Just over five years ago the stock market began to react in earnest to news of the Covid pandemic.The sell-off was short and sharp, with a modest recovery from the lows in the spring followed by sharper gains in November 2020 after AstraZeneca (AZN) made a vaccine breakthrough.However, a large number of UK stocks are still trading below the levels they were at by the close of trading on 21...

Blue chip stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green at Wednesday midday, while British pub operator JD Wetherspoon was down a notch as it warned on higher costs amid an incoming increase in national insurance contributions for UK employers.The UK Chancellor is unlikely to be celebrating after public sector net borrowing rose to £17.81 billion in December, far outpacing...

Festive like-for-likes up 6.1%Year-to-date sales up 4%£60 million extra labour costs expectedPubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) reported strong trading over the festive season with like-for-like sales up 6.1% over the three weeks between 16 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.In the last 12-weeks, representing Wetherspoon's financial second quarter, like-for-like sales growth slowed to 4.6% compared...

Stock prices in London were in the green on Wednesday morning, with FTSE 100 firm Intermediate Capital enjoying a boost after hailing 'strong fundraising.'PSNB totalled £17.81 billion in December, up from £11.8 billion in November. The November figure was revised up from £11.25 billion, and the December one far outpaced FXStreet-cited market consensus of £13.4 billion.For the year that...

The last 10 years have been pretty rough for UK stocks but there could be some signs of life emerging as we head towards 2025.Brexit, Covid and other political and economic shocks as well as a tilt towards 'old economy' stocks and a minimal footprint in technology have combined to undermine the relevance and appeal of the UK market.The resulting underperformance has led to people consistently...

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) value credentials continue to shine through. According to fund manager Anna Farmbrough at Ninety One the company has doubled its average price advantage over competitors to 40% since the pandemic.Farmbrough notes that a few years ago there were three pubs in her local area while today there is just a single Wetherspoons, demonstrating its ability to benefit as...

UK firms from the retail, leisure, hospitality, manufacturing, logistics and housebuilding sectors have said they will incur additional costs due to the increases in the national living wage and employers' national insurance contributions announced in the Budget on 30 October. According to Reuters the total declared impact is now £1.1 billion.Some of the sectors most affected include retail...

Retail and hospitality companies have slammed the UK government's Budget as a raid on corporate coffers that will heap extra costs on already hard-pressed sectors, with Labour's 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage and uplift in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) forecast to lead to job cuts and price hikes.Chancellor Rachel Reeves' lowering of the employers' NIC threshold...

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) 602pMarket cap: £732 millionThe market has a well-understood tendency to overshoot and undershoot, and in the case of pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) we think it has pushed the shares much too low given the qualities of the business and the risks it faces.Considering the company raised its earnings guidance last month and reinstated the dividend thanks to 'robust'...

First quarter like-for-like sales up 5.9%Budget plans adds £60 million to costsIndustry primed for further price risesPub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) continues to perform better than the hospitality industry with 5.9% like-for-like sales growth in the 14 weeks to 2 November, marking 25 consecutive months of outperformance.Investors cheered the news, with the shares gaining 3% to 606.5p,...

The market gave a largely positive response to Labour's first Budget with the domestic-facing FTSE 250 index and AIM market both enjoying strong gains following the unveiling of chancellor Rachel Reeves' plans.While the inheritance tax exemption on AIM shares was halved it wasn't abolished as had been feared. Rachel Winter, partner at Killik & Co: 'AIM shares have suffered from a perfect storm...

The list of company directors selling more than £1 million worth of shares since Labour got into power three months ago is growing. It's as if they can see the writing on the wall with a potential hike to capital gains tax in the Budget on 30 October.By crystalising value from their investments now they can avoid handing over more of their wealth to the taxman should we see substantial...

Full-year sales up 4.8%Full-year profit in line with consensusYear-end net debt to fall by £300 millionPubs group Marston's (MARS) said strong trading continued into its final quarter resulting in full-year like-for-like sales up 4.8%, ahead of the broader hospitality market, driven by resilient demand for its food and drink.The group noted a 'material' circa £300 million reduction in...

Full year ahead of forceastsDividend reinstated at 2019 levelSees scope for 1,000 pubsPub chain JD Wetherpoon (JDW) served up a tasty cocktail of continuing like-for-like sales growth and reinstatement of the dividend after a five-year hiatus, which was enough to send the shares up 2.8p or 0.5% to 726p in early trading.While the shares are up around 80% from the trough in September 2022, they...

Pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) is due to reveal full-year results on 4 October. These are expected to be in line with market expectations according to a pre-close trading statement on 10 July.Consensus expectations are calling for sales just north of £2 billion for the first time and a pre-tax profit of £72 million, representing year-on-year growth of 5% and 67% respectively.While achieving...

Wetherspoon chair sells 1% of companyCreightons and hVIVO executives sell upAssetco director adds to holdingTim Martin, chairman of pub group JD Wetherspoon (JDW), sold 1,361,000 shares at 739p each for a total value of more than £10 million on 29 July.As a result of the deal, Martin's voting rights now comprise of 30,382,253 shares, equivalent to 24.6% of the issued share capital of the...

Shares up 16% over the past yearYear-to-date like-for-like sales increased by 7.7%Cost pressures remain for pub groupShares in JD Wetherspoon (JDW) were little changed in morning trading at 766p as the pub group said like-for-like sales increased by 5.8% in the 10 weeks to 7 July compared to the same period last year.Chairman Tim Martin said the gradual post-pandemic recovery was achieved with...

Third quarter sales up 5.2%Full year profit seen top endUpgrades to earnings estimatesThe post-pandemic recovery at JD Wetherspoon (JDW) continues at pace after the pub group delivered another period of strong like-for-like sales growth and said full-year profit was expected to come in at the top end of market expectations.The news sent the shares 3% higher to 748.6p, meaning they are roughly...

Stock prices in London opened higher on Wednesday, beating Asian peers which trended lower over night, and following a flatter session in the US.The FTSE 100 index opened up 34.20 points, 0.4%, at 8,347.87. The FTSE 250 was up 30.83 points, 0.2%, at 20,443.91, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.94 points, 0.3%, at 778.36.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 833.39, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at...

Like for like sales growth slows to 5.8%Big jump in operating profitTough comps in second halfSlowing like for like sales growth at pubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) was enough to knock the shares 7% lower to 737.5p, bringing an end to a strong run which has seen them gain 25% over the last year, comfortably ahead of the FTSE 250.Like-for-like sales growth slowed to 5.8% in the seven weeks to 17...