FTSE 100 close: Wizz Air nosedives while JD Sports and 3i shine in London January 26, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 jumped today, led higher by private equity firm 3i soaring after it dropped a strong crop of results, prompting traders to pile into its shares. The capital’s premier index climbed 0.22 per cent to 7,761.55 points, while the domestically-focused FTSE 250 index, which better reflects the health of the UK economy, leapt [...]
US economy races ahead of UK despite Federal Reserve crushing Americans with rate hikes January 26, 2023 The US economy is growing much faster than expected despite the Federal Reserve piling pressure on Americans with aggressive interest rate hikes to tame inflation, official figures out today show. Stateside gross domestic product (GDP) climbed 2.9 per cent over the three months to December, better than the 2.6 per cent growth pencilled in by [...]
Record profits place TSB on course for £50m dividend but impairment charges rise on recession fears January 26, 2023 TSB Bank proposed a £50m payout to its parent company in the first quarter of 2023 as its yearly pretax profit increased to a record level. Pretax profit in the 2022 financial year rose to £183.5m from £157.5m in 2021, reflecting lending growth, higher interest rates and higher deposit margins. This figure includes the costs [...]
FTSE 100 close: Barclays, HSBC and Easyjet shine on otherwise poor day in London January 25, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 today gave up morning gains to finish lower before stronger-than-expected retail earnings provided a balm against recession fears. The capital’s premier index fell 0.22 per cent to 7,740.34 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, slid 0.38 per cent to [...]
Yule be happy: Christmas trading powers Primark owner’s rising revenues January 24, 2023 Food processing giant and Primark owner Associated British Foods has posted a bullish trading update, unveiling an upturn in revenues.
Marston’s bucks hospitality trend as historic pub chain reports bumper festive period January 24, 2023 Pub and hotel operator Marston’s has reported bumper sales over the Christmas period as Brits treated a pint as an “affordable treat”. The historic London-listed firm, founded in 1834, said like-for-like sales were up 12.9 per cent on Omicron-affected 2022, for the 16 weeks to 21 January. Marston’s has however experienced difficulties in this time [...]
Avatar’s success gives boost to struggling cinemas but future is still uncertain January 23, 2023 The highly anticipated Avatar sequel has ranked as the sixth-highest grossing movie ever, giving cinemas a much needed boost, although some analysts warn they are not yet in the clear. After six weeks on the big screens, “Avatar: The Way of Water” surpassed a staggering £1.6bn ($2bn) in box office sales on Sunday, Disney estimates. [...]
Slow fashion: Retailers embrace second-hand clothing to draw in thrifty eco-conscious fashion lovers January 23, 2023 High street retailers are following in the footsteps of their online rivals, offering more second-hand clothes to lure in shoppers wanting to steer clear of fast fashion and hunt for bargains amid a cost of living crisis. The second-hand clothing market has exploded over the last decade to an estimated £6.5bn last year, largely thanks [...]
FTSE 100 close: Blue chip index ends higher as disappointing retail sales figures fail to dent JD Sports, Frasers and Burberry January 20, 2023 London’s FTSE 100 index closed the week marginally higher, clawing back some some of this year’s earlier gains following a poor performance yesterday. The capital’s premier index climbed 0.3 per cent to 7,770.59 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index rose 0.7 per cent to close at 19,702.63. JD Sports, Frasers and Burberry were [...]
Markets Wrap January 20, 2023 Another eventful week of trading comes to a close, and we end the week quite differently to how we started it. Last week we saw solid upside in stocks with no real fundamental driver, as banks kicked off the Q4 earnings season and the US posted a relatively strong Michigan consumer sentiment figure. The theme [...]