magazine archive
magazine archive
Week Ahead
Nerves frayed as investors ponder Adobe’s AI promise
Thursday 06 Jun 2024After the AI (artificial intelligence) miss from Salesforce (CRM:NYSE) last week, the foreboding mood around Adobe (ADBE:NASDAQ) is almost tangible. Like many enterprise software firms, it has been happy to talk up the potential growth power-up of integrating AI across its suite, but if the proof...
Can Fuller's show further progress against a tough backdrop?
Thursday 06 Jun 2024The pub and hospitality sector continues to recover from the pandemic and inflationary pressures, and premium pub and hotel group Fuller Smith & Turner (FSTA) is due to update the market with full-year results to the end of March on 13 June. The shares are trading close to 12-month highs,...
Signs of slowing US inflation send stocks higher while UK data also pleases
Thursday 06 Jun 2024Markets ended last Friday in the green after the US April CPE (core personal expenditure) deflator rose by 2.7%, in line with expectations and lending support to the argument inflation is heading towards the Federal Reserve’s official 2% target even if there are a few bumps in the road. This week...
Falling UK inflation and rising consumer confidence are welcome developments
Thursday 30 May 2024Last week got off to a positive start on the economic front with the headline rate of UK inflation dropping to 2.3% in April, a whisker above expectations and the Bank of England’s official 2% target. The main driver of lower prices was the household energy cap, added to which goods price inflation...
Costco earnings and outlook in focus for signs of consumer strain
Thursday 23 May 2024When discount retailer Costco Wholesale (COST:NASDAQ) files its third-quarter earnings report next Thursday, 30 May, there is likely to be a great deal of interest in what the company has to say about consumer spending habits. Larger rival and retail bellwether Walmart (WMT:NYSE) reported its...
Has Auto Trader got gas in the tank for upgrades?
Thursday 23 May 2024It has been a fair while since investors last heard from Auto Trader (AUTO), the UK’s biggest digital automotive marketplace that allows users to buy and sell a range of vehicles. Steered by chief executive Nathan Coe, the FTSE 100 constituent motored in with forecast-beating first-half results...
Bank of England a step closer to cutting rates as it lowers inflation outlook
Thursday 16 May 2024As Dinah Washington used to sing, what a difference a day makes, although its relevance to central bank meetings and stock markets was probably the last thing on the great jazz musician's mind. While there was no change in official UK interest rates at the latest Bank of England MPC (Monetary...
Can Marks & Spencer deliver some more earnings magic?
Thursday 16 May 2024Retail bellwether Marks & Spencer (MKS) may need to deliver a modest ‘beat’ to the £679.8 million consensus pre-tax profit estimate, along with a reasonably confident outlook statement, when it serves up full-year results (22 May) if the foods-to-fashion giant is to sustain recent positive...
Will British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines' revival continue in the first quarter?
Thursday 09 May 2024Airline operator International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) is due to report first-quarter numbers on 10 May. The British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling owner has experienced a revival of fortunes recently due to strong consumer demand – people are still prioritising holidays despite the...
Goldilocks is back in the room after turbulent time for markets
Thursday 09 May 2024Having started the year betting on up to half-a-dozen interest rate cuts, then having to undo those bets as stronger-than-expected US economic data and Fed comments pointed at the possibility of one or even no cut in rates this year, investors’ heads have been in a spin for the last few weeks. Cue...