Bloomsbury: Fiction sales boost Harry Potter publisher March 20, 2025 Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury said its sales last year were ahead of market expectations and driven by success in its consumer division. Analysts had expected the firm to report a revenue drop of two per cent to £333.4m, as well as a twenty per cent drop in profit before tax of £39.6m in the year ending February [...]
Shoe Zone shares slide: Profit nearly halves as costs put the boot in October 22, 2024 Affordable footwear company Shoe Zone has reported a drop in revenue and profit as weak demand and high costs weigh on the high street retailer amid a revamp of its physical estate. Revenue fell by 2.7 per cent to reach £161.3m in the year to 28 September, down from £165.7m in 2023. Profit before tax [...]
Meal deal maker Greencore hikes profit outlook October 8, 2024 Food manufacturer Greencore—which produces sandwiches for supermarket meal deals—has said it anticipates full year profit to be “ahead of current market expectations.” In a trading update issued today, the convenience food firm, which supplies all the UK’s major supermarkets with salads, sushi, sandwiches, snacks, ready meals, and soups, said like for like revenue growth for [...]
Essentra in ‘grave danger’ of losing FTSE 250 spot as shares crater on lowered expectations September 17, 2024 Essentra, lowered its 2024 full year operating forecast, as its shares cratered by almost 20 per cent this morning. The company lowered its expectations, from the previous range of £48.4m-£49.7m to an estimated operating profit of £40m – £42m. This was put down to the impact of adverse foreign exchange translation of around £2m. Following [...]
Johnson Service Group: Textile rental firm hails double-digit growth September 3, 2024 Textile rental firm Johnson Service Group has reported double-digit growth and the £20m acquisition of a competitor in the first half of the year. The AIM-listed company, which provides textile rental, cleaning and care for service and healthcare industries, reported adjusted profit before tax rose by 31.1 per cent to £21.5m in the six months [...]
Naked Wines ‘in much better shape’ despite further losses August 28, 2024 Online wine seller Naked Wines has reported a slump in profit and a higher loss despite “significant strides” made over the past few months to restructure the business. Total sales fell by 18 per cent year on year to £290m in the 52 weeks ended 1 April 2024, while the company’s statutory loss before tax widened [...]
Bunzl: FTSE 100 giant upgrades profit guidance amid record year for acquisitions August 27, 2024 Specialist distribution group Bunzl has upgraded its profit guidance once more and reported a strong first half as its resilient business model continued to hold up. The FTSE 100 company reported a decline in revenue of 0.4 per cent at constant exchange rates to reach £5.7b, with “underlying revenue trends improving in the second quarter [and] [...]
Hostelworld: Travel agency starts to pay off pandemic debt after record bookings in Asia August 8, 2024 Backpacking Brits looking for cheap stays in Asia and Central America helped online travel agency Hostelworld achieve a record performance in the first half of its financial year. The Irish company, which is listed in London, reported record bookings in Asia and Central America in the six months to June 30. Net booking rose by [...]
Computacenter: Profit down by a third on ‘weak demand’ for UK tech July 26, 2024 London-based tech company Computacenter announced a drop in profit before tax by a third for the first half of the year on weaker than expected demand in the UK industry. The £2.97bn firm, which helps businesses set up and manage their computer systems and software efficiently, expected its profit before tax for the half year ended 30 June [...]
Fuller’s pub chain optimistic on easing inflation and urges business rates cut July 23, 2024 Fuller Smith & Turner has continued its strong recovery. The pub chain said sales at the London-listed company grew by 5.3 per cent for the first 16 weeks of the financial year, boosted by major events including the Euro football championships. At the beginning of June the company said like-for-like sales in the 52 weeks [...]