The soft drinks sector has long been a fruitful place to make money. Some of the best-known brands are available to investors via shares in UK and overseas-listed companies.Once again, the soft drinks market is proving its resilience in volatile times, though the companies face headwinds in the form of regulation, an uncertain consumer spending outlook and the threat from private-label...

Shares in Nichols (NICL:AIM) fizzed up 8% to £12.15 on Friday after the soft drinks group served up a profit guidance upgrade following a 'strong' year-to-date performance, with the iconic Vimto brand delivering plate-pleasing performances across all of its markets.Adjusted pre-tax profit for 2021 is now expected to be in the £21 million-to-£22 million range, comfortably ahead of the £19.1...

London's FTSE traded 0.43% higher at 7,311.38 points early on Friday, as banks rebounded after yesterday's falls, triggered by the Bank of England's surprise decision to leave rates on hold, while telecoms titan BT (BT.A) rose again after reinstating the dividend yesterday.Following the central bank led excitement of the past few days, investors' attentions turned to the keenly-watched US jobs...

With prime minister Boris Johnson sticking to his roadmap and jabs being injected into the arms of a grateful global population, the grand economic reopening that beverage businesses have been clamouring for since the pandemic clobbered the sector is upon us.As out-of-home sales channels such as hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars, cinemas and entertainment venues including sporting stadia spring...

The FTSE 100 closed firmly in the red on Wednesday as investors were hit with a trifecta of negative news.Coronavirus cases in the US especially continued to climb, while reports emerged that the UK is about to give up on trying to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.To top it all off, the US has ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas, over allegations of espionage and...

The UK markets went firmly into reverse by lunchtime on Wednesday with investors continuing to fret about soaring Covid-19 numbers in the US and elsewhere. Reports have also emerged that the UK is set to abandon hopes of a Brexit trade deal with the EU.By 12pm the UK's leading basket of stocks fell 0.86%, or 53.77 points, to 6,215.96.Home improvement retailer Kingfisher (KGF) soared 11.8% to...

London's FTSE 100 got off to a slow start in early trade on Wednesday as a worsening Covid-19 pandemic dragged on optimism of a swift economic recovery.The benchmark index slipped 0.2% lower to 6,257.37 in early deals, tracking declines in Europe with global coronavirus infections surging past 15 million, while losses for engineering firm Melrose Industries (MRO) added extra weight to the weak...

Diversified soft drinks group Nichols (NICL:AIM) softened 1.7% to £11.8 on Tuesday following news it now expects to see a 'significant impact' on this year's financial performance due to the coronavirus pandemic.Famed for its iconic Vimto drink, Nichols withdrew guidance for 2020 and cancelled the final dividend in a bid to preserve cash during unprecedented times for the world...

Shares in soft drinks-maker Nichols (NICL) collapsed 13% to a new three-month low of £14.80 after it warned that a new sugar tax in Saudi Arabia and the UAE could dent its full year pre-tax profit for 2020.Tax authorities in both Middle Eastern countries have recently implemented a tax of 50% on retail sales of non-carbonated sweet drinks.In a trading update, Vimto maker Nichols said the tax...

UK stocks moved back into positive territory on Monday after opening lower following a two-week winning streak triggered by Boris Johnson's election win.At just after 10am, the benchmark FTSE 100 index moved up 15.61 points, or 0.2%, to 5,597.72, having risen 4% since 12 December.Trading volumes are likely to be low given the shortened trading week so investors should read less into movements...

Smaller companies are often at the sharp end of positive and negative trends in the market and wider economy.A spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation can help small caps be at the forefront of change. At the same time more modest balance sheets and less diversified revenue can leave them exposed if the backdrop turns against them.In this article we look at some of the key themes which have...

The UK soft drinks industry could be crying into its hands at the state of this summer's weather. A washout June is disaster territory for the sector, particularly as last year was boosted by an unprecedented amount of sunshine and high temperatures which lasted for most of the summer.Drinks companies should have been through volatile weather patterns plenty of times in the past and they've...

A souring of sentiment towards soft drinks star turn Nichols (NICL:AIM) presents an opportunity to buy into one of the AIM market's most dependable consumer-facing companies.Earnings estimates have come down following a December profit warning and investors are worried that delivery issues in the Middle East could continue.In our view the sell-off is overdone given Nichols' strong brand...

Soft drinks star Nichols (NICL:AIM) has warned that the recent escalation of hostilities in Yemen will stifle profit growth this year.Clearly, these events are totally outside of management's control yet the share price tumbled 7.5% to £14.70 in early trading on Tuesday.This poses an interesting question for investors; has this created a longer-term investment opportunity in one of the AIM...

Would you like some help in spotting individual companies that could be interesting candidates for a dividend reinvestment strategy? This article discusses a way to find stocks that are highly cash generative and so have the potential to pay more and more dividends each year.We also run through some stocks that have been suggested by stock screening systems, based on criteria meant to find...

Investors aiming for big returns on the stock market can learn a lot from the Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA:NYSE) business model built by legendary investor Warren Buffett.We've spotted several companies on the UK market that meet the criteria he desires in an investment. Read on and you'll discover the names he would theoretically want to buy.WHO IS BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY?Berkshire Hathaway is an...

Richard Connell, chairman of the UK's largest veterinary practice CVS Group (CVSG:AIM), snapped up around £100,000 worth of shares in the company as it emerged as a potential Brexit winner.Connell spent £87,000 buying shares in the company after a 15% post-referendum dip in its stock price.A day after the initial purchase, Connell bought a further £34,000 worth of shares though the deal...

Seeking to reassure investors immediately after the Brexit vote, Neil Woodford said it was not his central view that the UK economy falls into recession.Admitting the view may sound controversial, he added there could even be some companies that benefit.'Growth in consumer cash flow will be marginally lower, principally because fuel prices will be higher but of course exporters will enjoy...

BEVERAGESOur bullish call a month ago (see Shares, 25 Feb) on PureCircle (PURE:AIM) proved well-timed. Chancellor George Osborne's UK sugar tax fueled share price gains for the stevia ingredients producer and triggered falls for listed soft drinks companies.In an attempt to combat obesity, the Government plans to introduce a new soft drinks industry levy from April 2018 onwards, to be paid by...

A new ISA aimed at getting the under-40s to save more, tax on sugary products, a cut in tax for oil and gas firms and a likely increase in insurance premiums are some of the themes relevant to UK investors.We?ve covered the new Lifetime ISA in a separate story, but here are the main stories in terms of key stock movements following the Budget.SOFT DRINK SELLERSChancellor George Osborne...