magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Why the blockbuster London Stock Exchange bid may not be over
Thursday 19 Sep 2019All eyes in the finance world have been on London Stock Exchange (LSEG) after it rejected a blockbuster £32bn takeover bid from the Hong Kong stock exchange operator HKEX. The offer, which London Stock Exchange described as ‘unsolicited’, ‘highly conditional’ and containing ‘fundamental flaws’, has...
European airline sector is not grounded, says broker
Thursday 12 Sep 2019British Airways reached 100 years old at the end of last month, but its centenary celebrations haven’t exactly gone to plan. A two-day pilots’ strike this week, combined with stranded passengers and recent IT failures, as well as a data breach, has whacked the airline’s reputation. Shares in its...
Weighing up the future for Centrica
Thursday 12 Sep 2019Britain’s biggest energy company Centrica ( CNA ) has been through a rough few years, culminating on 30 July when it reported a 49% fall in operating profit, slashed its dividend by more than half, announced plans to exit its oil and gas business and said that chief executive Iain Conn would leave...
Woodford may gauge how many investors want to sell out
Thursday 12 Sep 2019Investors with money stuck in Woodford Equity Income Fund (BLRZQ73) may be able to place an order to sell up to two weeks before the official reopening date earmarked for December. Shares understands that Link Fund Solutions, the fund’s administrator, is considering a 14 day period in which...
Shares in banks hit by last-minute dash for PPI claims
Thursday 12 Sep 2019Investors holding shares in the banking sector have been dealt another blow after a last-minute rush of compensation claims for mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI). This has pulled down shares in the sector and raised concerns that UK banks may not be able to afford such generous dividends...
Another slump in the pound puts spotlight on overseas-focused funds
Thursday 05 Sep 2019Growing political uncertainty and a slew of poor economic data saw the UK pound fall to two-year lows below $1.20 early on 3 September. The pound also fell below the €1.10 level once more ahead of a House of Commons vote that could see a no-deal Brexit outlawed by MPs. It also followed the worst...
What Ferguson’s demerger means for UK investors
Thursday 05 Sep 2019FTSE 100 plumbing and heating supplies firm Ferguson ( FERG ) plans to demerge its UK business, which trades under the old Wolseley banner, and make it an independently-listed company. The UK business made up just 12% of turnover and less than 5% of trading profits in the year to 31 July 2018, with...
Fund managers must state if they provide value for money or not
Thursday 05 Sep 2019New rules forcing asset managers to prove their investment funds are providing value to investors are set to be introduced at the end of this month. From 30 September, fund managers will have to start publishing ‘assessment of value’ reports, which detail their quality of service, performance,...
Brexit clouds have a silver lining, says Cable
Thursday 29 Aug 2019Truly long-term investors with a 10-year time horizon should see issues such as Brexit as opportunities, according to Matt Cable, manager of the Jupiter UK Smaller Companies Fund (B3LRRF4) . Valuations for many UK smaller companies are ‘artificially depressed’, he says, meaning Brexit clouds do...
NMC Health, Sirius Minerals, Woodford and other big news
Thursday 29 Aug 2019Shares in healthcare provider NMC Health ( NMC ) rocketed on reports that two groups, one backed by China’s Fosun, were competing to buy a 40% stake in the company at a premium to the market price. The company’s shares soared as much as 42% to £27.48 on news of the possible deal, having traded at a...