Into the red: UK economy shrinks for first time in seven years August 9, 2019 The UK economy contracted for the first time since 2012 in the second quarter of the year as the unwinding of Brexit stockpiling and global trade tensions damaged growth, official figures showed today. UK GDP shrank by 0.2 per cent in the second quarter compared to the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) [...]
Major companies could be exempt from joint audit rules in competition watchdog report April 14, 2019 The UK’s competition watchdog reportedly could exclude some major companies from a new rule that would require many business to appoint joint auditors. Sky News reported that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is set to publish its long awaited report into the audit sector this week. According to the report, the CMA has been [...]
Oil prices fall after Trump’s showdown with Opec April 26, 2019 Oil fell today after President Donald Trump said he “called up” the Opec oil cartel to demand they bring down prices. Read more: Corbyn snubs state dinner invite during Trump's UK visit “Gasoline prices are coming down. I called up Opec, I said you’ve got to bring them down. You’ve got to bring them down,” Trump [...]
Lloyds Bank unveils quarterly dividends payments amid pension pay row May 16, 2019 Lloyds Bank has announced plans to pay dividends quarterly from next year ahead of a potential shareholder revolt at today’s AGM. The bank said the move, beginning in the first quarter of 2020, would allow its 2.4 million shareholders to be paid more regularly and efficiently. Read more: Lloyds Banking Group: Q1 results analysis The [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher sales tick upwards ahead of CEO’s departure May 15, 2019 B&Q owner Kingfisher saw sales edge higher in its latest quarter thanks to warmer weather and a weaker corresponding period last year. Read more: B&Q owner Kingfisher plans foreign market exit as French sales drag UK and Ireland sales rose 5.4 per cent in the three months to the end of April compared to the same [...]
Landsec: A tale of two portfolios May 14, 2019 Investors trying to work out what the future holds for property giant LandSec, which delivered a dismal set of results to the City this morning, could do worse than take a stroll through its Square Mile development. The complex, aptly named One New Change, is a fitting example of how the FTSE 100 real estate [...]
Dividend star British American Tobacco gets cheaper June 13, 2019 The well covered payout is an invite to income seekers, but the shares are falling after this update. This relatively upbeat first-half trading statement comes against what has been a torrid time of late for British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS). Last year was an “annus horribilis” for the company, with the shares halving in value amid concerns around [...]
British Gas owner Centrica to sell US business for £3bn July 24, 2020 Centrica has today announced that it will sell US subsidiary Direct Energy for £2.8bn as it attempts to restructure after a brutal couple of years for the British Gas owner. Shares in the firm rose 24.3 per cent on the back of the news. The move comes as the former FTSE blue chip attempts to [...]
What’s happening to dividends and what next? 11 questions answered April 23, 2020 Nick Kirrage, co-head of the Value team, and Sean Markowicz, part of the Research and Analytics team, chatted with us about the future of dividends and buybacks. With so many investors reliant on dividends to boost their income or support their retirement we wanted know what’s happening now, whether investors should be concerned and what [...]
BP: Discipline and efficiency underpin ‘buy’ case May 13, 2019 Profits are down in the first quarter, but BP remains on track, writes our head of markets. BP (LSE:BP.) may not have repeated its immense performance from the full-year numbers in February, but nonetheless remains on track to deliver on its strategic promises. The company's prodigious cash flow continues to enable its share buyback programme, [...]