Shares slump to all-time lowTakeover offer from founder Dunkerton unlikelyDiscounted rights issue on the cardsShares in beleaguered fashion chain Superdry (SDRY) slumped more than 50% to an all-time low of 14p today as investors finally got the chance to price in the barrage of bad news released after the market close on Thursday 28 March.Takeover hopes were dashed as the troubled jackets-to-hoodi

More and more UK companies are buying back their own shares. Data collected by Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, shows share buybacks at FTSE 100 companies are running at an aggregate value of £18.3 billion so far in 2024.Despite being only two months into the year, the value of buybacks already equates to 35% of the whole value of buybacks in 2023.This isn?t just a UK phenomenon either

By his own admission, Nick Train, manager of Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT), isn?t one for nostalgia, whether that is reflecting on past glories or the ?melancholy fact? as he puts it that the popular investment trust has underperformed the FTSE All-Share index for the last three years.Moving into 2024, the trust has again lagged the benchmark with a share price return of -1.9% in January against

The pound recovered on Tuesday after the Bank of England?s Andrew Bailey discussed possible interest rate cuts, but stock prices still closed down in London.The FTSE 100 index closed down 9.29 points, 0.1%, at 7,719.21. The FTSE 250 ended down 107.27 points, 0.6%, at 19,109.63, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.28 points, 0.4%, at 753.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 772.61, the Cboe UK 250

AG Barr (BAG) 550pGain to date: 13.5%We flagged Scottish soft drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) in August 2023 arguing the company was not being given sufficient credit by the market for its sales momentum. We highlighted the strength of its portfolio of brands including Irn-Bru and Rubicon.WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SINCE WE SAID TO BUY?We were on the money when we flagged ?the scope for further upgrades? as

A rally in New York stocks on Friday has read across into stocks opening higher in London on Monday, following a strong US jobs report on Friday.The FTSE 100 index opened up 28.53 points, 0.4%, at 7,644.07. The FTSE 250 was up 39.08 points, 0.2%, at 19,211.72, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.90 of a point, 0.1%, at 755.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 764.80, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 16,672.

Profit guidance upgraded againBrands have positive momentumEuan Sutherland to succeed Roger WhiteOne of Shares running Great Ideas selections, Irn-Bru-to-Rubicon drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) served up another full-year profit upgrade which sent the shares up 1.5% to a 52-week high of 576p.The beverages business behind iconic Scottish tipple Irn-Bru as well as take home cocktail offering FUNKIN and c

It has been a dire start to 2024 for Superdry (SDRY), the Julian Dunkerton-steered fashion brand whose shares are down almost 50% year-to-date, extending one- and five-year losses to 86% and 96% respectively.The latest downward lurch reflects a pre-Christmas profit warning (19 December 2023) pinned on the challenging retail market and one of the warmest autumn seasons on record which persisted thr

The FTSE 100 was up at the open on Friday, beating other indices in early morning trade thanks to a boost from oil majors and positive data from the US.The FTSE 100 index opened up 59.70, up 0.8%, at 7,589.43. The FTSE 250 was down 15.69 points, 0.1%, at 19,207.41, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.52 of a point, 0.1%, at 747.58.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 758.53, the Cboe UK 250 was slightly lo

Next kicks off festive reporting seasonScope for upbeat news from B&MPotential Christmas winners include CurrysRetail bellwether Next (NXT) kicks off the post-Christmas reporting season on 4 January followed by discounters B&M European Value Retail (BME) and Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) on 9 January.Investors will be eager to learn if the sector benefited from some last-minute festive shopping when all th

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

As was widely anticipated the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on 13 December but accompanying commentary suggesting rates could be cut as much as 75 basis points in 2024 gave markets a big boost.Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell said that the US central bank is 'not likely' to hike further and that it is 'very focused on not making the mistake of keeping rates too high for too l

Hard-pressed fashion retailer warns againLike-for-like sales down 7% in last six weeksCost-saving programme on trackEmbattled clothing and footwear retailer Superdry (SDRY) has disappointed the market yet again, warning trading has been ?significantly below? management expectations with full year profits to fall short of forecasts as a result.Shares in the hard-pressed hoodies, jackets and sweatsh

Energy transition fund calls it a dayIncome fund sets out its optionsUS-listed funds circling the sectorThe shake-out in the investment trust space continues with one fund announcing today it would liquidate its assets and return cash to shareholders and another opting for a strategic review to determine its future.Shares in both trusts jumped on the news, but the likelihood is both will end up ex

We have covered the issue of diversification many times this year in light of the extreme levels of concentration in US equities, where the top 10 stocks by market weight now account for a record 31% of the S&P 500 index.This in turn means the US now makes up 63% of the MSCI All-Country World Index as of the end of October, so even investors who take a global approach are holding lots of US stocks

Tie-up to accelerate growth in IndiaSuperdry to receive £28.3 millionFunds to give turnaround a fighting chanceLong-suffering Superdry (SDRY) shareholders were given something to cheer about after the struggling fashion retailer secured itself some breathing space by signing a joint venture deal with India's biggest retailer, Reliance Brands.Superdry and Reliance will own 24% and 76% respectively

'Tough' start to the new yearFirst quarter sales down 18.4%CEO Dunkerton insists Superdry brand is in 'sound health'Struggling clothing and footwear retailer Superdry (SDRY) has reported a 'tough' start to its new financial year blighted by extreme weather across the UK and Europe and 'challenging and unpredictable' retail market conditions.The hard-pressed hoodies, jackets and sweatshirts seller

Deal sees veteran Pease bow outConsolidation gathering paceListed UK firms could be vulnerable to takeoversCompetition for customers and the need for economies of scale are driving another round of consolidation in the UK wealth management industry with the announcement this week of yet another deal.Yesterday it emerged that hedge fund Lansdowne Partners had agreed to acquire equities specialist C

- Private equity firm made five offers- Withdrawal follows snub by THG last week- Investors see bid premium evaporateFor the second time in as many weeks, global private equity investor Apollo Asset Management has ended talks with a UK target, this time Scottish-based oil and gas engineering and services firm John Wood Group (WG.).Shares in Wood Group fell as much as 40% from their previous close

- Superdry needs to strengthen balance sheet- Founder Dunkerton to support fundraise- Shares down more than 30% year-to-dateEmbattled fashion brand Superdry's (SDRY) shares ticked up 0.75% to 86.75p after the lately-unloved clothing retailer confirmed it is in 'positive discussions' with investors over an equity raise of up to 20% of its share capital as the cash-strapped company seeks to strength