Reckitt rakes in £6.5bn revenue but underwhelmed investors see shares sink July 27, 2021 Consumer goods company Reckitt raked in just over £6.5bn in revenue in the past six months, though it fell short of analysts’ sky-high sales expectations. The FTSE 100-listed firm was buoyed by its strong second-quarter revenue, which pulled in some £3bn after selling its Chinese infant formula business for around £1.5bn in June. Shares were [...]
China crackdown weighs heavily on global markets July 27, 2021 Global stock markets notched losses on Tuesday as investor sentiment soured on concerns that Chinese authorities may over-extend their regulatory crackdown. The US’ main benchmarks dropped during the opening session, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq registering the worst performance, down 1.76 per cent. The blue-chip S&P 500 fell 0.78 per cent, while the Dow Jones lost [...]
Companies boosted by Covid rank among the worst market performers July 19, 2021 Companies boosted by the onset of the Covid crisis rank among the worst performers on the market over the last year. Takeaway delivery company Just Eat Takeaway.com has benefitted from a surge in orders since the arrival of the virus as a result of Brits rushing to find substitutes to dining out during lockdowns. However, [...]
Reckitt to see £2.5bn loss from sale of baby formula business June 7, 2021 Reckitt Benckiser will incur a net loss of £2.5bn on the sale of its baby formula business in China to private equity group Primavera Capital Group. The consumer goods maker said taking into account all costs, including goodwill, it will lose £2.5bn with the sale. Reckitt is selling its infant formula and child nutrition (IFCN) [...]
Wall Street opens higher as jobs report eases inflation concerns June 4, 2021 Wall Street’s main indexes opened higher today after data showed modest US jobs growth in May, easing concerns about an early tightening of monetary policy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3 per cent at the open, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.65 per cent. The S&P 500 added 0.5 per cent as it continued [...]
M&C Saatchi lifts forecasts after new client wins June 1, 2021 M&C Saatchi has lifted its forecasts for the full year as it hailed better-than-expected trading in the first four months of the year. The advertising group said business had been stronger than anticipated as the easing of lockdown restrictions sparked signs of a recovery in ad spend. The London-listed firm also secured business from a [...]
FTSE 100 slides despite strong earnings but Wall Street picks up May 26, 2021 The FTSE 100 slipped today despite a strong set of corporate earnings on a slow day for Europe’s markets. Across the Atlantic, however, Wall Street showed signs of gains after another positive start for tech stocks. London’s blue-chip index fell 0.1 per cent over the course of the day, a second straight session of losses [...]
UK’s sanitising obsession boosts sales at Dettol maker Reckitt Benckiser during Covid pandemic April 28, 2021 The UK Government’s message of “Hands, face, space” during the Covid pandemic is still paying off for hygiene and cleaning products maker Reckitt Benckiser. Reckitt Benckiser reported a higher-than-expected jump in quarterly sales as Brits kept up their heightened cleaning regimens a year into the Covid-19 pandemic, and the company backed its full-year outlook. The pandemic [...]
Persimmon builds up sales to pre-Covid levels April 28, 2021 Sales at housebuilder Persimmon for 2021 so far are 23 per cent ahead of last year, meanwhile, it has set aside £75m to address the issue of flammable high-rise cladding. With the average price for homes sold to private owners at around £252,000, the group enjoyed £3bn in sales in the first quarter of 2021, [...]
London stocks end the week lower despite strong economic data April 23, 2021 London’s blue-chip stocks were little changed on Friday but finished the week lower as growing concerns over a surge in global coronavirus cases eclipsed optimism from recent data pointing to a rapid UK economic rebound. The exporter-heavy index ended the session flat, with a fall in heavyweight energy shares and large dollar earning companies including [...]