First half sales and profit beatLike-for-like sales jump 12.7%Dividend up 42%, £1 million buyback announcedPremium pubs and hotels group Fuller, Smith & Turner (FSTA) gave investors some early festive cheer on Wednesday after delivering better than expected half year results and hiking the dividend by 42%.Investors welcomed the news, bidding the shares up almost 7% to a new 12-month high of 611p.

I suspect I'm not alone in having opened an email in the past week detailing the plans for this year's works Christmas do.While current cost pressures are having an impact on budgets, in a post-Covid world many employers just want the chance to show their appreciation to their workforce for a job well done in what has been a particularly difficult year for many of us.But before I could pick out my

Full year recovery in sales and profit continuesDividend increased by 30%Strong start to new financial year sees analyst upgradePub and hotel group Fuller Smith & Turner (FSTA) saw continued recovery from Covid and strike disruptions after reporting full year sales up by a third and adjusted pre-tax profit 76% higher to £12.7 million in line with market expectations.The company said current tradi

- Festive like-for-like sales above 2021 and 2019- Energy costs hedged out to March 2024- Full year guidance unchangedPubs group Marston's (MARS) said like-for-like sales over the festive period were 26% higher than 2021 and up 12.9% versus the same trading period pre-Covid.Over the 16 weeks to 21 January, like-for-like sales were up 12.9% versus 2021 part of which was disrupted by Covid. Breaking

- Rail strikes cause profits to miss of expectations- Activity back to within 3% of pre-Covid levels- Company optimistic on sales growth this yearPremium pubs and hotels group Fuller, Smith & Turner (FSTA) said full year earnings to 23 March are expected to be below market expectations after rail strikes reduced sales in the run-up to Christmas.Although the news wasn't totally surprising, the shar

- Return to progressive dividend policy- City workers return to offices- Retirement of expensive debtWith investors starved of good income in recent years, news that pub and hotels group Fuller, Smith & Turner (FSTA) has returned to a progressive dividend policy with the half year payout up 20% is welcome news.Fuller's CEO Simon Emeny is cognisant that providing a steady and rising income is impor

Football's World Cup and a boost to hospitality spend normally go together like, well beer and football, but this year's tournament is a bit different.And while the market often prices in the impact of a major football tournament ahead of time, a winter World Cup has left investors somewhat on the back foot when it comes to predicting exactly how the chips are going to fall for the sector this Chr

- Pubs group posts £30.4 million loss- Shareholders won't get a dividend yet again- Recent trading more promisingThe near-12% jump in Wetherspoons' (JDW) share price would suggest that all is well in pub-land. However, the underlying message from the company is that many drinkers still prefer to reach for a can from the fridge rather than venture out and join friends at the bar.Habits formed duri

The FTSE 100 closed Thursday's trading session pretty much flat, off 0.07% at 7,078.35 points despite Wall Street moving higher as worries over indebted Chinese property giant Evergrande subsided.The blue chip benchmark surrendered earlier gains as the Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at 0.1% and maintained the QE programme at £895 billion, while also hinting at monetary tightening to

London's FTSE 100 gave up earlier gains to trade flat by midday on Thursday at 7,079.17 points after the Bank of England kept interest rates on hold at 0.1% and maintained the QE programme at £895 billion.A record jump in inflation failed to stir policy makers at the BoE, who are steadfastly maintaining the mantra that price rises are transitory.The Bank expects inflation to hit 4% this winter an

UK stocks edged higher as investors waited for news from the Bank of England following last month's surge in consumer prices.Labour and material shortages together with rising energy prices are contributing to inflationary pressures, and while interest rates are expected to remain unchanged, the market will be looking for signs as to future bank policy.At 8.45am the FTSE 100 index was up 24 points

UK stocks had their best week in a month, closing in on their previous highs after official figures showed the economy expanded at 2.3% in April, its fastest rate since last July, as lockdown measures eased.The service sector registered record growth of 27.6% compared with last year as non-essential retail and hospitality businesses re-opened.At the the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 46 p

UK stocks traded higher on Friday after official figures showed the economy expanded at 2.3% in April, its fastest rate since last July, as lockdown measures eased.The service sector registered record growth of 27.6% compared with last year as non-essential retail and hospitality businesses re-opened.At 1pm the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was 35 points or 0.5% higher at 7,124 led by gains in

UK stocks saw declines accelerate through the afternoon session to close sharply lower on Wednesday while investors also had to mull Deliveroo's (ROO) IPO car crash.The fast food delivery app saw its stock fall by more than 26% from its 390p IPO listing price, wiping nearly £2 billion off its valuation and burning thousands of retail investors along the way. The stock closed at 287.45p.That slump

The UK's leading shares continued to drift lower in early afternoon trading although recovering some of their earlier losses as investors mull Deliveroo's (ROO) IPO car crash.The fast food delivery app saw its stock collapse close on 30% at 278.15p after listing at 390p on Wednesday for a £7.6 billion valuation, burning thousands of retail investors along the way.That slump had no effect on Londo

London's FTSE 100 traded 0.4% lower at 6,747.46 early on Wednesday, despite the release of stronger-than-expected local economic data.Rising bond yields, and what they say about inflation and interest rate risks, had put US and Asian stocks under some modest pressure and the weak sentiment extended to Europe.UK gross domestic product grew by a relatively modest 1.3% in the fourth quarter of 2020,

There is significant pent-up demand in the pubs and restaurants sector which should see a swift return to profitability once reopening is allowed, according to analysts at broker Numis.POSITIVE FACTORS ALIGNIf Australia is any guide, customers will flock back to restaurants very quickly. Since the country reopened in the early Autumn footfall reached pre-pandemic levels in October.Reservations dat

UK stocks closed well into the red on Thursday as the Government set out strict restrictions once lockdown ends on 2 December.Most of England will have tough measures to follow, with just the Isle of Scilly, Isle of Wight and Cornwall in the lightest tier one of the Covid tier restrictions.There was also no direction for investors from Wall Street, as US stock markets were closed due to Thanksgivi

UK stocks tumbled throughout morning trading on Thursday as the Government announced England's new regional Covid tiers.Tougher tier restrictions will see more people in England placed under the highest tier, though cities like Liverpool and the capital London have avoided the harshest measures.The new system will come into effect once lockdown ends on 2 December.By lunchtime the UK's benchmark FT

The FTSE 100 made modest declines in early trading on Thursday in what is likely be a quiet-ish day with markets across the pond closing for the Thanksgiving holiday.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 had slipped around 0.2% to was 6,376.64, led by falls for banks, construction and oil stocks, with tobacco firm Imperial Brands (IMB), Lloyds (LLOY) and house builder Persimmon (PSN) topping the FTSE los