British American Tobacco boosted by vaping sales June 12, 2019 British American Tobacco (BAT) announced that sales of e-cigarettes and vaping products would accelerate in the second half of the year as demand for traditional cigarettes declines. Shares fell nearly five per cent despite the positive trading update as the company revealed it had lost market share. Corporate volume share was down ten percentage points [...]
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 [...]
What are the best FTSE 100 dividend stocks for September 2022? August 30, 2022 In this new inflationary reality, the best FTSE 100 dividend stocks are not just those which are highest yielding, but also those which are most likely to continue to pay their dividends through what could become a severe recession. The FTSE 100 is by its nature defensive, down a mere 1% year-to-date. But with the downturn almost [...]
SFO closes investigation into Texan engineering company KBR’s UK subsidiary March 18, 2021 The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has closed its bribery and corruption investigation into KBR’s UK subsidiary after four years. In a statement today the SFO said: “The evidence in this case did not meet the evidential test as defined in the code for crown prosecutors.” KBR, a Texan engineering, procurement and construction company listed on [...]
Fears of new variants drives FTSE down two per cent April 20, 2021 London’s main market plunged two per cent today, wiping out last week’s gains amid a bad day for big tobacco. The index joined in a global stock market rout on Tuesday, ending the day at 6,859.87, down 140.21 points. The drop pushed the FTSE 100 back through the symbolic 7,000 point mark it smashed last [...]
Secretive billionaire Kenneth Dart builds £5bn stakes in Big Tobacco April 29, 2021 A reclusive billionaire known for so-called vulture fund investments has built stakes worth nearly £5bn in two of the world’s largest tobacco companies. Cayman Islands-based Kenneth Dart, who is heir to a US foam cups empire, has built a seven per cent stake in British American Tobacco and snapped up three per cent of rival [...]
SFO outgunned by UK firms that spend millions more on lawyers to ‘buy impunity’ November 15, 2021 Companies under investigation by the Serious Fraud Office have spent up to ten times more than the fraudbusters on legal and investigation fees, causing major corruption cases to crash and burn, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found. The UK’s only complex fraud agency’s fight against economic crime is undermined by its lack of funding, [...]
Poundland owner Pepco shuns London to float in Warsaw April 26, 2021 Poundland owner Pepco this morning announced its intention to go public in Poland, in a blow for London’s financial market. Pepco said it intends to apply for listing and admission to the Warsaw Stock Exchange, and said it had chosen Poland as it is the firm’s largest operating area. The discount retailer, which has more [...]
British American Tobacco calls in headhunters as chairman prepares to step down April 9, 2019 The chairman of British American Tobacco (BAT) is set to step down as changes to financial regulations mean he can no longer serve on the board. Richard Burrows, who has chaired the firm since 2009, is the latest victim of new City rules meaning directors can no longer be considered independent after nine years. Read [...]
FTSE 100 leaps as strong earnings drive index higher April 29, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 was boosted by a series of positive earnings this morning as the index shot up by 0.6 per cent. The blue-chips were buoyed by gains in medical products maker Smith & Nephew, who accelerated to the top of the index after revenue growth in the first quarter. The increase was also supported [...]