SThree plc (LON: STEM) reported a significant decline in its full-year net fees on Monday that it attributed primarily to the Coronavirus pandemic that weighed on global hiring activity in 2020. The COVID-19 crisis has so far infected more than 1.8 million people in the United Kingdom and caused…
In a report on Saturday, Sky News said that Rolls-Royce Holdings plc (LON: RR) had started looking for potential candidates for the role of its next chairman. The aero-engine manufacturer has begun the search reasonably ahead of time and a successor to its current chairman, Ian Davis, is unlikely…
AstraZeneca plc (LON: AZN) said on Saturday that it will buy Alexion Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALXN) for £29.50 billion. The acquisition marks the largest for the British pharmaceutical giant in history. As per AstraZeneca, bringing the U.S. drug manufacturer under its umbrella will help diversify its portfolio and expand…
In its annual report published on Friday, Asda said it paid Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) £1.15 billion in dividend in March. Walmart is currently in the process of selling its majority stake in Asda to TDR Capital and Issa Brothers in a deal that values the British supermarket…
In an announcement on Friday, Bellway plc (LON: BWY) said home orders surged significantly in the last four months, that it attributed to public assistance schemes and tax cuts that made people buy more property. Bellway shares opened about 1% up on Friday but lost close to 5% in…
Marston’s plc (LON: MARS) said on Thursday that its pre-tax loss significantly widened in fiscal 2020 attributed primarily to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that has so far infected more than 1.7 million people in the United Kingdom and caused over 62 thousand deaths. The brewer also said that its…
Frasers Group plc (LON: FRAS) said on Thursday that its core earnings in the fiscal first half came in 25% higher on a year over year basis. The company lifted the bottom end of its full-year forecast on the back of robust digital sales in recent months. Frasers opened…
DS Smith plc (LON: SMDS) said on Thursday that demand for packaging material recovered quickly in the fiscal second quarter as the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic fuelled online shopping in recent months. The company also expressed confidence that it was now time to resume dividend payments. DS Smith jumped more…
In a report on Thursday, Ocado Group plc (LON: OCDO) said that its retail revenue in the fiscal fourth quarter came in significantly better than last year. The company attributed its hawkish performance to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that fuelled demand for online grocery in recent months. Ocado Group…
Victrex plc (LON: VCT) said on Wednesday that its full-year profit came in 29% lower than last year due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that weighed on its business in recent months. The company, however, expressed confidence that sales in its automotive, medical, and electronics segments had bottomed out,…
Stagecoach Group plc (LON: SGC) said on Wednesday that its pre-tax profit came in significantly lower in the fiscal first half due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that has so far infected more than 1.7 million people in the United Kingdom and caused over 62 thousand deaths. Stagecoach Group…
In a report on Tuesday, Ferguson plc (LON: FERG) said that its profit in the fiscal first quarter posted a 12.2% annualised growth on the back of easing COVID-19 restrictions that fuelled housing permits in the United States, resulting in higher demand for plumbing and heating parts in recent…
Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) said on Monday that it will buy IMImobile plc (LON: IMO), UK customer service software maker, for £543 million. The deal marks the largest for Cisco in the United Kingdom since 2018. The news comes nearly a month after Cisco published its…
In a statement on Monday, Connells Ltd revealed its upwardly revised buyout offer of £164.5 million for the UK’s largest property group, Countrywide plc (LON: CWD). Countrywide had rejected the initial buyout offer from the real estate management firm last month. Countrywide shares opened about 20% up on Monday…
Ted Baker plc (LON: TED) said on Monday that its pre-tax loss in the fiscal first half widened on the back of a nearly 50% annualised decline in revenue. The company attributed its dovish performance to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that has so far infected 1.7 million people in…
McBride plc (LON: MCB) raised its guidance for annual earnings on Friday as the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic fuelled demand for cleaning products in recent months. The COVID-19 crisis has so far infected more than 1.6 million people in the United Kingdom and caused over 60 thousand deaths. The current…
Berkeley Group Holdings plc (LON: BKG) said on Friday that its pre-tax profit came in 17% lower than last year in the fiscal first half. The company, however, reaffirmed its guidance for the full year. The property developer had seen a 35% decline in annual pre-tax profit last…
Standard Life Aberdeen plc (LON: SLA) revealed to have divested part of its stake in HDFC Life Insurance Company on Thursday. The asset manager generated £172 million of proceeds as it offloaded 2.8% of its stake in its subsidiary. Standard Life Aberdeen opened less than 1% down on Thursday…
In an announcement on Thursday, Paragon Banking Group plc (LON: PAG) said its annual profit came in 27% lower on a year over year basis. The company attributed the decline to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that disrupted lending in the recently concluded financial year. Paragon said: “The pipelines across…
Phoenix Group Holdings (LON: PHNX) valued its annual cash generation at £1.7 billion on Thursday, that represents an over 100% growth as compared to last year. Cash generation, it added, also topped its own upwardly revised estimates for the recently concluded financial year. Phoenix Group opened about 0.5% up…
In an announcement on Tuesday, Pets at Home Group (LON: PETS) said that veterinary company Linnaeus Group bought five of its specialist referral practices for £100 million. The company now wishes to expand its footprint in customer-facing services. Pets at Home Group slipped just under 2% on market…
Topps Tiles plc (LON: TPT) said on Tuesday that it concluded the financial year in loss due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic that has so far infected more than 1.6 million people in the United Kingdom and caused over 58 thousand deaths. The company also forecast that its performance…
In an announcement on Monday, Pets at Home Group (LON: PETS) said it had bought The Vet Connection (veterinary telehealth provider) for £15 million. The company said that the acquisition will help it capitalise on remote consultations amidst the COVID-19 crisis that has restricted people to their homes. The…
Lloyds Banking Group (LON: LLOY) named Charlie Nunn as its next Chief Executive Officer on Monday. Nunn is currently serving at HSBC as the head of wealth and personal banking. Nunn will fill the shoes for Antonio Horta-Osorio at Lloyds. Antonio expressed plans of stepping down in July and…
HSBC Holdings plc (LON: HSBA) has been struggling to compete well with the big fish in the United States for a while. In a report on Saturday, Financial Times said that the largest European bank was now planning on quitting retail banking completely in the United States. At £4.04…
