magazine archive
magazine archive
News
Strong regulatory tailwinds keep XPS Pensions in the ascendency
Thursday 20 Feb 2025Pension consulting and administration group XPS Pensions (XPS) has been on a tear over the last year with the shares almost doubling, reflecting double-digit growth in the business. An unscheduled trading update on 14 February sent the shares to yet another new all-time high as the FTSE 250 company...
Wood Group shares hit an all-time low after review and cash flow revelation
Thursday 20 Feb 2025In the annals of stock market history there can be few deals as disastrous as Wood Group’s (WG.) merger with Amec Foster Wheeler. The tie-up, which took place in 2017, has caused a plethora of problems for Wood Group in the interim and, combined with industry-wide structural pressures, has seen its...
Is the Rolls-Royce recovery complete?
Thursday 20 Feb 2025Aero-engine maker Rolls-Royce (RR.) will go down as one of the greatest turnaround stories on record, with chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic injecting the sort of short, sharp, shock treatment the company needed. Stephen Anness, manager of Invesco Global Equity Income Trust (IGET) , first invested...
Market relaxed about outcome of crucial European poll for now
Thursday 20 Feb 2025Voters are set to turn out on 23 February for a general election in Germany which so far seems to have largely slipped under the market’s radar. Despite being Europe’s most populous nation and its largest economy, US investment bank Morgan Stanley notes that, of investors who participated in a...
UK and European defence stocks surge as governments mull security spending hike
Thursday 20 Feb 2025European defence stocks are becoming hot property again as governments across the continent signal an urgent need to increase military spending. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed the session on 17 February 0.54% higher, lifted by a 4%-plus jump in the Stoxx 600 Aerospace and Defence index. With...
BP faces day of destiny as activist Elliott builds stake
Thursday 13 Feb 2025It already felt like a day of destiny, postponed so chief executive Murray Auchincloss could undergo an undisclosed medical procedure, but the stakes have been raised ahead of BP’s (BP.) strategy day on 26 February. News US activist investor Elliot has joined the share register has got the share...
ELF Beauty stock hits two-year low as cash-strapped US consumers rein in spending
Thursday 13 Feb 2025With sales of its cut-priced make-up seemingly going gangbusters investors might ponder why ELF Beauty’s (ELF:NYSE) share price performance is anything but pretty. The Californian business posted strong third-quarter fiscal 2025 revenues on 6 February, showing 31% year-on-year growth, yet earnings...
Will Walmart lose its retail crown to Amazon?
Thursday 13 Feb 2025Whisper it, but Walmart (WMT:NYSE) may be about to have its global retail crown swiped off its head by online giant Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) . Walmart has been the top shopping dog since blowing past Sears more than 30 years ago, but its status as worldwide number one (in revenue terms) could be tested...
Filtronic hits all-time high on latest SpaceX order
Thursday 13 Feb 2025Shares in Filtronic (FTC:AIM) have been on a roll over the past year as the communications kit designer has benefited from successive contract wins from SpaceX, Elon Musk’s rocket and spacecraft maker. On 10 February, the company signed a new £16.8 million contract to be fulfilled between now and...
HSBC to show a small rise in pre-tax profit for 2024
Thursday 13 Feb 2025There may be a sense of poignancy when Europe’s biggest bank HSBC (HSBA) r eports full-year earnings next week as for several hundred staff it will be the last call. At the end of January, the company informed managers in its UK, European and US corporate advisory and equity underwriting teams it...