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.
3 March 2021 | 07:54am
StockMarketWire.com - Cybersecurity company Avast reported lower annual profit as higher costs offset a rise in revenue.
For the year ended 31 December 2020, pre-tax fell to $236.3 million from $314.6 million year-on-year, while revenue was up from $871.1 million to $892.9 million.
Adjusted revenue was $892.9 million, with organic growth of 7.9%, driven by growth in its consumer direct desktop business, the company said.
Adjusted billings were up 1.2% to $922.0 million.
A final dividend of 11.2 US cents per share was proposed, taking the total dividend for the year to 16.0 US cents per share, up 8.8%.
Looking ahead, the company expected to deliver 2021 organic revenue growth in the range of 6% to 8%.