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Shares in SThree (STEM) fell more than 3 per cent in early trading after the recruitment agency reported another quarter of decline and announced the upcoming departure of its chief financial officer, Andrew Beach.

Continental Europe and UK markets remained tough, but growth in the US and Japan helped slow the decline. Net fees fell 8 per cent to 拢72mn in the three months to 28 February, in line with the fourth quarter but down from a 15 per cent drop a year earlier.

Contract recruitment, which makes up the bulk of SThree鈥檚 business, fell 10 per cent, while permanent roles were flat. The contractor order book fell 7 per cent to 拢152mn, the equivalent of around five months鈥� net fees. Net cash stood at 拢51mn.

With limited visibility on a recovery, SThree said it would focus on costs and headcount reduction. Guidance for 2026, which was left unchanged, points to around 拢10mn pre-tax profits, down from 拢25mn last year.

Beach is set to step down after next month鈥檚 annual general meeting. Damian Fehrengberg, the group鈥檚 senior finance vice president in the US, will step in as interim CFO until a permanent successor is found.

Resolution, one of the US鈥檚 largest copper deposits, has been stuck in development limbo for years as First Nations and environmental groups challenge operator Rio Tinto鈥檚 (RIO) right to take over public lands in Arizona. Rio owns 55 per cent of the project and BHP (BHP) holds 45 per cent.

At the core of the dispute was Rio and the federal government completing a land swap, where the miner takes the land needed to build the mine and hands acreage back to the state. That deal was completed this week after the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rejected a plea for an injunction on March 13, made by the Inter Tribal Coalition of Arizona and the local chapter of the Sierra Club, among others.

Rio copper chief executive Katie Jackson said: 鈥淐ompleting the land exchange is a significant milestone and another positive step forward for the Resolution Copper project, which has the potential to satisfy up to 25 per cent of America鈥檚 copper demand for decades to come.鈥�

Rio immediately said it would put $500mn (拢375mn) into the project over the next two years.

Jackson said the land swap would put 鈥渆nvironmentally and culturally sensitive land into protection through the transfer of more than 5,400 acres of land containing special status species, riparian areas, and Native American cultural sites for inclusion in National Forests and National Conservation Areas鈥�.

The deal was possible through a 2014 law passed with a defence spending act as a 鈥渓ast minute rider鈥�, in the words of US supreme court justice Neil Gorsuch, overturning protections on the site put in place by presidents Eisenhower and Nixon.

STV Group (STVG) is betting on the Fifa World Cup to help revive its fortunes, after a dramatic decline in operating profit forced the Scottish TV channel to scrap the dividend.

Revenue fell by just 6 per cent to 拢177mn last year, due to a weak advertising market, but adjusted operating profit fell 44 per cent to 拢12mn. The margin slipped 4.4 percentage points to 6.6 per cent, as cost savings failed to offset a 10 per cent drop in total advertising revenue, lower new format sales in the studios arm, and higher costs.

On a reported basis, operating profit slumped 77 per cent and the company swung to a 拢4mn loss. Net debt, meanwhile, rose by 17 per cent to 拢45mn. As a result, the board opted to axe the dividend to 鈥減reserve financial flexibility and liquidity as the business stabilises鈥�.

The company is targeting 拢8mn in annual cost savings in 2026. Management said macro uncertainty continues to weigh on ad spend, but expected the Fifa World Cup to provide a meaningful boost to viewership and advertising.

Shares in Harworth (HWG) fell 2 per cent in early trading after the land developer reported only a modest 1 per cent rise in the value of its developments to 拢727mn.

The value of Harworth鈥檚 property sales, its key revenue driver, fell by half versus the prior year to 拢115mn. This in turn reduced the company鈥檚 operating profit by 71 per cent versus the prior year to 拢22mn.

Harworth had previously in January pushed back its medium-term target for 拢1bn value of developments to 2028-29 from 2027.

Chief executive Lynda Shillaw said: 鈥淲e are in a strong position to capitalise on market trends and unlock value to crystallise attractive medium-term opportunities.鈥�

Close Brothers鈥� (CBG) half-year results have been overshadowed by a short seller attack, which suggested the FTSE 250 specialist bank had misled investors on its exposure to the motor finance scandal.

Viceroy Research鈥檚 report argued the true picture could lead to a wipeout of equity investors. It said the group had 鈥渟ystematically misrepresented鈥� the amount it could have to pay out under the FCA鈥檚 redress scheme, and forecast exposure of 拢572mn-拢1.23bn, against Close Brothers鈥� provision of 拢300mn. Further provisions would breach the group鈥檚 capital requirements, the short seller added.

That sent the shares down 14 per cent on the day before the results.

Primary Health Properties (PHP) is experiencing reasonable growth as it integrates last year鈥檚 拢1.8bn acquisition of smaller peer Assura. Like-for-like rent growth was 2.7 per cent in 2025, while lease renewals thus far in 2026 have resulted in an average 3.4 per cent rent increase, ahead of PHP鈥檚 3 per cent target.

The NHS landlord reported profit before tax of 拢122mn on net rental income of 拢230mn in 2025, with both figures significantly higher than the prior year because of the acquisition.

PHP鈥檚 priority for 2026 will be reducing its 57 per cent loan to value ratio via joint ventures.

Chief executive Mark Davies told Investors鈥� Chronicle: 鈥淲e are in advanced conversations with 4 highly credible partners to form a new private hospital joint venture.鈥�

The company has not set out explicit financial guidance for 2026, but Davies expects its net debt to ebitda ratio to fall below 9.5 times by the end of the year.

The company鈥檚 dividend per share rose 3 per cent to 7.1p, its 30th consecutive year of increase. Shares fell 2 per cent in early trading.

Despite rising revenue, profits and buybacks, shares in Wickes (WIX) barely budged as investors had already previewed the numbers in the DIY retailer鈥檚 January trading update.

Revenue rose by almost 6 per cent, driven by higher volumes and Wickes鈥� 鈥楾radePro鈥� membership scheme. TradePro began as a way to target the more resilient trade customer after the post-pandemic slowdown in home renovations, and delivered a 9 per cent increase in sales for FY25.

The company also increased statutory operating profit by 49 per cent, to hit 拢70.6mn, as sales growth drove operational leverage.

And while management increased its store roll-out guidance for the year, analysts at Panmure Liberum said this is likely to limit further buybacks over the near term. The group announced a new 拢10mn programme for 2026.

Current trading in 2026 has been mixed. While demand for outdoor projects was hit by wetter weather, indoor projects saw volume growth. However, management maintained its guidance of pre-tax profit in the range of 拢52mn to 拢59.8mn for FY26.

The shares rose 1.5 per cent in early trading, and are up 30 per cent over the past 12 months.

Find out why we鈥檙e bullish on Wickes