The 12 best-ranked major European markets July 5, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Find out which country ranks top for best earnings momentum, attractive valuations and profitability. A ranking of major European markets by analysts at UBS has placed the UK at the top of the pile for cheapness, but among the worst for profitability and earnings momentum. Sweden is the top ranked overall thanks [...]
High-yielding Greene King shrugs off weather warning July 4, 2019 | City Talk Bad weather is bad news, but the dividend is attractive and Greene King typically excels in winter. On balance, Greene King (LSE:GNK) full-year numbers edge into the “glass half-full” category, as the pub owner and brewer continues to extract value from its brand and estate. Apart from a healthy return on capital of 8.5 per cent, Greene King [...]
Bonmarche surrenders, while Creightons makes dramatic charge July 2, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. The UK consumer is the driving force behind very different outcomes for this pair of tiddlers. Over 50s fashion chain Bonmarche (LSE:BON) raised the white flag last week after seeing the British weather scupper its defence against a £5.7 million takeover by billionaire Philip Day. The retailer, which was valued at £100 million when [...]
Carpetright shares: Undervalued or overexcited? July 1, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Carpetright’s peak trading period straddles the next Brexit deadline, but speculators are not put off. Carpetright (LSE:CPR) and its threadbare share price drew interest from speculative investors last week amid signs that the drastic measures needed for its survival are starting to pay off. While early days in the turnaround, the floor covering [...]
Podcast: Why invest in AIM shares? June 27, 2019 | City Talk AIM is 24 years-old! To celebrate, our head of equity strategy Lee Wild and head of markets Richard Hunter discuss why it can be a happy hunting ground for investors, and how to do it successfully. AIM was launched in 1995, has a combined market capitalisation of more than £70 billion, and is home to [...]
Whitbread shares: Waiting for strategy to bear fruit June 24, 2019 | City Talk It’s not easy being a hotelier in this market, but Whitbread shares are holding their own for now. Despite having previously laid the groundwork in guiding expectations lower, Whitbread (LSE:WTB) has delivered a first-quarter update which is light on cheer. Without the diversification and success that Costa brought, the company is now mostly hostage to the cyclical [...]
Podcast: Funds, dividends and investing basics June 21, 2019 | City Talk interactive investor experts Moira O’Neill, Lee Wild and Richard Hunter kick off ii’s inaugural podcast by focusing on funds and dividends. To listen to the podcast, please click below: Moira O’Neill explains what a fund is, how to start building an investment portfolio, and how ii’s Super 60 funds list could help you get started, as well as [...]
Tesco shares: Reasons to be cheerful June 18, 2019 | City Talk Early selling following this Q1 update attracted bargain hunters. Our head of markets explains why. Tesco (LSE:TSCO) recovery from the dark days of having taken its eye off the ball in the UK continues apace. The radical overhaul which the business has undergone has seen Tesco’s shares rise by 50% over the last three years. More [...]
Ted Baker share plunge fails to attract buyers June 17, 2019 | City Talk By Graeme Evans from interactive investor. Despite sinking to prices not seen since 2012, investing in Ted shares remains hugely speculative. Ted Baker (LSE:TED) shares are trading at levels not seen since November 2012 after another profits warning accelerated the de-rating of this former high-flying lifestyle brand. Whereas Ted’s shares had once been reassuringly expensive at around 30 times [...]
Dividend star British American Tobacco gets cheaper June 13, 2019 | City Talk The well covered payout is an invite to income seekers, but the shares are falling after this update. This relatively upbeat first-half trading statement comes against what has been a torrid time of late for British American Tobacco (LSE:BATS). Last year was an “annus horribilis” for the company, with the shares halving in value amid concerns around [...]