Unilever to stay on FTSE 100: How investors reacted October 5, 2018 Unilever’s awkward climbdown over its attempt to move its main listing to the Netherlands is unlikely to be the last, according to one financial expert, as investors reacted to the company’s decision to retain its London headquarters today. Unilever this morning pulled plans to make the Netherlands its sole headquarters and quit its UK offices, after [...]
Unilever scraps proposals to leave London headquarters October 5, 2018 Unilever has abandoned plans to leave its UK headquarters and move its primary listing to the Netherlands. The maker of Dove soap, Lynx and Marmite cited a lack of investor support today for its decision to scrap plans to make Rotterdam its sole HQ, ditching its London offices. Legal & General Investment Management, Schroders and M&G Investments [...]
Ocado claims the FTSE 350 crown while Indivior takes a kicking October 2, 2018 Online supermarket Ocado has claimed the top spot in the FTSE 350’s best performers so far this year just months after sealing its place as a FTSE 100 player, with shares soaring after a swathe of new licensing deals. Shares in Ocado have rocketed 126 per cent since the start of 2018, as the firm [...]
May’s stamp duty tax on foreign buyers forces down FTSE developers’ share prices October 1, 2018 More than half a billion pounds was wiped off the value of some of the UK’s largest housebuilders today, as the City digested news of Theresa May’s planned property tax on foreign buyers. Shares in Berkeley Group, Barratt Developments and Taylor Wimpey all slid in the wake of the Prime Minister’s weekend announcement to slap [...]
Bumper summer and Booker buyout set to boost Tesco profits September 30, 2018 Tesco will be hoping to post strong first-half profits on Wednesday, as a blistering summer heatwave, successful World Cup run and a royal wedding are all likely to have boosted the firm’s performance. Consensus estimates compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence show that earnings before tax (excluding exceptions) could hit £795m in the first six [...]
Don’t play FTSE with your reputation September 28, 2018 FIGURES FROM THE High Pay Centre recently revealed that salaries for the highest-paid chief executives in the UK have risen six times faster than that of the nation’s workers. This story isn’t new – earlier this year I remember reading how FTSE 100 bosses earned more in three days than a typical worker will receive [...]
Unilever hits back over City fury at Dutch move September 25, 2018 Unilever has stepped up its charm offensive on City investors as it tries to combat a brewing shareholder revolt over plans to ditch its London headquarters. The consumer goods giant has organised meetings with the most vocal opponents of the plans in an attempt to assuage their fears, although its attempts to change minds have [...]
Smiths Group shares tumble as medical unit disruptions hit profits September 21, 2018 UK engineering titan Smiths Group’s share price dropped nearly 10 per cent in early morning trading, after medical unit disruptions led to worse-than-expected profits for the year. Full-year operating profit rose three per cent on an underlying basis to £544m, but missed a company compiled consensus of analysts’ estimates of £548m. Headline operating profit tumbled [...]
Global league table of ‘caring’ investors: Americans more focused on sustainability than Europeans September 20, 2018 | City Talk The US is the only developed country to make the top 10 of a sustainable investment league table that gauges consumer habits and investing actions. Countries in the developing world dominated the top ten while European countries occupied the middle and lower half of the league table. The results of the Schroders Global Investor Study [...]
M&G Investments adds to pressure on Unilever to back down on abandoning London PLC September 18, 2018 M&G Investments today became the latest major investor to threaten to vote against Unilever's decision to abandon its London PLC in favour of a new Dutch holding company. The maker of Marmite and Dove soap is under severe pressure from City investors, who fear they could be forced to sell the shares in funds limited [...]