Close Brothers shares drop as costs rise from motor finance threat May 21, 2025 Close Brothers said fees and expenses were still at an “elevated level” in a third-quarter update on Wednesday as motor finance troubles continued. The group’s net expenses hit £13.9m for the period, compared to £11.6m for the third-quarter in 2024. The lender said it continued to experience heightened “professional fees and expenses” following the Financial [...]
Currys: Shares dip despite interest rates helping sales at retailer May 21, 2025 Electrical retailer Currys has reported a jump in profit after sales jumped thanks in part to a boost from lower interest costs. In a trading update on Wednesday, the firm said it expects pre-tax profit to come in at £162m, up 37 per cent year-on-year. Previous guidance had indicated profit for the period ending May [...]
Diploma: Shares in FTSE 100 firm rocket after profit upgrade May 20, 2025 Shares in FTSE 100 firm Diploma rocketed on Tuesday after the firm upgraded full-year guidance and delivered a strong performance for the first six months of its financial year. In its half-year report, the company, which distributes specialised technical products and services, noted a 14 per cent jump in revenue to £728.5m. Organic revenue growth [...]
Next warns impact of tax hikes could hit sales May 8, 2025 High street bellwether Next has upgraded its full-year profit guidance after better-than-expected sales, but warned consumer confidence will slow sales in the second half of the year. Next told markets this morning that total full price sales rose 11.4 per cent year on year in the 13 weeks to April 26. The sales boost, which [...]
Natwest to ‘outperform’ sector with bumper year, analysts predict May 6, 2025 RBC analysts slapped a “Sector Outperform” rating on Natwest after the lender beat expectations in its first-quarter report. The analysts upgraded full-year profit before tax estimates by three per cent to £7.1bn, compared to £6.2bn in 2024, and upped the stock’s target price to 475p from 465p. They said the upgrades were driven by net [...]
Next set to reveal profit increases amidst tariff uncertainty May 3, 2025 Next is expected to post rising profits next week despite a string of costs increases hitting retailers and broader concerns about UK consumer confidence. The retail giant will reveal its first quarter results on May 8, hot on the heels of profits of more than £1bn last year. Next, which has more than 450 stores [...]
Income at UK fintech Wise jumps as payment volumes soar April 15, 2025 Money transfer firm Wise posted an increase to fourth quarter income driven by growth in international payments. The fintech, which enables digital payments for consumers and businesses, booked an underlying income of £350m for the fourth quarter. This was a 13 per cent increase from the previous quarter. Cross-border volumes soared 28 per cent to [...]
Saga: Cruise demand drives double-digit profit increase April 9, 2025 Saga, the financial services and travel provider for over-50s, has reported profit ahead of market expectations, driven by demand for cruises. The company told markets this morning that underlying profit before tax for the year ended January 31 was £47.8m, up 25 per cent year on year. Revenue for the year was £588.3m, up four [...]
Co-op profit jumps six-fold ahead of supermarket ‘trolley wars’ April 3, 2025 The Co-op has reported a huge jump in profit for 2024 ahead of potential ‘trolley wars’ in the grocery sector. Group revenue was broadly stable year on year, ticking up by 0.2 per cent to £11.3bn, while underlying profit rose by 35 per cent to £131m. Operating profit more than doubled, from £66m to £151m, [...]
Pets at Home shakes off current market woes but warns of struggles ahead March 31, 2025 Pets at Home announced its profit had fallen in line with expectations in its performance update, but warned of struggles ahead. Its share price fell more than 10 per cent in early trades. The group predicted profit before tax for the year at £133m, in line with previous guidance. It said trends in the final [...]