Shares News

Toys and games designer Character (CCT:AIM) has gained the UK and Ireland master toy distributor rights to the globally popular Pokémon brand, sparking a 4% share price gain to 504.5p. Admittedly the ranges won’t be ready for this Christmas, but the deal will allow Character to deepen and broaden an already-winning portfolio of products, thereby extending its competitive advantage in a tough ...

A fresh wave of fear over the ongoing tensions between North Korea and the US weigh heavily on the FTSE 100, which opens down by 25.77 points to 7347.26. Even decent results by homebuilders such as Barratt Developments (BDEV) could not shake the negative sentiment. Shares in the housebuilder are down 3.1% to 604p despite hiking its ordinary dividend per share by 39% to 17.1p as well unveiling a ...

The new CEO of diversified infrastructure company Stobart (STOB) Warwick Brady had bold plans for the company when he took over from Andrew Tinkler in June. When Shares spoke to the pair in May, Brady said he wanted to turn what was a £829m company into an over £2bn behemoth in five years. The company’s current market cap is over £1bn so Brady is certainly moving in the right direction in ...

Housebuilder Redrow (RDW) has set ambitious targets for 2020 of approximately £2.2bn in turnover and pre-tax profit of £430m thanks to its strong performance and robust demand. Sales have increased 20% to £1.66bn, driven by higher legal completions and a 7% rise in the the average selling price to £309,800 in the year to 30 June 2017. The company also anticipates the dividend will rise ...

Unloved car parts, cycles and camping equipment seller Halfords (HFD) rallies 3.3% to 325.7p on Tuesday. The move higher comes in the wake of a trading update that reveals good momentum in retail sales. That reverses previous  negative sentiment surrounding a worsening UK consumer backdrop and concerns over a lengthening replacement cycle for bikes. There’s also relief as the ...

British engineering software company AVEVA (AVV) has agreed a merger deal with long-run suitor Schneider Electric of France. The deal, worth in excess of £3bn, will create one Britain’s biggest software businesses and, importantly, will remain listed on the London stock market. This move for predicted by Shares back in November 2016 as a likely outcome following the departure of ...

The FTSE 100 takes news of Sunday’s nuclear test in North Korea in its stride, falling just 8.86 points to 7,429.64. However, the best performers on the index are precious metals miners Randgold Resources (RRS) and Fresnillo (FRES) as there is a small shift into traditional safe havens. Software product business Micro Focus (MCRO) slips 1.6% to £22.27 as it prepares to reveal the completion ...

Share prices typically go up, down or stay the same depending on how a company performs versus market expectations. If ABC plc is forecast to make £3m of pre-tax profit but delivers £2.8m, the stock is likely to fall on such news. Similarly, it ABC makes £3.3m, expect the share price to rally. But how does the market establish its expectations? NUMBER CRUNCHERS EARN THEIR KEEP This is ...

Pawnbroker-to-jewellery retailer Ramsdens (RFX:AIM) says half year and full year pre-tax profit will now be ‘significantly ahead’ of market expectations. The news sends shares in the relative AIM newcomer racing 16% higher to 166.5p. The Middlesbrough-based outfit has benefited from strong summer trading. Rising gold prices, boosting its precious metals buying, and solid pawnbroking ...

FTSE 250 pharma group Indivior (INDV) has warned of a threat to a key product following a legal setback, sending its shares plummeting 35.7% to 267.95p. The company will appeal a US court ruling which says a proposed generic opioid addiction by Dr Reddy’s does not infringe any of Indivior’s patents. The pharma group says the launch of a direct generate substitute to its Suboxone product ...