magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Watch out for storm hit at Beazley and Hiscox after Lancashire warning
Thursday 11 Oct 2018Storm-related losses at non-life insurer Lancashire Holdings ( LRE ) have a negative read-across for rivals Beazley ( BEZ ) and Hiscox ( HSX ) . Shares in Lancashire lost 10% of their value after the company warned of hefty third-quarter losses due to weather-related and marine losses (8 Oct). Even...
Why soaring US Treasury yields are driving down stocks around the world
Thursday 11 Oct 2018As we write UK stocks have stabilised after a hairy few days prompted by spiralling yields on US Treasury (government bond) yields. Yields rise when the price of Treasuries is falling. Having exceeded 3% for the first time in four years in May, the yield on 10-year Treasuries hit 3.25% on 9 October...
Who is looking to connect with French Connection?
Thursday 11 Oct 2018Embattled fashion brand French Connection ( FCCN ) has confirmed media speculation (8 Oct) it is considering strategic options including putting itself up for sale. As we write the news has sent the shares surging higher to 54p, within sight of 52-week highs. Founder, chairman and CEO Stephen Marks...
Packaging sell-off ‘way overdone’, insist analysts
Thursday 11 Oct 2018Analysts have launched a robust defence of the European packaging suppliers after a steep decline in the three key London-quoted stocks. Analysts at stockbroker Davy called the sector sell-off ‘way overdone.’ DS Smith ( SMDS ) , Smurfit Kappa ( SKG ) and Mondi ( MNDI ) , the largest of the three...
Retailer QUIZ has questions to answer after major profit warning
Thursday 11 Oct 2018Shares in QUIZ ( QUIZ:AIM ) have collapsed following a profit warning (5 Oct) that triggered sizeable earnings downgrades. Slipped out at 2.38 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, the fast fashion brand warned of a £1.5m first half EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation)...
Aston Martin and Funding Circle endure shaky starts after floating on the stock market
Thursday 04 Oct 2018Two very different high-profile IPOs (initial public offerings) in London have experienced similar teething problems after making their stock market debuts. Peer-to-peer ( P2P ) platform Funding Circle ( FCH ) saw nearly of a fifth of its value wiped off in conditional trading on 2 October. ‘This...
Housebuilders hit by foreign buyers’ tax plan
Thursday 04 Oct 2018The housebuilding sector is under renewed pressure amid new Government plans to impose a tax on foreign buyers of property in the UK. Prime Minister Theresa May outlined plans for a 3% stamp duty surcharge for buyers of UK property who do not pay tax in Britain at the Conservative Party conference...
Time to sell Royal Mail shares as the once-attractive dividend looks unsustainable
Thursday 04 Oct 2018Investors who have been drawn to Royal Mail ’ s ( RMG ) shares as a source of generous income may soon be in for a shock unless the business sees a radical improvement with its efficiency plan. A major profit warning on 1 October has seen the share price fall by 23% to 368p over two days. Analysts...
Ocado, Just Eat, Rightmove and others selected for new reliable growth’ list
Thursday 04 Oct 2018An increasing scarcity of companies capable of delivering sustainable, quality growth has led analysts at investment bank Berenberg to revisit the Nifty Fifty concept popularised in the 1960s and 1970s. There are eight London-listed stocks that have made the cut to feature on the bank’s European...
What Shurgard’s €2.4bn IPO means for UK self-storage plays
Thursday 04 Oct 2018Europe’s largest self-storage player Shurgard Self Storage is to float on the Euronext Brussels stock market and raise €575m, with trading in the shares expected to commence on 15 October. This is relevant to UK investors for several reasons. Some of the funds raised by Shurgard, an affiliate of US...