�ۿ۴�ý

LBG Media (LBG), owner of Unilad and Ladbible, said it has hired teams of new executives in the US and UK to commit to its ‘direct’ sales model. The company is also adding AI-generated editorial content to its titles to “drive further opportunities for productivity gains and client engagement”.

Its shares fell 5.6 per cent on Tuesday morning, leaving them down almost a third in the past 12 months.

LBG reported sales of £92mn for the 12 months to 30 September, up 10 per cent when adjusted for currency changes. The direct business, where LBG sells “content marketing services” to brands and media agencies, had sales of £50mn, a 13 per cent rise, while indirect sales (payments from social media platforms) were flat at £41.5mn. Adjusted Ebitda for the year was up 3 per cent to £25mn.

These figures are adjusted as LBG shifted its financial year end from 31 December to 30 September. “We are accelerating our investment to make the most of our healthy pipeline and the opportunity from major brands who are looking to our scale, content and appeal to reach young adults,” said chief executive Solly Solomou.

Jadestone Energy (JSE) issued what analysts called a reassuring update, although the shares fell 12 per cent in early trading.

The south east Asian oil and gas company said it hit production guidance of 19,800 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d) last year and cut costs by 14 per cent. Sales climbed 3 per cent to $408mn (£298mn) as higher gas prices balanced out the average oil take dropping from around $85 per barrel to $75. This was below the consensus estimate of $416mn.

Investors potentially sold shares due to the non-cash impairment that will come at the full-year announcement, a result of the “reduced oil price outlook” at the end of 2025 compared with the year before.

“This is the type of reassuring statement that we believe can attract investors to the name, particularly given the steep discount the shares trade at versus NAV,” said Stifel analyst David Round.

His model puts the discount at 61 per cent. “The outlook appears better after the new management team has restored some stability and a chance for further growth,” added Panmure Liberum analyst Ashley Kelty.

AstraZeneca (AZN) shares traded higher this morning despite the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) forcing a delay to the pharma giant’s lupus medication Saphnelo.

The regulator has requested more information and did not reject the filing outright, with the pharma giant assuring investors it has supplied the requested data. A new decision is now expected in the first half.

Intravenous Saphnelo is already available in the US, and the filing was based on a successful phase 3 trial, with safety data that matched the existing product. The self-injectable version has already been approved in the EU.