You may remember a few months ago we wrote about the significant percentage of UK 100 constituents paying dividend yields that made a mockery of high street interest rates. Refresh your memory here if not. On the one hand things haven’t changed much since. On the other, rather a lot has changed. For the good…
Cloud-based security platform Sophos (SOPH) is topping the this morning, its shares +6.9% after a trading statement suggesting strong momentum in Q3 and an upgraded outlook. Revenues +11% were boosted by strong software subscription (billing +16.1%), a very successful first full quarter for next-generation product Intercept X and, perhaps more importantly, operating profit back in the…
Macro observations With last week’s three course helping of major central banks updates now behind us, politics will establish itself as the primary driver of foreign exchange markets throughout the week as macro data gets thrust into the back seat. Barely three weeks into his tenure, US President Donald Trump is facing continued backlash against his controversial…
It was the turn of UK Index giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB) to defy the laws of M&A this week, its shares rising 4% on news of a big acquisition. It’s difficult to know whether M&A optimism or dividend hopes (more so this) really drove Tesco (TSCO) shares 9% higher last week. But the situation with…
As we digested another packed week of earnings, some interesting trends for two key UK 100 sectors began to emerge. The constituents of the blue chip UK 100 index have always been influenced by politics and economics; it would be worrying if they weren’t! But after this particularly busy week, we’ve seen both Housebuilders and Pharmaceuticals…
Reckitt Benckiser (RB) makes it a brace of companies whose share prices have defied traditional M&A reaction recently, rising on news of spending big to acquire. While prey will almost always rise thanks to a premium being offered to cede control, for the predator to jump is not so normal. To do so implies acquisition…