Car parts, bikes and tyres seller Halfords (HFD) has let investors down again. The retailer?s latest profit warning (28 February) pinned on weakening demand for bicycles as well as wet weather, which has deterred customers from visiting its stores and purchasing winter and car cleaning products in the fourth quarter.Halfords now expects to deliver pre-tax profit in the £35 million to £40 million

Stock prices in London were in the red at midday Wednesday, as the FTSE 100 suffered a blow from disappointing results from St James?s Place and Reckitt Benckiser.The FTSE 100 index was down 50.42 points, 0.7%, at 7,632.60. The FTSE 250 was down 120.21 points, 0.6%, at 19,043.45, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.26 points, 0.6%, at 741.39.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.7% at 764.22, the Cboe UK 250 wa

Demand weakened further in Q4Profit guidance lowered by 25%Flat profits expected next yearCar parts-to-bicycles purveyor Halfords (HFD) has cut its current-year profit guidance by 25% and sees flat profits next year at best, crushingly disappointing news that sent shares in the Worcestershire-based retailer skidding 26% lower to 148p.Halfords pinned the blame for the material earnings downgrade on

Stocks in London opened lower on Wednesday morning, amid steep falls for St James?s Place and Reckitt Benckiser, ahead of key US data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 15.96 points, 0.2%, at 7,667.06. The FTSE 250 was down 74.73 points, 0.4%, at 19,087.93, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.18 points, 0.2%, at 743.47.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 767.49, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.5% at 16,439.30, a

Nearly 4,500 UK retailers in ?critical? distressOnline-only players under pressureFailures likely as ?debt storm breaks?According to the latest Red Flag Alert data from Begbies Traynor (BEG:AIM), almost 4,500 UK retailers are now in ?critical financial distress? as poor consumer confidence, sticky inflation and higher interest rates force consumers to pull in their horns ahead of Christmas.New dat

We are now a little more than a fortnight away from Christmas Day with TV adverts pushing festive products, high streets adorned with Christmas decorations and shops flush with discount offers.The so-called 'Golden Quarter' including Black Friday is the most hotly contested period of the year amongst retailers and those that suffer disappointing sales or resort to overly-promotional strategies typ

First half PBT up 15.8%But full year profit guide downgradedSofter sales in discretionary categoriesCar parts-to-bicycles retailer Halfords (HFD) has warned annual profits will fall short of previous guidance after seeing weak sales of discretionary big ticket products such as bicycles and tyres in the past few months as consumers contend with higher interest rates and the ongoing cost-of-living c

Predators continue to swoop on the UK stock market's undervalued prey and a number of consumer-facing firms have drawn bids or flagged takeover interest since Shares addressed the mergers and acquisitions theme on 16 November.High-profile targets include Hotel Chocolat (HOTC:AIM), City Pub Group (CPC:AIM) and Musicmagpie (MMAG:AIM), and given the lowly valuations currently ascribed to UK consumer

BT and Aurelius circling MusicmagpieRedde Northgate/Halfords merger talks rumouredAnalyst sees some logic in proposed tie-upsPotential bids for two unloved stocks have come out of the blue and from unexpected suitors to boot, as the UK takeover machine continues to whir.Shares in Musicmagpie (MMAG:AIM) fluttered 30% higher to 25p after the refurbished electronics seller confirmed it is in early st

The Schroder Recovery Fund (B3VVG60) aims to generate capital gains superior to the FTSE All-Share Total Return Index, net of fees, over a three- to five-year horizon by investing in 'UK companies which have suffered a severe setback in either share price or profitability'.The fund was launched back in 1970 and has stood the test of time, beating its target return over one, three and 10 years and

Higher oil prices after recent production cuts from Saudi Arabia and Russia hit investor sentiment in London on Wednesday.Stocks closed lower fearing the effects that elevated oil prices would have on inflation and, in turn, the outlook for global interest rates.The FTSE 100 index closed down 11.79 points, or 0.2% at 7,426.14 on Wednesday. The FTSE 250 ended down 39.60 points, or 0.2%, at 18,451.8

Trading in line with expectationsShares up 42% over the past yearPre-tax profits of £48 million and £58 million expectedShares in Halfords (HFD) were up 2% to 191p in morning trading as the bikes-to-car retailer reported strong trading across the group for the 20 weeks to 18 August 2023.Halfords shares are up 42% over the past year as it continues to please cash-strapped motorists with its new s

Stock prices in London were lower at midday on Wednesday, amid gloomy annual results from Barratt Developments, poor data from the UK's struggling housebuilding sector and renewed concerns around interest rates.The FTSE 100 index was down 50.34 points, or 0.7%, at 7,387.59. The FTSE 250 was down 102.46 points, or 0.6%, at 18,388.96, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.55 points, or 0.3%, at 737.50.Th

Having only been promoted to the FTSE 100 index last December, fund management firm Abrdn (ABDN) is looking to be a leading candidate for demotion from the large-cap benchmark at the next quarterly review. Confirmation of the changes to the index were due as this edition of Shares was being finalised.Since 27 July, the shares have fallen by more than 30% despite the group posting 4% growth in firs

Stocks in London closed down on Wednesday as a hotter-than-expected inflation read in the UK worsened investor fears of another rate hike from the Bank of England on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 10.13 points, or 0.1% at 7,559.18 on Wednesday. The FTSE 250 ended 174.71 points lower, or 0.9%, at 18,571.45. The AIM All-Share closed down 2.16 points, or 0.3%, at 783.02.The Cboe UK 100 ended

Cost-of-living crisis impact cycling and tyre salesBut Halfords' current trading has been 'good'Hikes full year dividend 11% to 10pInvestors in Halfords (HFD) bid the shares up 5.7% to 202.6p after the bikes-to-car batteries retailer said trading since the start of the new financial year has been 'strong' and reiterated guidance for the year to March 2024.Encouragingly, group like-for-like sales a

New acquisition Autorama drags down resultsShares down 2% to 615pFormer Greggs Chair Matt Davies appointed to BoardShares in online car marketplace Auto Trader (AUTO) were down more than 2% to 615p in morning trading as it reported a slight fall in pre-tax profits to £293.6 million for the year ending 31 March 2023 compared to £301 million in the same year-ago period.NEW ACQUISITION DRAGS DOWN R

Finally, everyone is talking about UK stocks. The spotlight is back on the country after the UK's FTSE 100 was one of the few major indices globally to record positive returns in 2022 and this year it has broken through the 8,000 level and hit a new record high. Hopefully, this will lead to the return of foreign investors who have shunned the UK since the Brexit vote in 2016.Investors can either b

- Earnings forecast cut a second time- New guidance more than 20% lower- No quick fix on the horizonInvestors in bike and car accessories retailer Halfords (HFD) gave the firm's latest trading update the thumbs down after it cut its profit outlook for the second time in less than two months.The shares dropped more than 50p or 23% to 164p shortly after the start of trading, with more than three mil

- H1 revenues up 10%, but higher costs clobber profits- Full-year profit guidance lowered- Service-related sales now 43% of group, 22% in 2020The 60% share price gains in motoring and cycling products company Halfords (HFD) seen over the last two months came to a screeching halt on Wednesday as investors rushed to take profits after the retailer lowered its profit outlook.The shares fell 7% to 198