magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Retail sales figures return to form in January
Thursday 21 Feb 2019UK retail sales bounced back by a greater degree than expected in January according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), bucking the trend of disappointing UK data and providing a welcome boost for the nation’s first quarter growth prospects. Retail sales volumes spiked 1% month-on-month...
Eyes on March update as dividend doubts beset SSE
Thursday 21 Feb 2019Investors in UK energy business SSE ( SSE ) face a nervous few weeks as they await details on future strategy that is widely expected alongside a trading update on 28 March. The group is trying to sidestep a consumer supply market beset by political and competitive challenges. SSE’s original plan...
Global dividends expected to grow by 5.1% in 2019
Thursday 21 Feb 2019Equities may be going through a choppy period but one big positive for investors is the growth in global dividends which hit a new record in 2018 and is set to grow further in 2019 according to asset manager Janus Henderson. The Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index shows total dividends in 2018 up...
Is HSBC’s 6% yield enough compensation for disappointing results?
Thursday 21 Feb 2019Banking giant HSBC ( HSBA ) may be maintaining its dividend despite sub-par 2018 results but does the admittedly generous yield make up for this lacklustre showing? Both revenue and profit were around $1bn short of expectations in 2018 thanks to a tough end to the year linked to global trade...
Is the US about to deliver a growth shock?
Thursday 21 Feb 2019Delayed figures on US GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2018, now scheduled for 28 February, could provide a jolt to financial markets. Thanks to the shutdown in Washington a series of financial reports produced by federal agencies have been held up, including GDP estimates from the Bureau of...
Plus500, TUI, William Hill and other recent news
Thursday 14 Feb 2019Trading platform Plus500 ( PLUS ) lost nearly a third of its value earlier this week after issuing a major profit warning. Several companies in its peer group had already flagged up the impact from tighter regulation, particularly in their marketing to ordinary punters. Yet Plus500 had managed to...
Greggs is no longer good value as shares hit record high
Thursday 14 Feb 2019Shares in food retailer Greggs ( GRG ) have hit an all-time high of £16.06, helped by a bullish trading update in January and investors keen to own a business on a roll. Management flagged ‘good sales momentum and operational execution’ at the start of 2019. Greggs offers appeal on both the growth...
The latest on the UK economy and rates as Brexit remains up in the air
Thursday 14 Feb 2019As we write there seems little prospect of the fog of uncertainty created by Brexit clearing. This uncertainty appears to be the main culprit behind the UK economy contracting at the end of 2018 and against this backdrop investor expectations for an interest rate rise from the Bank of England any...
High street lenders to reveal mixed fortunes
Thursday 14 Feb 2019Britain’s big three high-street lenders are due to update the market on full year trading this month with Royal Bank of Scotland ( RBS ) first to report on 15 February. Expectations are high with analysts forecasting a doubling of net earnings from £752m in 2017 to £1.58bn in 2018 according to...
DWF set to be the largest UK-quoted law firm
Thursday 07 Feb 2019Legal services firm DWF has confirmed plans to join the London stock market in what could be the largest legal services flotation. The firm first announced last June that it was interested in an IPO (initial public offering). Media reports speculate DWF will be valued at around £700m or 15 times...