Shares News

United Arab Emirates-based private hospital operator NMC Health (NMC) keeps the good news coming after it reiterates upgraded guidance for earnings and sales over the next two years. Catalysts for growth include geographic expansion and focus on higher margin services through operations and management contracts. The UAE healthcare market is also forecast to grow as an ageing population ...

At some point outsourcer Interserve (IRV) was going to have to confront disconnect between its earnings and spiralling debt and the result was always likely to be painful for shareholders. Today’s update on a deleveraging plan gives some insight into just how painful this might be. The shares are down 51% to 11.95p, having earlier trading down more than 70%. The plan is to reduce the net ...

UK stocks are slightly lower in early trade with the FTSE 100 giving up 8 points or 0.1% to 6,770 points while European markets drop further on growing trade concerns. Classic defensive sectors like Beverages, Pharmaceuticals and Tobacco are steadying the ship while cyclical sectors such as Oil Services and Technology are weighing. However Utilities, which are usually considered ...

Photobooths-to-laundry machines operator Photo-Me International (PHTM) is out in the cold with investors once more, marked down 9% to 96.6p on a modest first half profits miss. But the key catalyst for selling is the outlook statement, in which the instant service equipment play appears to be softening investors up for another profit warning. CLOUDED OUTLOOK CEO Serge Crasnianski expects ...

Given the travails of the high street and the number of retailers falling by the wayside on a monthly basis it’s tempting to think that UK consumers aren’t buying anything at all. However consumer spending – excluding fuel and measured in pounds, shillings and pence – has been growing by an average of 4.5% each month from January to October according to figures from the Office for ...

Having flirted with a scenario which felt similar to four years ago, when OPEC’s failure to act exacerbated a crash in oil prices, the producers’ cartel looks to have come through with an agreement to cut output. This is leading to a surge in oil prices with conflicting reports suggesting OPEC and its non-OPEC allies, principally Russia, would take up to 1.3 million barrels of oil per day ...

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has published two consultation papers today aimed at addressing the ‘harm’ to retail consumers from the sale of certain derivative products. The new rules would prevent firms acting in or from the UK from selling binary options to retail customers as well as restricting the sale of certain contracts for difference (CFD) products. Binary options are a ...

The market is relieved there is no bad news hiding in the latest trading update from fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) as the shares rally 5% to £31.45. In October, investors were spooked by a warning of ‘some uncertainties’ that may affect trading. It looks like this concern was misplaced as trading is on track with a forecast £124m in sales and anticipated operating ...

A big sign of the more cautious approach taken by London-focused housebuilder Berkeley (BKG) is an increase in net cash at the half year stage to £859.7m. The company is going through a well flagged transition to a lower level of profit as it moves away from the luxury end of the London market. Revenue for the six months to 31 October is down 1% to £1.7bn but pre-tax profit is down more than ...

London’s FTSE 100 rallies more than 1.6% to 6,812.4 points on Friday, providing welcome relief after yesterday’s horrible session, although the rebound only claws back some of the losses. The important point to note is the large swings in the market on a daily basis in recent weeks, which may suggest volatility could become one of the key themes in 2019. Foods-to-fashion conglomerate ...