FCA calls for contingent charging ban on pension transfer advice July 30, 2019 Britain’s markets watchdog has proposed banning financial advisers from getting paid only when a customer moves a pension pot, a practice known as contingent charging that it said cost consumers £2bn per year. MPs called for the ban last year after accusing the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) of being too slow to prevent “vulture” advisers [...]
High-yielding BP shares chased higher after results July 30, 2019 | City Talk It’s a great income stock, and these numbers justify investor interest, writes our head of markets. BP’s (LSE:BP.) strategy is a marathon, not a sprint, and this latest update for the second quarter and half-year shows that the company remains reassuringly on track. Underlying replacement cost profit was strongly ahead compared to the previous quarter and [...]
Vodafone rockets 8% amid IPO excitement July 29, 2019 | City Talk It’s been a long time coming, but Vodafone has a market-friendly strategy to underpin a recovery. The spin-off of the “TowerCo” business is by far the most scintillating development within Vodafone (LSE:VOD) first-quarter trading update. Vodafone had previously mentioned that it was planning to monetise this part of the business, and has now added some flesh to [...]
Why we’re at a tipping point for clean energy July 29, 2019 | City Talk Alternative energy sources to fossil fuels have been around for many years. Wind, solar and tidal power have all been harnessed to a greater or lesser extent by numerous countries around the world. But we think that the transition to renewable energy is set to pick up speed rapidly and there are three reasons why. [...]
ii view: Sales boom at Amazon, but so do costs July 26, 2019 | City Talk By Keith Bowman from interactive investor. Rising costs and disappointing profits overshadow further sales growth at the online retailer. Second-quarter results to 30 June 2019 Net sales up 20 per cent to $63.4 Operating income up 3.3 per cent to $3.1 billion Diluted earnings per share up 3 per cent to $5.22 Chief executive Jeff Bezos said: “Customers [...]
ITV prospects brighten after Love Island boost July 25, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. A Love Island advertising boost has helped high-yielding ITV shares to recover some lost ground. While the prospect of another Love Island on our screens this winter won’t fill everyone with joy, ITV (LSE:ITV) investors are unlikely to be complaining too loudly after the current series of the hit reality show helped to bolster [...]
Fevertree Drinks shares worth £36 despite sell-off July 24, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Slower growth is never good news for highly-rated stocks, but Fevertree still has plenty of fans. Runaway success stories like Fevertree Drinks (LSE:FEVR) don’t come around often, which is why yesterday’s latest slide for the AIM stock should alert investors to a potentially enticing entry point. The sky-high valuation has weakened considerably since early [...]
Has ASOS just issued its third and final profits warning? July 23, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. With ongoing operational issues aplenty, investor confidence hinges on a belief in stock market adages. Warehouse troubles drove ASOS (LSE:ASC) to a third profits warning in less than a year as the fast-fashion giant slipped even further behind the market value of upstart rival Boohoo Group (LSE:BOO). Shares dived as much as 22 per cent [...]
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 [...]