CVS (CVSG:AIM) £10.63Market Cap: £760 millionVeterinary services specialist CVS Group (CVSG:AIM) is under a cloud at the moment following confirmation by the competition watchdog CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) it would investigate the pet care market for unfair practices after its initial look into the market in September 2023.The CMA is concerned pet owners are overpaying for...

Pets at Home shares drop 5%CVS Group shares gain 3%Vet services market £5 billionShares in pet care supplier Pets at Home (PETS) were down 5% to 265p in morning trading as the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) confirmed it would launch a full investigation into the veterinary services sector.In contrast, shares in veterinary practice operator CVS (CVSG:AIM) were up nearly 3% in morning...

The FTSE 100 was outperforming its European peers at midday Tuesday, after market sentiment got a boost from UK employment data, which has raised the chances of a Bank of England interest rate cut.A red-hot US consumer price rise could undo all of that progress, however. According to FXStreet cited consensus, the US annual consumer price inflation rate is expected to have remained at 3.1% in...

Shares in Pets at Home (PETS) have plunged 30% over one year due to an overhang from the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) review of the UK veterinary sector and signs there are limits to the sums pet owners will spend on their animal companions during a cost-of-living crisis.While competitive threats from the supermarkets and online-only player Zooplus are already priced in, the market...

First half revenue up 11.4%Full year earnings expectations reiteratedStrong pipeline of acquisitions in AustraliaVeterinary services group CVS (CVSG:AIM) delivered strong first half growth with revenue up 11.4% to £329.9 million and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) 9% ahead at £63 million.The company said it expects to meet the market?s full...

First quarter sales up 11.9%Six acquisitions made in the year to date for £45.7 millionComplying with competition regulator information requestsAcquisitive veterinary services group CVS (CVSG:AIM) said first quarter total sales increased 11.9% year on year with comparable sales up 5.8% reflecting positive performance across all parts of the business.The company said it has made a good start...

Solid full-year revenue and profit growthAcquisitions continue despite CMA investigationShortage of UK vets continuesThere was some relief for investors in integrated veterinary services provider CVS (CVSG:AIM) on Thursday as full-year sales and profit came in broadly in line with analysts' expectations.The shares gained 4% to £15.63 but remain around 26% below where they traded before the...

Shares in acquisitive vet services provider CVS (CVSG:AIM) are down 23% year-to-date following a savage sell-off triggered by the launch of a Competition and Markets Authority review into the UK pet industry, prompted by an uptick in vet prices driven by industry consolidation.In response to the review (7 September), CVS highlighted the 'significant shortage' of vets in the UK and stressed...

Regulator to review £2 billion-plus marketConcerns consolidation has encouraged anti-competitive practicesVets pure-play CVS particularly vulnerableShares in Pets at Home (PETS) plunged 10.5% to 339p after the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a review into the UK's £2 billion-plus veterinary services market amid concerns over possible anti-competitive practices.Also in the...

- First half profit up 13.5%, like-for-like sales up 7.5%- Increased borrowing facilities on improved terms- Market remains resilientIntegrated veterinary services provider CVS (CVSG:AIM) confirmed first half revenue grew 8.2% to £296.3 million, while adjusted pre-tax profit jumped 13.5% to £41.1 million reflecting higher margins.With the key numbers already disclosed in the 26 January...

Veterinary group CVS (CVSG:AIM) has ambitions to double EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) over the next five years.The goal is expected to be achieved through a combination of higher organic growth and improved margins through investment in facilities and equipment.This will involve a £30 million-to-£50 million annual investment to refurbish and relocate...

One of Shares' stock picks for 2022, pet care business Pets at Home (PETS) proved a Covid winner as the retailer profited from the pandemic-induced pet ownership boom.But the shares have fallen sharply in 2022 on fears, as yet unfounded, that the Covid tailwind will abate and with Pets at Home tarred by the broader sector brush as investors fret over the impact of a consumer downturn on retail...

Shares in veterinary practices operator CVS (CVSG:AIM) cheapened 2.2% to £18.32 on news its acquisition of Quality Pet Care, which trades as The Vet, could now be referred for an in-depth probe by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).The CMA has published the findings of its phase one investigation into last August's £20.4 million takeover and decided the acquisition may have resulted...

Wouldn't it be nice to turn £10,000 into £100,000 by investing in the stock market, and not having to wait a lifetime for it happen? It is possible but not necessarily easy.The level of difficulty really depends on your timeframe and risk appetite as we shall explain in this article.We have approached the task by looking at what different assets have historically returned to investors over...

Rising inflation expectations means that growth-hungry investors will need to be increasingly discerning and disciplined in terms of their stock picking in the months ahead.One sensible solution is to invest in a fund where the manager has pedigree in backing dynamic growth companies without overpaying to own the shares. Step forward Mark Slater, who has managed Slater Growth Fund (B7T0G90)...

Shares in integrated veterinary practices company CVS (CVSG:AIM) hit an all-time high on Thursday, surging 6.5% to £26.55 after reporting full year growth in revenues and profit ahead of market expectations.The company said that strong growth had continued with revenues growing 17.5% in the first two months of the new financial year with like-for-like growth accelerating to 14.4% compared...

Individuals looking to shield wealth from inheritance tax should consider London's AIM stock market as investing in certain shares can help keep the taxman at bay. The standard rate of inheritance tax is 40% which is a meaningful amount.AIM shares that qualify for business property relief and held for at least two years do not form part of the estate for inheritance tax purposes and can be...

Shares in animal veterinary practices group CVS (CVSG:AIM) gained 3.6% to £19.47 on Thursday after reporting first-half like for like sales growth of 7.8% which accelerated in the first two months of the second half.In the first two months of the second half like-for-like sales growth accelerated to around 10% helped by higher pet numbers and price rises of around 3%.CVS operates in a market...

People have continued to spend on the health and wellbeing of their pets during the pandemic, implying that retailers and service providers in this area should be fairly resilient.While the UK pet population has been broadly stable for the past decade, spending on pets has grown by 7% annually over the same period according to investment bank Liberum.Spend on vet services has also seen strong...

UK markets start Friday modestly on the back foot as the coronavirus death toll reached 638 and luxury fashion retailer Burberry (BRBY) warned the disease outbreak was hurting its bottom line.'The outbreak of the coronavirus in mainland China is having a material negative effect on luxury demand', said Burberry's chief executive Marco Gobbetti in a trading update on Friday.The luxury fashion...