Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RB) said on Thursday that it has agreed to pay a total of up to $1.4 billion to fully resolve all federal investigations related to the sales and marketing of Suboxone Film. Suboxone Film is a treatment used for opioid addictions. The consumer goods giant said that it has reached agreements with the US Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to resolve the long-running investigation into the sales and marketing of the treatment by its former prescription pharmaceuticals business, Indivior. Indivior was wholly demerged from Reckitt Benckiser back in 2014. With President Donald Trump declaring an opioids crisis, the business had been accused by the US Department of Justice for illegally boosting prescriptions for Suboxone Film. The owner of the Dettol brand said that though it has acted lawfully at all times and denies all allegations that it has engaged in any wrongful conduct, the business has decided that the agreement is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. The settlements avoids the costs, uncertainty and distraction associated with continued investigations, litigation and the potential for an indictment at a time of significant transformation for the business, Reckitt Benckiser said in a statement. Reckitt Benckiser recently announced the appointment of PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) Executive Laxman Narasimhan as its new CEO. “$1.4bn is materially larger than the $400m RB had previously provisioned and represents c2% of its market cap,” Credit Suisse Analyst Alan Erskine said, according to Sky News. “On the other hand this settlement removes some uncertainty from the investment case.” Shares in Reckitt Benckiser Group plc (LON:RB) were trading at +2.38% as of 10:30 BST Thursday.

Dunelm expects its full-year profit before tax to lie at the upper end of its range, the company said in a fourth quarter trading update on Wednesday. Dunelm raised its annual profit forecast last month, expecting its profit before tax for the year to be above the £102 million from the year before. Back in April, the retailer said that it was expecting full-year profits to be “slightly ahead” of forecasts. The homewares retailer said on Wednesday that it now expects its full-year profit before tax to be towards the upper end of the company’s £124 million – £126 million range. Total like-for-like revenue for the fourth quarter was up 15.4%, reflecting Dunelm’s strong underlying growth both in stores and online. Like-for-like store revenue was up 12.1% over the period and like-for-like online revenue continued to see strong growth in the quarter, up 37%. Dunelm also added that its results were driven by a weaker comparator period last year and favourable weather this year. It seems that the rainy start to summer in the UK has spurred consumers to re-furnish their homes. “The strong growth in the final quarter, and the year as a whole, demonstrates that in a rapidly changing marketplace, the broad appeal of Dunelm’s purpose ‘to help everyone create a home they love‘ is resonating well,” Nick Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer of Dunelm, said in a company statement. “We continue to invest in the business, particularly in strengthening our digital capabilities and reaching more customers through our brand marketing initiatives,” the Chief Executive continued. “Looking forward, as the UK’s leading homewares specialist, we see significant opportunity for continued growth both from our stores and online, whilst maintaining our improved operational discipline. In the short-term, we remain cautious about the uncertain political climate and the impact it may have on consumer spending, but expect to make further progress in the year ahead and are confident about the Group’s longer-term prospects.” Shares in Dunelm Group plc (LON:DNLM) were last trading at -0.35% as of 11:49 BST.

Barratt Developments (LON:BDEV) expects its annual pre-tax profit to be ahead of market expectations, the homebuilder said in a trading update on Wednesday. The trading update comes ahead of the publication of its annual results later this year in September. Barratt Developments said that profit before tax is expected to amount to roughly £910 million, ahead of market expectations and up on last year’s £835.5 million figure. This profit figure is driven by continued strong progress from margin initiatives, a strong close to the year and further contribution from joint ventures. Additionally, the homebuilder added that 17,856 total homes have been completed over the period, including joint ventures, just above the 17,579 homes completed in 2018. Barratt Developments, which was awarded the HBF’s maximum five-star customer satisfaction rating for the tenth year in a row, added that it hade made good progress in its strategy to exit central London. The homebuilder wants to focus instead on the strong growth opportunities that reside in the outer London area. “It has been another very good year for the Group both operationally and financially,” Chief Executive David Thomas, said in a company statement. “We have delivered our highest number of completions for eleven years, made further improvements to our margin and as the only major housebuilder to be awarded a 5 Star rating for customer satisfaction for ten years in a row, we continue to lead the industry in quality and customer service,” the Chief Executive added. “We begin the new financial year with a strong forward order book and cash position, continued focus on the delivery of operational improvements across our business, and an ongoing commitment to deliver the highest quality homes across the country.” Recent data from Nationwide reveals that UK house price growth in June remained weak as uncertainty surrounding the nation’s departure from the European Union prevails. Shares in Barratt Developments plc (LON:BDEV) were up 0.45% as of 11:13 BST.