FY23 guidance downgradedCost-of-living pressures impact eating out market?Robust? growth targeted in 2024Shares in Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) tumbled 8% to an all-time low of 50.5p after the UK?s largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant group served up a profit warning following a sour end to 2023, with subdued demand across the eating out market hindering growth in the fourth quarter.The...

Over the longer term, UK small caps have historically outperformed their larger cap brethren, but prevailing investor sentiment towards smaller companies remains poor due to stubborn inflation, higher interest rates and recessionary fears. It won't be like this all the time.One smart way to gain exposure to the asset class ahead of an eventual rally, with a turn in inflation among the likely...

First half sales up 22%Like-for-like sales growth ahead of marketManagement confident of meeting full year profit targetFast casual Mexican restaurant operator Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) served-up a resilient first half and expressed confidence in achieving its full-year profit targets.Investors seemed unimpressed, however, with the shares dipping 0.4% to 69p in early trading. Over the...

- Like-for-like sales 16.4% above pre-Covid levels- Food and energy costs eat into margins- Tacos-to-burritos seller reports positive current tradingTortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM), the UK's largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant group, served up record sales for the year ended 1 January 2023 with a boost from a record year of 18 site openings and below-inflation price increases to mitigate...

- Profits hit by surging meat and energy costs- Like-for-like sales have slowed over the summer- Industry headwinds to have 'material' impact on second half earningsShares in Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) slumped 27.4% to 106p after the UK's largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant group served up mixed first half results with surging meat prices eating into margins, news that overshadowed...

Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG:NYSE) sizzled on Wall Street after the fast casual restaurants star turn served up forecast-beating second quarter earnings (26 July), with profit growth driven by price hikes.Though sales in the quarter to 30 June were weaker than expected as inflation squeezed low-income consumers, Chipotle's capacity to raise prices from a low base is enabling the chain...

- Dining group delivers strong like-for-like growth- Warns cost inflation has worsened- Chilango deal strengthens position in fast-casual Mexican food marketFast-casual Mexican restaurant group Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) served up tasty first half like-for-like sales growth and insisted its store roll-out programme remains on track, welcome news that helped the shares trade 2.5% higher...

Investors might not have heard much about McDonald's (MCD:NYSE) of late. It's not as exciting as younger, faster-growing fast-food chains like Shake Shack (SHAK:NYSE), Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) or even Chipotle (CMG:NYSE). But McDonald's shares continue to consistently outpace the market while the company remains a reliable dividend grower.In investment markets stressed by a biting...

Despite the many challenges facing the restaurant sector, Tortilla Mexican Grill (MEX:AIM) served up tasty maiden full year results following its stock market listing in October 2021, with sales and profits reaching record levels.Shares in the UK's largest listed fast-casual Mexican restaurant group were marked up 1.5% to 168.5p as it also reported first quarter like-for-like sales growth of...

Burger King's UK operation is set to join the London stock market, according to reports. Private equity firm Bridgepoint (BPT) has been the master franchisee for Burger King UK since 2018 but is now believed to have appointed advisers with a view to floating the business on the London Stock Exchange with a £600 million valuation during the first half of 2022.The master franchise for Burger...

The FTSE 100 finished the first trading session of the week in the red, shedding 0.54% to close at 7,445.25 points. Housebuilders dragged on the blue chip benchmark on the UK Government's plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The more domestically-focused FTSE 250 ended the day 1.5% lower at 23,001.81 points.Investor sentiment was...

London's FTSE 100 was flat by midday at 7,482.12 points, with housebuilders weighing on the blue chip benchmark as the UK Government announced plans to force them to pay to fix the cladding crisis which has followed the Grenfell tragedy in 2017.The housing secretary will unveil plans this week for a £4 billion grant scheme to pay for repairs demanded by banks and insurers in the wake of the...