Countrywide shares tumble as it confirms heavy losses amid housing market slowdown March 7, 2019 Shares in estate agency Countrywide dropped more than eleven per cent today after it confirmed a widening of its full-year losses and warned of a tough year ahead. The figures Full-year revenue fell seven per cent to £627.1m, driven by a pipeline deficit in sales. The firm’s losses widened from £207.3m to £218.2m. Adjusted earnings before [...]
There are plenty of reasons for investors to be optimistic about China March 6, 2019 Since the election of Donald Trump, one story has dominated global markets news: the trade war between China and the US. As negotiations reached a critical phase last month, markets fluctuated as setbacks led to breakthroughs, only for talks to stall again. But while investors are right to worry about currents of protectionism in the world’s [...]
Activist investor strikes upbeat tone as Just Eat interim boss rules himself out of the race March 6, 2019 A major Just Eat shareholder who has pressed the company to merge with a rival today welcomed the takeaway giant’s interim boss decision to rule himself out of the race for a permanent chief executive. Activist investor Cat Rock Capital Management, which owns a 1.7 per cent stake in Just Eat, said today that it appreciated Peter [...]
How to use an Isa to invest in peer-to-peer loans March 6, 2019 Since peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms began to enter the market in 2005, savers have used the services to hand out more than £10bn to borrowers. Aside from providing a significant boost to the UK economy, P2P offers attractive interest rates to lenders by cutting the banking sector from the borrowing process. The Innovative Finance Isa [...]
The Innovative Finance Isa didn’t get off to a flying start – so how’s it doing now? March 6, 2019 When the Innovative Finance Isa and its not-so-catchy acronym, IFISA, entered the scene back in April 2016, it’s fair to say that it didn’t get off to a great start. This was partly because, compared to its Isa cousins, the IFISA didn’t get much publicity (admittedly, the UK was two months away from the EU referendum, [...]
Biffa shares jump as it remains on track for full-year growth March 6, 2019 Shares in waste management firm Biffa jumped more than five per cent this morning after the company said it is on track to post underlying revenue growth in its full-year results. In a trading update the firm said trading for the second half of the year is expected to be in line with the board’s [...]
A clear choice for discerning investors March 6, 2019 | Sponsored Now nudging £5 billion a year, peer-to-peer and crowd lending platforms have entered the mainstream during a post-financial crisis era in which investors increasingly want a say in where and how their money is invested. Savers and investors now place a greater premium on transparency, choice and engagement – not to mention a (quite justified) [...]
Shepherd Neame’s exceptional costs take fizz out of profits March 6, 2019 Brewer and pub group Shepherd Neame posted a modest rise in profit before tax for the six months to the end of December, despite being hit by refinancing and contract losses. The figures Underlying profit before tax rose 1.4 per cent to £5.9m in the 26 weeks to 29 December 2018. Like-for-like sales in the group’s [...]
Brands have ‘Netflix envy’ and need expertise of advertising agencies, says WPP boss March 5, 2019 Brands are guilty of ‘Netflix envy’ and need the expertise of traditional advertising agencies, WPP chief executive Mark Read said today. Speaking at the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) conference, Read played down fears brands are increasingly moving their advertising in-house and defended the role of conventional ad shops. Read more: Profits plunge at advertising [...]
Bumper Persimmon fails to shake off uncertainty March 5, 2019 | City Talk Despite the housebuilder's £1 billion profit and generous dividend, Persimmon shares are under a cloud. Just when investors thought it was safe to go back into mortar, the government's reported review of the Help to Buy scheme has dealt another blow to the sector. Persimmon (LSE:PSN) 6% share price decline represented the brunt of the blow, [...]