Skip Header
Important information: The value of investments can go down as well as up so you may get back less than you invest. Investors should note that the views expressed may no longer be current and may have already been acted upon. This is a third-party news feed and may not reflect Fidelity’s views.

Judges Scientific shares dive after profit warning

(Sharecast News) - Shares in Judges Scientific plunged on Thursday after the AIM-quoted scientific instruments conglomerate warned on profits following "subdued" trading in the first half. The company, which acquires and develops companies in the scientific instrument sector such as geoscience tech firm Geotek and precision engineering outfit Deben, said difficult market conditions and record prior-year comparatives have resulted in a "challenging environment" across its businesses.

In a trading update ahead of its interim results, Judges Scientific said irganic order intake was 4% lower than last year in the six months to 30 June, with China and Hong Kong seeing a combined 65% decline and North America also down 9%, slightly offset by a 34% increase in the Rest of the World and 2% improvement in Europe.

As a result, organic revenues were down 3% in the first half, while earnings per share are expected to drop by a fifth.

While there is some improvement predicted in the second half, the company now expects to miss current market forecasts for adjusted basic earnings per share of 384.6p, compared with 374.6p in 2023.

"The board now anticipates earnings per share to be between 5 and 10% below the consensus," the company said.

Shares were down 18.8% at 9,175p by 1035 BST.

Share this article

Related Sharecast Articles

ECR Minerals mulls expansion into US helium market
(Sharecast News) - ECR Minerals, an exploration and development company traditionally focused on gold in Australia, announced on Friday that its board was exploring potential investments in producing helium assets in the United States.
Zenova reports solid momentum as interim loss narrows
(Sharecast News) - Fire safety and heat management technology specialist Zenova Group reported significant first-half strides in its interim results on Friday, despite a challenging financial backdrop.
Jefferies lowers target price on Life Science REIT
(Sharecast News) - Jefferies cut its price target on real estate investment trust Life Sciences REIT from 45.0p to 36.0p following a visit to the group's Cambourne Science & Technology Park.
Beowulf reports substantial first-half progress
(Sharecast News) - Mineral explorer and developer Beowulf Mining reported substantial progress across its portfolio in its interim results on Friday, particularly in advancing its key projects at Gállok in Sweden and the Graphite Anode Materials Plant (GAMP) in Finland.

Important information: This information is not a personal recommendation for any particular investment. If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. When you are thinking about investing in shares, it’s generally a good idea to consider holding them alongside other investments in a diversified portfolio of assets. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Award-winning online share dealing

Search, compare and select from thousands of shares.

Expert insights into investing your money

Our team of experts explore the world of share dealing.