After recently upgrading (28 October) full-year revenue growth to the top of its 2% to 3.5% target range, medical products company ConvaTec (CTEC) looks well placed going into 2021 as several tailwinds form. A faster than anticipated recovery in US elective surgeries is providing a boost for its wound care business and new product launches position the company for renewed ...

Alibaba China offers huge growth potential in 2021 and beyond and Alibaba (BABA:NYSE) is arguably the best way to play this theme. The country’s answer to Amazon, Alibaba owns the largest online marketplaces in China while Alibaba Cloud is the region’s leading cloud platform. The company went public six years ago, and its share price has since risen nearly 300%. Ambitious ...

UK stocks hit their lowest level since late April as investors reacted to another surge in coronavirus cases in Europe and there was increasing concern over the outcome of next week's US presidential election. At midday the FTSE 100 index was down 94 points or 1.7% to 5,635 points with mining, metal and house-building shares at the bottom of the pile and just half a dozen stocks making ...

Shares in wound care specialist Convatec (CTEC) climbed 4.4% to 193p on Wednesday despite the broader UK market falling 2.5% after the company upped expectations for full-year revenues and profits ended 31 December 2020. Today’s announcement was unscheduled and reflected a stronger than expected trading performance in the third-quarter with constant currency revenue growth of 5.6% to $493 ...

UK stocks hit six-month lows on Wednesday as growing fears of further lockdowns and investors started to factor in the likely economic impact. The FTSE 100 dropped 2.3% to 5,597 points with cyclical shares seeing the brunt of the fall. According to Bloomberg reports, Germany will announce today that it is moving to a one month closure of bars and restaurants while urging people to keep contact ...

In a rare bit of positive news for the retail sector, discounter B&M European Value Retail (BME) has been promoted to the FTSE 100 index in the latest quarterly reshuffle, global index provider FTSE Russell has confirmed. In a rebalance that sees just one change to the FTSE 100, broadcaster ITV (ITV) suffered relegation to the FTSE 250, losing its place in the elite index after a spell ...

Income is a big motivating factor for people to invest in the markets. The idea of securing a regular stream of cash which can be used to pay the bills or reinvested to help boost capital returns is an attractive one. However, this income is not guaranteed and the last two months or so of dividend cuts, suspensions and deferrals have seen billions of pounds worth of payouts from UK stocks taken ...

Oil producer Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) was meant to be the company that never disappoints when it comes to dividends. Sadly its decision to slash its payment by two thirds means other stocks effectively now have free rein to do the same. The drastic actions by companies to preserve cash have now seen 309 London-listed stocks either cut, suspend or delay dividends, including 41 in the FTSE ...

The FTSE 100 was 0.5% lower at 6,093 on the last trading day of April, dragged down by weak energy and financial stocks, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 index was flat at 16,850. Asian trading was generally positive with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index up 2% and China’s Hang Seng index up 0.2%. In the commodities space, Brent oil prices were 8% higher at $17.20 per barrel and Gold was 0.4% up at ...

Wound care and medical products company ConvaTec (CTEC) reported full-year revenue growth of 2.3% to $1.8bn and core operating profit down 17.5% at $354m, after making a $105m impairment charge. However the result was slightly ahead of market expectations, pushing the shares up 2% to 212p. Chief executive Karim Bitar explained, ‘the ConvaTec Executive Leadership Team (CELT) and I have ...

Many people in the UK are eagerly waiting to discover what their investment in the Woodford Income Focus (BD9X6V3) fund will look like under the new management of Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI). The fund has been suspended since October 2019 and dealing is expected to recommence in the coming weeks under the new name of LF ASI Income Focus. While the details of the restructured ...

Global medical products and wound care company ConvaTec (CTEC) reported better-than-expected third-quarter revenues as improvements were made across the company's product lines. Sales of $462.9m for the three months to 30 September came in 4.6% higher than last year and, importantly, outstripped consensus expectations of $455m. Investors are clearly anticipating stronger growth beyond ...

UK stocks opened slightly lower on Wednesday as markets digested news of the first UK December general election since 1923. The FTSE 100 index of leading stocks was down 14 points or 0.2% to 7,293 while the FTSE 250 was down 36 points or 0.2% to 20,131. Healthcare, Food producers and beverages were leading the market while general retailers, Oil services and mining stocks were showing ...

UK stocks retreated on Thursday with the FTSE 100 index down 33 points or 0.5% to 7,171 led by Metals, Mining and Oil Services stocks. Mining stocks came under pressure after analysts at Liberum cut their forecast for iron ore prices and downgraded Anglo American (AAL), BHP (BHP), Ferrexpo (FXPO) and Rio Tinto (RIO) to Sell. Also weighing on the index was copper miner Antofagasta ...

London’s FTSE 100 was on the front foot on Monday, the blue chip benchmark advancing 67 points higher to 7,184.2 early on, consolidating gains from Friday and building on a positive session in Asia with investors braced for a wave of monetary and fiscal stimulus. Despite ongoing warnings about the impact of a no-deal Brexit, investors focused on President Trump’s reassurances that ...

Global medical products and wound care company ConvaTec (CTEC) said that it saw an improving revenue trend in the second quarter with growth of 2.1% and confirmed it was on track to meet full year guidance, giving the shares a 15% boost to 180p. For the first half to 30 June, the company’s reported revenues of $889m were 3.5% below last year, but excluding a one-off provision and adverse ...

Many investors like to keep up to date with share deals of company directors. It can be a useful barometer of a company’s health on the basis that if those closest to the operating coalface are putting money in (or talking cash out), perhaps other investors should think about doing likewise. It is not a perfect science by any means but when an insider purchases or sells a significant amount ...

Shares in bonding solutions and adhesives group Scapa (AIM:SCPA) are trading down 45% to 162p, following an announcement that the company has received notice from ConvaTec (CTEC) terminating a ‘Material’ 5-year Master Supply Agreement (MSA) with Scapa Tapes North America. SHOOT FIRST, AIM LATER ConvaTec has filed a legal action in a federal court in New Jersey, effectively asking ...

London’s FTSE 100 weakens a further 73 points to 7,089 on Monday as the exchange of trade threats between Washington and Beijing stirs fears of a recession and German chipmaker Infineon’s deal to buy US peer Cypress Semiconductors weighs on the technology sector. Construction and infrastructure firm Kier (KIE) crumbles 29.4% to 196.4p on a warning full year 2019 underlying operating profit ...

Global Medical Products group Convatec (CTEC) reported flat organic Q1 revenues as it continued to see a drag from its legacy Advanced Wound Care (AWC) portfolio, offsetting signs of recovery in other parts of the business. Shares fell 3% initially but have recovered to positive territory, up 1% to 137p. Read more on ConvaTec HERE A weak performance from skincare and continuing ...