magazine archive
magazine archive
Big News
Is GVC clearing the decks for Ladbrokes bid?
Thursday 09 Nov 2017Gaming firm GVC ( GVC ) is selling its Turkish operations as part of an exit from unregulated markets. There is speculation that this move, announced on 2 November, is aimed at paving the way for the company to launch a formal bid for Ladbrokes Coral ( LCL ) . Reports suggest previous bid talks...
St James’s Place overhauls fund range
Thursday 02 Nov 2017FTSE 100 constituent St James’s Place ( STJ ) is shaking up its fund offering. The changes see the launch of new vehicles offering exposure to Japanese equities and global growth stocks. The former is set to be managed by Yoshihiko Ito of Nippon Value Investors and the latter by Magellan, EdgePoint...
Mining sector issues put pressure on Weir’s margins
Thursday 02 Nov 2017FTSE 250 engineering group Weir ( WEIR ) has had to top slice operating profit expectations as mining aftermarket margins come under pressure. The £4.42bn company provides slurry handling kit used in the mining and oil sands markets but engineering support investment and order delays have dented...
Bookies gain on gaming consultation
Thursday 02 Nov 2017The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) long-awaited document (31 Oct) on gaming machines in betting shops triggered share price gains for Ladbrokes Coral ( LCL ) and William Hill ( WMH ) as proposals weren’t as bad as feared. The maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals...
What you need to know about the banks’ latest financial results
Thursday 02 Nov 2017The third quarter reporting season for the banks had a mixed response from the market. Lloyds’ ( LLOY ) figures were quite good but investors worried about future capital requirements, given worrying comments from the bank about pressure from the regulator. A solid showing from Royal Bank of...
Why Fidessa may not be a takeover target
Thursday 02 Nov 2017Investors hoping to cash in on a takeover of trading systems supplier Fidessa ( FDSA ) look likely to be disappointed. At first glance the £884m Woking-headquartered business looks a classic target for private equity buyers yet we don’t think a deal will happen. Fidessa is a global leader in...
Car retailers in the spotlight after Pendragon warning
Thursday 26 Oct 2017Car retailer Pendragon ( PDG ) has warned (23 Oct) underlying full year pre-tax profit will come in at around £60m, more than 20% down on the £75.4m made in 2016. Pendragon anticipates a resumption of profit growth in 2018, though analysts believe this is optimistic and there is significant...
Slowdown in Costa sales growth weighs on Whitbread’s share price
Thursday 26 Oct 2017Costa Coffee owner Whitbread ( WTB ) is struggling to lure in people for their caffeine boost as UK like-for-like sales growth at its coffee chain fell to 0.6% in the six months to 31 August. That represents a significant drop from 2.3% growth over the same period last year, suggesting people are...
Japanese equities buoyed by Abe's victory
Thursday 26 Oct 2017Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe’s general election victory on 22 October puts him on course to be the longest serving prime minister of Japan in the modern era. Those who question the wisdom of his ‘Three Arrows’ programme, dubbed Abenomics, in the past will have to get used to it as his victory...
ASOS fast approaching same size as M&S
Thursday 26 Oct 2017Online fashion retailer ASOS ( ASC:AIM ) is now worth nearly as much as Marks & Spencer ( MKS ) – an amazing feat considering the business has only existed for 17 years. The latter has been around since 1884. ASOS is now worth £4.63bn versus Marks & Spencer at £5.64bn. Fifteen years ago...