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Ian Pollard – Intertek #ITRK Dividend Rises 39%

Intertek Group ITRK is going from strength to strength, with consistent progress on strategy and performance leading to a 39.1% increase in the full year dividend. In 1918 revenue grew by 3.7% on a like for like basis at constant currency rates,. profit before tax was up  by 8.3% and diluted earnings per share by […]

Ian Pollard – M&S #MKS Admits Defeat

Marks & Spencer M&S Bad news for Waitrose, as the the bonds between the two behemoths grow ever closer. with M&S and Ocado  announcing a new 50/50 joint venture which is intended to transform online grocery shopping for UK consumers.Significantly the new venture will trade as Ocado.com which must be a clear indication as to […]

Ian Pollard – Lighthouse #LGT Full Year Divi Up By 67%

Lighthouse Group plc LGT claims an excellent set of results for 2018 despite softening market conditions in the second half of the year. With an Interim dividend of 0.20p. per share already paid, a final dividend of 0.50p. per share is now proposed compared to 30p per share in 2017, making a 67% increase for […]

Ian Pollard: ABF – Primark Faces 2% Like For Like Decline

Associated British Foods ABF expects a small reduction in adjusted operating profit as it enters the close period for its interim results for the 24 weeks to 2 March 2019. Despite this, sales growth is expected from all the businesses with the exception of Sugar but this is obviously not the ABF of old. For […]

Ian Pollard – Gooch & Housego #GHH Impacted by Microelectronic Headwinds

Gooch & Housego plc GHH updates that it is suffering from microelectronic headwinds despite which growth has continued. During the first four months of the financial year the business has seen a downturn in demand particularly from China. A cyclical downturn is also currently being experienced for industrial lasers.  2019 group trading performance is still […]

Ian Pollard – Intercontinental #IHG; Year Of Excellent Progress, Divi Up 10%

Intercontinental Hotels Grp IHG presents a jargon riddled preliminary report for the year to the 31st December which makes for difficult reading, not  made any easier by giving its readers a choice between Segment results and Group results. which excludes exceptional items, except for basic earnings per share. Group results show a 6% rise in […]

Ian Pollard Victoria Plc (VCP) Politely Invites Shareholders To Take A Walk

Victoria plc VCP decided to take advantage of difficult market conditions to  pursue market share. The Board now recognises this impacted earnings this year and has unsettled some shareholders. It believes however that the strategy is in the best long-term interests of the Group and its shareholders and appears in effect to have told the […]

Ian Pollard: Safestore Holdings – Strong Start To The Year

Safestore Holdings plc SAFE claims an excellent start to the financial year, with a strong first quarter performance, continuing the trading momentum seen in the second half of 2018 in both the UK and Paris markets. Group revenue from the 1st November to the 31st January rose by 6.% at constant exchange rates and on a […]

Ian Pollard – Dunelm #DNLM caution over political uncertainty

Dunelm Group plc DNLM saw reported profit before tax rise by 24.3% in the 26 weeks to to the 29th December and strong like for sales up by 6.9%. Revenue was up by a comparatively small 1.2% and basic earnings per share by 23.8%. The Winter sale is described as having traded well but there […]