Is it time for AB Foods to either spin-off Primark or sell its sugar division?
Some analysts think Primark is being dragged down by AB Foods’ sugar division, which is struggling to deal with a collapse in the price of the sweet stuff
Company
Whitbread PLC
LON:WTB
Whitbread PLC is the UK's largest hotel and restaurant company operating businesses in the budget hotels and restaurant sectors. Its brands include Premier Inn, Beefeater, Table Table, Brewers Fayre and Taybarns. Whitbread PLC employs over 33,000 people and serves 8.5 million customers every month in its 1500 outlets across the UK.
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ASOS rallies as it appoints former ITV boss Adam Crozier as chairman
Brian McBride will step down as chairman of ASOS in November after six years in the role
Whitbread's growth prospects lie overseas
The hotels and coffee shops operator is still expanding in the UK - perhaps a little too vigorously, some say - but increasingly market pundits are looking to China and Germany to perk up the performance of the group
Whitbread perks up after in-line first quarter
Costa UK grew total sales by 5.2% in the quarter through the strong contribution from new stores and Express machines. Premier Inn UK delivered total accommodation sales growth of 4.3% driven by additional capacity
FTSE 100 pushes higher as crude rallies; US stocks up
The UK index of leading shares closed almost 84 points higher at 7,621..
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Coffee boost eyed in Whitbread update as Costa spin-off awaited, but trends weaker
Aside from the Whitbread news, investors will also have a trading update from FTSE 100-listed distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl to digest on Wednesday
FTSE 100 crashes 2.26% as traders shun risk
FTSE 100 tanked on the day, along with other European indices
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 joins global equities to head lower as geopolitical worries weigh
News that the President will now not be meeting North Korea leader Kim Jong-un next month as planned is weighing on global stocks
Investments and investor services
Kingfisher and Tate & Lyle key names in diary as spotlight falls on UK consumer
Kingfisher, Tate & Lyle, Talk Talk Telecoms and United Utilities are among the stand-out names in Thursday's schedule.
FTSE 100 ends April at highest level in three months, led by Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's shares rose 29% in April on the back of news it had agreed to merge with Asda
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes above 7,420 but gains capped by fall in Shell, US trade deficit in goods drops
Imports in the period fell 2.1%, while exports increased 2.4%
Whitbread's Costa spin-off makes sense but challenges remain, say analysts
Whitbread faces an uncertain economic outlook and inflationary pressures on the high street
Whitbread shares fall as it confirms spin off of Costa Coffee after activist investor pressure
Costa delivered revenue growth of 7.5% in fiscal year 2018
FTSE 100 pares losses as US bond yields rise above 3%
Resource stocks suffer as US dollar makes headway on forex markets
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Big results day for banks and drugs as Lloyds and GlaxoSmithKline step up to the plate
Day ahead includes first-quarter updates from blue chip firms Lloyds Banking Group, GlaxoSmithKline, Whitbread, and Persimmon ...
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes higher, buoyed by hopes for City post-Brexit
FTSE 100 closed around 30 points higher at 7,398 on Minday
Whitbread's Costa Coffee to recycle 500 million disposable cups by 2020
The UK's largest coffee chain aims to recycle its entire annual use of takeaway cups
Whitbread downgraded to hold by HSBC after hedge fund interest sparks rally
Whitbread downgraded by HSBC but price target held at 4,800p
Polymetal shares lose their shimmer as it goes on a shopping spree
Polymetal has acquired an 85% stake in one copper-gold deposit, sold an 85% in another copper-gold project, and it has also upped its stake in a silver property
Whitbread surges as activist investor Elliott Advisors emerges as largest shareholder
Pressure on the leisure group to break-up the business is growing as Elliott Advisors became the latest US hedge fund to declare a stake in the FTSE 100 company
FTSE 100 closes below 7,200 as pound firms and crude weakens
The FTSE 100 closed below the 7,200 level as sterling continues to strengthen against the dollar
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes in red as traders still jittery about macro issues
The pound is up 0.36% against the Euro at the time of writing, while it is up 0.07% against the US dollar
Whitbread buys 19 hotels in Germany as it continues global expansion of Premier Inn
The acquisition is an important step in accelerating Whitbread's international strategy and in replicating Premier Inn's UK success in a key strategic market, the company said
Investments and investor services
Rio Tinto and Glencore rise on Chinese stats
A look at some of the top risers and fallers in London today.
Whitbread sales slow on Costa decline but break-up speculation lifts shares
Whibread said it expects the challenging UK high street environment to continue in the year ahead
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 extends losing streak to four days; ABF top loser
The FTSE 100 closed lower on Thursday as there was no clear direction across global equities
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Royal Mail’s Christmas performance under the microscope on Thursday
As well as Royal Mail, updates are expected from Costa Coffee owner Whitbread and Associated British Foods - the parent company of Primark
Former ITV boss Adam Crozier to replace Whitbread chairman Richard Baker
The former chief executive of ITV and Royal Mail, Adam Crozier, will take over as chairman
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 feeds off Wall Street rally to close near 7,700
If you happen to work for a FTSE 100 company, your boss has already earned more in the past two-and-a-half days then the average UK employee will this year
Barclays Capital asks: What if Whitbread decides to sell Costa Coffee and its real estate?
The broker’s analysts said they estimate that under such a scenario Whitbread’s ‘sum of the parts’ value could be 4,700p in its upside case, and 5,700p in a blue sky scenario
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes in red as market awaits US jobs report
UK stocks could do with a catalyst and tomorrow's US jobs numbers might provide it
Marston's shrugs off Brexit hurdles but Greene King and Mitchells & Butlers struggle
Brexit has hit the pub industry as a weaker pound pushes up input costs and higher inflation puts a squeeze on consumers
Marston’s is the toast of the town as full-year revenues smash through £1bn mark
On top of the strong full-year numbers, the pub operator and brewery said it expects more growth in 2018 despite political and economic concerns
Banks higher ahead of next week’s stress tests results on FCA Libor support news
A look at some of the biggest risers and fallers today in London
Morgan Stanley turns cautious on Whitbread, downgrades rating after results
The US bank cut its stance on the FTSE 100-listed firm to ‘equal-weight’ from ‘overweight’ and reduced its target price for the stock to 4,500p from 4,700p
Investments and investor services
FTSE 100 closes over 1% lower as sterling spikes
The UK blue chip index closed down 1.05% to 7,447 as the pound strengthened after better-than-forecast UK GDP
Strong coffee needed by investors in Whitbread as shares tumble amid worries over costs and slowing UK sales at Costa Coffee
Nicholas Hyett, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown commented: “Unfortunately rapidly increasing revenues isn’t enough to guarantee CEO Alison Brittain a good night’s sleep, since the group is also having to cope with a whole raft of cost
Whitbread shares fall as higher costs weigh and like-for-like sales growth slows at Costa
Whitbread said it expects to meet estimates for the full year despite economic uncertainty surrounding the implications of Brexit
FTSE 100 closes near flat as traders look for direction; Dow Jones surges
The UK blue chip index closed its account on Tuesday up 2.09 at 7,526.
Archive
Strong coffee needed to fuel Whitbread's first half performance after Costa's first quarter dip
Day ahead includes first half results from leisure giant Whitbread PLC, and third quarter updates from miner Anglo American PLC and wealth manager St James' Place Capital PLC
Whitbread buys out Costa Coffee joint venture partner in South China
Bought out Yueda's stake, it has. (The froth is strong in this one).
Investments and investor services
Mitchells & Butlers expected to show a slowdown in sales
Capita is among the blue-chip names on Thursday's agenda.
Wake up and smell the coffee: Citigroup chops rating for Whitbread to 'sell' from 'buy'
The US bank’s analysts said its Research Innovation Lab had “debunked the coffee growth myth” after assessing the performances of Costa, Caffe Nero, Starbucks and Greggs
Goldman Sachs gives Whitbread a lift, upgrading its rating to ‘neutral’ on valuation grounds
The US bank left its target price for the FTSE 100-listed stock unchanged at 3,900p, offering around 2% upside to the current share price of 3,858p, which was 1.7%, or 65p higher in morning trading
FTSE 100 closes up but misses record high
The FTSE 100 index closed 10.79 higher at 7,542. The session peak was 7,549, and the day’s low was 7,518
Costa Coffee, Starbucks and Caffe Nero play down s-storm after faeces found in iced drinks
Lab tests of iced drinks from three UK coffee chains discovered bacteria from faeces
Summer heatwave can't disguise chilly consumer climate, with Whitbread's Costa Coffee chain seeing growth slow
Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at ETX Capital said: “In a heatwave a hot coffee doesn’t quite hit the spot, so Costa-owner Whitbread will be hoping its Cold Brew and Frostino products will catch on"
Whitbread makes good start to the year, with strong sales at Premier Inn, although Costa Coffee, as expected, sees growth slow
In a trading update for the 13 weeks to June 1, the FTSE 100-listed firm reported total like-for-like sales growth of 2.9%, with Costa Coffee seeing a 1.1% rise
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Trading update from Coffee Costa and Premier Inn firm Whitbread could be a positive catalyst
Day ahead: Trading update from Whitbread; full-year results from Berkeley Group ...
Whitbread drops as Goldman Sachs downgrades on worries its hotels will lag
The US bank cut its stance on Whitbread to ‘sell’ from ‘neutral’ after reducing its target price for the stock to 3,900p from 4,000p
FTSE 100 retreats as US jobs growth surprises on the downside
Blue-chip stocks just about held on to some gains after the US jobs report came in weaker than expected
Mid-summer mergers: ITV in play after Crozier gets written out of the series
Adam Crozier is quitting while he is ahead, leaving ITV without a chief executive and possibly vulnerable to a bid
Is time for Whitbread to wake up and smell the coffee as strong growth begins to slow?
The FTSE 100-listed leisure giant has looked ahead of the curve over the past few years with its focus on coffee shops and budget hotels which have been growing well in austerity Britain
Whitbread posts solid growth in profits, revenue, but stays cautious on year ahead
For the 52 weeks to 2 March 2017, the FTSE 100-listed firm saw its underlying pre-tax profit increase by 6.2% to £565.2mln
FTSE 100 closes higher but Whitbread shares lose 7%
The FTSE 100 closed 10.96 up at 7,275 but Whitbread shares slumped
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Day ahead: Whitbread expected to see profits and revenues froth higher
Strong performances in its Costa Coffee and Premier Inn chains are expected to have helped to offset softer trading in Whitbread’s restaurant arm
Restaurants slow-down a choker for Whitbread
Sales at Costa Coffee perked up but growth was not on the menu in the restaurants
FTSE 100 shares end softer but smaller caps gain
FTSE 100 ended softer on Thursday following sharp falls by Sage Group and Unilever, while mid- and small-cap stocks gained
Investments and investor services
Sky, Unilever and Diageo all on the agenda for a busy Thursday
BT Group shocked investors earlier this week so many will be waiting on tenterhooks to hear whether TV and broadband bundling rival Sky is faring better.
Archive
Small decline in 2016 revenue tipped for Unilever
Also reporting: Diageo, Daily Mail, Sky, Anglo American, Lonmin, St James's Place and Whitbread
FTSE 100 shares swing but close below 7200
FTSE 100 shares swung on Friday but ended down 10 points and below 7200 as the 45th President of the United States was being sworn in
FTSE 100 marks longest record-breaking rally in history
The FTSE 100 index has closed at a record high for the ninth day in a row on Tuesday, the longest such stretch in history, as the bourse got a boost from a weaker home currency
Barclays checks in to InterContinental Hotels
Analyst Vicki Stern lifts her rating to 'overweight' from 'equalweight' on the stock
Archive
Downgrades all round for Whitbread, Goldman not a fan of the grocers
A look at some of the City analyst views on Wednesday
Whitbread taking right action in tough market, says Credit Suisse
The broker says the firm is taking the right actions in a tough market but chops back the target
FTSE 100 stocks give up 7,000 level as miners come off on copper warning
FTSE 100 stocks gave up the 7,000 level on Wednesday as mining stocks dragged the market lower
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Cobham's year of woe may be ending, says broker Exane
It is doubtful of a pick-up next year though suggests Cobham as a potential recovery play if new management’s plan is appreciated by investors.
Panmure says 'hold' Whitbread amid cautious outlook
Earlier the firm said market share was growing in both Premier Inn and Costa Coffee
Xcite Energy looks doomed, MP Evans up 43% on bid approach
London's risers & fallers at 11.45am: Shoe Zone, Beximco ...
Whitbread shares sink as Costa Coffee profits dip
The group conceded there was uncertainty in the UK's economic outlook
FTSE 100 closes higher with miners but fresh record high eludes
London’s FTSE 100 index closed higher thanks to miners, but well off a late surge as a fresh record high eluded it
Investors set to check-in to Whitbread results
Whitbread, among other companies, is due to report interims tomorrow (Tuesday)
Lloyds Banking and RBS to give post-Brexit vote updates
Britain's banks had enough on their plates already, but the Brexit vote made things more complicated still
FTSE 100 shares close lower after sterling hits 168-year weighted nadir
FTSE 100 shares closed near their nadir of the session on Wednesday, after US markets were unable to offer any respite from sterling hitting a 168-year low on continued Brexit woes
FTSE 100 misses out on record high close over Brexit, US rate fears
FTSE 100 shares narrowly missed out on a record closing high on Tuesday after slipping back from record levels thanks to renewed Brexit fears which sent the pound below $1.23, as well as growing expectations of a US rate hike this year. Ear
UK shares end lower as trade data fails to excite post-Brexit
UK stocks ended sharply lower on Friday, never once turning into the black, after trade data failed to ignite excitement among investors
FTSE 100 closes above Brexit crisis levels
London’s FTSE 100 index on Wednesday closed above “Brexit” crisis levels for the first time since the morning of the In-Out European Union referendum polling last Thursday
FTSE 100 rises back above pre-Brexit levels
As the status quo is unlikely to change in the immediate term, some Brexit worries have been set aside - even if it's just for now.
FTSE100 pips higher as Remain-Brexit support is on a knife edge
The FTSE 100 index closed firmer on Tuesday, after a choppy session, as the latest opinion polls showed Remain-Brexit support on a knife-edge ahead of Thursday’s referendum
Investments and investor services
Randgold among FTSE 100 fallers as gold drops ahead of EU vote
The polls are tight and much can still happen before Thursday’s EU vote, in the meantime equities are expected to show some volatility.
PREVIEW - Trading statement from Costa owner Whitbread
Costa Coffee and Premier Inn owner is bringing out a trading statement Tuesday.
Week Ahead: Tesco looking for something a bit more drastic
Drastic Dave has been in the hot seat at Tesco for almost two years
Aim gloom leavened by demand for Aurasian Minerals and Egdon Resources
Outside of the resources sector, Summit Therapeutics was also going well
Big caps outshine smaller stocks early on
Big caps outshone small caps in early deals, with small cap miners again in focus. FTSE100 was up over 28 at 6,289, while FTSE AIM 100 lost 0.07% to 3,462 and the FTSE AIM All share was practically flat at 731.770.
Profits froth up at Costa Coffee owner Whitbread
Hotel, coffee shop and restaurant group hikes dividend by a tenth
Investments and investor services
SNAPSHOT: Whitbread and BP give Footsie an early boost
Whitbread and BP were the top two blue-chip risers early doors
PREVIEW: BP Plc profits and dividend will be focus of Q1 results
BP, British American Tobacco and Whitbread are among the highlights in the schedule for Tuesday - meanwhile Boohoo.com, Carpetright, Petra Diamonds and Horizon Discovery are also among the notable names.
Beaufort Securities boosts Chariot Oil & Gas
Broker upgraded the Africa and Brazil-focused oil explorer to a speculative buy
GlaxoSmithKline PLC boss to quit in 2017 amid shake-up talk
Drug giant says Andrew Witty will go in March 2017
Archive
First Quantum Minerals Limited gets a clap from Barclays
Scribes at Barclays give credit to the timing and strategy of First Quantum Minerals Ltd today and repeat an 'overweight' rating...
Investments and investor services
G4S Plc and Restaurant Group Plc downgraded by brokers
G4S Plc, Restaurant Group, Firestone Diamonds, Gem Diamonds and Genel Energy, Cairn Energy, Pridential, and Whitbread are all in Thursday’s broker spotlight.
Archive
FTSE 100 slides despite strong updates from Admiral and CRH
With half an eye on tomorrow's jobs release in the US investors took money off the table
Whitbread's Costa Coffee loses its froth
Total group sales were up 1.7%, down from 5.8% a year earlier
FTSE100 drops for the fourth straight day
The index had lost around 23 points by lunch to 6,103
Investments and investor services
FTSE100 slips as companies release mixed earnings reports
The FTSE100 slipped around 20 points to 6,106 this morning
Whitbread serves up higher sales but shares drop
Whitbread said total sales had increased 11.1% and like-for-like sales rose 3.6%
Thursday's agenda - Marshalls to pave the way?
There's a veritable flurry of corporate releases on Thursday......