Burberry and Diageo facing tariffs Vodafone executives buy en masse AO and M&S directors lighten up Encouragingly, it seems more directors of UK firms have been buying their companies' stock than selling over the last few weeks, supporting the thesis that UK equities are undervalued on a relative basis, even if the outlook for their businesses is somewhat clouded by tariff concerns. INSIDER...

Record annual profits Mobile business drags on earnings Flat profits forecast this year Online electricals retailer AO World (AO.) delivered an impressive surge in annual profits driven by outstanding customer service, growth in its membership scheme and a focus on cost-cutting and restructuring. Backed by Mike Ashley's Frasers (FRAS), the Bolton-headquartered white goods seller said it...

Bunzl CEO buys 32,470 shares AO World CEO sells one million shares First Tin director buys 965,000 shares Frank van Zanten, CEO of global distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl (BNZL) has bought 32,470 shares at £23.35 for a total value of £758,175 on 17 April. Van Zanten's move comes as the FTSE 100 firm cut its earnings and outlook and suspended its share buyback on 16 April. The shares...

Musicmagpie shares gain 49% in morning tradingOffer at 58% premium to closing share price on 1 OctoberMusicmagpie shareholders will receive 9.07p per share in cashShares in Musicmagpie (MMAG:AIM) gained 49% to 8p in morning trading after the refurbished electronics seller received a £10 million takeover offer from electrical retailer AO World (AO.).Musicmagpie shareholders will receive 9.07p...

Takes 14.65% stake in Aussie retailer'Mutually beneficial opportunities' for both groupsStrengthens ties with Hoka, SkechersDespite already having fingers in multiple pies, Mike Ashley-controlled Frasers (FRAS) has swooped on yet another opportunity to expand its international footprint.The deal-hungry conglomerate has taken a 14.65% stake in Australian sports and lifestyle brands seller...

Operating profits almost trebleFocus on margins paying offDouble-digit sales growth in viewElectrical retailer AO World (AO.) published a pleasing set of results for the full year to the end of March showing the benefit of its decision to shift its focus from market share gains towards profitable growth.The shares added 5p or 4.5% to 118p, taking them to a new 12-month high and bringing gains...

European equities opened higher on Wednesday, after US tech shares, including chipmaker and artificial intelligence titan Nvidia, returned to form overnight.In London, investors had a host of corporate updates to sink into, including bullish earnings from pandemic winners AO World and ProCook. A merger agreement between Witan Investment Trust and Alliance Trust also grabbed some of the...

Stocks in London headed into the long weekend on the front foot, outperforming their European peers.Markets in London will now shut for two public holidays, Good Friday and Easter Monday. They will reopen on Tuesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 20.64 points, 0.3%, at 7,952.62. The FTSE 250 ended up 74.07 points, 0.4%, at 19,884.73, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.15 points, or 0.2%, at...

Stocks in London were up on Thursday midday, with JD Sports shares in the FTSE 100 jumping as it outlined its financial 2025 profit forecast, while water utilities struggled.The FTSE 100 index was up 20.39 points, 0.3%, at 7,952.37. The FTSE 250 was up 52.23 points, 0.3%, at 19,862.89, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.29 points, 0.2%, at 743.40.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 794.61, the Cboe UK...

Q4 sales return to growthFull year pre-tax profit to be at least top of rangeMedium-term margin guidance of 4%AO World (AO.) was one of the top FTSE 250 gainers rising as much as 13% after the online electricals retailer said it expects full year adjusted pre-tax profit to at least meet the top end of the guidance range.In November 2023, AO World upped pre-tax profit guidance from around £28...

New £80 million buybackJD Sports warning a recent overhangN Brown stake tops 20%Mike Ashley?s Frasers (FRAS) has launched a fresh £80 million share buyback to address a near-10% year-to-date share price pullback at the retail powerhouse behind sporting goods chain Sports Direct as well as House of Fraser and Flannels.Analysts at Liberum believe shares in the FTSE 100 conglomerate have...

While the present-day incarnation of Currys (CURY) is a technology products specialist selling everything from whizzy gadgets to white goods, the retailer's origins can be traced back to 1884 when one Henry Curry founded the Curry Cycle Co bicycle-building business.In 1984, Dixons Retail acquired Currys and thirty years later, 'Dixons Carphone' was formed through a complex merger between...

Strategic pivot paying offAO World returned to profit in H1But annual sales now seen 10% lowerOnline electrical retailer AO World (AO.) has upgraded its year-to-March 2024 pre-tax profit guidance from ?around £28 million? to between £28 million and £33 million after stronger margins helped the white goods group deliver a first half return to profit with improved cash generation.This...

Severn Trent CEO Olivia Garfield sells over £800,000 sharesQinetiq CEO cashes in on positive trading updateAO World CFO sells over £100,000 share due to schemeQINETIQ CEO BANKS COOL MILLION Stephen Wadey, CEO of UK defence technology company Qinetiq Group (QQ.) has sold 300,000 shares in aggregate for a total value of £1.036 million.The sale comes not long after the company's first quarter...

Final dividend axed to protect balance sheetNordics division feeling pinchBaldock bemoans 'unforgiving competition'Investors hoping for a rally at unloved electricals retailer Currys (CURY) were left severely disappointed today as a cocktail of negatives in the full year results sent the shares plunging 13% to 46.6p.Not only did the white goods-to-electronics seller report a drop in sales and...

Investors are looking hard at the stocks held in funds managed by Odey Asset Management for fear they will be dumped on the market as the hedge fund tries to raise cash. While some positions have already been cut, there remain plenty of stocks where its position has not changed (yet?).The firm is restructuring following a Financial Times investigation into alleged misconduct by founder Crispin...

Electricals retailer returns to profitFrasers has built 22% stakeBut shares cheapen as upgrades absence weighsAnnual results from AO World (AO.) showed the online electrical retailer swinging back into the black as its pivot towards profitability and cash generation began to pay off.Retail magnate Mike Ashley will be pleased with AO World's performance, since Frasers has amassed a 22% stake in...

FTSE 100 retail group Frasers (FRAS) has its fingers in more pies than Pukka serves up at a Rotherham United football match. Over the past few weeks, it has unveiled investments in yet more listed retail companies. Before you think it has gone wild, there is method in its madness.In recent years, Frasers has tried to shake off its image as a 'pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' type of business....

Frasers reveals 8.9% stake in Currys and 5% holding in BoohooCurrys stake built through derivativesMike Ashley's buying spree across fashion and electricals continuesSportswear and fashion retailer Frasers (FRAS) has doubled its stake in electricals retailer Currys (CURY) to 8.9% via derivatives only a week after taking a 21.8% stake in online retailer AO World (AO) and forging a strategic...

Frasers pulls off another opportunistic dealRetailer buys 18.9% stake from hedge fundTwo firms to collaborate on deliveryShares in online electricals retailer AO World (AO.) jumped 6.6% to 74p after the firm announced that Sports Direct owner Frasers Group (FRAS) had acquired a big stake in the business at 68p per share as part of a new 'strategic partnership'.Trade magazine Retail Week, among...