magazine archive
magazine archive
Under The Bonnet
Is Blue Prism the best growth stock on the UK market?
Thursday 07 Feb 2019This is one of the most ‘marmite’ equity stories on the UK stock market right now. Sceptics argue that Blue Prism ( PRSM:AIM ) has unproven technology, a business model that is yet to make a profit, and the shares trade on an eye-watering valuation. Fans believe the Warrington-based business is...
Three reasons why you shouldn’t invest in HSBC
Thursday 31 Jan 2019Avoiding bad stocks is equally as important as picking good ones. Investing must always involve a detailed research process rather than random selection as prospects which may seem enticing at first glance aren’t always up to scratch when you dig deeper. In the case of HSBC ( HSBA ) , many...
Why you should not be blinded by Vodafone’s 9.5% yield
Thursday 24 Jan 2019The dividend yield on the FTSE 100 for 2019 is estimated at 5%, according to the latest forecast data from Link Asset Services’ Dividend Monitor . By contrast Vodafone’s ( VOD ) forward 12 months income yield stands at around 9.5%, adjusting for its 31 March year end, according to Numis’...
Will AO World ever make a profit?
Thursday 20 Dec 2018Shares in online electrical retailer AO World ( AO. ) have fallen by 56% in value since joining the stock market in 2014. The compelling investment case outlined nearly five years ago was that AO World would disrupt the UK white goods market, yet according to brokerage Shore Capital, AO World is ‘...
Grainger boosts private rented exposure after breakthrough acquisition
Thursday 06 Dec 2018The £396m acquisition by professional residential landlord Grainger ( GRI ) of a portfolio of homes in London and the South East will accelerate its transition from an historic focus on regulated tenancies to the private rented sector. It also brings forward the company’s likely conversion to real...
Sensyne Health marries healthcare with AI
Thursday 29 Nov 2018Small cap Sensyne Health ( SENS:AIM ) operates in the fast-growing specialist area combining healthcare and artificial intelligence. It is also a story with an ethical bent as the model should help deliver income to the NHS. Sensyne Health, which joined AIM in August 2018 raising £60m, analyses...
Speedy Hire is fixed and ready for the next growth leg
Thursday 22 Nov 2018Investors don’t need particularly long memories to recall the dark days of 2015 when Speedy Hire ( SDY ) issued two profit warnings in quick succession due to falling sales and rising costs. In the space of a couple of months the shares went crashing from 76p to 28p, a loss of nearly two thirds...
Staffline is ambitious but can it survive any Brexit fallout?
Thursday 08 Nov 2018Nottingham-based Staffline ( STAF:AIM ) is one of the biggest recruiters in the UK, supplying over 60,000 contract staff a day to more than 1,500 customers, yet it is probably one of the least well-known to investors. The company is the leading outsourced provider of blue-collar workers to the...
Should you buy Aston Martin now its shares have fallen 26% since IPO?
Thursday 01 Nov 2018The news is full of talk about the UK’s car manufacturing industry as the Brexit deadline looms ever larger, but there is only one car maker whose shares you can buy on the London stock market. British marque Aston Martin Lagonda ( AML ) was worth £4.3bn when its shares starting trading at the...
Why rat-catcher Rentokil is a standout stock in the FTSE 100
Thursday 11 Oct 2018On the face of it few businesses might seem less attractive than rat-catching and loo-cleaning, but few other FTSE firms can boast Rentokil’s ( RTO ) high operating margins or are world leaders in their field. Thanks to a mix of steady if undramatic organic growth and opportunistic bolt-on...