OPT: Director re-elections, remuneration, and option grants approved with no shareholder questions

Investing.com -- British stocks fell slightly on Monday, starting the week on a negative note as wider European markets were mixed, while the pound remained flat.

The blue-chip index FTSE 100 declined 0.2% and the British GBP/USD fell 0.02% against the dollar to above 1.31. 

The DAX index in Germany gained 0.7%, the CAC 40 in France fell 0.1%. 

UK round up:

• UK manufacturing activity expanded in October for the first time in a year, according to the latest S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI, which rose to a 12-month high of 49.7 from 46.2 in September - still just below the 50.0 mark that separates growth from contraction.

• Britain’s competition regulator said Monday it will launch an in-depth probe into the proposed $3.7 billion merger between Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) and Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) referred the deal for a Phase 2 investigation amid concerns that combining two of the largest stock image providers could lead to higher prices and lower quality for customers.

• Ryanair Holdings PLC (LON:0RYA) reported a 42% increase in first-half profit to €2.54 billion on Monday, while cautioning about potential challenges in the second half of the year. The airline’s second-quarter profit after tax grew 20% to €1.72 billion, up from €1.43 billion in the same period last year. Revenue increased 13% to €9.82 billion as passenger traffic rose 3% to 119 million. The average fare climbed 13% to €58. Despite the strong performance, Ryanair warned that tougher year-over-year fare comparisons and geopolitical risks could impact results in the second half of the year.
• In other news, Optima Health PLC (LON:OPT) reported revenue of approximately £59 million for the first half of fiscal 2026, a 17% increase from £50.8 million in the same period last year. The company said it remains on track to meet consensus forecasts for fiscal 2026, with full-year revenue expectations of £125.4 million.
• Empiric Student Property PLC (LON:ESP) announced it has achieved 89% occupancy for the 2025/26 academic year, with like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%. The student accommodation provider noted a slowdown in reservations since September 9, making its target occupancy rate of 97% difficult to achieve. The company cited fewer Chinese students and supply-demand imbalances in Nottingham, Sheffield, and Glasgow as contributing factors.
• BP PLC (LON:BP) has agreed to sell non-controlling interests in its US onshore midstream assets to private investor Sixth Street for $1.5 billion. The transaction includes BP’s pipelines and facilities in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins, including four Permian central processing facilities: Grand Slam, Bingo, Checkmate and Crossroads. These assets connect wells to third-party pipeline systems that transport oil and gas to customers.

Investing.com -- British stocks traded higher on Monday afternoon, starting the week on a positive note as wider European markets turned green, while the pound continued its losing streak, hovering near $1.31.

As of 1233 GMT, the blue-chip index FTSE 100 rose 0.1% and the British GBP/USD fell 0.1% against the dollar to above 1.31. 

DAX index in Germany gained 1.1%, the CAC 40 in France fell 0.1%. 

UK round up:

• UK manufacturing activity expanded in October for the first time in a year, according to the latest S&P Global UK Manufacturing PMI, which rose to a 12-month high of 49.7 from 46.2 in September - still just below the 50.0 mark that separates growth from contraction.

• Britain’s competition regulator said Monday it will launch an in-depth probe into the proposed $3.7 billion merger between Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) and Shutterstock (NYSE:SSTK). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) referred the deal for a Phase 2 investigation amid concerns that combining two of the largest stock image providers could lead to higher prices and lower quality for customers.

• Ryanair Holdings PLC (LON:0RYA) reported a 42% increase in first-half profit to €2.54 billion on Monday, while cautioning about potential challenges in the second half of the year. The airline’s second-quarter profit after tax grew 20% to €1.72 billion, up from €1.43 billion in the same period last year. Revenue increased 13% to €9.82 billion as passenger traffic rose 3% to 119 million. The average fare climbed 13% to €58. Despite the strong performance, Ryanair warned that tougher year-over-year fare comparisons and geopolitical risks could impact results in the second half of the year.
• In other news, Optima Health PLC (LON:OPT) reported revenue of approximately £59 million for the first half of fiscal 2026, a 17% increase from £50.8 million in the same period last year. The company said it remains on track to meet consensus forecasts for fiscal 2026, with full-year revenue expectations of £125.4 million.
• Empiric Student Property PLC (LON:ESP) announced it has achieved 89% occupancy for the 2025/26 academic year, with like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%. The student accommodation provider noted a slowdown in reservations since September 9, making its target occupancy rate of 97% difficult to achieve. The company cited fewer Chinese students and supply-demand imbalances in Nottingham, Sheffield, and Glasgow as contributing factors.
• BP PLC (LON:BP) has agreed to sell non-controlling interests in its US onshore midstream assets to private investor Sixth Street for $1.5 billion. The transaction includes BP’s pipelines and facilities in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins, including four Permian central processing facilities: Grand Slam, Bingo, Checkmate and Crossroads. These assets connect wells to third-party pipeline systems that transport oil and gas to customers.

Investing.com -- British stocks opened higher on Monday, starting the week on a positive note as European markets traded mixed, while the pound continued its losing streak, hovering near $1.31.

As of 0804 GMT, the blue-chip index FTSE 100 rose 0.2% and the British GBP/USD fell 0.2% against the dollar to above 1.31. 

DAX index in Germany gained 0.3%, the CAC 40 in France fell 0.2%. 

UK round up:

• Ryanair Holdings PLC (LON:0RYA) reported a 42% increase in first-half profit to €2.54 billion on Monday, while cautioning about potential challenges in the second half of the year. The airline’s second-quarter profit after tax grew 20% to €1.72 billion, up from €1.43 billion in the same period last year. Revenue increased 13% to €9.82 billion as passenger traffic rose 3% to 119 million. The average fare climbed 13% to €58. Despite the strong performance, Ryanair warned that tougher year-over-year fare comparisons and geopolitical risks could impact results in the second half of the year.
• In other news, Optima Health PLC (LON:OPT) reported revenue of approximately £59 million for the first half of fiscal 2026, a 17% increase from £50.8 million in the same period last year. The company said it remains on track to meet consensus forecasts for fiscal 2026, with full-year revenue expectations of £125.4 million.
• Empiric Student Property PLC (LON:ESP) announced it has achieved 89% occupancy for the 2025/26 academic year, with like-for-like rental growth of 4.5%. The student accommodation provider noted a slowdown in reservations since September 9, making its target occupancy rate of 97% difficult to achieve. The company cited fewer Chinese students and supply-demand imbalances in Nottingham, Sheffield, and Glasgow as contributing factors.
• BP PLC (LON:BP) has agreed to sell non-controlling interests in its US onshore midstream assets to private investor Sixth Street for $1.5 billion. The transaction includes BP’s pipelines and facilities in the Eagle Ford and Permian basins, including four Permian central processing facilities: Grand Slam, Bingo, Checkmate and Crossroads. These assets connect wells to third-party pipeline systems that transport oil and gas to customers.

Investing.com -- Optima Health (LSE:OPT) on Monday reported revenue of approximately £59 million for the first half of fiscal 2026, representing a 17% year-over-year increase from £50.8 million in the same period last year.

The company remains on track to deliver results in line with consensus forecasts for fiscal 2026, with full-year revenue expectations of £125.4 million.

Optima Health completed two acquisitions during the first half of the year. In April, the company acquired Cognate Health for €9 million, expanding its reach into Ireland and international markets.

Cognate Health, which has approximately 30 clinic sites, was rebranded as Optima Health Ireland in September and is expected to contribute £6-7 million in annualized revenue.

The second acquisition was Care First in May 2025 for a net consideration of £15,000, adding additional Employee Assistance Programs to Optima’s platform and approximately £3.7 million in annual revenue.

New business wins for the period amounted to approximately £1.9 million on an annualized basis, down from £3.6 million in the first half of fiscal 2025.

Mobilization on Optima Health’s £210 million contract to deliver medical assessment services to the UK Armed Forces began around April 2025, with new services expected to be in place by early 2027.

The company’s financial position shows net debt of approximately £4.7 million, with cash reserves of £8.3 million.

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