Persistent inflation and higher interest rates are squeezing disposable incomes. In this scenario there is logic in investors putting their cash behind companies which make premium products which confer pricing power or sell affordable luxuries which help consumers to socialise or unwind at the end of the working day.One sector that enjoys both these attributes is Beverages, the domain of soft dri

- Ongoing tech issues to trigger €25 million profits hit- CEO steps down with immediate effect- Post-pandemic profit recovery proving challengingShares in C&C (CCR) sank 17.5% to 127.1p after the Dublin-headquartered drinks company warned it will incur a €25 million one-off hit to profitability for the year to February 2024 related to disruption from a botched software upgrade, which has

- Key brands continue to take market share- Drinks maker to restart dividends- But earnings come in at low end of guidanceDublin-headquartered drinks group C&C (CCR), the maker of Magners and Bulmers ciders, expects to deliver a solid 18% rise in revenues for the year ended 28 February 2023 and resume dividend payments, news that sent the shares bubbling up 2.7% to 154p.However in a mixed pre-clos

- Consumer spending squeeze and rail strikes hit hospitality sales- Profit warning triggers 5% earnings downgrade- C&C continues to generate strong free cash flowShares in C&C (CCR) were the biggest FTSE 250 losers on Friday, falling 10.5% to 164.6p after the Dublin-headquartered drinks business served up news of disappointing trading in December.C&C pinned the blame for subdued Christmas sales on

Special situation funds should, in theory, be busy making new investments in the current market environment. Their strategy includes finding unloved stocks which could either bounce back thanks to corporate self-help measures or the market eventually spots hidden value within a business which then attracts more buyers for the shares.Given how so many stocks have slumped in value this year - many f

- Branded drinks maker is back in the black- Strengthened balance sheet paves way for dividend reinstatement- Further price hikes likely to mitigate cost inflationShares in C&C (CCR) fizzed 6.8% higher to 219p after the premium drinks company reported a return to profit for the year ended 28 February 2022 thanks to the return of the on-trade, and served up news of a robust start to the new financi

Shares in Dublin-headquartered drinks business C&C (CCR) frothed higher following a positive trading update (16 Mar) from the maker of everything from cider brands Magners, Bulmers and Orchard Pig to beer brand Tennent's and Tipperary Pure Irish Water.Investors toasted evidence of continued recovery in its markets and a significantly reduced debt pile. Indeed, Shore Capital noted C&C can not only

The FTSE 100 closed higher on Friday, ignoring declines in US stocks as inflation, looming interest rate hikes and weak jobs report spooked investors across the pond.At the close, the UK benchmark index had rallied 0.47% to hit 7,485.28, although the mid-cap FTSE 250 lost further ground, down 0.27% to finish at 23,353.25.'Although today's jobs report shows yet another disappointing top line jobs n

Major UK stocks are struggling for direction at lunchtime on Friday with European markets a mixed bag, and while mid-cap sellers are out in force investors may take some comfort that futures are pointing to US markets finishing on the front foot after a turbulent week.At 12pm, the benchmark FTSE 100 was just a touch south of flat at 7,448.84, roughly matching the 0.07% decline of the pan-European

UK stocks drifted in early trading as investors awaited the next piece of US economic data, the December non-farm payrolls report due at lunchtime. A stronger than expected number could be negative for markets as it adds to worries the US Federal Reserve will raise rates earlier than expected.There was positive news in the technology sector with Samsung Electronics, a major Asian chipmaker, and ST

UK stocks retraced early losses on Thursday afternoon, helped by a strong opening in US markets with the benchmark FTSE 100 index closing flat at 7,249.US stocks gained despite third quarter GDP coming in below expectations at 2%, the lowest annualised growth reading since the pandemic and below trend growth prior to the pandemic.Markets brushed off the headline data as the cause of the miss was r

FTSE remained in negative territory on Thursday lunchtime dragged down by weakness in oil shares after Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) missed earnings forecasts and Brent Crude prices dropped almost 2% to $82.30 a barrel.At 12pm the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 0.3% at 7,230.The European Central Bank is due to update the market on its interest rate policy and economic outlook over lunchtime.

Despite gains for index heavyweights including Lloyds Banking (LLOY) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the FTSE fell on Thursday due to negative movements from both Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and HSBC (HSBA).The blue chip benchmark traded 0.36% lower at 7,227.24 points on a busy day of corporate results.The European Central Bank was set to update the market later in the day and investors will be looking fo

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices remained in positive territory despite mixed US economic data that prompted weakness in the American equity markets.The Dow Jones, Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500 indexes were all trading lower at the London market close. The FTSE 100 index ended 0.2% firmer at 7030.39 and the FTSE 250 Index closed 0.83% higher at 23,626.52.Investors were uninspired by news that

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices were trading higher at midday with the former ahead by 0.4% to 7047.89 points and the latter ahead by 0.5% to 23,562.47 points.Investors are anticipating the release of US retail sales figures later today.ASHTEAD IN DEMANDEquipment rental giant Ashtead (AHT) advanced 4% to £60.94 after raising its outlook on full year performance following 'strong' first quarter

London's FTSE 100 was 0.5% firmer at 7,050.56 points early on Thursday following after a rebound in the US and another dip for Asian equities overnight.A flurry of positive corporate news and decent US data overnight outweighed lingering concerns about the Chinese economy, which dragged down the miners and other companies with links to China such as luxury brand Burberry (BRBY), off 2.75% to £17.

It's been relatively quiet in terms of director deals over the past week, but two deals that caught the eye involve major stakes traded by bosses at two technology companies.The biggest transaction over the last week involves Jonathan Satchell, chief executive of Learning Technologies (LTG:AIM), and his wife who, via The Satchell Trust, yesterday sold 2.1 million shares at a price of 170p each in

In the second part of our two-part feature we get another fascinating range of responses on what did and didn't work out for top fund managers during a tumultuous 2020 and which stocks they are most excited about now.Interestingly computer games firm Codemasters (CDM:AIM) features as both a success story in the eyes of one manager and a disappointment in the eyes of another. Read on to discover mo

The FTSE 100 dropped 58 points or 1% to 5,832 points at lunchtime on Wednesday as markets awaited signs of progress on talks over further US stimulus.Sentiment also took a hit as Netflix disappointed the market after the market close and the shares traded down 7% in after-hours dealing. Even companies which have beaten forecasts, such as Johnson & Johnson and Lockheed Martin, have failed to react

Cider, beer, wine and soft drinks company C&C (CCR) returned to profit generation in July through to September, encouraging news that nudged the shares up 0.5% to 178p on Wednesday.However, the Irish brewer behind brands such as Tennent's, Bulmers and Magners, as well as drinks distributor Matthew Clark, warned the near term outlook for the on-trade sector 'remains challenging and uncertain', with