Market overview: 27 April

• Publishing giant Pearson continues to expect growth in sales and operating profits this year, having traded in line with expectations in the first quarter.

• Highly acquisitive media giant WPP has had a strong start to 2012 with like-for-like revenue growth coming in ahead of expectations in the first quarter.

• Salamander Energy , the independent upstream oil and gas exploration and production business focused on South-East Asia, is asking its shareholders to put their hands in their pockets to accelerate its drilling programme.

• Ultra Electronics , the technology company with interests in defence, transport and energy, says it will continue to face strong headwinds from both the US and UK defence market.

• Speciality chemicals producer AZ Electronic Materials said both of its core businesses performed well in April after a tough first quarter.

• Imagination Technologies Group , the system-on-chip intellectual property developer, has signed a licence agreement with Sunplus Technology for intellectual property from Imagination's PowerVR SGX graphics division.

• Perform , the multimedia sports content company, has put its livesport.tv platform on to Facebook.

• The growth story at media and digital communications group Aegis continued in the first quarter of 2012, albeit at a slower rate than the breakneck speed seen in 2011.

• Edinburgh Dragon Trust , the FTSE 250 Asian investment trust, has seen its net asset value outperform its benchmark in the first half despite volatile conditions in equity markets.

• Revenue was up at Colt , the business communications firm, during the first three months to March 31st with the company experiencing growth across all major product categories.

• Polymers maker Victrex has appointed a new Managing Director for its Invibio biomaterials business.

• The lack of harmony arose from a group of Barclays ' shareholders who believe executive pay does not reflect the share price performance.

• UK Coal returned to profit for the first time in four years and more than halved its debt in 2011.

• Oil and gas producer BG Group has agreed to sell its 40 per cent interest in a company called GNL Quintero (GNLQ), the owner of a liquefied natural gas terminal in Chile.

• Online video company Forbidden Technologies has rocketed after revealing a big jump in capacity and impressive sales.

• North Sea focused oil company, Xcite Energy , says it has secured funding for the first phase of development of its wholly-owned Bentley field.

• Sweett Group , an international property and infrastructure consultancy, is expecting booming Asian Pacific markets to continue to pick up the slack from a struggling Europe.

• Asset manager Schroders is to take a substantial stake in the Indian asset management business of Axis Bank.

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