Themes from November
UK opinion polls have pointed to a significant lead for the Conservative party ranging from 7 to 12 points. The election campaigns are underway in the run-up to the December 12th election.
Labour will nationalize broadband provider Openreach and will make high speed access freely available across the UK, if it wins office. Labour’s £20bn budget was widely seen as insufficient.
Legal & General reported assets under management rose to £1.2trn up £200bn from end 2018.
Kingfisher reported Q3 revenues fell 3.1% with B&Q, Castorama, Brico Depot experiencing revenue declines whilst Screwfix grew 7.9%. The board blamed soft DIY conditions.
Aviva capital markets day clarified the board’s approach to its Asian subsidiaries, it will now retain its Singapore and China businesses whilst selling its Hong Kong, Indonesian and Vietnamese operations.
Dart Group said interim revenues rose 16% to £2.61bn. Dart will significantly exceed profit forecasts for the year ending March 2020.
Hong Kong CEO said the government will listen to the public with an open mind after pro-Beijing candidates were defeated in local elections.
Wincanton withdrew from the race for Eddie Stobart Logistics claiming the board had not made sufficient details available to enable an offer.
De La Rue reported a £9.2m loss due to a decline in currency manufacturing margins and passed on its dividend.