UK news

In a statement on Wednesday, WH Smith plc (LON: SMWH) said that trading during the Christmas period topped expectations. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered another national lockdown in the first week of January to minimise the fast spread of the new variant of the flu-like virus that is…

Burberry plc (LON: BRBY) published its financial update on Wednesday that highlighted a decline in its third-quarter comparable retail store sales that matched its earlier guidance. The decline, however, was broader than what analysts had anticipated. In separate news from the UK, Frasers increased its stake to 15.2%…

In an announcement on Wednesday, Antofagasta plc (LON: ANTO) said that its fourth-quarter copper production came in line with what analysts had anticipated. Copper production, it added, was better than the prior quarter (Q3). Antofagasta also highlighted that unitary costs in the recent quarter printed below guidance. In…

In an announcement on Tuesday, Hammerson plc (LON: HMSO) said that its first-quarter rent collection stood at 41% in the United Kingdom. The company collected 46% of the due rent in France and a much lower 31% in Ireland. As per Hammerson, it has now repaid some of its…

In a report on Tuesday, Premier Foods plc (LON: PFD) said that its digital sales in the fiscal third quarter came in 90% higher than the same quarter last year. On the back of robust Q3 sales, the company said that it now expects its annual profit to remain…

Experian plc (LON: EXPN) said on Tuesday that its organic revenue at constant exchange rates saw a 7% annualised growth in the fiscal third quarter. The company also expressed confidence that its full-year performance will also remain resilient. CEO Brian Cassin commented on the quarterly update on Tuesday and…

Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) approved AstraZeneca plc (LON: AZN) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use in the South Asian country on Saturday. It’s the first vaccine to have received a nod in Pakistan, where the novel flu-like virus has so far infected more than half a million people…

A consumer campaign group lodged a roughly £600 million claim against BT Group plc (LON: BT.A) on Monday that said the telecommunications operator did not compensate fixed-line customers for overcharging. Many of the affected, the lawsuit added, were elderly. BT Group slid close to 1.5% in premarket trading on…

In an announcement on Monday, Centrica plc (LON: CNA) said that CFO Johnathan Ford will exit the role on 31st January. Ford’s tenure as the Chief Financial Officer at the utility company spanned over seven months only. Centrica opened a little under 2% down on Monday and slid another…

Ashmore Group plc (LON: ASHM) said on Friday that its assets under management (AUM) saw a 9% annualised growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. The company valued its total AUM at £68.06 billion at the end of the year. Ashmore Group was reported more than 2% up in…

In an announcement on Friday, Meggitt plc (LON: MGGT) said that its full-year results are likely to come in line with the guidance. The company expressed confidence that COVID-19 vaccination programs will help fuel demand for air travel and consequently for its aerospace-related components and sub-systems in 2021. But…

Halfords Group plc (LON: HFD) said on Thursday that its sales jumped 11.5% in the fiscal third quarter of 2020. The company attributed the increase to the Coronavirus pandemic that accelerated a shift to cycling in the United Kingdom as people avoided public transport in recent months. Halfords jumped…

In an announcement on Thursday, Associated British Foods plc (LON: ABF) said that its revenue saw a significant decline in the first sixteen weeks of the current financial year. The company attributed the decline primarily to its clothing subsidiary, Primark, that remained under pressure due to the newly imposed…

Dunelm Group plc (LON: DNLM) said on Thursday that sales remained strong in the Christmas period resulting in an 11.8% annualised growth in the fiscal second quarter as a whole. The company, however, acknowledged that impact of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and said that the related uncertainty makes it…

Tesco plc (LON: TSCO) said on Thursday that trading remained robust during the Christmas period. In the six weeks that concluded on 9th January, the retailer reported an 8.1% annualised growth in its UK comparable sales. For the fiscal third quarter as a whole, Tesco’s like-for-like sales came in…

IHS Markit Ltd. (NYSE: INFO) said on Wednesday that its adjusted profit in the fiscal fourth quarter topped analysts’ expectations. Revenue in Q4, however, came in line with what experts had forecast. The American-British information provider said that a few of its end markets that took a hit due…

In an announcement on Wednesday, ASOS plc (LON: ASC) said that trading remained robust during the Christmas period. The company also raised its guidance for profit but warned of a £15 million hit due to the post-Brexit tariffs. ASOS opened about 4% up on Wednesday. It is now trading…

Persimmon plc (LON: PSN) said on Wednesday that its revenue in 2020 came in 9% lower on a year over year basis. The company warned that the new variant of the Coronavirus is likely to hurt UK’s housing market in the upcoming months. With Prime Minister Boris Johnsons’ government…

PageGroup plc (LON: PAGE) said on Wednesday that its profit in the fiscal fourth quarter came in 20% lower than last year due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that pushed businesses into freezing new hiring to cut costs. According to the British recruiter, it was unable to give guidance…

In a report on Tuesday, Robert Walters Group (LON: RWA) said that its net fees in the fiscal fourth quarter came in 24% lower on a year over year basis. The company, however, expressed confidence that performance in Asia Pacific – its largest market – showed significant improvement in…

Kingfisher plc (LON: KGF) said on Tuesday that its sales in the fiscal fourth quarter saw a significant increase on the back of higher demand for DIY (do-it-yourself) projects amidst the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that continues to keep people restricted to their homes. Kingfisher shares jumped roughly 2.5% in…

Global Infrastructure Partners said on Monday that it struck a deal to acquire Signature Aviation plc (LON: SIG) for £3.43 billion. The investment fund trumped buyout proposals from rivals, including Carlyle and Blackstone.   Signature’s spokesman commented on the news on Monday and said: “Nothing precludes either Blackstone and…