Weather boon for Wetherspoon but margins ease
18th Jan 2012 07:11
Margins are under a bit of pressure at JD Wetherspoon, the ever-expanding pubs group, and the company has (once again) pinned the blame on the government. In a trading statement covering the 12 weeks to the middle of January Wetherspoon revealed it expects the operating margin for the half year end
Read moreWednesday preview: Man and Wetherspoon
17th Jan 2012 15:46
Pubs group JD Wetherspoon gives an update on Wednesday for the second quarter of its financial year, which will cover the hyper-busy Christmas and New year trading period. Panmure Gordon notes the group will be running up against some tough comparative figures from a year ago, but still reckons the
Read moreFriday tips round-up: RSA Insurance, Unilever, Wetherspoon
4th Nov 2011 06:37
The Telegraph's Questor column takes a look at RSA Insurance. The firm has fallen 12.6% so far this year and 27% in the last five years. On the surface this doesn't look good, it does however provide an earnings to price ratio of 7.6%, which is set to fall. For a viable business, doing especially w
Read moreFTSE 250 movers: C&W Comms jumps after first half results
3rd Nov 2011 16:25
Telecoms group Cable & Wireless Communications soared higher on Thursday after reporting a 24% rise in half-year revenue and signs of "stablisation" in the all-important Caribbean division. Waste management firm Shanks jumped as it delivered a 20% increase in underlying half-year profit, upped its
Read moreWetherspoon sales slow
3rd Nov 2011 09:22
Pubs group JD Wetherspoon served up a 1.1% increase in first quarter like for like sales as consumers continue to tighten their purse strings. The group, which owns 823 pubs, said total sales in the 13 weeks to 23 October 2011 increased by 7.3%. The operating margin was 9.3%, down around 0.2% from
Read moreUPDATE: Thursday broker round-up
3rd Nov 2011 09:03
Tate & Lyle: Panmure Gordon raises target from 615p to 645p, keeps hold rating. Marks&Spencer: Credit Suisse cuts target to 345p from 390p, stays at neutral. Next: UBS ups target from 2,600p to 2,800p, buy recommendation unchanged. St. James's Place: UBS downgrades from buy to neutral, target red
Read moreLondon close: Stocks dive on euro worries
9th Sep 2011 16:55
The volatility continued heading into the weekend and stocks were nursing hefty losses at the close of play. The resignation of European Central Bank official Juergen Stark brought the Eurozone crisis into focus. Stark, a German, like many of his compatriots is unhappy about the Bank's policy of b
Read moreLondon midday: Stocks fall after flat start
9th Sep 2011 12:06
Stocks have eased slightly as nerves set in ahead of this weekend's meeting of the G7 grouping of industrialised countries. Motor insurer Admiral is in the slow lane after saying it could see "a small proportion" of its profits put at risk under the government's plans to ban the payment of referra
Read moreFTSE 250 Movers: Home Retail Group takes a dip
9th Sep 2011 11:24
Home Retail Group was heading south after Singer Capital Markets slashed its target price for the retailer by 29%, after the group's first half results showed continued tough trading at Argos and a challenging second quarter for Homebase. Shares rose on Thursday after the group reported that while
Read moreLondon open: Footsie flat as investors show caution
9th Sep 2011 08:31
The Footsie opened unchanged from yesterday's close, with the markets digesting an underwhelming jobs speech by President Obama last night. Describing the stalling of US economic growth as a "national crisis", Obama unveiled his much-trailed American Jobs Act, which Obama pledged "will cut payroll t
Read moreJD Wetherspoon expects 'reasonable outcome'
9th Sep 2011 07:35
Full-year underlying profits from pubs group JD Wetherspoon were marginally ahead of expectations, while like-for-like sales growth has been maintained in the new financial year, albeit at a lower rate. Revenue in the 52 weeks to 24 July broke through the billion pounds barrier, rising 7.5% to £1,0
Read moreLondon pre-open: Stocks set to slide after Obama speech
9th Sep 2011 07:28
London seems less than overwhelmed by President Obama's latest plans to kick-start the US economy, with the FTSE 100 set to open around 50 points down from yesterday's close of 5,340. Describing the stalling of US economic growth as a "national crisis", Obama last night unveiled his much-trailed A
Read moreFriday preview: JD Wetherspoon, HMV
8th Sep 2011 17:37
A wide selection of ales, cheap nosh and a relentless expansion programme has served pubs operator JD Wetherspoon well over the years, though the company has not been immune to the effects of the downturn in consumer spending. Panmure Gordon suggests, meanwhile, that "current trading is likely to b
Read moreJD Wetherspoon feeling the squeeze
13th Jul 2011 07:48
The froth was blown off the top of the JD Wetherspoon share price Wednesday morning as the company issued disappointing like-for-like (lfl) sales growth figures. For the 11 weeks to 10th July 2011, like-for-like sales increased by 1.6%. Broker Panmure Gordon has forecast lfl sales growth of 2.8% wh
Read moreFriday newspaper round-up: Vedanta/Cairn, SFO, Paul Fisher, broadband spat
1st Jul 2011 06:04
India's Cabinet has finally given the go-ahead for London-listed mining company Vedanta Resources to take over Cairn Energy's prized India assets, nearly 11 months after the two companies first announced plans for the $9.6bn deal. However, New Delhi will require Cairn India's new owner to take on mo
Read more