magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
What next for Sainsbury’s after failed Asda merger blow?
Thursday 02 May 2019Shares in supermarkets operator Sainsbury’s ( SBRY ) rallied off a low base on better than expected full year results (1 May), but this could prove a false dawn for the embattled grocer. Chief executive officer (CEO) Mike Coupe is under immense pressure to show his charge can succeed as a...
Consumer goods firms taking their pricing power back
Thursday 02 May 2019A funny thing happened in the world of consumer goods last quarter: companies were able to raise prices without buyers deserting en masse. For the last few years, the global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies have struggled to entice consumers to pay up for flagship brands due to the...
Sirius Minerals has a plan to solve its financing requirements
Thursday 02 May 2019It looks like short-term pain before long-term gain for shareholders in Sirius Minerals ( SXX ) after it launched a $3.8bn fundraising to help build its North Yorkshire-based Woodsmith potash project. The shares fell 15% to 18.6p on news that it would issue $400m worth of new stock below the...
The week’s big news: banks, BP and more
Thursday 02 May 2019The report card for the banks’ first quarter reporting season looks a mixed one at best. On 25 April numbers from Barclays ( BARC ) came in short of expectations thanks to a weak showing from its investment banking division, with income down 11% and profit falling 29% to £846m. This is expected to...
Why there is juice in the Photo-Me growth story
Thursday 02 May 2019Beaten down photobooths-to-laundry machines operator Photo-Me International’s ( PHTM ) growth story has been juiced up following its entry into a new and large market. The acquisition (25 Apr) of 96% of Sempa, a France-based maker of commercialised fresh fruit vending equipment, takes it into the...
Why mortgage innovation could spell trouble for housebuilders
Thursday 25 Apr 2019One follower of the housebuilding sector is alarmed to see the return of the ‘flexible’ mortgage given what it reveals about the state of the property market. Shore Capital analyst Robin Hardy notes the launch of NatWest’s HomeFlex product, which allows borrowers to take money out of their mortgage...
Fintech ‘bank’ R8 eyes London summer IPO
Thursday 25 Apr 2019Financial technology company R8 is preparing a London stock market share listing as it looks to raise extra growth funding, possibly as soon as July 2019. The company is believed to be sounding out new investors that could see it raise something like £20m of fresh funding, with speculation...
UK profit warnings hit highest first quarter level since the financial crisis
Thursday 25 Apr 2019UK-listed firms have issued 89 profit warnings in the first quarter of 2019, marking the highest first quarter total since the global financial crisis according to professional services firm Ernst & Young (EY). Brexit-related challenges account for only 10% of profit warnings over the quarter...
Why Bunzl’s growth shock matters to investors
Thursday 18 Apr 2019Shares in FTSE 100 distribution and services group Bunzl ( BNZL ) came under big pressure on on 17 April when it revealed a slowdown in trading. The company, which provides businesses with items like coffee cups or cleaning products which are not sold to customers but are essential for their day-to...
The ‘big data’ you need to watch on the UK economy
Thursday 18 Apr 2019Earlier this week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published a new set of indicators which it hopes will offer a ‘real-time’ guide to economic activity in the UK. As the ONS explains, ‘The appetite for faster information on UK economic activity has never been higher. Policymakers and...