BlackRock Health Sciences Trust (NYSE: BME) director reports no holdings in initial insider filing

B&M European Value Retail’s first-quarter trading update split analysts. Deutsche Bank upgraded the stock to Hold from Sell, citing stabilising margins and raising 2027 profit before tax forecasts 7% to £282m, with a 200p target. Panmure Liberum cut to Hold from Buy, cutting profit forecasts by over 10%. Citi trimmed its target to 195p (Neutral).

B&M European Value Retail SA (LSE:BME) shares fell 4.1% to 195.7p after a mixed Q1 trading update. Revenue rose 2% to £1.43bn in the 13 weeks to 27 June. B&M UK revenue edged up to £1.14bn, but like-for-like sales fell 2.3%. France grew, and Heron Foods improved. Peel Hunt said the UK decline matched forecasts.

The US approved a potential $24.3B sale of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, including engines and support equipment. The sale, a policy shift, may alter Middle East military balance and test US commitment to Israel's military edge. Saudi Arabia has long sought the advanced jets to modernize its air force and counter regional threats, particularly from Iran.

The US State Department approved a potential $24.3B sale of 48 F-35A fighters and 49 engines to Saudi Arabia, including support equipment and training. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer, and RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney are involved. The deal requires congressional review and could face opposition due to security concerns. If finalized, it would make Saudi Arabia the 20th operator of the F-35.

L3Harris Technologies (LHX) secured a $60M contract from the U.S. Air Force for C-HOBS sensors. The order supports production at its Cincinnati facility and adds to the company's record backlog of $42B. LHX's Missile Solutions division, which includes this contract, saw Q2 revenue increase 14% YoY to $1.05B. The stock has fallen 19% since July, with hedge fund ownership dropping 5% in Q2.

The Department of War allocated over $25 million to enhance counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) for U.S. Southern Command. The funds will support interceptors, electronic warfare, and tracking capabilities. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross noted the task force is accelerating C-UAS deployment. Previous awards include $13 million for U.S. Central Command and $500 million contracts for Perennial Autonomy and CACI.