20 April 2021 | 12:13pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 slumped heavily by lunchtime on Tuesday as tobacco stocks fell on US regulatory threats and as the pound continued to rise on UK recovery hopes. By midday the index was down 1.1% to 6,921.16.
Sugar-to-clothes retailer Associated British Foods fell 3.5% to £23.74 having resumed its dividend payment, though at a lower rate, after lockdowns hurt budget fashion chain Primark.
The company s adjusted pre-tax profit for the 24 weeks to 27 February slumped 50% to £319 million and included a 90% drop in adjusted operating profit at Primark.
AB Foods declared an interim dividend of 6.2p per share, down from 12.05p year-on-year.
20 April 2021 | 16:37pm
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 was down 2% to 6,859.87 by the close on Tuesday as stronger sterling and resurgent concerns about the course of the Covid-19 pandemic globally put a dampener on investor sentiment.
Tobacco stocks remained weak amid reports of US regulatory pressure.
On Wall Street the S&P 500 was down 0.9% at 4,128.07 by 4.30pm UK time.
Sugar-to-clothes retailer Associated British Foods fell 5.7% to £23.21 having resumed its dividend payment, though at a lower rate, after lockdowns hurt budget fashion chain Primark.
The company s adjusted pre-tax profit for the 24 weeks to 27 February slumped 50% to £319 million and included a 90% drop in adjusted operating profit at Primark.
25 February 2021 | 07:40am
StockMarketWire.com - Associated British Foods said it expected to reopen 83% of Primark stores by 26 April, and forecast better-than-expected first-half performance for its grocery, sugar, agriculture and ingredients businesses. [W]e have likely reopening dates for 233 stores in addition to the 77 stores already open, so that 83% of our retail selling space should be trading by 26 April, the company said.
Primark s adjusted operating profit in the first half,, was expected to be marginally above break-even, compared with a profit of £441m for the same period in the last financial year, following an estimated £1.1 billion loss owning to shuttered stores as a result of lockdowns in the UK and Europe.
25 February 2021 | 08:38am
StockMarketWire.com - The FTSE 100 climbed almost 20 points to 6,678.32 this morning, continuing its resurgence from yesterday on the back of stronger oil prices.
The Government s roadmap out of lockdown, announced at the start of the week, has continued to provide a boost to the outlook for many businesses.
Associated British Foods today said it expected to reopen 83% of Primark stores by 26 April, and forecast better-than-expected first-half performance for its grocery, sugar, agriculture and ingredients businesses. Its share price continued on its upward trajectory, reaching £24.38 this morning.
Spectris Shares price was down 1.39% at £30.45 in spite of announcing a 5% increase in its full year dividend for 2020, alongside a £200 million share buyback programme.