果冻传媒

UPDATED ON 17 NOVEMBER 2025
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WPP and construction stocks: Markets live blog

News and updates on your investments

WPP (WPP), H果冻传媒L Infrastructure (H果冻传媒L), THG Plc (THG), Genuit (GEN), Stelrad (SRAD), Sirius Real Estate (SRE) and DCC (DCC)

漏 Investors鈥 Chronicle
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November 17 2025
产测听Valeria Martinez
WPP rises on bid speculation

Shares in WPP (WPP) rose 3 per cent this morning after The Sunday Times reported the advertising conglomerate has drawn takeover interest from French rival Havas (AMS:HAVAS) and private equity firms Apollo (US:APO) and KKR (US:KKR).

The newspaper said that Havas, which spun out of media giant Vivendi (FR:VIV) last year, is understood to have held talks about WPP. City sources also said Apollo and KKR had also taken a close look at the company鈥檚 assets.

One industry source suggested Havas could be eyeing WPP鈥檚 media buying arm, while another floated the idea that Havas or Vivendi might quietly build a sizeable stake and push for a board seat. Apollo was said to have weighed a bid late last year before walking away.

WPP鈥檚 shares have fallen 64 per cent over the past year. Its market capitalisation has plunged from a peak of 拢24bn in 2017 to just over 拢3bn, inevitably putting the group on opportunistic buyers鈥 radar.

The ad giant welcomed former Microsoft (US:MSFT) executive Cindy Rose as chief executive in September, replacing Mark Read. After another cut to its full-year growth guidance last month, the company said it had started a strategic review, with more details due early in the new year.

November 17 2025
产测听Val Cipriani
Infrastructure trusts to merge into 拢5.3bn giant

Infrastructure trusts H果冻传媒L Infrastructure (H果冻传媒L) and The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) have set out plans to combine their assets, merging into a 拢5.3bn giant.

Under the proposal, TRIG will be wound up and its assets will be transferred to H果冻传媒L, which will then invest in a broader range of infrastructure assets.

The merged entity will target a net asset value (NAV) total return of 10 per cent a year over the medium term and aim for a 鈥減rogressive鈥 dividend, starting at target of 9p per share.

Read more on the plans here

November 17 2025
产测听Erin Withey
THG inks Myprotein product partnership with Mars

Online lifestyle retailer THG Plc (THG) has inked a deal with Mars to launch a new range of Snickers-flavoured protein powders.

The agreement, which applies to THG鈥檚 sports nutrition brand Myprotein, marks the latest in a series of international collaborations for the division, including tie-ups with M眉ller and Vimto. 

Kerry Cavanaugh, general manager for Mars Drinks and Treats, said that the fast growth of the protein products market was a key motivation for the deal.

Jefferies analyst Andrew Wade said the partnership should help THG to 鈥渂uild clear points of difference and support the development of its offline retail and licensing ambitions鈥. The new lines will launch on 20 November.

Shares in THG rose 2 per cent in early trading.

November 17 2025
产测听Michael Fahy
DCC kicks off 拢600mn tender offer

DCC (DCC) announced the terms of its 拢600mn tender offer aimed at returning the proceeds of its healthcare business to shareholders.

The distributor said it plans to buy back 11.95mn shares from shareholders, or about 12.3 per cent of its existing share capital. It will repurchase the shares over the next month at rates of between 5,020p and 5,320p a share.

This is a premium of 鈥渦p to鈥 6 per cent on Friday鈥檚 closing price of 5,020p but a range of between 4.4 per cent and 10.6 per cent above the volume-weighted average price over the previous 90 days.

DCC had pledged to return 拢800mn of the proceeds from the 拢1.05bn sale of the healthcare business to private equity firm InvestIndustrial. It is already in the process of a 拢100mn buyback and plans to complete a further 拢100mn of share repurchases when it receives an unconditional deferred payment from the buyer in two years鈥 time.

DCC鈥檚 shared edged up by 5p to 5,025p.

November 17 2025
产测听Hugh Moorhead
Sirius鈥 first half evolves 鈥榓ccording to plan鈥

Sirius Real Estate (SRE), whose business model focuses on acquiring and improving industrial parks, posted first-half results in line with expectations for the six months to September.  鈥淭he first half has evolved according to plan,鈥 chief executive Andrew Coombs told Investors鈥 Chronicle. 

Headline rental income rose 15 per cent to 鈧243mn (拢214mn), and 5 per cent on a life-for-like basis. First-half funds from operations (FFO), a measure of cash flow, increased 7 per cent to 鈧65mn. The company expects to achieve market expectations for FY 2026 FFO of 鈧133mn. 

The company continues to prefer Germany ahead of the UK for acquisitions. During the first half of the year it made 鈧339mn of acquisitions and 鈧32mn of disposals. The group also hiked its interim dividend by 4 per cent to 3.18c. Still, the shares fell 1 per cent.

November 17 2025
产测听Michael Fahy
Tough markets trigger downgrades for building stocks

Building products companies continue to report 鈥渟ubdued鈥 market conditions, triggering broker downgrades for 2025 and 2026.

Although Genuit (GEN) said that like-for-like revenue grew by 3.7 per cent in the four months to October, it cut guidance for underlying operating profit. It now expects to generate an operating profit of 拢92mn to 拢拢95mn this year, a downgrade from consensus forecasts of 拢95mn-拢99mn.

Alongside this year鈥檚 cut, broker Peel Hunt said that it expects consensus forecasts for next year to also be taken down by 4 to 5 per cent.

Stelrad (SRAD) also reported tougher trading conditions and said its operating profit would come in marginally ahead of last year at 拢32mn-拢33mn, albeit 2-3 per cent lower than consensus forecasts, according to Peel Hunt. It cut pre-tax profits for this year and next by 4 per cent.

Stelrad also said it would incur a one-off charge of 拢1.6mn relating to the restructure of its Turkish operations.

Shares in both companies fell by 14 per cent.