Up in smoke: Tobacco firms feel burn of disruption July 22, 2019 | City Talk Disruption, whether as a result of new technology, stricter regulations or changing consumer habits, is affecting all sectors of the global economy, as we discussed here. It’s the new normal and the question is no longer which areas are affected; the question now is to what extent they are affected. Read more: Stranger Things vs Mickey Mouse: How the media [...]
Who joins Lloyds Bank on this list of cheap UK shares to buy? July 22, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Performance of UK-exposed stocks is at an eight-year low and this is the cheapest region around. Cheap-looking UK-focused stocks were in the spotlight as asset managers increasingly turn their attention to Europe in the face of darkening skies for global equities. The attraction of European equities was highlighted by UBS in an [...]
ii view: Microsoft results put shares in the clouds July 19, 2019 | City Talk By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Technology behemoth Microsoft is now far more than Windows and Word, evidenced by latest results. Fourth-quarter results ending 30 June 2019 Revenue up 12 per cent to $33.7 billion Operating income up 20 per cent to $12.4 billion Returned $7.7 billion to shareholders Chief executive Satya Nadella said: “It was a record [...]
Hotel Chocolat shares worth even more than this July 18, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. They’re hardly cheap, but shares in this fast-growing chocolatier could go higher still. At a time when many retailers are finding trading tough, Hotel Chocolat Group (LSE:HOTC) continues to make light work of justifying its punchy stock market valuation. The chain, which listed on AIM in 2016, produced more strong figures today as an [...]
Barratt Developments: A cheap income play too good to miss? July 15, 2019 | City Talk There’s lots to like about housebuilders, but all may not be what it seems, writes our head of markets. Until recently, the housebuilders had been directly in the firing line given Brexit uncertainty. This position has changed of late as the sector generally continues to make hay while the sun shines. The backdrop has been [...]
Turnaround time for struggling food giant July 12, 2019 | City Talk By Rodney Hobson from interactive investor. The proof of the pudding lies with a new chief who looks set to sell off poor performers to boost spending on premium lines. A heavy burden lies on the shoulders of Miguel Patricio, who took over as chief executive officer of food and beverage giant Kraft Heinz (NASDAQ:KHC)last month. The reputation of [...]
10 most-popular funds – June 2019 July 11, 2019 | City Talk By Jemma Jackson from interactive investor. Passive and active managers jostle for space in last month’s list of favourite funds on the interactive investor platform. interactive investor’s June platform purchases provide further evidence, were it needed, that active management has taken something of a knock in recent times – as well as demonstrating the unstoppable rise of Vanguard. [...]
Let’s reform our ugly company tax system and start rewarding long-term investors July 11, 2019 There’s an old saying that if you laid all the economists in the world end to end, they still wouldn’t reach a conclusion. But even so, most of them would agree that Britain’s economy doesn’t invest enough. We’re wedded to short-term consumer demand rather than investing in long-term growth like those sensible Germans. And the [...]
FTSE 100’s best and worst performers in 2019 so far July 10, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. The blue-chip index jumped over 10 per cent in the first half of this year, but which one surged 68 per cent? It’s been a year of widespread and significant gains in the FTSE 100 index, with blue-chip stocks surging by as much as 68 per cent during the first half of 2019. [...]
Investors forecast returns of 10.7% – millennials expect more July 10, 2019 | City Talk Investors expect total annual returns of 10.7 per cent over the next five years, according to a major new global study. Regionally, returns expectations were highest in the Americas, at 12.4 per cent. In Asia, investors expect 11.5 per cent and the figure was lowest in Europe at 9.0 per cent. The returns include growth [...]