magazine archive
magazine archive
News
Online used car retailer Cazoo revs up for US float
Thursday 01 Apr 2021London’s listed car dealers could soon face stiffer competition from an online disruptor with a souped-up balance sheet and increased brand awareness as used car website Cazoo motors onto the New York Stock Exchange. Founded as recently as 2018 by tech tycoon Alex Chesterman, Cazoo plans to go...
Travel firms face another cash call if summer is a flop
Thursday 25 Mar 2021Airlines and tour operators might have to ask investors and/or lenders for more money to survive another year with summer holidays potentially in doubt. Summer 2021 had been earmarked as the period where the sector could finally see a meaningful recovery, but politicians have cautioned people...
Scottish Mortgage faces future without talisman James Anderson
Thursday 25 Mar 2021The resignation of James Anderson as co-manager of Baillie Gifford-run Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust ( SMT ) is not a sign that growth shares have passed their peak. Some cynics believe news of his forthcoming departure calls the top for the type of stocks that have made Scottish Mortgage so...
SPAC surge sees return of serial software business builder Vin Murria
Thursday 25 Mar 2021Investors have an opportunity to ride the value creation coattails of Vin Murria, the serial software sector entrepreneur who has twice made a packet for shareholders. Murria will chair AdvancedAdvT ( ADVT ) , a so-called SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) which has raised £130 million from...
Questions raised by return of share buyback craze
Thursday 25 Mar 2021A year after the UK locked down for the first time and companies went into ‘survival mode’, cutting all non-essential spending and hoarding cash, share repurchases are making a comeback. Investors should be asking why firms are buying back stock and not reinvesting their capital to generate higher...
AstraZeneca’s share price movement leaves investors confused
Thursday 18 Mar 2021Shares in pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca ( AZN ) are behaving in a way which may confuse investors. Its share price has been in a falling trend since last summer despite being one of the first companies to develop a successful Covid vaccine, and therefore playing a crucial role in helping to...
Smithson dampens expectations for superior performance hat-trick
Thursday 18 Mar 2021FTSE 250 investment trust Smithson ( SSON ) has posted a second year of exceptional performance, with a net asset value total return per share of 31.4% for 2020 compared with a 12.2% return for the MSCI World SMID index, the fund’s benchmark. This follows an NAV total return per share of 33.2% in...
Signs that the iron ore rally could be over
Thursday 18 Mar 2021Signs are starting to emerge that the rally in iron ore prices may have peaked. The price of iron ore, a key ingredient in steelmaking and a bellwether metal for the health of the global economy, has surged in the past year. This has been driven by soaring demand from China – the world’s largest...
VW charges up for electric vehicle push
Thursday 18 Mar 2021In August 2020 we flagged German auto maker Volkswagen as a value play at €139, since when the stock has gained more than 40%. Its shares have been particularly strong this year as the firm rolls out its electric vehicle strategy, culminating in this week’s ‘Power Day’. In contrast, electric...
Domino's to give investors a bigger slice of excess cash
Thursday 11 Mar 2021Pizza franchise chain Domino’s Pizza ( DOM ) surprised investors when it announced (9 Mar) a fresh medium-term growth plan, a big share repurchase programme and strong recent trading, with the stock gaining over 12% in response. New chief executive Dominic Paul plans to increase system sales by...