magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
UK to tumble down economic league table in 2019
Thursday 20 Dec 2018According to a report from consultant PwC the UK could fall from fifth to seventh in the global rankings of economies by size in 2019 but it is still expected to generate a better long-term growth rate than the Eurozone. The Global Economy Watch report expects both France and India to overtake the...
Cinema fights off streaming threat and consumer gloom
Thursday 20 Dec 2018A blockbuster year for the cinema industry would suggest that competition from streaming services like Netflix and pressure on consumer spending haven’t negatively impacted the silver screen. An article in The Guardian suggests that British cinemagoers will have been to the movies 176m times this...
National Grid, TUI, Balfour Beatty and other recent news
Thursday 20 Dec 2018The proposed financial package put forward by energy regulator Ofgem, effectively governing how much National Grid ( NG. ) can charge for access to its gas and electricity supply infrastructure, could reduce the amount the latter returns to shareholders. The company says it is disappointed with the...
What is the outlook for UK property in 2019?
Thursday 20 Dec 2018Investors who assume the real estate sector is set for a universally gloomy 2019 could be proved wrong according to Nick Montgomery, head of UK real estate investment at asset manager Schroders. Adding the usual caveats around the impact of Brexit, Montgomery paints a much more nuanced picture by...
Shareholder activism on the rise
Thursday 13 Dec 2018A report by Deloitte suggests nearly $300bn worth of shareholdings are being used to achieve the demands of ‘activist’ investors. The research, covering the period from 2014 onwards, suggests the value of newly deployed funds has more than doubled in the last 12 months compared with 2014. In the UK...
Energy supply market in disarray as another firm fails
Thursday 13 Dec 2018The energy sector is undergoing considerable change at the lower end of the market. Earlier this month OneSelect, a small domestic electricity supplier, became the eighth firm in the sector to stop trading this year. OneSelect’s 36,000 customers were told to ‘keep calm and carry on’ while Ofgem...
Interserve, WPP, Ted Baker, Berkeley and more news from the past week
Thursday 13 Dec 2018Outsourcer Interserve’s ( IRV ) deleveraging proposal (10 Dec) saw more than 70% wiped off its market value at one stage. Plans to launch a debt-for-equity swap are likely to leave little on the table for existing shareholders. The company hopes to get its debt-to-earnings ratio down to a more...
The reasons behind Kier’s shock rights issue
Thursday 13 Dec 2018Construction and infrastructure play Kier ( KIE ) had several key reasons for launching its heavily discounted £264m rights issue on 30 November. Chief executive Haydn Mursell tells Shares the company acted in the face of discussions with lenders, which have become increasingly wary of the...
Renewed Brexit chaos leaves investors fuming
Thursday 13 Dec 2018The decision by Theresa May to postpone a vote on her Brexit deal in the face of an inevitable defeat (10 Dec) has added to a sense of chaos around both her Government and the UK’s exit from the European Union. Business and financial markets hate uncertainty and UK assets have suffered a renewed...
First look at the stocks inside Fundsmith’s new Smithson fund
Thursday 06 Dec 2018The UK’s biggest ever investment trust launch Smithson ( SSON ) has unveiled its top holdings and the stocks which have contributed to its performance since making its stock market debut on 19 October. Strong demand from private investors saw an initial targeted fundraise of £250m raised to £600m...