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 – #WPP Impacted By Client Losses.

WPP plc WPP a company with the spectre of its founder still lurking in the background is never a happy place to be. Naturally Sir Martin does not get a mention in WPP’s third quarter results but the way in which the company’s business has been impacted in many fields after his sudden departure, does […]

Ian Pollard: Aveva In Either A Profit Or Loss Situation – You Choose

Aveva Group AVV There are now so many ways of calculating profits that the figures have become almost meaningless and companies have the freedom to chose between  profit before tax, on a diluted, adjusted, normal or  statutory basis and the difference between these four can be and often are enormous. Companies can elect the headline […]

Ian Pollard – Weir Group #WEIR, 50% rise in oil, gas & shale revenues

Weir Group plc WEIR performed strongly in its main markets and first quarter orders grew by 22%, with minerals up by 13%. Oil and gas led the way with a 50% rise after strong drilling and completion activity in North American onshore. Further success was encountered as it became the preferred provider to major shale […]

Ian Pollard – Dixons Carphone will keep twitching its antenna

Dixons Carphone plc DC claims that its international businesses had a “terrific” Xmas but as is so often the sad story of late, the UK lagged far behind. In the 10 weeks to the 6th January, the star of the show was Greece with a like for like sales rise of 23%, followed by the […]

Solid trading from Aveva and Fenner – yet another placing from blur Group

AVEVA Group AVV reports a solid start to the financial year and expects the phasing of revenue in FY 2018 to be broadly similar to the prior year. The full year outlook remains in line with board expectations. blur Group BLUR announces yet another placing to raise a minimum of £1.5m (before expenses) at 1.75 […]

Severn Trent Admits To Love Affair With Customers.

Severn Trent SVT  trumpets  “Customers are at the heart of our business” , which no doubt, after all these years of rejection, must come as something of a surprise to those customers. Strange that it has taken all these years for Severn Trent’s management to wake up to the fact and give it such publicity. […]

The Prime Minister – Liar or Incompetent ?

The Prime Minister was either a liar when she claimed only a few months ago that there was no need for an election before 2020, or she was so completely out of touch with the political realities of Westminster that she is completely unfit to govern the country. In those months since the referendum, nothing […]

Aveva Hikes Dividend As Profits Collapse

AVEVA AVV  The final dividend for the year to 31st March is being hiked by 20% after a 46% collapse in profit before tax. This fairly logical step follows revenue for the year to 31st March declining by 3% and basic earnings per share falling by 51%. Aveva would have us believe that this superb […]

Rio Tinto – The First Green Shoots of a Mining Recovery ?

Rio Tinto RIO The first green shoots of a recovery in mining may have been seen in RIO’s first quarter with iron ore shipments up by 11% and global iron ore production up by 13% on a year ago.  Bauxite production also rose by 6% and aluminium by 10%.  Mined copper was down 2% on the […]