Regular readers may recall Luceco (LUCE). It was Shares’ biggest gainer among our best picks for 2020 after surging 117% during that year. The stock has continued to make money for investors since, up another 45% in 2021, but recent weakness in the share price has created a new opportunity to buy this impressive company. The Telford-based business supplies a large collection of electrical ...

Shares in builders’ merchant Travis Perkins (TPK) fell 3% to £15.36 in early trading despite a strong third quarter trading update, an increase in full year profit forecasts and the continuing £100 million share buyback. According to the firm, the positive momentum of the second quarter continued into the three months to September with like for like sales growing 13.1% on last ...

DIY retailer Wickes (WIX) reported solid third quarter results amid continued buoyant conditions in the repair, maintenance and improvement market. However, the shares cheapened 2% to 221.4p as Wickes reported a moderation in sales growth and maintained rather than upgraded its full year profit guidance. LAPPING TOUGH COMPARATIVES Spun out of Travis Perkins (TPK) in April of this ...

Shares in building materials distributor Travis Perkins (TPK) gained 0.5% to £16.98 after the company confirmed the long-awaited sale of its Plumbing & Heating business and the return of capital to shareholders. The sale of the unit to an affiliate of US private equity firm HIG Capital for £325 million is expected to complete at the end of this month, after which Travis Perkins will ...

UK stocks rallied at the open on Tuesday, reversing much of Monday's losses, thanks to positive corporate news. At 8.45am the FTSE 100 index was up 58 points or 0.8% to 6,961 points, led by energy, mining and industrial stocks, while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 159 points to 23,561. Overnight US stocks fell heavily with the S&P 500 index falling 1.7% and the Nasdaq 100 falling ...

One of the very few positive effects of last year’s pandemic was an increase in consumers spending on the repair, maintenance and improvement of their flats and houses. Having been confined indoors for months at a time, it didn’t take long for people to set about redecorating and adding more indoor or outdoor space so they could live and work remotely more comfortably. That led to an ...

London’s FTSE 100 rallied for the second successive day following Monday’s correction, climbing on hopes that central banks might maintain support for the global economy for longer given rising Covid infections as well as a number of positive corporate updates. By the close, the blue chip benchmark finished 1.7% higher at 6,998.28 points, its recovery from a tough start to the week ...

London’s FTSE 100 was in recovery mode on Wednesday after the recent big sell-off, gaining as several companies reported positive results. By midday, the blue chip benchmark was up 1.6% to 6,990.22 points. UK shares were buoyed as official figures showed the Government borrowed less than expected with the budget deficit coming in at £69.5 billion in the three months to June, helped by the ...

UK stocks opened higher on Wednesday as official figures showed the Government borrowed less than expected with the budget deficit coming in at £69.5 billion in the three months to June, helped by the reopening of the economy. The Office for Budget Responsibility had forecast the deficit to reach £92.7 billion in March. Trading in Asia was strong with the Nikkei 225 gaining 0.7% and ...

Online-only building materials retailer CMO plans to list shares on AIM in early July to tap the boom in home improvement projects that has boosted the likes of Kingfisher (KGF), Wickes (WIX) and Travis Perkins (TPK). While there is limited fundraising and valuation target details available yet the stunning AIM debut of online bathroom products retailer Victorian Plumbing ...

The associated impact of the surging housing market is a growing shortage of building products and raw materials, leading to cost inflation. There is a risk this could undermine the current boom in the home renovation market and hit the housebuilders which are currently riding the wave of positive updates on property prices. The Nationwide house price index recently registered its biggest ...

Shares in Wickes (WIX) were among the main FTSE 250 risers on Tuesday, bid up 5% to 268.5p. The DIY retailer spun out of Travis Perkins (TPK) in April, surprised investors with a positive trading update. With sales growth tracking well ahead of last year’s pandemic-disrupted trading but also the same period in 2019, Wickes is guiding for full-year adjusted pre-tax profit ‘within the top ...

Shares in DIY retailer Wickes (WIX) have begun trading (28 Apr) as a stand-alone business on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) following its Covid-delayed demerger from Travis Perkins (TPK), a deal which saw the erstwhile parent’s shareholders receive one Wickes share for each Travis Perkins share owned. Wickes operates in a fragmented and structurally growing market, yet home improvement is ...

Shares in builders’ merchant Travis Perkins (TPK) climbed 3.3% to a new 12-month high of £16.97 after the firm posted a first quarter trading update showing strong growth in sales not just on the same period last year but also on the previous year, which provides a clearer comparison. ROBUST DEMAND Like-for-like revenues for the group, excluding the Wickes retail arm, increased by ...

UK stocks got off to a steady start on Thursday, boosted by gains in heavyweight mining stocks, while Deliveroo (ROO) posted a jump in first quarter orders. The benchmark FTSE 100 rose 0.3% in early deals, hitting 6,960.85, with miners providing the biggest boost to the index as they tracked higher metal prices. Investors will be closely watching the FTSE 100 to see if it has the momentum to ...

A rebound in oil prices after a container ship blocked the Suez Canal helped the FTSE 100 finish in positive territory on Wednesday following a jittery start. By the close, the blue chip benchmark was 0.2% higher at 6,712.89 with oil majors Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) both catching a bid, gaining 1.4% to £13.87 and 2% to 301.6p respectively. BALLY’S BETS ON GAMESYS In ...

A rebound in oil prices after a container ship blocked the Suez Canal helped lift the blue chip benchmark off its lows on Wednesday. By lunchtime, the FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 6,681.10 having earlier traded as low as 6,681 points after inflation surprisingly fell in February, defying expectations of a rise, with the weak data stoking concerns that persistent lockdowns are weighing on global ...

Shares in Travis Perkins (TPK) perked up 0.6% to £15.95, a fresh one-year high, after the builders’ merchant resumed the demerger process of its DIY chain Wickes, which it plans to spin out and list on London’s main market. Retailer Wickes appears well-placed to succeed as a standalone business, with like-for-like sales growing 5% in 2020 as it rode the pandemic-induced DIY boom, though ...

UK stocks eked out small gains despite a pause in the commodity rally, with financial and house building stocks making headway while energy and mining stocks took a back seat after recent gains. At 9.15am the FTSE 100 index was up just 6 points or 0.1% to 6,595 points while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 58 points or 0.3% to 21,280. Sterling recovered from overnight selling to trade at ...

Investors seem to be warming to the idea of an eleventh-hour Brexit deal if the performance of domestically focused stocks and a strong pound prove to be a good guide to future events. Shares in Housebuilders Vistry (VTY) and Redrow (RDW) and Crest Nicholson (CRST) gained 4.5%, 3.5% and 5% respectively while home improvements company Travis Perkins (TPK) was also perky on Wednesday, gaining ...