H&T (HAT:AIM) 376.7pMarket cap: £165.7 millionA 15% year-to-date drawdown at H&T (HAT:AIM) presents a buying opportunity at the UK's biggest pawnbroker, a beneficiary of the cost-of-living crisis and the elevated gold price whose long-run prospects appear underrated on a single-digit PE (price to earnings) ratio.Caused by inflation and rising interest rates, the cost-of-living crisis has...

H&T acquires profitable Essex pawnbrokerSecures extra £25 million in financingDeals ?underpin the future growth trajectory?Despite its status as a clear cost-of-living crisis winner, shares in pawnbroker H&T (HAT:AIM) are down 12% year-to-date following a January profit warning that caught investors off guard.However, the stock rallied 5% to 389p on Wednesday as investors applauded the...

Pre-tax profits for the year expected to be 10% below market forecastsPre-Christmas retail trading challengingDemand for core pawnbroking at ?record levels?Shares in H&T (HAT:AIM) were down over 17% to 329p in morning trading despite the UK?s biggest pawnbroker reporting a ?robust? performance in the fourth quarter of the year.Aggregate lending in 2023 amounted to £260 million, an increase of...

Strong trading continued in the second halfAnnual profits topped £10 millionPrecious metals the standout performerPawnbroker and jewellery retailer Ramsdens (RFX:AIM) delivered record profits in the year ended 30 September 2023 as the cost-of-living crisis drove bumper demand for pawnbroking and gold buying, news that triggered a 5.5% share price rally to 200p.Drawing strength from its...

H1 pledge book growth of 14%Cost-of-living crisis a boon for H&THigher-than-expected costs weigh on sharesH&T (HAT:AIM), the UK's biggest pawnbroker, reported a 31% rise in pre-tax profits for the half to 30 June 2023 as the cost-of-living crisis drove continued positive momentum in its pawnbroking business.The company insisted rising demand for its core products and continued momentum in...

Although the latest UK inflation figures are easy off, the cost-of-living crisis is still alive and kicking, as food, energy and petrol costs remain stubbornly high.This is bad news for consumers but good news for some companies who are benefiting from the doom and gloom on the high street and in households. Here are 10 names doing well.Shoe ZoneFootwear retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) sells...

H&T says pledge lending at record levelsBegbies' results beat original forecastsHigher rates a tailwind for both businessesA cost-of-living crisis, persistent inflation and higher interest rates are playing to the strengths of the UK's biggest pawnbroker H&T (HAT:AIM) and business recovery practice Begbies Traynor (BEG:AIM), two companies which delivered positive updates today.Both companies...

Pawnbroker-to-jewellery retailer Ramsdens (RFX:AIM) has rallied hard off its Covid lows and shares in the Middlesbrough-based company are up 18% year-to-date. Yet despite such strength, we think the share price rise has further to go, with group profits now ahead of pre-pandemic levels. Consider this a short-term trade rather than a long-term investment.Like peer H&T (HAT:AIM), Ramsdens is...

In times of economic strife, pawnbrokers typically see a pick-up in trade as cash-strapped individuals seek ways of getting money to help pay the bills. Business is certainly booming for pawnbroker H&T (HAT:AIM) whose share price has more than doubled since October 2020 and up by more than 60% over the past year alone.In recent years H&T, which also sells high quality new and pre-owned...

US markets posted their biggest one-day gain in two years yesterday with the S&P 500 index surging 5.5% and the technology heavy Nasdaq rising a whopping 7.4% after consumer price inflation for October came in lower than expected.Despite many months of higher-than-expected inflation, investors have been fixated on anticipating a Fed 'pivot' and yesterday's inflation print could give the US...

Higher interest rates have have reduced PE (price to earnings) ratios across the market with the brunt of the damage suffered by highly-rated growth shares.With only one in six stocks in the FTSE-All Share trading above their 200-day moving average, Shares investigates whether some names may unfairly have been caught up in the indiscriminate selling.This article reveals some of the biggest...

- Ramsdens is the latest pawnbroker to raise earnings guidance- H&T's share price close to all-time high- Both companies are upbeat on prospectsThe pawnbroking industry, which struggled during the pandemic as lockdowns blocked off many avenues for spend and enabled people to pay down debt, is now experiencing a boom as customers seek cash to help make ends meet.Pawnbrokers H&T (HAT:AIM) and...

As investors debate whether the next move in markets is up or down, it's worth noting that there are a group of stocks which are quietly making new 52-week and multi-year highs and even a few making new all-time highs.While some are involved in special situations, such as bid talks, and some are related to the unprecedented surge in energy prices, the most interesting from our point of view...

UK stocks got off to a positive start in a week which is likely to be dominated by economic news including consumer prices and employment.Sterling gave back some ground to $1.3680 after its month-long rally against the dollar but Brent oil prices remained stubbornly high at more than $86 per barrel.At 8.45am the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 50 points or 0.7% to another new high of...

The latest UK retail sales figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) gave the market a boost heading into the weekend as they suggested consumers were in buoyant mood last month.In value terms, in other words in actual pounds and pence, we spent 10.8% more last month than we did in November 2020, which represents the strongest growth in retail sales since shops reopened in...

London's FTSE 100 ended Monday's session in positive territory, wiping out earlier losses to trade firmly above 7,100 by the close of play and shrugging off a weaker open on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 was down 0.16% to 4,429.43 by 4.30pm UK time.COMPANY NEWSIn company news, wealth manager Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) sank 11.2% to £14.57, even as it reported an 8% rise in annual underlying...

London's FTSE 100 was down 0.5% at 7,089.88 points by midday on Monday as weak Chinese trade figures, lower commodity prices and a rise in global coronavirus infections hit the index.The decline in gold to levels last seen in May appeared to have little impact on the sector, while crude oil's fall had a modest impact on BP (BP.), which slipped 2.2% to 301p.The more UK domestically focused...

Shares in H&T (HAT:AIM) rallied 6.6% to 291p as the pawnbroker delivered better than expected first half profits as its pawnbroking and retail performance more than offset a slightly worse than anticipated showing from gold purchasing and pawnbroking scrap.The resilient operator also reported cash balances of £32.5 million, underpinning a larger than expected interim dividend of 4p (H1 2020:...

UK stocks reversed their morning gains as markets worldwide wobbled after US legislators warned that a bi-partisan deal over up to $1,900 billion of government stimulus may take longer than expected.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 56 points or 0.8% at 6,639 as weakness in travel and financial stocks offset gains in retailers and utilities.Gold prices slipped 0.2% to...

UK stocks gave up their early gains on Monday as a pick-up in merger and acquisition activity was offset by increasing worries over the new strain of the virus.By midday the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 20 points or 0.3% to 6,674 as weakness in travel and financial stocks offset gains in retailers and miners.Gold prices slipped 0.2% to $1,851 an ounce and Brent Crude gained 0.5%...