Greggs (LON:GRG) shares got off to a volatile start on Tuesday morning, after disclosing mixed results for the six months to July 1st. Changes to the menu led to a significant increase in sales over the first half, up 7.4 percent to £453 million. Company managed shop like-for-like sales rose 3.4 percent, boosted by breakfast deals and healthier options such as salads and cold pressed juices. However, net cash inflow from operating activities fell to £34 million from £44.7 million the previous year, and the firm ended the period with a cash balance of £19.9 million. Pre-tax profit in the six months to 1 July 2017 came to £19.4 million, compared to £25.4 million the same period a year ago, due to exceptional costs of £8.7 billion for its overhaul. The group have left their previous guidance for the full year unchanged, howevr, with the overall cost expected to arise from the reshaping of the business remaining in line with expectations.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive, commented: “The business has traded in line with our plans during the first half of the year. We have made good progress with our strategic plans and remain confident of future prospects although we remain alert to short-term pressures on consumers’ disposable income. Over the year as a whole we expect to deliver results in line with our previous expectations as well as further progress against our strategic plan.”

Shares in Greggs surged at market open, before sinking back to below their opening price. They are currently trading down 0.09 percent at 1,10075 (1053GMT).

Shares in cake decoration manufacturer Real Good Food (LON:RGD) dropped over 40 percent on Tuesday, after the has warned profits will not meet forecasts made just a month ago. The company estimated underlying profits to be between £5 and £5.5 million in June, but said on Tuesday they would be reduced to around £2 million. The announcement comes just after Real Good Food raised £15 million to fund an expansion drive. However, results for the year to March 2017 will now be affected by two substantial sugar purchase claims discovered by the auditors. Profits for the current year, to March 2018, has also been revised downwards due to a slower start on expansion work at the Renshaw business and soft trading conditions in the first three months of the year. Shares in Real Good Food are currently down 38.64 percent at 21.51 (1015GMT).

Shares in Santander (LON:BNC) bank dropped nearly 1.5 percent on Friday morning, after pre-tax profits remained flat in the first six months of the year. UK pre-tax profits came in at £1 billion in the first six months of the year, with net profit for the entire group rising to €1.75 billion in the second quarter from €1.3 billion a year earlier. Net interest income came in at €8.61 billion. However, the bank warned on “greater uncertainty” going forward and said risks would likely increase into 2018. “The labour market remains strong, but higher inflation, largely from the lower value of sterling, is now reducing households’ real earnings. “This is likely to result in lower consumer spending growth which, when combined with a potentially more challenging macro environment, adds a degree of caution to our outlook,” Santander said. Net mortgage lending at its UK arm fell by £200 million after it being forced to increase rates. Like many other banks, the group also took a £69 million charge to cover claims for payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation in the first six months of the year. Santander shares are currently trading down 0.16 percent at 515.38 (1109GMT).  

Shares in communications company BT (LON:BT.A) dropped nearly 4 percent in early trading on Friday, after revealing a 40 percent drop in profits in the first quarter. The company’s finances took a hit in the first quarter of the financial year after it paid out £225 million shareholders Deutsche Telekom and Orange, in the wake of an accounting scandal at its Italian operation. BT said the £225m payout represents a “full and final settlement in respect of these issues”, with chief executive Gavin Patterson, the BT chief executive saying that: “Whilst this is clearly disappointing. it is the best possible outcome for all shareholders as it avoids a potential protracted legal process.” BT’s shares sunk in January after it was revealed that the accounting scandal would cost the company £530 million. Pre-tax profits slumped 42 percent from £717 million to £418 million during the quarter. Stripping out the impact of the one-off £225 million payment, BT’s adjusted profits still fell by 2 percent to £1.78 billion in its first quarter. Shares in BT are currently trading down 3.64 percent at 304.80 (1032GMT).

Lloyds Bank (LON:LLOY) have once again seen profits hit by expensive compensation claims, sending shares down over 2 percent on Thursday. In its half year results, the bank announced that it had set aside another £1 billion to cover charges relating to payment protection insurance (PPI) claims, leading pre-tax profits to come in below expectations. Lloyds also said it would pay further compensation to the 590,000 customers who were incorrectly charged mortgage arrears fees, bringing the total compensation paid to correct that scandal up to £552 million. Pre-tax profits rose 4 percent to £2.5 billion in the six months to June, with underlying profit up 8 per cent to £4.5 billion. The group recorded an underlying return on tangible equity of 16.6 per cent, with total income 4 per cent higher at £9.3 billion. Shares in Lloyds Banking Group (LON:LLOY) are currently down 2.12 percent at 67.57 (1011GMT).

Shares in drinks maker Diageo (LON:DGE) jumped nearly 7 percent in early trading on Thursday, after the company reported better-than-expected earnings for the year. Operating profit, excluding one-time items, rose 20 percent over the 12 months to hit £3.6 billion, with per-share earnings before one-time items up to to £1.09 from 89.4 pence. Net sales were up 4 percent to £12.05 billion, from £10.49 billion last year. The stronger results come after the alcohol maker, who owns the Johnny Walker scotch and Smirnoff vodka brands, announced a cost-cutting programme last year. The improved earnings for the year and raised its target for profit margin growth The company also announced a 1.5 billion pound share buyback, to be paid to investors over fiscal 2018.   Shares in the company are currently up 5.96 percent at 2,408.00 (0955GMT).

Shares in pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca (LON:AZN) fell over 15 percent in early trading on Thursday, after disappointing results from a key drug trial. Shares in the company plunged after it reported that the development of new lung cancer drug Mystic had failed to show the positive results expected, with the trial not reaching its “endpoints” for progression free survival. The Mystic drug was one of AstraZeneca’s most prominent drugs in development, but initial results from the study found that the combination of two injectable drugs, durvalumab and tremelimumab, was no more effective at stopping disease progression in affected patients than chemotherapy. The Mystic drug was one of AstraZeneca’s most prominent drugs in development, with Jeffrey Holford, an analyst at Jefferies, telling the Financial Times that the setback in the Mystic trial was “a significant blow”. He said his firm estimated this would remove “[about] 10 per cent to 15 per cent of mid term earnings and valuation” from AstraZeneca. Total revenue at the company fell 11 percent to $10,456 million, but operating profit rose 37 percent to $1,842 million. Reported earnings per share were also up 58 percent to $0.80. The company saw 3 percent growth in emerging markets in the first half of the year, underpinned by China sales growth of 3 percent. However, it warned that economic conditions in Latin America and Saudi Arabia limited overall growth in the region.