Revenue falls 11% to £6.5 billionMaintains dividend of 22p per shareExpects high-single digit growth for next yearShares in Johnson Matthey (JMAT) were up over 2% to £14.93 in morning trading as the chemicals company raised its full year underlying operating performance despite reporting a 11% fall in revenue to £6.5 billion for the six months ending 30 September.Continuing pre-tax profit fell

After a tough year for markets, is all the potential bad news priced? Investors are certainly hopeful that 2023 will be more prosperous but in typical fashion it won't be a smooth ride to making money.In this article we debate some of the issues and how you might want to position your portfolio.What will happen to inflation, interest rates and recession in 2023?Central bankers risk sending the wor

- Return to full-year profit- Sales back above pre-Covid levels - Cost inflation of 10-12% expected in current yearPubs, bars and restaurants group Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) achieved a significant milestone with its latest full year results showing sales back above pre-Covid levels.The market was certainly impressed by the numbers, and by news that like-for-like sales were up 6.5% in the first 10

- Pandemic created havoc for company's demand cycle- Shares rally hard as investors see stability returning to business- CEO John Hornby excited by EV opportunitiesUK electricals and lighting business Luceco (LUCE) is attempting to draw a line under the Covid pandemic, which has played havoc with its demand cycle.The Telford-based company reported a 29% rise in half year to 30 June 2022 revenues o

Geopolitical ructions and rising interest rates have seemingly failed to stem the appetite for global takeover activity according to analysis from consultants Earnest & Young (EY).And the UK financial services industry recorded a seven-year high of 136 deals in in the first half of 2022, although their £8.6 billion combined value was 18% down on 2021 levels.While a recent survey of UK M&A profess

There is no question where all the attention in the US market has been focused this past week as investors in the big retailers woke up to the threat posed by inflation in a major way.Titans of the sector suffered falls not seen in decades as the wider US market endured its worst day since the early months of the pandemic.Not helping sentiment were hints from Federal Reserve officials that the cen

- EBITDA forecasts raised- Financial strength provides scope for further investment- Shares down 50%+ since Sept 2021 peaksThrough the fog of cost inflation, wage and recruitment pressures, macro weaknesses, and workers gradually returning to offices, communications kit designer Gamma Communications (GAMA:AIM) continues to make progress.The AIM-listed business flagged a solid start to 2022, suppor

Shares in chemicals company Elementis (ELM), edged 0.8% higher to 118p, following press reports that the group is exploring the sale of its chromium activities.It has also been reported that management is in active discussions with potential acquirers of the business.Elementis supplies a range of chromium chemicals that are used across a broad range of industrial applications to make products more

Bargain hunting on Wednesday was giving share prices a reprieve from their downward spiral over the past month, but further market volatility may be just around the corner as Russia shows no signs of letting up its assault on Ukraine.'For now, markets are relieved by the fact we haven't had any fresh bearish news since yesterday's announcement of a ban in oil imports from Russia,' ThinkMarkets ana

Shares in plastics manufacturer Synthomer (SYNT), fell by 6% to 317.2p in early trading despite the group announcing that full year EBITDA (earnings, before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) would be in line with analyst's forecasts which sit at £518.4 million compared with £259.4 million last year.However nitrile margins, have normalised at a faster rate than management had antici

No-one, not even central bankers, knows what is ahead of us in 2022, and whether inflation, stagflation or deflation will result from the combination of the pandemic, lockdowns and supply-chain chaos on one side, and massive amounts of fiscal and monetary stimulus designed to boost demand on the other.Going 'all in' on one scenario is probably not going to be good idea and portfolio construction w

Shares in homewares retailer Dunelm (DNLM) were marked down in July despite raised profit guidance, as plans to ramp up investment spend spurred some investors to take profit after a phenomenal run.Yet the pullback proved short-lived, as the cash-generative curtains, quilts and kitchenware purveyor topped the FTSE 250 after rolling out (8 Sep) superb results for the year ended 26 June 2021 and upg

The world is on the cusp of the most consequential disruption in food and agricultural production since domestication of plants and animals began thousands of years ago.As highlighted in Baillie Gifford's 2020 'Positive Change Impact Report', in 2050, the global population is expected to reach 10 billion, up from around 8 billion today.This explosive population growth will require global food prod

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREAn economic recovery is good news for UK mid- and small-cap stocksTwo events that occurred late in 2020 - the first Covid-19 vaccines were approved and the UK officially left the European Union (EU) - could set up a very different macroeconomic environment for UK equity investors in 2021.Clearance for take-off After being grounded by the pandemic, the UK economy may s

Shares in FTSE 250 chemicals firm Elementis (ELM) fell 2.5% to 120.8p after it swung to an annual loss, pinned on the impact from Covid-19 across its industrial and consumer end markets.In its full year results for 2020, the firm's pre-tax loss stood at $68.8 million compared with a profit of $61 million year-on-year as revenue fell 14% to $751 million. Adjusted operating profit meanwhile was $81.

Shares in cut-price books, arts and crafts and toys retailer The Works (WRKS) cheapened 6% to 31.5p on Friday as the company's half year and Christmas update confirmed the negative impact of Covid-19 restrictions on the business.Limiting the share price damage was the news strong online sales helped to mitigate the closure of stores over the Christmas period and the fact The Works' finances appear

Shares in fashion retailer Next (NXT) shrugged off the new UK lockdown restrictions to rise 8% to £74.62 on the delivery of much better than expected sales during a Covid-impacted Christmas.Full price brand sales were down 1.1% year-on-year over the nine weeks to 26 December, comfortably ahead of Next's previous central guidance for an 8% decline, though an additional property provision meant the

Conveyancing platform provider ULS Technology (ULS:AIM) surged 18.1% to 71.8p after it announced the £27.3 million sale of its Conveyancing Alliance comparison site.The market is encouraged by news of the sale of an apparently non-core asset for cash at an attractive price - which, as broker Numis noted, represented 63% of the pre-deal enterprise value of the group as a whole.The company will enj

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREBy Charles Luke, Investment Manager, Murray Income Trust PLCCovid-19's widespread financial damage includes an unparalleled hit to company dividends. Meaning more tough times for income investors. But the situation varies across sectors. It's not all bad news. Charles Luke, Investment Manager of Murray Income Trust PLC, shares the latest on dividends - including signs

Luceco (LUCE) 245pGain to date: 111.2%Original entry point: Buy at 116p, 19 December 2019The recovery at LED lighting and portable power products firm Luceco (LUCE) continues to gather pace.Not for the first time in 2020 Luceco is upping its earnings guidance amid an increase in demand. It now expects full year 2020 adjusted operating profit of between £28 million and £30 million compared with p