Firstgroup: Profit at Avanti West Coast owner beats expectations Transport and infrastructure Transport giant Firstgroup has extended its share buyback program by £50m after annual revenue came in ahead of forecasts. The additional £50m buyback program follows Firstgroup’s return of £92m to shareholders in the 2025 financial year. The group also raised its dividend to 6.5p, up from 5.5p last year. The FTSE 250 company told markets [...]
WH Smith shareholders eye growth plans after sale of high street stores Investors in WH Smith will be keen for more details on its strategy after agreeing to sell its UK high street stores and the potential impact of US tariffs when the retail firm updates the market next week. It has been a busy start to 2025 for the historic retailer as it has pivoted to [...]
Trustpilot: Shares spike as review site benefits from snowballing user and business adoption Retail Review platform Trustpilot has reported a double-digit increase in revenue and earnings as business adoption and brand awareness “fuel the flywheel”. Its share price rose more than 13 per cent in early trades. The company told markets this morning that revenue rose 19 per cent in the year ended December 31, to $210m (£161m) from [...]
H&T: Pawnbroker boosted by gold price and demand for quick cash March 18, 2025 H&T has reported a double-digit rise in profit driven by demand for its core pawnbroker service as Brits continue to look for quick cash amid a high cost of living. The business told markets this morning that profit before tax reached £29.1m in the year ended December 31, 2024, up 10 per cent year on [...]
Savills: Shares continue month-long slide despite strong results March 13, 2025 Savills has reported a huge uptick in profit, although its investment management arm suffered last year on high interest rates. The FTSE 250-listed firm told the market this morning that revenue increased by seven per cent in the year ended December 31, reaching £2.4bn from £2.24bn in 2023. Underlying profit before tax rose 38 per cent [...]
Profits at DFS shoot up as retailer grabs market share March 13, 2025 DFS has swung back to profit as demand for home furniture has recovered. Share in the sofa retailer rose more than 13 per cent in early trades. The company told markets this morning that underlying profit before tax nearly doubled to £17m in the 26 weeks to December 29, up from £8.7m last year. Last [...]
Deliveroo reports first full year of profit March 13, 2025 A bump in the number of people ordering takeaways and groceries in the UK and Ireland helped Deliveroo swing to a profit last year. The food delivery company told markets this morning that gross merchandise value (GTV) increased by five per cent to £7.4bn in the year ended December 31, up from £7bn last year. The [...]
John Lewis scraps staff bonus again despite tripling profit March 13, 2025 The John Lewis Partnership has scrapped its staff bonus for the third year in a row despite a near-tripling in profit. The company, which owns both John Lewis and Waitrose, told markets this morning that profit before tax increased from £42m to £126m over the 52 weeks to 25 January. Overall sales rose three per [...]
Bulmers help C&C outperform the alcohol market October 29, 2024 Drinks company C&C has reported results in line with expectations as its core brands Bulmers and Tennent’s outperformed the market. The company has also reconfirmed its commitment to return a minimum of €150m (£125m) to shareholders over the next three years, adding that it has already completed €38m of buybacks. C&C will pay an interim [...]
John Lewis: ‘Transformation on track’ but chain still in the red September 12, 2024 The John Lewis Partnership has reported an improved set of half-year results and has said it is on target to significantly boost its performance for the full year. The iconic UK name, which also owns Waitrose, said sales topped £5.9bn in the 26 weeks ended 27 July, up by two per cent year on year. [...]