PageGroup (PAGE)

Shares in specialist recruiter SThree (STHR) have risen by 4% to 284p after full year results hit the firm’s recently raised guidance. Total revenue was up 13% last year to £1.26bn with gross profit up 12% to £321m and pre-tax profit up 20% to £53.4m. Like its larger rivals, the company’s biggest markets are outside the UK which makes it more resilient to political and economic ...

Figures last week from Germany’s Federal Statistical Office showed that gross domestic product (GDP) grew by just 1.5% in 2018, the slowest rate for five years. That meant that GDP was barely positive in the fourth quarter, up by an estimated 0.1%. If the fourth quarter had been negative like the third quarter, which shrank by 0.2%, Germany would technically be in recession. With China ...

We have a better picture of how the UK jobs market looks as we approach Brexit now that all three big UK-listed recruitment firms have reported quarterly results. At Hays (HAS), the UK’s biggest recruitment firm, UK net fee income was up 3% in the most recent quarter, the same rate as the previous quarter. At PageGroup (PAGE) UK net fees grew by 2.1%, better than the previous ...

Shares in recruitment firm Hays (HAS) buck the recent trend to trade 2% higher at 145p after the company reports another quarter of growth in fee income. Rivals Robert Walters (RWA) and PageGroup (PAGE) were marked down following their latest updates, despite reporting fee growth of 13% and 16%. MOST CORE MARKETS PERFORMING WELL Hays’ net fee income – also referred to as gross ...

Shares in recruiter PageGroup (PAGE) have fallen nearly 7% to 434p after the firm reported a slowdown in fee income in its fourth quarter on a sequential basis. Total gross profits – also known in the industry as net fee income – rose by 15.8% to a record £211m in the fourth quarter. While this is impressive, it marks a slowdown from the 17.2% growth rate of the third quarter which is ...

UK stocks are weaker on Monday amid domestic political worries and more signs of a slowdown in China, raising concerns about global growth. Markets are preparing themselves for a week of political upheaval in the UK with the ‘meaningful vote’ on the Prime Minister’s proposed Brexit deal tomorrow potentially paving the way for a Commons revolt and Labour vote of no confidence. Worse ...

With unemployment in the UK and across many countries at historic lows and a shrinking working-age population, employers are increasingly having to turn to recruitment experts to solve their staffing needs. The global employment market is worth in the region of £450bn a year and is expected to grow at about one-and-a-half times the rate of global GDP up to 2020. The biggest three players to ...

Economic growth in the three months to the end of August was 0.7% according to the latest estimate from the Office for National Statistics, released today. The warm weather helped the services sector with retail and consumer sectors showing a big improvement. House-building also performed particularly well. On a rolling three-month basis, service-sector output grew by 0.5%, production ...

UK stocks get off to a slow start with the FTSE 100 index virtually flat on Tuesday’s close at 7,226 points. Financial and Consumer stocks are the early leaders while exporters come under pressure as the Pound continues to climb against the US Dollar. Ticketing technology firm Accesso (ACSO:AIM) shares rally 3% to £25.75 on news of a partnership with Google which will allow customers to book ...

FTSE 250 staffer PageGroup (PAGE) has released its first half results which confirm the gross profit figure issued last month of £396m. The company has also announced a special dividend of 12.73p per share, or £40.6m. This is the third consecutive year of special dividends, having paid out £20m in 2016 and £40m last year. Given that gross profit was already known, the other new ...

UK stocks open higher on Wednesday as a weaker pound helps boost exporters and hopes grow that China will offer further stimulus measures to cushion itself from a trade war. In early trading benchmark FTSE 100 index is up 25.14 points, or 0.3%, at 7.743.62. Miner and commodities trader Glenore (GLEN) books a 13% rise in first-half profit, supported by higher commodity prices, but refrained ...

Recent results from two of the big UK-listed recruitment businesses offer a relatively encouraging picture of the world economy. Staffing firms are a good indicator for global growth as companies tend to hire in strong economic conditions and delay hiring when times get tough. Recruiters obviously tend to do well if people are moving jobs which is also a by-product of economic strength. A ...

The FTSE’s largest recruitment company in terms of market cap Hays (HAS) is riding high on a strong set of final quarter results. For the quarter ending 30 June, the company has grown in every region it operates. Even the Brexit troubled UK and Ireland grew 5% on a like-for-like basis, a feat its competitor PageGroup (PAGE) couldn’t match. One downside in this difficult market, makes ...

FTSE 250 staffer PageGroup (PAGE) is reaping the rewards of its global foot print as seen with Wednesday’s update. The company’s fee income or gross profits for its second quarter ending 30 June beat market forecasts by 4%, coming in at £208.2m. Management are certainly buoyed by its performance, now expecting operating profit for the full year to be 'slightly ahead of consensus ...

The market is under the cosh amid signs US president Donald Trump is planning to impose tariffs on a further $200bn worth of Chinese goods. Early on the FTSE 100 is down 1.1% at 7,607.88. Broadcaster Sky (SKY) slips 1.1% to £14.86 as it agrees to a sweetened £24.5bn offer from Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox. This is in response to a rival bid from US media conglomerate Comcast. The ...

Staffer PageGroup (PAGE) reported a 10% rise in first quarter gross profits on Wednesday (11 April) thanks to International growth. But the UK continues to struggle, putting the share price under pressure, down about 2% to 539p. The UK is worth about 18% of group gross profit so it matters. The company admits that Brexit continues to impact hiring decisions. There is better news ...

The FTSE 100 index is down 19 points to 7,249.23 reversing the gains it made yesterday following a mixed session in Asian markets as trade war worries continue to persist. The UK’s largest supermarket Tesco (TSCO) is up 4% to 218.4p on revealing a 28.4% rise in operating profits to £1.6bn. For its year ending 28 February, the company’s sales rose to £51bn a 2.3% increase on the prior ...

Recruitment companies tend to do well in strong economic conditions. Corporates feel more compelled to hire people and individuals feel confident enough to move jobs, seeking new opportunities. Upgrades to global growth forecasts last month by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) strengthen the outlook for recruiters. The new global forecast has been lifted from 3.7% to 3.9% for both 2018 and ...

The markets approach the New Year in a fairly resilient mood, characterised by decent earnings growth from companies, several examples of M&A activity and the end of another year in what has been a long bull-run. Although the general public may be fixated with Bitcoin at present, we believe there are plenty of opportunities for your money in the UK market and overseas, as we explain in this ...

FTSE 100 paper and packaging company Mondi (MNDI) drops 6.6% to £19.51 after saying full year profit will come in below expectations. The company blames cost pressures and adverse currency conditions for the forecast drop in earnings. Another FTSE 100 company, medical device maker Smith & Nephew (SN.) ticks up 2.9% on media reports that activist hedge fund Elliott Management is building a ...