.0 million in FY25, and pre-tax profit climbing to £4.9 million. Operational efficiency initiatives and successful deliveries to major North American energy clients underpinned the margin expansion. Recent contract wins and a US$1.9 million order book extend customer momentum into the new financial year.
Infrastructure services group Hercules HERC announced that full-year performance for FY26 will beat market expectations across revenue, underlying EBITDA, and pre-tax profit. Group revenue is forecast to top £130 million, representing a 7.3 per cent expansion year-on-year and ahead of the £127 million market consensus. Growth was driven by sustained demand for labor supply and specialist engineering across UK power, civil projects, and water infrastructure. Management expressed confidence in continued momentum heading into FY27 as activity under the UK water sector's AMP8 investment phase gathers pace.
Defence and engineering specialist MS International MSI announced a major contract award worth £29.7 million for its defence equipment division. Wholly owned subsidiary MSI-Defence Systems will supply 12 DS30M 30mm naval gun systems for the German Navy's F128 frigate programme. The systems will be installed across four frigates being built by prime contractor TKMS as part of a key European naval modernization effort. Deliveries are scheduled over the coming years to support anti-submarine warfare and maritime security capabilities.
Quarried materials group SigmaRoc SRC maintained its full-year guidance following a strong trading performance over the first nine months of 2026. Revenue rose 2.5 per cent to £795 million while underlying EBITDA increased 7.5 per cent to £207.3 million, driving a 120 basis point expansion in EBITDA margin to 26.1 per cent. Trading across industrial, environmental, and construction end-markets remained solid in Q3, matching first-half trends. Growth was further supported by the strategic acquisition of Lithuanian industrial minerals producer AB Dolomitas for €110 million.
Independent fund manager Liontrust Asset Management LIO reported assets under management and advice of £24.1 billion for the quarter ended 30 September 2026. Net outflows for the period slowed to £459 million, marking a substantial improvement from the £1.2 billion net outflows recorded in the same quarter last year. Investment performance remained resilient, with 28 funds ranked in the top two performance quartiles over a three-year period. Management confirmed that the proposed acquisition of Hawksmoor remains on track to complete by the end of December, adding c.£1.9 billion to overall AuMA.
Cancer diagnostics firm CelLBxHealth CLBX provided a trading update alongside announcing a new commercial contract win. Third-quarter new business secured tripled year-on-year to £0.3 million, helping reduce year-to-date cash operating losses by 60 per cent to £4.0 million. Looking ahead, the group expects FY27 revenue to land between £3.0 million and £4.0 million. Separately, the company entered into a Master Services Agreement with a Swiss biotechnology company to deploy its circulating tumour cell enrichment technology in a radio-pharmaceutical clinical trial.
International real estate advisor Savills SVS completed the refinancing of the bridge loan used to acquire Eastdil Secured by agreeing a US$350 million issue of fixed-rate US private placement notes. Placed across maturities ranging from three to 10 years with six institutional investors, the debt achieves an overall all-in pricing of 5.7 per cent. Funds will be drawn in December 2026 to retire the remaining bridge balance. Chief Financial Officer Nick Sanderson stated that strong operational cash generation should reduce the group's net debt to EBITDA ratio to approximately 1.0x by the end of 2027.