Investec expects profit bounce in full-year results March 20, 2025 Investec has said it expects adjusted operating profit to be ahead of last year’s figures, coming in as high as £956m. In a trading statement, the FTSE 250 bank and wealth manager said adjusted operating profit for the year was forecast to come in between £888m and £956m, compared to last year’s figure of £884.5m. [...]
Qinetiq share price slump shows defence firms aren’t immune from turbulence March 17, 2025 Defence stocks are some of the hottest in Europe right now as government’s ramp-up military spending in response to developments in Ukraine. Donald Trump’s push for European nations to take more responsibility for security has driven up shares in the likes of BAE Systems, Thales and Leonardo. In the UK, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer [...]
Qinetiq: Shares in FTSE 250 defence firm tank March 17, 2025 Shares in Qinetiq tanked more than 20 per cent in early deals on Monday after it slashed guidance and announced plans to re-structure its US arm amid ongoing contract delays. The London-listed defence contractor said it expected a “goodwill impairment charge” of around £140m to the US business due to the market backdrop and operational [...]
Trainline shares tumble despite record sales ahead of national ticket app launch March 13, 2025 Trainline shares tanked on Thursday despite record full-year sales and the announcement of a £75m buyback programme. A bumper set of results failed to quell investor fears over the launch of a state-owned rival ticketing app in the UK, with the stock dropping more than 13 per cent in early deals. It came despite net [...]
Balfour Beatty: Investors cash in as orders swell March 12, 2025 Balfour Beatty has hiked its dividend after the construction giant reported a bumper year. On Wednesday, the London-listed firm recommended a final dividend per share of 12.5p, up nine per cent from last year’s 11.5p. Basic earnings per share also rose from 34.2p to 43.6p. Balfour Beatty is also in the process of a multi-year [...]
Costain doubles dividend as pipeline jumps March 11, 2025 Costain has doubled its full-year dividend after reporting a record increase in forward work. On Tuesday, the London-listed construction firm said it would increase its dividend per share from 1.2p to 2.4p. Earnings per share also rose by nearly a fifth to 14.6p, up from 12.2p the year prior. It came as Costain’s forward work [...]
Kier Group shares tumble despite record orders March 11, 2025 Kier Group shares tumbled this morning despite the firm hiking dividends by a fifth and reporting a record £11bn order backlog. The London-listed group said it would pay investors an interim dividend of 2p, up 20 per cent from last year’s 1.67p. Kier Group’s record £11bn order book rose two per cent year-on-year and means [...]
Balfour Beatty shares slump as veteran chief Leo Quinn steps down March 5, 2025 Shares in Balfour Beatty slumped on Wednesday after veteran chief executive Leo Quinn announced plans to step down. Quinn departs following a more than 10-year stint leading the UK’s biggest contractor, during which time he significantly reduced debt and put the company on the path to profitable growth. Shares fell more than four per cent [...]
Ibstock slashes dividends as profit tumbles March 5, 2025 Ibstock has slashed its annual dividend payout as profit and revenue fell amid “subdued market conditions.” The London-listed brickmaker reported a near third drop in pre-tax profit to £21m for the year ended 31 December. Ibstock said the figure reflected “lower trading performance” and the impact of a one-off £12m charge. Revenue declined 10 per [...]
Reach: Daily Mirror and Express owner beats profit forecasts March 4, 2025 Reach, the owner of the Daily Mirror and the Express, beat annual profit forecasts on Tuesday as its efforts to cost cuts began to pay off. Operating profit increased six per cent to £102.3m, exceeding analysts’ forecasts of £97.4m. Earnings per share jumped 16 per cent to 25.3p even as revenue declined 5.3 per cent [...]