Shares News

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING PROMOTION Andrew Dykes, Deputy Chairman of the Global Sustainability Trust, explains why scale as well as experience counted when choosing an investment manager. Deciding to create an investment trust that will invest in opportunities and initiatives across global private markets in order to help accelerate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is one ...

It is business as usual at UK social care services provider CareTech (CTH:AIM) with sales and profitability rising despite the potential distraction from the acquisition of Cambian. Sales at CareTech climbed 11.9% to £185.7m and underlying pre-tax profit jumped 11.9% to £32.9m in the year to 30 September, supported by strong demand. In the company’s biggest division, Adult Learning ...

After a trying week for the British fashion chain investors are rallying around Ted Baker (TED) on an encouraging update on trading. Despite the retailer reporting a decline in group sales for the 16 weeks to 1 December, shares in the company are up 3.2% (46p) at £15.13, largely thanks to robust consumer demand for product and stable profit margins. Lower wholesale revenues lay behind a ...

A positive trading update from low-cost housebuilder MJ Gleeson (GLE) is sufficient to drive the shares higher despite the negative market backdrop, up 2.7% to 679.7p. Gleeson is an outlier in the housebuilding sector as it focuses on the lower end of the market in the North of England and the Midlands. The company also has a South of England focused strategic land operation which progresses ...

UK stocks fall in line with continental Europe and US index futures as worries over the strength of the US economy begin to weigh on sentiment. In early trade the FTSE 100 index gives up almost 2% to 6,792.10, a new two-year low, while the FTSE 250 gives up 1.5% to a low for the year of 17,995 points. Tomorrow sees the release of three closely-watched indicators of the health of the US economy ...

Train and bus operator Stagecoach (SGC) is pondering selling its struggling North American operations, including its ownership of budget coach operator Megabus. Intense competition and rising fuel costs are one of the many headwinds affecting performance as operating profit in North America has slumped 23.2% to $21.2m in the six months to 27 October. A national shortage of bus drivers has ...

Premium British lifestyle brand Joules (JOUL:AIM) is in investors good books on Wednesday, the share price sparking up 9.2% to 226p on the news first half profits will beat market expectations. A differentiated brand in an upgrades cycle, Joules’ rapid growth is in stark contrast to much of the wider retail sector. However, the company’s level-headed management team is staying ...

News from oil and gas firm Faroe Petroleum (FPM:AIM) could support its efforts to bat off a hostile takeover approach from Norway’s DNO. A 152p per share bid from DNO was dismissed by Faroe as ‘opportunistic’ on 26 November, arguing it ‘substantially undervalued’ the company. Support for this view from the analyst community suggested this was more than just bluster. However, a ...

UK markets could be in for a fraught day’s trading action on Wednesday as investors mull over the implication of a big overnight sell-off in New York. US shares saw some hefty falls as uncertainties creep in over President Trump's trade pact with China and worries gain traction over the strength of the US economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 both fell by more than ...

First half like-for-like sales fell in Marks & Spencer’s (MKS) Clothing & Home and Food divisions, yet the out of favour retailer remains ‘fixable’ and its major overhaul can succeed. So says savvy contrarian Alasdair McKinnon, the manager of The Scottish Investment Trust (SCIN), winner of the coveted Best Investment Trust gong at the 2018 Shares Awards. ‘We think ...