Strong first-half growthDividend raised by 10%Full-year outlook confirmedLeading UK food producer Cranswick (CWK) was the biggest faller in the FTSE 250 mid-cap index, losing nearly 5% despite serving up a tasty 16.5% increase in first-half adjusted operating profit to just shy of £100 million and reiterating full year guidance.Investors were clearly in the mood for some profit-taking after the s

Shares in Yorkshire-based pork and poultry producer Cranswick (CWK) leapt 280p or 6% to a new life-high just shy of £50 on Friday as the firm raised its outlook yet again following a better-than-expected second quarter. Led for the last decade by chief executive Adam Couch, a Cranswick 'lifer', the company has expanded its production in recent years to serve UK supermarkets and 'food-to-go' clien

Trading ahead of forecastsHalf-year seen up on 2023Full-year profit top end of rangeFood producer Cranswick (CWK) has once again seen trading top expectations due to strong demand leading it to raise its half-year and full-year earnings guidance.The shares leapt 280p or 6% to £49.95 taking them not only to the top of the FTSE 250 leader board but to an all-time high. ONWARDS AND UPWARDSCra

Stocks in London finished in the green on Friday, after PCE data from the US came in hotter than expected.Investors are also eyeing interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England next week.The FTSE 100 index closed up 99.36 points, 1.2%, at 8,285.71. The FTSE 250 ended up 471.95 points, 2.3%, at 21,356.30, and the AIM All-Share closed up 6.64 points, 0.9%, at 779.67.Over t

Now the ballots have been cast at the general election, the UK could become the 'reassuringly boring' market, both politically and fiscally, when compared to the more extreme politics on the other side of the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean.So suggests Jean Roche, manager of the Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP), who notes capital allocators know more or less what to expect, which could explain th

Interest rates are expected to stay higher for longer to combat the sticky inflation which remains a threat to investors? hard-earned wealth and purchasing power. During periods of high inflation, it is crucial to invest in companies that possess pricing power, because these firms can pass on increased costs to customers, enabling them to maintain profit margins and generate the robust cash flows

Cranswick (CWK) £40Profit to date: 11%In November 2023, we said investors hungry for positive earnings momentum and an unbroken 33 years of dividend growth should take a closer look at pork and poultry products supplier Cranswick (CWK).We saw scope for further earnings forecast upgrades based on strong UK food trading highlighted by leading grocer Tesco (TSCO).There is also underappreciated upsid

Trust returns to long-run outperformance trendBenchmark-beating 17.6% returnUK mid-caps cheaper than large-capsJean Roche-run investment trust Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP) returned to form in style over the year ended 30 September 2023, delivering a net asset value total return of 17.6% versus the disappointing 30% decline in the previous year.This beat the 13.6% total return from the benchmark

Strong first half with sales up 12% and pre-tax profit rising 24%Adjusted operating margin improves to 6.8%Full year pre-tax profit upgraded to top of market forecastsPremium food supplier Cranswick (CWK) was one of the top gainers in the mid-cap FTSE 250 index on Tuesday, rising 2% to £37 after delivering tasty first half results and raising full year guidance.The shares notched-up a new 12-mont

Investors hungry for a stock with positive earnings momentum and which has racked up 33 years of unbroken dividend growth should buy Cranswick (CWK), a key supplier of pork and poultry products to supermarkets including Tesco (TSCO), Sainsbury's (SBRY) and Marks & Spencer (MKS).Admittedly the consumer backdrop is tough, but Cranswick's retail customers are outperforming peers. Notably Britain's bi

Obesity is one of the fastest growing public health issues facing the world. The World Health Organisation estimates there are two billion overweight adults, of which around 650 million are technically obese.Having a body mass index over 30 means someone is obese, while anyone with a score over 25 is classified under this system as being overweight. Experts predict almost half of US adults will be

Firmly out of favour with investors since the Brexit vote seven years ago, the FTSE 250 index rallied strongly on the release of the latest UK inflation data (19 July). This showed UK CPI rising by 7.9% year-on-year in June, lower than forecasts of an 8.2% rise, theoretically reducing expectations for the scale of future interest rate hikes from the Bank of England.Yet even after a big one-day jum

Demand resilient in core product categoriesCost inflation 'starting to slow'Progress in pet products ahead of Pets at Home launchShares in Cranswick (CWK) fattened up 2.5% to a 12-month high of £34.28 after the gourmet sausage, pork and poultry producer upgraded its year-to-March 2024 outlook on the back of a strong first quarter trading, with volume growth returning across many categories.Despit

Price hikes help annual sales 15.7% higherDividend raised for 33rd consecutive yearPets at Home supply partnership revealedShares in Cranswick (CWK) fattened up 5.7% to £33.18 after the premium food producer delivered robust full-year results in the face of stiff cost and consumer headwinds and raised the dividend for an impressive 33rd consecutive year.There was relief among investors as the fre

- Multi-cap trust underperforms due to small cap bias- Dividend cover restored- Cranswick and Marshalls among new purchasesJanus Henderson-managed Lowland (LWI) underperformed the FTSE All-Share in the year to September 2022 as the multi-cap trust's bias to higher-yielding shares and smaller companies lagged an index with a pronounced large cap bent.On the positive side of the ledger, the annual d

With the price of the average weekly shop going up by more than 10% this year, is there a way for investors to play the rise in spending on 'essentials' by owning shares in the companies which make the products we all buy?Shares has analysed the typical UK shopping basket to see what conclusions could be drawn.WHAT IS IN THE 'OFFICIAL' BASKET?The ONS (Office for National Statistics), which prepare

The idea behind value investing is to buy shares for less than they are worth in the hope they reach their so-called 'fair' value and generate a better than market return.This article explores popular yardsticks used to find value shares, explains how they are used and highlights the advantages and drawbacks.Before starting it is worth bearing in mind that none of the metrics discussed are perfect

- Strong 1H sales growth +12.4%, like-for-like +10.7%- Dividend up 3%- Outlook unchanged despite macro challengesPremium food producer Cranswick (CWK) delivered strong first half revenue growth of 12.4% to £1.12 billion and like-for-like growth of 10.7%.The resilient performance in the face of 'a relentlessly challenging operating environment' was well received with the shares gaining almost 4% t

Among the strategies that can richly reward those investors with a bit of patience is dividend growth investing.At its heart this involves putting money to work in companies that compound their earnings over time and convert a high proportion of profits into the cold, hard cash needed to fund consistent increases in the shareholder reward.One fan of this investing style is legendary US fund manage

After a multi-year run of impressive gains investors have been let down by fast growth stocks in 2022. The US technology-heavy Nasdaq index has fallen more than 20% since the start of the year as investors have suddenly balked at paying high valuations to gain exposure to the potential for significant growth in the future.The performance of this headline index doesn't even tell the whole grim stor