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.
(Sharecast News) - FTSE 250 (MCX) 24,298.99 0.35%
Palm oil producer AEP Plantations said it expected prices to remain supported through the final quarter of 2026, underpinned by food demand, firm energy markets and Indonesia's B50 biodiesel rollout, which is expected to strengthen domestic consumption.
The company which owns and operates plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, reported a 13.3% rise in production for the nine months to September 30 to 924,000 tonnes driven by stronger output in Kalimantan and the recently acquired PT AEP Pinago Plantations in South Sumatra.
The group replanted 1,785 hectares and completed more than 430 hectares of new planting during the period, remaining on track to meet its five-year target of replanting around 10,000 hectares to support long-term productivity and yield growth.
Construction of AEP's ninth palm oil mill at KAP Estate in Kalimantan is nearing completion, with commissioning targeted for early January 2027. Building and structural works were 98% complete at the end of September, while all machinery had been delivered to site by early October.
Elsewhere, rehabilitation work at JJU Estate is progressing, with development and new planting expected to be carried out in phases as approvals are secured. The project is expected to take three to five years to complete.
The group also flagged the risk of lower fresh fruit bunch yields in 2027 due to El Niño conditions and prolonged dry weather, although it reported no material fire-related disruption to operations. It added that any weather-related hit to production could tighten crude palm oil supply and lend support to CPO prices.
Recruitment firm Hays said on Monday that first‑quarter trading remained soft, with group net fees down 3% like‑for‑like, as permanent hiring weakened and several country exits continued to weigh on reported numbers.
Temp and contracting fell 1% on a like‑for‑like basis, with volumes broadly stable and German hours worked performing in line with expectations. Permanent net fees dropped 7%, driven by a 12% decline in volumes amid ongoing fragility in Northern Europe, though Southern Europe and North America delivered growth.
Regionally, Germany was down 6%, UK&I fell 5%, ANZ slipped 3% on a like‑for‑like basis, while Rest of World was flat.
Hays said consultant net fee productivity rose 8%, marking a twelfth consecutive quarter of improvement, supported by higher‑salary placements and investment in AI‑enabled tools.
The FTSE 250-listed firm also stated that September net fee growth was -2%, with temp and contracting showing greater resilience than permanent, and noted that it expects stable market conditions in the near term.
Consultant headcount fell 1% sequentially and 9% year‑on‑year, while non‑consultant roles were down 15% as structural cost‑saving initiatives continued. Hays has now delivered around £125m of annualised structural savings since FY24, with £10m achieved in Q1 and a further £50m targeted for FY27.
The news also hit sector peer Michael Page.
Market Movers
FTSE 250 - Risers
Globaldata (DATA) 62.20p 4.72%
Oxford Biomedica (OXB) 541.00p 4.22%
HGCapital Trust (HGT) 381.50p 3.55%
Harbour Energy (HBR) 290.20p 3.34%
Auction Technology Group (ATG) 484.40p 3.09%
Amaroq Ltd. Npv (DI) (AMRQ) 120.50p 2.99%
Lancashire Holdings Limited (LRE) 665.00p 2.94%
Applied Nutrition (APN) 280.50p 2.65%
Helios Towers (HTWS) 223.40p 2.59%
Edinburgh Inv Trust (EDIN) 840.00p 2.56%
FTSE 250 - Fallers
AEP Plantations (AEP) 176.80p -10.48%
Hays (HAS) 57.60p -9.57%
Michael Page (PAGE) 195.40p -7.83%
SSP Group (SSPG) 175.70p -3.05%
Baltic Classifieds Group (BCG) 2.28p -2.98%
Trainline (TRN) 204.60p -2.58%
Ceres Power Holdings (CWR) 371.80p -2.52%
Raspberry PI Holdings (RPI) 648.50p -1.88%
Volution Group (FAN) 652.00p -1.80%
Pacific Horizon Inv Trust (PHI) 1,106.00p -1.78%
