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What BHP’s big news means for investors
Thursday 19 Aug 2021There was plenty to unpick with resources giant BHP’s ( BHP ) latest set of updates but in our view the ultimate upshot could be positive for the business. Alongside robust first half results the company announced a plan to merge its oil and gas assets with Australia’s Woodside Petroleum, invest in...
Wealth management could be answer to banks' profitability problem
Thursday 19 Aug 2021The recent UK banks reporting season was characterised by consensus beating results and the resumption of dividends. However the sectors’ earnings were flattered by larger than expected net provision releases. These provisions related to money put aside to cover potential bad debts during the...
Private equity backed Zooplus could pressure Pets at Home
Thursday 19 Aug 2021A bid for European online pet platform Zooplus by US private equity outfit Hellman & Friedman has positive and negative implications for Pets at Home ( PETS ) . Zooplus is a direct online competitor in the cut-throat pet supplies market and could thrive under private equity ownership. However,...
Pandemic winners become re-opening losers as punters tune out
Thursday 19 Aug 2021The 46% collapse last week in shares of online competitions promoter Best of the Best ( BOTB:AIM ) should serve as a stark warning to investors who are still riding the wave of ‘pandemic winners’. The slide came after the firm blamed disappointing new customer registrations and stubbornly high...
Global M&A activity hits record levels, surpassing last year’s total
Thursday 19 Aug 2021Given the caution with which investment bankers started this year and the low expectations for corporate activity, 2021 has been remarkable in terms of the speed and size of deal-making. According to Refinitiv, the value of global mergers and acquisitions as of the start of August was $3.6 trillion...
Morrisons and Vectura bid battles heat up
Thursday 12 Aug 2021The pace of UK takeovers shows no sign of slowing down as the buyout battle for Morrisons ( MRW ) heats up and inhaler technology developer Vectura ( VEC ) was briefly put on the auction block. Takeover regulators have extended the battle for Morrisons by a further two weeks, giving US private...
Why gold has lost its shine
Thursday 12 Aug 2021The gold market has recovered a little from the ‘flash crash’ which saw signs of a strong US recovery, a strengthening dollar and technical factors conspire to send the precious metal 4% lower on 9 August. A better-than-expected US non-farm payrolls report (6 Aug) is seen potentially as the...
The story behind Smithson’s soggy first half
Thursday 12 Aug 2021A rare sub-par performance in the first half of 2021 for global small and mid cap investment trust Smithson ( SSON ) has been taken fairly calmly by investors. Going forward its managers are confident they can navigate the inflation threat which has contributed to its holdings losing some of their...
Could changing consumer behaviour knock the recovery off course?
Thursday 12 Aug 2021In the last few weeks, fears of rising inflation have been joined by worries that the continued impact of the Delta variant could mean the UK economy might not grow as fast as hoped this year, leading to what economists call stagflation. While many consumers were able to build up their savings...
Former Headlam boss seeks to repeat magic with Likewise
Thursday 05 Aug 2021Investors who like to back proven management teams should note the 18 August AIM market debut of Likewise , the UK floor coverings distributor. It was founded in 2018 by chief executive Tony Brewer who used to be CEO at Europe’s leading floor coverings distributor Headlam ( HEAD ) . The latter’s...