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Retail warnings do not bode well for Marks & Spencer’s results
Thursday 12 May 2022The market is increasingly concerned about the outlook for Marks & Spencer ( MKS ) ahead of the retail bellwether’s full year results on 25 May, judging by a 42% year-to-date share price decline. Investors should prepare themselves for potential news of disappointing recent sales and a downbeat...
Private equity is now casting its eyes over a sold-off UK tech sector
Thursday 12 May 2022The massive sell-off of technology growth stocks in 2022 to date may see an acceleration of opportunistic buyouts from private equity funds flush with cash. On 9 May, compliance and regulation software supplier Ideagen ( IDEA:AIM ) agreed a takeover deal from private equity outfit firm Hg worth £1...
Investors will be hoping for a bumper crop from Deere’s next results
Thursday 12 May 2022Next Friday (20 May) sees the much-anticipated release of second quarter earnings from iconic US tractor maker Deere & Co (DE:NYSE) . After a strong first quarter to the end of January, when the firm beat estimates for both revenue and earnings by some margin and chief executive John C. May...
Shell’s dividends look safe despite windfall tax talk
Thursday 12 May 2022Based on consensus forecasts Shell ( SHEL ) offers a 3.7% prospective dividend yield for 2022. Once you also factor in share buybacks, investment bank Berenberg has forecast the highest returns for the company’s shareholders in a decade. But how safe are these returns of capital given the pressure...
UK bank shares hit by concerns over the economy
Thursday 05 May 2022The key takeout from the UK banks’ first quarter earnings season is that the market is more focused on a deteriorating credit cycle than the fact reported earnings exceeded forecasts. This was reflected in languishing share prices for companies apart from emerging markets-focused Standard Chartered...
Tesla shareholders are the losers from Elon Musk’s plan to buy Twitter
Thursday 05 May 2022Investors are calculating the risks to Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) as Elon Musk tries to woo financial backers for his acquisition of social media network Twitter (TWTR:NYSE) . The omens are not encouraging for investors who own shares in the electric vehicle and renewable energy company. Twitter...
BP’s best underlying profit in a decade will only add to windfall tax calls
Thursday 05 May 2022Even $20.4 billion worth of write-offs linked to BP’s (BP) exit from Russia couldn’t obscure the strong first quarter enjoyed by the company. The non-cash impairments principally linked to BP’s investment in Russian oil producer Rosneft may have been hefty but the UK oil company’s underlying net...
Novacyt faces £134.6 million NHS legal claim
Thursday 28 Apr 2022Shares in international specialist diagnostics company Novacyt ( NCYT:AIM ) came under further pressure (26 Apr) after it received a claim of £134.6 million from the DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care). The shares dropped 12% to 167p on the news and languish around 85% below the highs...
Can consumer-facing firms beat the big squeeze?
Thursday 28 Apr 2022Soft drinks giant Coca-Cola’s (KO:NYSE) first quarter results (25 Apr) topped Wall Street expectations as consumers gulped down more of its namesake brand as well as Powerade and Costa Coffee as the world continued to reopen. But the beat was also driven by higher prices, with Coca-Cola’s sales...
Growth stocks continue to struggle as we reveal stocks at 52-week highs and lows
Thursday 28 Apr 2022It is one thing for analysts to forecast which stocks and sectors will do well in a rising-rate or inflationary environment, but when it actually comes to pass it’s always fascinating to see what works in practice. Judging by the list of stocks making 12-month highs over the past week, those who...