Merged firm valued at £10 billionMondi sees ?substantial? synergiesMondi board to dominate new firmThe UK M&A (mergers and acquisitions) juggernaut rolls on with confirmation today of more consolidation in the paper and packaging sector after DS Smith (SMDS) agreed to a revised bid from rival Mondi (MNDI).Shares in DS Smith gained 7% to 350p while Mondi shares eased 2% to £13.53. SUBSTANT

Irish packaging firm agrees US mergerShares fall after WestRock investors favouredLogistics company DX Group under offerDespite claims by chief executive Tony Smurfit that a combination of Smurfit Kappa (SKG) with US peer WestRock (WRK:NYSE) - itself the product of a merger - would be 'fantastic for shareholders in the long term', the market reaction to the deal suggests not everyone is convinced.

September is often referred to as 'the cruelest month' in terms of the stock market and so far 2023 shows little sign of bucking that trend.According to a study by Bank of America using data back to 1928, September has typically produced the worst monthly return for the S&P500 by some distance at -1.2%.Moreover, across that whole period the index has only finished the month in positive territory 4

If we think about what packaging companies do, probably the first thing that comes to mind for most of us is getting a brown cardboard box or envelope through the post from Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) with its tell-tale smiley logo.Yet e-commerce is just a small part of the overall business of firms like DS Smith (SMDS), Mondi (MNDI) and Smurfit Kappa (SKG), who together dominate the European market for

Mondi shares buck negative trend on bullish research noteSector down 30% to 40% since last cyclical peakConsensus estimates too cautious for 2024Shares in paper and packaging company Mondi (MNDI) were bucking the downdraft in UK shares on Thursday following a bullish report from Morgan Stanley, which has made the company its top pick in the sector.UK shares were down more than 1.2% pressured by ha

The cost-of-living crisis, job insecurity and uncertain economic conditions mean people are eager to find investments that pay a dependable stream of income.The aim is to find something that can deliver sustained growth in the dividend each year and for the capital value to also grow over time.GOLDEN RULE #1There are three golden rules to follow when searching for quality sources of income. The fi

Amid all the frenzied coverage of a possible takeover of Manchester United (MANU:NYSE) - one question occurred to this observer. Why isn't it worth more than the reported price tag of $6 billion slapped on the club by current owners the Glazers?For now, it looks as if the Qataris and their main rival bidder - the owner of chemicals firm INEOS, Jim Ratcliffe - are unwilling to meet this asking pric

- Shares fall despite earnings beat- Inflationary pressures abate amid fall in demand- Final dividend increased by 12%Despite growing full-year revenues by 27% to €12.8 billion and beating prior profit guidance shares in paper packaging solutions company Smurfit Kappa (SKG) fell 2% to £34.14 as investors digested a story of falling demand.A reversal of 'unsustainably high' demand levels seen

- Sentiment has been weak towards the packaging sector- Fears that stocks would see post-Covid slump in demand- Yet DS Smith trading update much better than expected Copper and shipping indices have historically been some of the key economic bellwethers, yet packaging companies have increasingly become important when investors try to work out if there is an increase or decrease in the amount of go

Every chief executive talks about creating shareholder value, but which ones walk the walk?While the investment trust industry can count on 27 managers with at least 20 years under their belt at the same firm, there are very few FTSE 100 chief executives with that kind of track record.The most obvious is Simon Wolfson (pictured), who has headed Leicestershire-based high street retailer Next (NXT)

UK stocks traded at a new 12-month high on Wednesday following a strong session in the US which followed through to strength in Asia overnight as market nerves over rate rises eased.The broad and economically sensitive Russell 2000 index closed 1.6% higher in New York while Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.2% and China's SE Composite index added 0.8%.Brent crude dipped 0.5% to $90.30 per barrel a

UK stocks traded higher on Wednesday following a strong session in the US which followed through to strength in Asia overnight.The broad and economically sensitive Russell 2000 index closed 1.6% higher in New York while Japan's Nikkei 225 index gained 1.2% and China's SE Composite index added 0.8%, easing market nerves.Brent crude dipped 0.5% to $90.30 per barrel as traders took profits after a st

London's FTSE 100 finished Wednesday's trading session 0.36% lower at 7,248.89 points as investors fretted over interest rates and oil majors Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) weighed on the blue chip benchmark, the shares off 1.75% to £16.29 and 2.9% to 334.85p respectively.The US Federal Reserve was set to announce its rates decision later on Wednesday, with the Bank of England following on

London's FTSE 100 traded lower by midday on Wednesday, the blue chip benchmark marked down 0.4% to 7,246.42, as nervousness built ahead of two key central bank decisions.The US Federal Reserve was set to announce its rates decision later on Wednesday, with the Bank of England following on Thursday.Overnight, US equity markets were firmer with the Nasdaq Composite edging 0.34% higher at 15,649.60,

Investors appeared to be keeping their powder dry on Wednesday ahead of key interest rate decisions, from the US Federal Reserve later today, and Bank of England tomorrow.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 was trading 0.25% lower at 7256.74, although mid-caps managed modest gains, the FTSE 250 nudging 0.07% higher to 23,156.07.Overnight, US equity markets were firmer with the Nasdaq Composite edging 0

Following on from our introduction to technical analysis for beginners, this article looks at moving averages, describing why and how they can be used along with some basic strategies.Contrary to popular perceptions even fundamentally driven fund managers will often use charts to quickly get a picture of price trends of stocks in their portfolio, focusing on those which look particularly weak or s

The UK's index of blue-chip shares finished the day holding in the green up 0.3% to close at 7,016.63.Across the pond, US markets were mixed as investors await update from US Federal Reserve, with tech and small caps rebounding. The Dow and S&P 500 were both trading modestly in the red but the Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 rallied 0.4% and 1% respectively.As well as continuing concerns about i

The UK's index of blue-chip shares regained ground in early afternoon trading after late morning drift as investors await update from US Federal Reserve.As well as continuing concerns about inflation, investors are worried about the rising number of Delta variant cases and the repercussions of China's latest clampdown on tech and other private sector businesses.At 12.30pm, the benchmark FTSE 100 w

UK stocks got off to a mixed start on Wednesday as better corporate earnings were outweighed by weak overnight performances in the US and Asia.US markets gave back some of their recent gains as heavyweight tech stocks Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft dipped despite strong earnings.In Asia, Chinese stocks remained at their lows for the year after three days of heavy losses despite state-run media chan

Shares in sales and distribution group DCC (DCC) rallied 3% to £60.80, leaving behind their recent three-month lows, after the firm reported 'very strong growth' in the quarter to June.While the company didn't raise its guidance, the news that operating profit growth was 'well ahead of the prior year and modestly ahead of expectations' was enough to shake the stock out of its slumber of the last