Investors will be hoping for another serving of positive news when resilient beverages business AG Barr (BAG) delivers its trading update for the year ended 25 January 2025 on 28 January. However, cooling UK consumer confidence since the Budget combined with recent cold weather suggests guidance upgrades are unlikely.The FTSE 250 firm, whose brands include Irn-Bru, Rubicon and Boost, is rebuilding

AG Barr (BAG) 550pGain to date: 13.5%We flagged Scottish soft drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) in August 2023 arguing the company was not being given sufficient credit by the market for its sales momentum. We highlighted the strength of its portfolio of brands including Irn-Bru and Rubicon.WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO SINCE WE SAID TO BUY?We were on the money when we flagged ?the scope for further upgrades? as

Stocks in London fell after the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged but played down hopes of a cut in the near-term.The FTSE 100 index closed down 8.41 points, 0.1%, at 7,622.16. The FTSE 250 ended down 226.79 points, 1.2%, at 19,131.16, and the AIM All-Share closed down 2.05 points, 0.3%, at 752.70.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.3% at 761.66, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.4% at 16,594.23,

Profit guidance upgraded againBrands have positive momentumEuan Sutherland to succeed Roger WhiteOne of Shares running Great Ideas selections, Irn-Bru-to-Rubicon drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) served up another full-year profit upgrade which sent the shares up 1.5% to a 52-week high of 576p.The beverages business behind iconic Scottish tipple Irn-Bru as well as take home cocktail offering FUNKIN and c

Stock prices in London opened mixed on Thursday but Shell and BP rose; ahead of the Bank of England?s first interest rate decision of 2024.The FTSE 100 index opened up 16.35 points, 0.2%, at 7,646.92. The FTSE 250 was down 71.53 points, 0.4%, at 19,286.42, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.030 of a points at 754.78 .The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 764.57, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.5% at 16,747.37, an

Stock prices in London opened lower on Friday amid concerns over the pressure of monetary tightening on equities, ahead of a US non-farm payrolls print.The FTSE 100 index opened down 30.14 points, 0.4%, at 7,250.36. The FTSE 250 was down 47.77 points, 0.3%, at 17,868.69, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.08 points, 0.2%, at 739.78.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 723.11, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.6%

- Profit guidance downgraded to £20 million-to-£30 million range- Saga warns insurance market inflationary pressures set to continue- Expects 'continued recovery' in cruise and travel businessesShares in Saga (SAGA) slumped 18.5% to 109.4p, an all-time low since its flotation in 2014, after the over-50s insurer and cruise operator warned full year profits will fall short of expectations amid inf

A de facto invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has ramped up market volatility and sent oil prices to the cusp of $100 per barrel and safe-haven gold to within touching distance of $1,900 an ounce, at the time of writing (22 Feb).Hopes of a de-escalation are looking increasing forlorn as Vladimir Putin orders troops into Ukrainian regions held by separatist rebels which have been backed by Russi

In quiet trading ahead of new year, UK shares inched into positive territory and looked likely to finish 2021 on a high note with the FTSE 100 booking mid double- digit gains for the year.Investors will be watching for further signs of economic strength in the US when weekly jobless data is released later today, setting the tone for increased tightening of US monetary policy.At midday the FTSE 100

Corporate news was thin on the ground on Thursday as UK shares moved in a narrow range in thin trading.In the US the benchmark S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrials closed at record highs as Omicron fears abated despite rising infections.In Asia, trading was mixed with China's SE Composite gaining 0.6% while Japan's Nikkei 225 index was down 0.4%.Shares in Chinese real estate developer Everg

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURENitesh Shah Director of Research at WisdomTreeThe European Union's Emissions Trading System (ETS), the European marketplace for the trading of carbon emission allowances and the EU's market-based solution to climate change, already sits as the centrepiece of the EU's strategy on limiting climate change[1]. In June 2021, the EU adopted a European Climate Law, establish

Over-50s services group Saga (SAGA) saw travel bookings for 2022 and 2023 beat pre-pandemic levels, but the shares dipped 0.6% to 349p as the company also warned on lingering Covid uncertainty.The company swung to a modest first-half profit thanks to gains on a property disposal, but it recorded underlying losses as the pandemic continues to weigh on its cruise business.Pre-tax earnings for the si

Shares in over 50s insurer and cruise operator Saga (SAGA) soared 11.8% to 390p as the company said its cruise arm is ready to set sail as soon as the Government allows, with significant pent-up demand and a big jump in bookings.Saga said it has completed detailed work to ensure it's ready to resume its tour operations and cruise businesses in 2021 with the specific timing being subject to Governm

It might not seem like it in the depths of a gloomy lockdown winter, but brighter days are ahead of us. By mid-February the UK hopes to have vaccinated most over-70s, with a large chunk of over-50s potentially covered by the end of March.This cohort should then be much better protected against Covid-19 and that could result in a new spending spree.Getting the vaccine should allow for the gradual r

The biggest director deal over the past week comes from FTSE 250 gold and silver miner Hochschild Mining (HOC), whose chairman and founder Eduardo Hochschild sold a huge chunk of stock.Investment bank JP Morgan placed 61.7 million shares in the company at 200p each for Pelham Investment Corporation, Hochschild's personal investment vehicle.Following the share placing, which represents a 12% stake

There aren't too many firms which have delivered a 10-fold increase in first-half revenues to €72.4 million and a 13-fold increase in gross profits to €60.3 million in 2020, all from organic sources. This makes diagnostics firm Novacyt (NCYT:AIM) pretty unique.But the excitement has arguably only just begun with the latest contract win (29 Sep) to supply the Department for Health and Soc

Shares in over-50s insurer and travel operator Saga (SAGA) have soared over 34% to 18.3p after it said it is planning to raise £150 million in an equity raising.Saga said the raising would strengthen its balance sheet, improve liquidity and support the execution of its 'reinvigorated strategy under its strengthened management team', which it hopes will return the company to sustainable growth and

UK biotechnology shares have provided some of the best returns in the market over the last six months, driven by a plethora of regulatory news about new products aimed at tackling coronavirus.Shareholders are rightly asking whether the strong share price performances have gone too far in relation to the fundamentals, or maybe in some cases have further to run. We will now talk through the importan

The coronavirus outbreak is providing a 'boon' for tiny, dual-listed Paris based firm Novacyt (NCYT:AIM) which has developed a novel test for the virus.The shares, up a staggering 220% since 29 January, added another 18% today to 48p, as it updated the market on current developments.CE-MARK AND FDA APPROVALSince launch on 31 January, the company has received orders for 33,000 tests and requests fo

London's FTSE 100 recovered some of the heavy ground lost yesterday, rising a modest 11.3 points to 7,423.3 early on Tuesday, although markets are likely to be in a holding pattern until there is greater clarity on how and when the coronavirus can be contained.Recently in the doldrums following a savage profit warning last summer, IRN-BRU-to-Rubicon maker A.G. Barr (BAG) fizzed 14.7% higher to 624