Broker snap: ASOS may be losing UK customers
30th Sep 2009 11:28
The premium rating of online shopping firm ASOS requires earnings estimates upgrades, in the view of Charles Stanley, and Wednesday's AGM statement will not prompt analysts to bump up their forecasts, the broker reckons. 'The slowing group sales growth trend (+47% for last 6 months, down sequential
Read moreSector movers: Retailers out of fashion
30th Sep 2009 10:57
Retailers are lower, most notably Marks & Spencer, which posted another fall in quarterly like-for-like sales, although these were better than expected, suggesting consumer confidence may be creeping back. Alexon Group, the ladies clothing specialist, was the heaviest faller in the sector after sa
Read moreLondon open: Early gains for Footsie
30th Sep 2009 08:47
Footsie has shrugged off a sluggish performance in the US overnight and is now pushing ahead again. Hedge fund manger Man is the best performer after a bullish trading update. "Investor sentiment is continuing to improve across the industry, the performance outlook is healthy and the prospects for
Read moreASOS first half seen marginally higher
30th Sep 2009 08:10
Online clothes retailer ASOS results to date are in line with management's expectations and it expects the first half outcome to be marginally ahead of the prior year. Sales are up 47% for the 6 months to 30 September 2009, with international sales rising 110% for the period, which represents aroun
Read moreSunday tips round-up: BG, Accsys, Gulfsands
9th Aug 2009 11:26
Shareholders have done well out of oil and gas group BG and some who bought shares back in the 1980s or even in 2006 may be tempted to take profits. There is no harm in selling some stock - maybe even 30%- but hold on to the rest. This company is solid, reliable and should continue to deliver for
Read moreComment: Beyond like-for-like sales comparisons
3rd Jul 2009 19:39
It's been a busy week for consumer stocks with Marks & Spencer's results the most high profile announcement, and once again the market has fixated on like-for-like sales, almost to the exclusion of all else. Marks & Spencer's UK like-for-like (LFL) sales fell 1.4% but the shares surged because inve
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Informa, Serco, Premier Foods
30th Jun 2009 06:42
FTSE 250-listed Informa has a solid business, whose publications tend to be in niche, subscription-based titles that do not suffer as badly as its more commercial counterparts in a downturn. Its Academic and Professional & Commercial divisions are still growing, and management has also kept a tigh
Read moreLondon close: Late gains lift Footsie
29th Jun 2009 16:50
After a rather sluggish start to the day, Footsie ended with chunky gains, helped by buoyancy on Wall Street. Lloyds Banking topped the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "conviction buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lif
Read moreLondon afternoon: Financials spearhead the advance
29th Jun 2009 14:21
Banks and insurers lead the way as London continues its steady advance. Lloyds Banking tops the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldman Sachs has also lifted its target price from 61p to 107p, af
Read moreLondon midday: Lloyds leads banks higher
29th Jun 2009 11:51
Risers outnumber fallers by around three to one among Footsie constituents, as the index pushes ahead despite weakness among miners. Lloyds Banking tops the list of risers after Goldman Sachs raised its rating on the shares from "neutral" to "buy" and added them to its "Conviction Buy" list. Goldm
Read moreLondon open: Footsie makes steady start
29th Jun 2009 08:32
London's blue chips have made a steady start with banks pushing on and insurers making gains. Lloyds and Barclays are both ahead with the new government paper on regulation of the sector likely soon and expected to see a defeat for the ideas of Bank of England governor Mervyn King. Outsource gian
Read moreLondon pre-open: Shares to drop
29th Jun 2009 07:38
London's blue chips are expected to open slightly lower with traders forecasting Footsie to drop around 15 points early on. Hovis to Branston Pickle maker Premier Foods's trading this year has continued on track, with sales of bread especially described as excellent. The heavily indebted group, wh
Read moreASOS doubles profit but growth slows
29th Jun 2009 07:22
Online fashion retailer ASOS produced another year of eye-popping growth, with sales doubling and profits up 93%, though it is now seeing slower growth rates. Sales in the year to March jumped by 104% to £165m from £81m, while pre-tax profits jumped by 93% to £14.1m from £7.3m. The number of activ
Read moreWeek Ahead: HMV, Greene King, ASOS
26th Jun 2009 11:46
No FTSE 100 companies are scheduled to declare results next week which leaves the field clear for second liners such as ASOS, HMV and Greene King. Online fashion retailer ASOS is a shining example of how shopping habits are changing. While old school bricks and mortar retailers such as Marks & Spen
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