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Central banks impotent in the face of inflation fuelled by supply issues
Thursday 21 Apr 2022Inflationary pressures continue to build on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US the annual rate of inflation jumped again in March to 8.5% from 7.9% in February. In the UK inflation hit 7%, up from 6.2% in February. This has placed mounting pressure on central banks that have been tasked with...
The big toll wage inflation could have on British businesses
Thursday 14 Apr 2022Amid a multitude of inflationary pressures, wage increases are emerging as a particularly significant one. The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, was derided and not unfairly accused of hypocrisy when he preached wage restraint in February. The latest figures from KPMG and REC (...
Why Volkswagen’s potential shift to higher profit models matters to investors
Thursday 14 Apr 2022German car giant Volkswagen (VOW3:ETR) plans to axe up to 60% of its combustion-powered models by the end of the decade and sell fewer cars overall to concentrate on producing more profitable premium vehicles, according to reports. ‘The key target is not growth,’ finance chief Arno Antlitz told the...
Supermarkets face twin challenges of rising competition and new legislation
Thursday 14 Apr 2022The latest grocery market share data from research firm Kantar makes chilling reading for the big four supermarket groups. First, the 12-week ‘till roll’ data shows the market has been contracting in value terms for an unprecedented 10 months as shoppers make fewer shopping trips. More worrying for...
Tesla to split stock again following stunning recent share price rally
Thursday 07 Apr 2022Nasdaq-listed Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) wants to split its shares for the second time in less than two years after the stock’s latest surge. While the split details weren’t disclosed, when the stock last split in 2020, it handed investors five new shares for every existing one owned. More interestingly,...
Airline revenue and profit at risk if Covid sickness disruption drags on
Thursday 07 Apr 2022The UK’s airline industry is facing another slap in the face with hundreds of flights cancelled because of widespread Covid staff sickness, hiking the risk that prolonged disruption could impact revenue and profit. Budget flyer EasyJet ( EZJ ) axed 222 flights during the weekend of 2 and 3 April...
Investors to focus on the outlook as Tesco reveals earnings next week
Thursday 07 Apr 2022On 13 April Tesco ( TSCO ) , the UK’s largest supermarket chain by market share, is set to release its results for the year to the end of February 2022. There is likely to be more attention on the outlook for the current year rather than on what happened last year. Consensus forecasts compiled by...
Why Starbucks boss Howard Schultz has suspended buybacks
Thursday 07 Apr 2022The founder of Starbucks (SBUX:NASDAQ) , Howard Schultz has returned as CEO, with the coffeehouse colossus seeking a permanent replacement for departing chief Kevin Johnson. And in a move that surprised Wall Street, he has immediately suspended billions of dollars in share buybacks to free up cash...
What a harsh EU clampdown means for Apple, Google and other big tech firms
Thursday 31 Mar 2022The key questions facing investors as the EU looks to get tough with big tech on anti-competitive practices are two-fold: will the changes make any difference, and will the economic bloc’s more aggressive approach be repeated elsewhere? The landmark Digital Markets Act, announced by the EU in...
Why Pendragon might be the next auto retail takeover target
Thursday 31 Mar 2022Could Pendragon ( PDG ) be the next quoted car retailer to be taken over, following on from Marshall Motor ( MMH:AIM ) and Cambria Automobiles? Shares in the firm behind the CarStore, Evans Halshaw and Stratstone brands have revved up from 19.65p to 28p since 8 March, more than 40%, on rumours it...