Best 25 stocks in the last tax year April 15, 2019 By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. The FTSE 100 outperformed mid-caps last tax year, but the top FTSE 350 performers might surprise you. Take a look at the financial year ended on the 5th April, with the 25 top performing stocks in the FTSE 350 all producing gains of 40 per cent or more over the [...]
Retail and casual dining bounce back in March amid sunny spring weather April 15, 2019 Britain's pubs and restaurants cheered a recovery in trading last month, as warmer weather boosted the nation’s appetite for drinking and eating out. A bounceback from cold, snowy weather last year saw collective like-for-like sales in restaurants and pubs grow by nearly four per cent in March, new data released today by the Coffer Peach [...]
Activist investors turn their backs on troubled retailers April 15, 2019 While activist investors are known for their interest in underperforming businesses, there is one sector in the UK so troubled that even opportunistic shareholders are now turning their backs: high street retailers. Such are the difficulties facing Britain’s bricks-and-mortar retail giants that many have become "too distressed to attract activist interest", according to a new [...]
Retail veteran Terry Duddy set to replace Bucher as Debenhams boss April 14, 2019 Retail veteran Terry Duddy is being lined up to take over as chief executive of department store chain Debenhams as administrators pin their hopes on the troubled firm’s interim chairman to lead a major restructuring plan. Read more: Revealed: All 15 LK Bennett stores set to close in Chinese sale Current chief executive Sergio Bucher is [...]
Online grocery shopping growth stalls amid consumer frustration April 13, 2019 New research has revealed that online grocery is set to grow more slowly as customers concerns over order issues and delivery charges rise. In 2018 just 45 per cent of consumers said they did grocery shopping online, four per cent down on 2016, according to research from analysts Mintel. Read more: Revealed: All 15 LK [...]
LK Bennett to close 15 stores and shed 110 employees after Chinese partner buys retailer April 12, 2019 LK Bennett is set to close 15 of its 36 stores throughout the UK and Ireland, making more than 100 employees redundant in the process, after the womenswear retailer was bought by its Chinese partner. Read more: Bonmarche fights back against Philip Day's £5.7m takeover bid The sale of the company was completed late on [...]
Games Workshop shares jump as Warhammer creator predicts rising profits April 12, 2019 Games Workshop’s shares climbed steeply today following a forecast of rising profits after a strong start to the year. Read more: Games Workshop enjoys record year as business remains 'in great shape' In a trading statement the games and figurine company said it expected profit before tax for the year ending 2 June to be [...]
Primark unveils its largest ever store with Disney cafe, barber shop and Wizard World April 11, 2019 The world’s biggest Primark opened its doors to customers for the first time this morning. Featuring a Disney-themed cafe, Hogwarts Wizarding World and barber shop, the new outlet spans 160,000 ft across five floors. A Disney-themed cafe is part of the new Primark store It is the latest sign of the budget retailer’s expansion, which [...]
WH Smith profits suffer after £155m purchase of US airport store In Motion April 11, 2019 WH Smith suffered a huge drop in profit in its half year as the costs of its purchase of US airport retailer In Motion grounded its bottom line. The figures Group revenue grew eight per cent year on year to £695m for the six months to the end of February as the stationery chain relied [...]
Sports Direct accuses Debenhams administrators of conflict of interest April 10, 2019 Sports Direct doubled down on its calls for the administration of Debenhams to be reversed this afternoon, as it mulls potential legal action following Mike Ashley’s failed bid to take control of the retail chain. Lawyers from the sportswear retailer said today that the appointment of administrators and the subsequent pre-pack administration only happened because Ashley’s own [...]