Ian Pollard – Ashtead (AHT) to exceed expectations

Ashtead Group AHT is to increase its interim dividend by 16% and will also over the next 18 months, commence a share buy back programme of up to £1bn. The second quarter results showed growth exceeding that achieved in the first quarter and it is expected that full year results will now exceed expectations. For […]

Balfour Beatty transforming itself

Balfour Beatty BBY is increasing its interim dividend by 33% to 1.2p per share after underlying operating profit for the six months to the 30th June more than tripled from £11m to £39m, as the transformation of the company continues. Underlying revenue rose by 8% at constant exchange rates, profitability is rising and orders from […]

Sainsbury Clams Up On Food Sales

Sainsbury (J) plc SBRY Like for like group retail sales at Sainsbury fell by 0.5% in the 9 weeks to the 11th March but very, very strangely it tries to get away with keeping its food sales secret.  Argos did very well with a like for like rise of 4.3% and TU clothing did even […]

What’s In A Name – Ask Balfour Beatty

Balfour Beatty plc BBY Any construction company which calls its transformation programme “Build to Last” has obviously got serious problems as the repeated use of the name just provides further reminders of past problems. The sooner it removes the blinkers and changes the name of the programme the better for the company. The first phase […]

Balfour Beatty Rebuilding Itself To Last

Balfour Beatty BBY is reinstating dividends with an interim payment of 0.9p for the half year to the 1st July. Despite underlying revenue being down 6% on a year ago, last years first half loss of £130m has been transformed into an underlying profit before tax of £7m, the second successive half of underlying profitability. […]