Like for like sales growth slows to 5.8%Big jump in operating profitTough comps in second halfSlowing like for like sales growth at pubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) was enough to knock the shares 7% lower to 737.5p, bringing an end to a strong run which has seen them gain 25% over the last year, comfortably ahead of the FTSE 250.Like-for-like sales growth slowed to 5.8% in the seven weeks to 17 Mar

The unveiling of a new British ISA helped give domestic stocks a modest lift after its announcement in the Budget.The £5,000 limit on the new tax wrapper, which can only be invested in UK assets, will be in addition to the existing £20,000 ISA allowance.The key test will be whether this provides a meaningful boost in terms of flows into UK equities and helps improve what has been a very difficul

NI cut by 2% as predictedFuel and alcohol duty frozenTobacco tax increaseWith the UK having recently experienced a technical recession after two quarters of negative growth to December last year, and the spectre of a general election looming, today?s Budget decisions are ?more critical than ever? says the AccountancyAge website.?This budget is anticipated to navigate the tightrope of stimulating e

December like-for-like sales up 15.2%, year to date 8.4% aheadFull year outcome expected to be inline with expectationsWages and energy costs remain key challenge across the industryPubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) continued its slow and steady recovery from the pandemic putting up a good festive performance as like-for-like sales increased 15.2% in December compared with 8.8% for the market.For th

The UK hospitality sector has been one of the biggest casualties of the pandemic and the slowest to rebound.Enforced closures during lockdowns, surging energy, labour and commodity prices post pandemic and ongoing train strikes mean hospitality has faced more than its fair share of obstacles over the last three years.The extra challenges mean hospitality has been slower than other sectors to regai

It has been an up and down year for the UK stock market but some names have really shone over the course of the last 12 months. In this article we go through the market cap ranks to identify the best performing large-, mid- and small-cap stocks in 2023.£5 billion+ market capWhile Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) has dominated headlines globally as excitement around AI (artificial intelligence) helped drive i

Private equity firm Apollo succeeding with its takeover of Restaurant Group (RTN) would represent a major turning point for the UK stock market. It would mean investors could no longer access a high street-focused casual dining chain operator on the London Stock Exchange of any scale.Restaurant Group's primary asset is Wagamama, a 165-strong nationwide chain offering Asian-style food. Investing in

Given the positive summer trading updates from UK hospitality firms such as JD Wetherspoon (JDW), Marston's (MARS) and Mitchells & Butler (MAB), expectations are fairly high for Beefeater, Brewers' Fayre and Premier Inn owner Whitbread (WTB) when it reports first-half earnings on 18 October.In the first quarter to the start of June, Premier Inn accommodation sales were up 18% on last year while Re

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

Strong full-year growth and profit recoveryRobust trading in recent weeksShares fall on profit-taking and lack of upgradePubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) continued its post-pandemic recovery with full-year sales up 10.6% to £1.9 billion driven by strong like-for-like sales growth of 12.7%.Momentum has continued into the new financial year with like-for-like sales up 9.9% in the first nine weeks to

The UK's biggest pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is due to release its full year results to 31 July on 6 October and, given strong trading in the first 10 weeks of the final quarter, they are likely to at least meet expectations.That looks like a bare minimum given positive investor sentiment with the shares racking up gains of more than 70% over the last year as the pandemic becomes a distant memo

Like-for-like sales acceleratingCosts 'at low end of range'Hospitality operators upbeatAll Bar One owner Mitchells & Butler (MAB) pleased the market with its final update for the year to 23 Sept which showed sales up over 10% on a total basis thanks to a strong second half.The shares gained as much as 3.7% in early trading to 222.6p before settling back to 218.2p for a gain of 1.7%, while shares i

New Diageo chief exec cashes inExecutive committee sells en masse'Spoons' chairman splashes outIt has been a busy week over at Great Marlborough Street, London W1, as several top executives at Diageo (DGE) cashed in share awards to cover tax liabilities.Debra Crew, the firm's newly-appointed chief executive, sold a total of $3.5 million worth of ADS (American depository shares). At the same

Although the latest UK inflation figures are easy off, the cost-of-living crisis is still alive and kicking, as food, energy and petrol costs remain stubbornly high.This is bad news for consumers but good news for some companies who are benefiting from the doom and gloom on the high street and in households. Here are 10 names doing well.Shoe ZoneFootwear retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) sells shoes a

Like for like sales up 11% in first 10 weeks of final quarterFull year profit expected to be inline with market expectationsLoungers predicts record year of coastal tourismAfter initially struggling to get customers back through its doors after the reopening pub group J D Wetherspoon (JDW) seems to have rediscovered its mojo with like for like sales accelerating in the final quarter to 11% compare

Best performing stocks in the first half include lots of consumer-facing namesMarks & Spencer, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin Lagonda make the listRecovery plays among the top 10The flagship index for the UK stock market, the FTSE 100, may not have kept pace with global peers at the halfway point of 2023 but some stocks in the broader FTSE 350 have really impressed.The 10 best performers on the inde

- Record Easter trading- Full year profit to be at top end of market expectations- Strong bank holiday tradingPubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) gave an upbeat third quarter trading update after recording its best Easter week and 'exceptionally' strong May bank holiday sales.Wednesday's announcement continues the recent trend in strong like-for-like sales growth and the company now expects profit to

An under-the-radar constituent of the IA UK Equity Income sector that is delivering stellar returns despite difficult market conditions is VT Tyndall Real Income Fund (BYX0D61). Small at £18.9 million of assets, it is big on ambition under the stewardship of manager Simon Murphy and competitive on cost, with a lowly annual management charge of 0.35%.Murphy took over the fund right before the pand

- New bank facilities extended to January 2025- Good progress on back to a billion strategy- Shares trade at big discount to net asset valuePubs group Marston's (MARS) said it has successfully amended and extended its borrowing facilities to the end of January 2025 giving it greater headroom while trading is in line with expectations.Investors welcomed the news pushing the shares up 3% to 36.6p bu

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) had a tough time both during the pandemic and as the UK emerged from Covid. A longstanding strategy of focusing on volumes rather than margins, in a bid to offer customers good value, left its profit heavily exposed to the rising cost of staff, energy, alcohol and food. At the same time, the exposure of its estate to increasingly sparse town and city centres hit sal