Earnings season is still going strong. British budget airline easyJet reported a first-half pretax loss of 350 million pounds, slightly more than the expected 340 million pounds. Despite a 17% increase in costs due to higher jet fuel prices and investments in its holiday business, easyJet is preparing for a strong summer season and aims for a before-tax profit of 1 billion pounds by 2028. Shares were down 5% in early trading. It also announced that CEO Johan Lundgren will step down in early 2025 and will be succeeded by CFO Kenton Jarvis.

BT Group reported a slight increase in annual revenue to 20.80 billion pounds but a decrease in pretax profit to 1.19 billion pounds, attributed to goodwill impairment and increased depreciation. The company raised its dividend by 3.9% to 8.0p and is focusing on modernizing operations and exploring options for its global business.

Premier Foods saw a 13% increase in annual revenue to 1.14 billion pounds and a 35% rise in pretax profit to 151.4 million pounds, with a 20% increase in dividends. Tyman reported a 5% decrease in first-quarter revenue to 205 million pounds due to challenging market conditions, while United Utilities Group reported a decrease in annual profit to 126.9 million pounds but an 8.1% increase in revenue to 1.95 billion pounds. The company expects a 10% revenue growth in fiscal 2025.

In other news, AstraZeneca's investigational COVID-19 prevention therapy, sipavibart, showed a significant reduction in symptomatic COVID-19 cases among immunocompromised patients in a late-stage trial. The company is discussing potential approval with regulatory authorities.

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