To date, a small, exclusive club of UK retailers have exceeded £1 billion in annual profits, a high street elite that includes Tesco (TSCO), Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Kingfisher (KGF). Some may view this £1 billion figure as merely symbolic, but breaching this barrier is no mean feat and demonstrates a retailer has a lasting place in consumers' affections and the scale to win in a competitive ma

If it seems as though each week brings news of yet another takeover offer for a UK firm, the actual figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) are quite mind-boggling.Aside from the number of listed companies being bought, either by 'inward' investors or domestic buyers, hundreds of privately-owned firms are being snapped up every quarter.If you are in a position where a company you own

International Biotechnology Trust (IBT) 716pMarket cap: £263.2 millionWarren Buffett tells investors to be greedy when others are fearful and take advantage of depressed prices. That in a nutshell is the investment proposition for International Biotechnology Trust (IBT), which sits on an 11% discount to NAV (net asset value).The discount is not quite as extreme as it was when we highlighted the t

Markets seem to approve of the election of Donald Trump as the 47th US president. The S&P 500 has hit a record high in the wake of the election result, crossing over the 6,000 mark for the first time. This latest bump comes on the back of an exceptional run for US stocks, which has put other regional markets firmly in the shade, including the UK's own stock market.The historic performance differen

Full year guidance reiteratedOn target for £700m profit in 2025Substantial free cash flow expectedAerospace components maker Melrose Industries (MRO) defied the malaise in the sector caused by supply shortages after confirming full year- year profit expectations on increased demand for aftermarket parts and services.Investors welcomed the resilient performance by marking the shares up 7% to a new

Palm oil price up 40%'Significant' boost to profitabilityFurther acquisitions on the agendaShares in MP Evans (MPE:AIM) cultivated a 7.5% rise to £10 in early dealings, marking a new two year high, after the Indonesia-based sustainable palm oil producer upgraded year-to-December 2024 profit guidance off the back of surging palm oil prices, which have risen some 40% year-to-date.A more favourable

Group revenue rises 3.7%New UK import centre for 2026France revenue grows 6.8%Shares in B&M European Value (BME) gained over 3% to 392p in morning trading as the low-priced variety goods retailer said group revenue for the 26 weeks to 28 September increased by 3.7% to £2.64 billion.The increase was driven by UK sales growth, which improved across the first half of the year by 6% against 1.5% in t

Better-than-feared second quarterNew recovery strategy unveiled£40 million-cost saving initiativeQuintessentially British luxury brand Burberry (BRBY) topped the FTSE 250 leader board on 14 November, the out-of-fashion firm's shares rallying 14% to 835p as its second-quarter results beat gloomy expectations and new boss Joshua Schulman unveiled a turnaround strategy.A rumoured bid target for Ital

Stocks were mixed on Thursday morning in Europe as investors await eurozone GDP and jobless data, and a US producer price inflation reading later.Also in the UK, data from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors showed signs of improvement in the housing market. A net balance of 16% of property professionals reported house prices rising in October, and a 12% balance saw fresh buyer inquiries

Stock prices in London were down at midday on Friday, as attention shifted back to Trump's victory in the US presidential election, following yesterday's rate cuts.China said on Friday lawmakers had agreed to raise the local government debt ceiling by $840 billion, opening up new funds for its ailing economy.However, 'what has been announced so far doesn't seem to be moving the needle and the risk

Year-to-date IAG shares up 48%New €350 million share buyback15.4% increase in operating profit to €2.01 billionShares in International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) took off this morning after the British Airways owner booked a 7.9% increase in total revenue to €24.05 billion for the nine months to 30 September.The airline group which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling said its

Outlook revised downNew car market remains toughFears over ruling on car financing commissionsThe UK's largest automotive platform Auto Trader (AUTO) revised down its dealership listing volumes outlook and now expects full year average revenue per retailer to fall, sending the shares down 7% to the bottom of the FTSE 100 index.The shares have reversed nearly 12% since the beginning of October on c

Half year pre-tax profit up 4.7%Tasty grocery performanceArgos sales disappointFirst half sales and profits rose at Sainsbury's (SBRY) as the UK's second biggest supermarket continued to secure market share gains in groceries, making up for a soft first quarter at Argos and in general merchandise.CEO Simon Roberts insisted Sainsbury's core food business is 'making the biggest market share gains in

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' like-for-lik

The polls had forecast a knife-edge election but as it turned out Donald Trump won a convincing victory in the US presidential election and has completed a stunning political comeback to return to the White House.The clarity in itself was welcomed by financial markets who had feared a protracted affair with both parties potentially taking some time to concede defeat.Trump's vocal support for crypt

SharkNinja (SN:NYSE) $89.10Gain to date: 82%Market cap: £1.5 billionWe flagged SharkNinja's (SN:NYSE) attractions at $49 in December 2023 and the cleaning and cooking appliance maker's stock has since rocketed on the delivery of strong growth and upgrades. The share price recently peaked at $111 before a third quarter results-induced correction, though our 'buy' call remains 82% in the money.Ri

Calendar third quarter earnings from the so-called 'Magnificent Seven' revealed a stark divide this year, with the tech giants delivering mixed results that are reshaping stock performance expectations.Of the six 'Magnificent Seven' stocks that have reported results already, the market didn't like three; Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ), Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ), and Meta Platforms (META:NASDAQ), loved what Tes

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, although t

Stock prices in London opened higher on Monday morning, ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday and the Bank of England's interest rate decision on Thursday.'Markets are seemingly scaling back some Trump trades,' commented ING analysts, 'and we suspect the next two days can see some abnormal swings in USD crosses due to tighter volatility conditions ahead of a closely contested and highly

The FTSE 100 in London opened higher on Friday, eating into some of its post-UK budget weakness, while the pound gained some lost ground.Eyes turn state side later, with US jobs data to come, before the Federal Reserve decision next week, and a presidential election on Tuesday.Closer to home, Reckitt shares jumped on a favourable US legal ruling on infant formula. Airlines struggled as oil prices