Telecommunications provider TalkTalk has been buoyed by the popularity of higher speed broadband with its customer base despite revenues nudging lower over the third quarter.
Headline revenues for the London-listed firm dipped 0.7% to £383 million for the past three months compared to a year earlier, although the figure was a marginal improvement on the operator's previous quarter.
TalkTalk said it was also strengthened after agreeing to sell its fibre networks business to Cityfibre for £200 million last month.
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It said the proceeds of the deal will help to boost its financial position, while it will now become a Cityfibre customer with the freedom to sign agreements with competitors.
Tristia Harrison, chief executive of TalkTalk, said: "TalkTalk enters 2020 a far simpler business with a structural advantage to accelerate full fibre nationwide.
"The recently agreed sale of our FibreNation business for £200 million will strengthen our balance sheet while securing a long-term, competitive wholesale agreement, as well as full optionality to work with all full fibre builders.
"As we look forward, we will reap the benefits of this simplification, further cost reductions, a strengthened balance sheet and cash generation."
TalkTalk hailed its fibre performance over the period, as it "outperformed" the market for both fibre and ethernet growth.
It said it increased the number of customers using both its consumer and business-to-business higher speed products.
Shares in the company increased by 0.9% to 114p in early trading on Friday.
The maker of Robinsons squash has signed an agreement with banks to pay back less money on its loans if it meets sustainability targets, cash which will then be donated to charity.
Britvic said it had refinanced a £400 million line of credit to cover day-to-day expenses with annual performance indicators that are linked to its sustainable business strategy.
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The credit line will mature in 2025, the company said, and until then it will have annual targets to meet.
Reaching these will reduce the margin that Britvic has to pay back to lenders, a sum the business will pay to charities it has agreed with the banks.
"This financing agreement further strengthens both our funding platform and our commitment to healthier people and a healthier planet," the company said in a statement.
Britvic plans to reduce its carbon emissions across its manufacturing plants by 15% in 2020, compared with 2016 levels.
French Connection has called off its plans to find a buyer, more than a year after the fashion chain was put on the market.
Shares in the retailer were down by 30% in early trading after it said it would now focus its attentions on its turnaround strategy.
The company launched the review into its future in October 2018 and previously said it was in talks with four potential suitors over a sale.
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