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Prolonged working from home is positive for Kingfisher
Thursday 24 Sep 2020The UK Government’s U-turn on encouraging people going back to the office to work provides DIY retailer Kingfisher ( KGF ) with an opportunity to sustain its recent positive sales momentum. It could see more people think about doing up their property, particularly if they are going to be staying at...
Recovery funds firmly out of fashion as leading manager exits
Thursday 24 Sep 2020Last week saw a changing of the guard at fund group M&G ( MNG ) with Tom Dobell, a 28-year veteran of the firm, stepping down from the M&G Recovery Fund (3128921) which he had managed since 2000. As per its name the fund invests in ‘value’ stocks in the hope that they will recover. It had a...
Supermarkets face new pressures despite online boom
Thursday 17 Sep 2020Supermarket sales eased in August as the sector begins to eye a key festive period which could be blighted by new coronavirus restrictions and a weak consumer backdrop. The brightest star in the groceries firmament continues to be Ocado ( OCDO ) which despite some teething problems bucked the...
Markets are holding firm following an earlier recovery
Thursday 17 Sep 2020The initial market rebound from the coronavirus correction was rapid as investors dusted themselves off and, aided by central bank and government stimulus and vaccine progress, looked towards a recovery for businesses and the economy. The story of the third quarter has been one of relative...
Large number of UK stocks see 20%+ gains in a week
Thursday 17 Sep 2020Forty two companies on the UK stock market have seen their share prices rise by at least 20% over the past week (to 15 September), principally as investors race to own shares issuing positive news, albeit some of the aforementioned stocks moved on no news at all. One of the biggest gains came from...
Changing consumer habits could favour companies less reliant on city centres
Thursday 17 Sep 2020Local high streets and out-of-town retail parks could see a resurgence as the public opts to either stay near to their homes for shopping and leisure activities, or to go somewhere with ample car parking space so they don’t mix with others in close proximity on public transport. There are already...
Investors spooked as technology stocks dive
Thursday 10 Sep 2020High-flying US technology stocks have stumbled over the past week as investors back off from many of the mega-cap companies that have fuelled equity markets since March. Between the market close on 2 September and end of day trading on 8 September, the tech-heavy Nasdaq index fell 10%, while the S...
Brexit talks resume under a cloud
Thursday 10 Sep 2020The eighth round of Brexit trade talks got underway on 8 September, with the European Union (EU) warning Boris Johnson not to row back on parts of the withdrawal agreement reached just a year ago while the UK’s chief negotiator insisted the bloc needed to be ‘realistic’. The pound took a hefty...
Fears over housebuilder leasehold scandal
Thursday 10 Sep 2020News that four major housebuilders are in the sights of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over the way leasehold properties were sold has uncomfortable echoes of the PPI scandal which hit the banks after the financial crisis. Shares in the quartet, Barratt Developments ( BDEV ) ,...
Low visibility hampers travel sector recovery
Thursday 10 Sep 2020The fragile recovery of the travel and leisure sector looks to have hit a bump in the road as companies across the industry struggle with little visibility on customer bookings. Jet2 owner Dart Group ( DTG:AIM ) says winter demand has so far failed to match up even to its revised capacity, with...