Friday preview: JD Wetherspoon, HMV
8th Sep 2011 17:37
A wide selection of ales, cheap nosh and a relentless expansion programme has served pubs operator JD Wetherspoon well over the years, though the company has not been immune to the effects of the downturn in consumer spending. Panmure Gordon suggests, meanwhile, that "current trading is likely to b
Read moreJD Wetherspoon feeling the squeeze
13th Jul 2011 07:48
The froth was blown off the top of the JD Wetherspoon share price Wednesday morning as the company issued disappointing like-for-like (lfl) sales growth figures. For the 11 weeks to 10th July 2011, like-for-like sales increased by 1.6%. Broker Panmure Gordon has forecast lfl sales growth of 2.8% wh
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Vedanta/Cairn, SFO, Paul Fisher, broadband spat
1st Jul 2011 06:04
India's Cabinet has finally given the go-ahead for London-listed mining company Vedanta Resources to take over Cairn Energy's prized India assets, nearly 11 months after the two companies first announced plans for the $9.6bn deal. However, New Delhi will require Cairn India's new owner to take on mo
Read moreThursday tips round-up: Sage, Rightmove, BBA
5th May 2011 06:28
Sage makes software for small and medium-sized enterprises, allowing them to keep track of the books. Revenues fell by 5% the year before last and were pretty well flat last year, although they began to pick up in the second half. The shares are on almost 15 times' this year's earnings, hard to just
Read moreJD Wetherspoon chief exec share sale nets £90,000
4th May 2011 15:50
JD Wetherspoon's chief executive John Hutson pocketed has pocketed more than £90,000 from the sale of shares in the pub chain operator. He offloaded 20,000 for 454p a time on the same day the firm said it should see a "reasonable" outcome to the current financial year despite higher costs and the t
Read moreWetherspoons sees 'reasonable' outcome
4th May 2011 07:03
Budget pub chain operator JD Wetherspoons says it should see a "reasonable" outcome to the current financial year despite higher costs and the tough times its customers are experiencing. The company "continues to be faced with rising costs for a wide range of goods and services, combined with a red
Read moreWednesday preview: Sage, Standard Chartered, L&G
3rd May 2011 17:38
Accountancy software firm Sage releases its interim results on Wednesday amid slight concerns that small to medium sized enterprises might be taking longer to upgrade their Sage products than has been the case in the past, as they wait to see whether the economic recovery is sustained. Matrix Group
Read moreWH Irelands buy big again
12th Apr 2011 17:01
Bosses at the stockbroker WH Ireland have been snapping up more shares in the company, continuing a recent spate of buying. Chief executive Paul Compton took 150,000 shares and now has about 1.07m, more than 5% of the company. Chairman Rupert Low took 145,000 and has some 1.06m. They paid 58.5p a
Read moreBroker tips: Carnival, Wetherspoon, reinsurers
14th Mar 2011 12:57
Although Nomura has reduced its target price for Carnival - after the cruise operator lowered its guidance as a result of rising fuel costs - the broker stays with a 'buy' rating. The first quarter results came in at the top end of the guidance range, but the group downgraded its full year earnings
Read moreBroker snap: JD Wetherspoon focusing on growth
14th Mar 2011 10:34
Input cost pressures at JD Wetherspoon have caused a reduction in estimated margins, but sales growth is the focus of the business, according to UBS. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins fell 60 basis points (bp) in the first half to 9.4% due to the introduction of earlier opening hours,
Read moreLondon close: Japan gloom stifles rally
11th Mar 2011 16:41
The devastating earthquake in Japan this morning overshadowed today's trading but shares struggled to climb into the blue and finished just a few points short. The tsunami resulting from the earthquake has already killed a large number of people in Japan, with police in the port of Sendai reporting
Read moreLondon afternoon: Rally runs out of steam
11th Mar 2011 14:29
An attempt at continuing the late-morning rally fizzled out over the lunch time session, but prices are not as soft as might be expected given the array of bad news out there, such as the Japanese earthquake, the Libyan situation and the continuing concerns about European sovereign debt. The insura
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: JD Sports defies trend
11th Mar 2011 14:14
The FTSE 250 has fallen further into negative territory as sentiment has been shook by the devastating earthquake in Japan. JD Sports is bucking the trend however after announcing that it will not make an offer for its struggling rival JJB Sports. Sports Direct International rises in sympathy. Fir
Read moreLondon midday: Japan earthquake casts shadow
11th Mar 2011 12:21
The earthquake in Japan is casting a shadow over trading today and the FTSE 100 sits just a few points above 5,800 now. The insurance sector has been hit by worries over the possible effects of the Japan earthquake. Aviva, Legal & General and Prudential are suffering losses. The damage caused by th
Read moreLondon open: Footsie recovers early losses
11th Mar 2011 09:07
London is trying to stage a rally after the rout on Wall Street yesterday over the situation in Libya, sovereign debt in the eurozone and overnight a huge earthquake in Japan. Bus and train group FirstGroup remains on track to hit full-year to earnings and cash targets, but warns it's been a bumpy
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