FTSE 250 movers: Greggs on the rise, Debenhams falls after positive Christmas sales
13th Jan 2015 15:01
Debenhams was falling despite record Christmas sales. Although the company saw a 4.9% rise in underlying sales in the last four weeks of 2014, it recorded a 0.8% drop over the last three months. Greggs was rising after revealing an 8.2% boost in December like-for-like sales. The company announced th
Read moreSector movers: Morrisons, Greggs and ASOS lead retailers higher
13th Jan 2015 14:56
The exit of frontman Dalton Philips at Wm Morrison and signs of improving sales trends at the UK grocer were welcomed by the market on Tuesday, with food retailers topping the risers list in London. Well-received trading updates from the likes of Greggs also provided a boost to the food sector, whil
Read moreLondon open: Retailers boost market ahead of inflation data, Morrison jumps
13th Jan 2015 08:57
Well-received updates from a host of retailers were giving UK stock markets a boost on Tuesday morning, as investors awaited some key inflation data. The FTSE 100 was up 0.2% at 6,514 early on with Wm Morrison leading the rise. Data due out at 09:30 is forecast to show that the annual rate of consu
Read moreGreggs beats expectations with meaty Christmas treat
13th Jan 2015 08:05
A very strong post-Christmas update from meaty treats retailer Greggs led management to boast that full year results will beat current expectations. Christmas like-for-like (LFL) sales rose 8.2% in the five weeks to 3 January, versus a 3.1% rise in the same period a year ago, which has lifted the fo
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: Food retailers take a hit while energy stocks soar
23rd Dec 2014 09:41
Retail stocks were mixed on the day before Christmas Eve. Home Retail Group, N Brown Group and Supergroup were advancing as last-minute shoppers headed online and hit the high street. Shares in Workspace Group were rising after the company agreed a cash payment of £30m to terminate the proceeds sha
Read moreTuesday tips round-up: Greggs, Cohort
16th Dec 2014 11:40
The fortunes of Greggs seem to have taken a turn for the better. Its latest trading update was a positive surprise, it actually showed growth in like-for like sales accelerating to a 5.4% clip over the 11 weeks to 13 September. That comes after three profit warnings since the previous chief executiv
Read moreLondon close: Oil price slide fuels fall in equities as rouble tumbles
15th Dec 2014 16:45
Oil prices embarked on fresh falls on Monday, dragging the London market down with them. The price of a barrel of US light crude had dropped about 3.7% to $57.8 towards the end of the trading session while a barrel of Brent crude fell just under 3% to $61.85. The falls fueled a 117.91-point fall in
Read moreBroker tips: Weir Group, IAG, Greggs
15th Dec 2014 11:15
Even under the most bearish scenario, at current prices there is upside potential to engineering outfit Weir Group's share price, analysts at Deutsche Bank said in a note e-mailed to clients dated 12 December. The company has exposure to the drop in the oil price, given that it sells pressure pumps
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks steady ahead of US data
15th Dec 2014 11:15
UK stocks were holding higher ahead of a week full of potential risk events. Significantly, on Sunday Bloomberg reported that Libya was forced to declare "force majeure" at two of its ports, Es Sider and Ras Lanuf, which have a combined capacity to export 560,000 barrels of oil per day. Somewhat ir
Read moreBrokers set to boost forecasts for Greggs after positive update
15th Dec 2014 09:06
Liberum Capital and Shore Capital are reviewing their forecasts for Greggs after the bakery chain forecast annual profits above market hopes. Greggs said on Monday that full-year profit in the 53 weeks to 3 January should be ahead of analysts' expectations after it benefited from milder weather, sho
Read moreLondon open: Stocks bounce back with oil after Libyan port closures
15th Dec 2014 08:19
After an initial drop the FTSE 100 Index recovered to trade slightly in the black, led by oil companies' shares. Over the weekend the United Arab Emirates' energy minister, Suhail Al-Mazrouei, said the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) would be willing to withstand a drop in the
Read moreGreggs set to serve up better than-expected FY profits
15th Dec 2014 07:24
Good weather has helped baker Greggs to predict annual profits ahead of hopes. Greggs said favourable trading with "generally helpful" weather enabled it to increase own shop like-for-like sales by 5.2% in the 24 weeks to 13 December. Year-to-date own shop like-for-like sales rose 4.2% against a 1.
Read moreSector movers: Grocery stocks tank after yet another profit warning from Tesco
9th Dec 2014 15:20
Another profit warning from Tesco shattered already-fragile sentiment in the supermarket sector on Tuesday with grocery stocks falling sharply. Tesco's shares were down 7.4% at 173.4p in afternoon trade, having dropped as much as 16% early on, after the retail giant surprised the market with an unsc
Read moreGreggs sees jump in like-for-like sales following store refits, closures
15th Sep 2014 08:18
Bakery and fast-food retailer Greggs reported a slight acceleration in year-to-date sales to a 3.5% clip, as like-for-like sales registered a strong rebound. Like-for-like sales rebounded by 5.4% during the 11 weeks ended on 13 September, versus a 1% fall in the same period of the year before, as to
Read moreSector movers: Tesco, Morrison lead supermarket stocks lower
4th Sep 2014 15:16
Supermarket stocks were under pressure on Thursday, continuing their recent choppy trade amid ongoing concerns about heightened competition, declining profits, dividend sustainability and a critical government into the industry. The Elliott Report, an inquiry into the industry launched as a result
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