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Markets see red as list of investor concerns grows
Thursday 23 Sep 2021The abrupt recent sell-off in global markets may have seemed to have come out of nowhere, but problems had been brewing for months and it only needed investors to blink for prices to turn down. Fears over inflation, tightness in the supply chain and a subsequent slowdown in growth have bubbled...
Stagecoach founders’ share sale may have triggered takeover move
Thursday 23 Sep 2021The decision in April by the founders of bus and coach group Stagecoach ( SGC ) to start selling down their 27.1% stake has led to a takeover approach by transport rival National Express ( NEX ) . Brian Souter and his sister Ann Gloag said five months ago that they would reduce the family ownership...
Could Primark’s new digital platform prove a double-edged sword?
Thursday 16 Sep 2021Overshadowed by the negative hit to Primark’s sales from the ‘pingdemic’ and a slowdown in its new store roll-out caused by Covid restrictions was news that the discount fashion chain is progressing the initial design and development for its new digital platform. Furthermore, the recruitment of new...
Unilever under pressure to improve shareholder returns
Thursday 16 Sep 2021This month sees the auction of Unilever’s ( ULVR ) tea division, which includes leading brands such as PG Tips and Liptons. Bidding is expected to be fierce, with several private equity firms together with the Abu Dhabi and Singapore sovereign wealth authorities understood to be jostling to take...
Alibaba and Apple face increasing regulatory scrutiny
Thursday 16 Sep 2021E-commerce giant Alibaba has lost roughly half its market value since founder Jack Ma criticised China’s financial regulators last October. That has led to the current backlash against not just the technology sector but also the gaming, education and entertainment industries. A Goldman Sachs basket...
UK takeover frenzy: is it about to end soon?
Thursday 16 Sep 2021One of the leading players in the surge in UK mergers and acquisitions since the pandemic struck has suggested the wave of deals could come to an end soon. In an interview with Bloomberg , Philip Noblet, head of UK investment banking at stockbroker Jefferies, suggests the takeover trend is 70% over...
Shock amid state pension setback and tax hikes
Thursday 09 Sep 2021Pensioners, workers and businesses across the country will be affected by the Government’s plans to raise more money to fund health and social care. Specifically, investors will be hit by changes to the state pension and tax rates on dividends. The triple lock on pensions will become a double lock...
Labour, supply shortages and rising prices could crimp Christmas sales
Thursday 09 Sep 2021Shares warned of supply chain challenges in the food industry as far back as May last year, yet it took announcements from fast-food chains KFC and Nando’s and supermarket giant Tesco ( TSCO ) for the penny to finally drop. Broader supply chain issues pose a threat to company earnings and therefore...
Why gloomy US jobs data didn’t derail the market
Thursday 09 Sep 2021The US equity markets have remained resilient in the face of poor US non-farm payroll growth in August. The consensus estimate was for an increase of 735,000, however the reported figure was just 235,000. Two factors explain the market’s apparent irrational exuberance to what appears at first...
Investors in German stocks and funds need to prepare for big changes
Thursday 09 Sep 2021It looks like being an unusually busy few weeks for investors in German equities. First, chancellor Angela Merkel is stepping down after 16 years in office, with elections due on 26 September, and second, the DAX index is being revamped for the first time in several decades. To say that Merkel will...