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Could the Royal Mail final dividend be decided in Westminster?
Thursday 15 Dec 2022Royal Mail continues to be disrupted by strike action amid an escalating dispute over work, pay and conditions. With no end to the dispute in sight, it is possible that the parent company’s dividend could become a political issue. The firm, which is owned by International Distributions Services (...
House prices cooling quickly after two years of red-hot growth
Thursday 15 Dec 2022As more survey data on asking and selling prices rolls in from mortgage lenders and estate agencies, it is clear that the UK housing market peaked in August with the turning point most likely being September’s mini-Budget which spooked financial markets and consumers. While there is usually a...
Regulators put Microsoft and Meta under scrutiny as big tech growth slows
Thursday 15 Dec 2022M icrosoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms (META:NASDAQ) are facing growth roadblocks as regulators in the US, UK and EU bare their teeth. The US Federal Trade Commission has moved to block Microsoft from its planned $69 billion deal to buy gaming giant Activision Blizzard (ATVI:...
Chemring’s cybersecurity hidden jewel is starting to shine
Thursday 15 Dec 2022Defence business Chemring’s ( CHG ) cybersecurity unit Roke is an underappreciated part of the business, but it may not go under the radar for too much longer. The company’s results for the year to 31 October revealed revenue from the division exceeded £100 million for the first time with order...
How freezing temperatures saw power prices rocket to record levels
Thursday 15 Dec 2022Freezing temperatures have sent UK power prices to record highs, with the surge in demand created by the wintry weather accompanied by very still conditions which led to a lack of wind power. This meant higher demand for gas for power generation at the same time as households and businesses were...
Why consumer squeeze and higher rental rates have clobbered Airbnb shares
Thursday 15 Dec 2022Global platform operator for rental rooms Airbnb (ABNB:NASDAQ) has seen its shares slide by a fifth over the last three months taking the loss in 2022 to date to more than 40%. The worry is that the rapid rise in the cost of living will squeeze consumer discretionary spending and dampen demand...
Balfour Beatty shares hit 11-year high on booming infrastructure market
Thursday 15 Dec 2022Thanks to a slew of major UK and US public works programmes, revenues and earnings at construction and engineering firm Balfour Beatty ( BBY ) are set to beat expectations in 2022, according to the company. The news sent shares in the group up 2.7% to 346p on 8 December, their highest level in more...
Big moves in UK oil sector with crude in the doldrums despite OPEC cuts
Thursday 08 Dec 2022The past month has seen a significant fall in oil prices. Having flirted with the $100 per barrel mark for the first time since the summer in early November, Brent crude is now closer to $80 as traders fret about the impact on demand of a slowdown in the global economy. Renewed hopes of a loosening...
Why Yu Group’s shares have sparked up 87% in six months
Thursday 08 Dec 2022Consistent growth and recent upgrades to earnings forecasts from Yu Group (YU.AIM) have sent the shares up 87% over the past six months and the independent gas and electricity supplier’s latest trading update (28 November) helped sustain the rally. Energy crisis beneficiary Yu said sales, adjusted...
The great CEO merry-go-round: Vodafone chief executive is the latest to go
Thursday 08 Dec 2022It seems as though barely a week goes by without a chief executive or chief financial officer either jumping ship to another firm or leaving the business completely to pursue ‘other interests’. At the start of this week, FTSE 100 mobile network operator Vodafone ( VOD ) announced chief executive...