Shares ITV (ITV) failed to fire despite recent reports that French media giant Banjay was in early talks with the free-to-air broadcaster to buy the whole group or just its studio production arm. Banjay's plans were first reported in the Financial Times and follow speculation about an approach from Abu Dhabi-backed media group RedBird IMI in January this year. RedBird IMI was apparently keen...

TM Redwheel UK Equity Income Fund (BG34293) 124p Assets: £501 million Managed by the duo of Ian Lance and Nick Purves, the TM Redwheel UK Equity Income Fund (BG342C6) is the spiritual successor to the pair's former five-star-rated income fund which they ran at Schroders (SDR) more than 15 years ago. With a similar brief, to generate income and capital growth in excess of the FTSE All Share...

Digital viewing up 12% for full year 2024Record profits at ITV StudiosDigital advertising revenue up 15%Shares in ITV (ITV) gained over 5% on Thursday (6 March) after the free-to-air broadcaster reported a strong full year 2024 performance led by its streaming hub ITVX.Digital viewing was up 12% and digital advertising revenue was up 15% for the year ending 31 December driven by the robust...

Merged entity to rival BBC Studios, FreemantleITV shares up 22% in past yearTalks come after RedBird IMI 'sells' TelegraphShares in ITV (ITV) were marginally lower at 73p in early trading this morning on reports the free-to-air broadcaster is in talks with Abu Dhabi-backed media group RedBird IMI over a combination of their respective production businesses.If a deal goes ahead, it would centre...

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on...

Market speculation ITV might demergeITV has made no commentYear-to-date ITV shares have gained 11%Shares in ITV (ITV) were nearly 9% higher at 71p in morning trading as rumours circulated of potential suitors for the free-to-air-broadcaster.According to Sky News, a number of possible bidders for part or all ITV have emerged including a European broadcaster France's Groupe TF1 and CVC Capital...

Group revenue down 8% to £2.7 billionTotal ITV Studios revenue down 20% to £1.21 billionAdditional £20 million net cost savings in 2024Shares in ITV (ITV) fell more than 8% to 66p in morning trading as the free-to-air broadcaster said group revenue fell 8% at £2.7 billion in the nine months to 30 September.Total ITV Studios revenue was down 20% to £1.21 billion impacted by the expected...

Recent changes to the UK's listing rules should lead to a host of new names joining the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices in the new year, generating more interest in the UK stock market and putting more companies on the radar of investors.This matters to investors whether they own UK stocks directly, have exposure via actively-managed funds or simply track certain parts of the market through an...

Shares in N Brown (BWNG:AIM) have enjoyed a bounce since early summer, taking year-to-date gains to the best part of 60% as investors applaud progress against CEO Steve Johnson's multi-year transformation plan.The turnaround of the Manchester-headquartered online clothing and homewares seller is all the more impressive considering a soft trading backdrop and 2024's unseasonal weather.N Brown...

On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market...

Strong first-half returnsInterim dividend up 20%Portfolio still undervaluedValue-focused investment trust Temple Bar (TMPL) continued its run of outperformance in the six months to 30 June with an NAV (net asset value) total return of 13.1% against a 7.4% return for the FTSE All-Share index.The share price total return was 11% following a widening of the discount to NAV to 7.5% from 5.6% at...

There is a phrase in business ? 'shrink to greatness' ? meaning companies selling or demerging assets and focusing on what they do best.You might call it streamlining, others might say it is an admission that the previous strategy did not work and the company was too bloated.This trend is firmly in motion across the UK stock market with nine companies in the FTSE 100 either in the middle of...

In another sign of the UK market's recent rehabilitation, French media giant Vivendi (VIV:EPA) has announced it will list its Canal+ TV and film operation in London as part of a broader break-up of the business.The move may raise some eyebrows given the lack of any obvious ties between Canal+ and these shores. With the departure of Sky, its main listed counterparts will be ITV (ITV) and its...

In the space of a decade there has been a dramatic shift from people watching linear TV to streaming shows through various platforms. In the US 99% of households pay for at least one streaming service with Netflix (NFLX:NASDAQ), Amazon's (AMZN:NASDAQ) Prime Video and Apple's (AAPL:NASDAQ) Apple TV being the most popular.Streaming has become part of peoples' everyday lives. According to US...

The UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament is likely to be one of the most-watched events of the year, on a par with the Olympic Games later this summer.According to broadcaster ITV (ITV), more than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the opening match between Scotland and Germany, the highest peak audience of any opening to a major football tournament in a decade.The BBC reported the England vs...

Shares in ITV (ITV) have advanced nearly 30% over the past six months as the free-to-air broadcaster has found success with its on-demand streaming service ITVX.Total streaming hours were up 16% in the first quarter and digital advertising revenues grew by 14%.The company said ITVX's monthly active users 'continue to grow in line with expectations' and it remains on track to deliver at least...

Group revenue down 7%Studios revenue down 16%Shares up 20% this yearShares in ITV (ITV) gained nearly 2% in morning trading despite the free-to-air broadcaster reporting a 7% fall in total revenue to £887 million for the three months to 31 March 2024.A ?sore point? for the free-to-air broadcaster came from ITV Studios which reported a 16% fall in total revenue to £382 million in the first...

UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling...

Stock prices in London remained mixed at midday on Thursday, as the interest rate decision from the European Central Bank due later this afternoon continued to hold attention.The FTSE 100 index was down 19.30 points, 0.3%, at 7,660.01. The FTSE 250 was up 103.41 points, 0.5%, at 19,576.63, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.18 points, 0.2%, at 738.81.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 767.42, the...

Group revenue down 2%Studios revenue up 4%Shares hit high for 2024Shares in ITV (ITV) were up more than 8% to a three-month high of 66p in morning trading despite the free-to-air broadcaster reporting a 2% fall in total revenue for the 12 months ending 31 December 2023. STRONG ROSTERMedia & Entertainment (M&E) revenue was down 7% at £2.09 billion, with total advertising revenue (TAR)...