FTSE 250 movers: Consumer stocks in demand
2nd Oct 2009 13:47
Among the risers are baby products retailer Mothercare, drinks firm Britvic, McBride, which makes household and personal care products for supermarkets to sell under their own name, and pork products supplier Cranswick. Engineer Morgan Crucible is the heaviest faller. FTSE 250 - Risers Rathbone Br
Read moreGrid finance chief sells again
24th Sep 2009 17:14
Gas and electricity network operator National Grid has sailed through the turbulence of the past year relatively unscathed. The share price now is still lower than this time in 2008, but has bounced strongly since April and finance director Steve Lucas is taking advantage to sell his second chunk
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Whitbread in the lead
7th Sep 2009 11:31
Leisure group Whitbread expects profits this year to be at the higher end of forecasts as the rate of decline at hotel chain Premier Inns steadied in the three months to 13 August, while coffee chain Costa continued to push ahead. Cheery broker sentiment boosts Sports Direct. Numis, which thinks ne
Read moreComment: Sales sizzle in sweltering summer
21st Jul 2009 15:59
Conventional wisdom has it that hot weather is bad news for clothing shops but fashion retailer Next begged to differ on Tuesday when it said sales of summer clothing have benefited from much better weather than last year. The clothing chain said warm temperatures have improved sales at its High S
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Dunelm, Cranswick, LMS Capital
14th Jul 2009 06:43
Dunelm Group's share price performance over the last year is almost a mirror image of that of most retailers. The out-of-town homeware group has seen its stock gain 80% in the last 12 months as a series of upbeat trading updates and results have made the group the belle of the retail sector. Numbe
Read moreLondon close: Bright finish for FTSE 100
13th Jul 2009 16:26
Footsie put a sluggish start behind it to finish with good gains, helped by a strong showing on Wall Street. Friends Provident was the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon afternoon: Friends leads London higher
13th Jul 2009 14:32
Mergers and acquisition activity is keeping share prices bubbling as London makes a solid start to the week. Friends Provident is the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its merger approach and i
Read moreLondon midday: M&A activity perks up shares
13th Jul 2009 11:56
The blue-chip index edged higher in the morning sessions despite the weakness of miners and banks, with increased merger and acquisition activity encouraging buyers back to the market. Friends Provident is the best performer after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle, Resolution , said it has received "con
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Strong sales lift Dunelm and Cranswick
13th Jul 2009 10:50
Specialist homewares retailer Dunelm is in demand after it grew market share in the first half of 2009 as like-for-like sales improved, despite a declining market. Sausages and pork products supplier Cranswick climbs after saying it has made a positive start to its new financial year, with first qu
Read moreLondon open: Dull start to the week
13th Jul 2009 08:43
London's blue chips have made a slow start to the week despite a small burst of takeover activity. A deal could be on the cards between insurance group Resolution and Friends Provident after Clive Cowdery's new vehicle said it has received "constructive feedback" from the board of Friends over its
Read moreLondon pre-open: Losses on the cards
13th Jul 2009 07:37
Investors remain nervous following further losses on Wall Street Friday and as the US earnings season starts to hot up. Futures prices indicate an early deficit of about 14 points for the FTSE 100. Oil and gas firm Venture Production today rejected last Friday's 845p-a-share hostile cash bid from
Read moreCranswick bringing home the bacon
13th Jul 2009 07:24
Sausages and pork products supplier Cranswick has made a positive start to its new financial year, with first quarter sales up across most parts of the business. Sales in the first quarter, excluding recently disposed of and acquired businesses, rose 11% to £167m from the first quarter of last year
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: 3i stages recovery
5th Jun 2009 13:44
Shares in 3i Group have recovered after falling yesterday amid uncertainty over the private equity group's £700m rights issue. On a mixed day for food-related stocks Goodfellas pizza maker Northern Foods is 6% higher but pork products group Cranswick sits with the fallers. Property stocks are also
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Mitie, Cranswick, Big Yellow
19th May 2009 06:41
Mitie, the group which has, among others, the contract to clean the Tower of London reported stellar preliminary results yesterday, with revenues, profits and, most importantly, the dividend all up. Mitie is quite a bit smaller than Serco or Capita and the Independent urges urge investors to back a
Read moreResilience of pork boosts Cranswick
18th May 2009 07:35
Sausages and pork products supplier Cranswick upped its final dividend by 10% as it shrugged off higher raw material prices last year. "Sales of pork products have proved resilient in the face of this not least because of pork's competitive pricing by comparison to other meats," chairman Martin Dav
Read more