magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Smurfit Kappa bid approach lifts packaging sector
Thursday 08 Mar 2018The packaging space is in a buoyant mood after a takeover approach for Smurfit Kappa ( SKG ) from US rival International Paper. While there were no details on the value of the approach, the news was taken as positive for Smurfit and UK-listed peers like Mondi ( MNDI ) and DS Smith ( SMDS ) ...
What the Government’s housebuilding plans mean for the sector
Thursday 08 Mar 2018Government plans to address the housing crisis are providing a boost to shares in housebuilders despite the threat to strip planning permission from developers which hoard land. The proposals, announced in an address from Prime Minister Theresa May on 5 March, also include potential sanctions for...
Why restaurant closures are healthy for the sector’s longer term future
Thursday 08 Mar 2018Rising costs, intense competition and a squeeze on disposable income is a toxic combination for restaurants chains, but we believe an acceleration of restaurant closures is good for the sector’s health in the future, helping to resolve previous oversupply issues. Thirty five of the UK’s top 100...
Brace yourselves for the big weather fall-out
Thursday 08 Mar 2018Consumer-facing stocks are expected to bemoan the impact of the ‘Beast from the East’ and Storm Emma when issuing updates over the coming weeks and months. Snow and strong winds disrupted deliveries and left high streets, retail parks and shopping centres eerily quiet with footfall likely to have...
Businesses are looking for Brexit transition deal
Thursday 08 Mar 2018Prime Minister Theresa May’s latest speech on Brexit (2 Mar) may initially have calmed tensions within her party but it is receiving a lukewarm reaction from the European Union and currency traders. Sterling traded lower in the aftermath of the address as May acknowledged that leaving the single...
Unexpected fall in UK house prices
Thursday 08 Mar 2018Against expectations for a 0.2% increase in UK house prices during February, mortgage lender Nationwide says the figure has turned out to be a 0.8% fall. Chief executive of property lender Octane Capital, Jonathan Samuels, comments: ‘While weak supply and very low borrowing costs will prevent a...
RIT Capital Partners reveals stellar gains since 1988’s flotation
Thursday 01 Mar 2018A £10,000 investment in RIT Capital Partners ( RCP ) at inception in 1988 would be worth c£330,000 today, as long as dividends were reinvested, says the investment trust. Over the past five years, RIT says its net assets have grown by £1.24bn before dividends. Over the same period its share price...
Triple Point eyes listing upgrade and £200m new cash
Thursday 01 Mar 2018Investment trust Triple Point Social Housing REIT ( SOHO ) wants to upgrade its listing category so it would be eligible for inclusion in FTSE indices. It also wants to raise up to £200m after its investment manager identified new potential investments. Triple Point invests in social housing assets...
IntegraFin to be valued at c£650m at IPO
Thursday 01 Mar 2018The owner of the Transact IFA technology platform has confirmed the price of its IPO (initial public offering) at 196p. IntegraFin’s stock marketing listing on 2 March will value the business at £649.4m. Transact currently serves more than 150,000 clients on behalf of over 5,100 financial advisers...
Threads expert Coats impresses on margins and profit guidance
Thursday 01 Mar 2018Shares in industrial threads manufacturer Coats ( COA ) jumped by more than 12% to 84p on 27 February after reporting a solid set of full year results. Operating margins improved from 10.8% to 11.5% thanks to higher selling prices, productivity and procurement gains, and tight cost control. Coats...