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FTSE 350 Look Ahead: Cranswick, NVIDIA, SSE, And More
Look ahead to FTSE 350, other companies reporting & economic events from 22-26 May Cranswick, full year results, Tuesday 23 … Read more
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Look ahead to FTSE 350, other companies reporting & economic events from 22-26 May
- Can the AI boom help NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) buck the chip slowdown?
- How will cost pressures impact Cranswick plc (LON:CWK)?
- SSE PLC (LON:SSE) set to hit recently raised guidance
- A slick recovery in clothing and homeware bodes well for Marks and Spencer Group Plc (LON:MKS) results
- There’s a lot riding on Close Brothers Group plc (LON:CBG) statement
- Tate & Lyle PLC (LON:TATE) looks to keep up the strong momentum
- The tail should keep wagging for Pets at Home Group PLC (LON:PETS)
Cranswick, full year results, Tuesday 23 May
Steve Clayton, head of equity funds:
“Analysts are predicting broadly unchanged earnings and a steady outlook statement from the group. Demand for the group’s pork and poultry products has held up well so far, despite the cost-of-living squeeze impacting many households.
But Cranswick has had to contend with rising costs for feeds, power and packaging putting margins under pressure. The market will be looking for signs of any improvement in the cost pressures impacting the group and their success in passing these through to their retail and catering clients.”
NVIDIA, Q1 results, Wednesday 24 May
Derren Nathan, head of equity research
“NVIDIA is looking to the future as its chips claim the high ground in the rush to monetise the frenzy surrounding generative AI models such as ChatGPT. That’s seen it’s valuation practically double so far this year. But next week’s attention will focus on the drier topic of revenues and earnings. Both the company and analysts are expecting first quarter revenue of about $6.5bn, or 21.4% less than the same period last year, and market forecasts suggest that operating profit has fallen by 35.6%.
That leaves a lot of work to do if NVIDIA’s to meet current full-year estimates of double-digit revenue growth. It will be interesting to hear if this remains achievable, particularly against the backdrop of challenging conditions across the semiconductor market.”
SSE, full year results, Wednesday 24 May
Aarin Chiekrie, equity analyst:
“The performance of SSE’s renewables division hasn’t quite been up to scratch so far, with outputs from these assets coming in lower than planned due to unseasonably calm and dry weather last year. But the group’s gas-fired plants have ramped up activity to plug the shortfall, leading to some good news on the bottom line. Full-year underlying earnings per share (EPS) guidance has been upgraded twice this calendar year, from at least 120p per share to at least 160p per share.
Investors will be keen to get an update on the group’s renewables plans in next week’s results. The dividend’s set to get cut back from more than 87.5p to 60p this year, in a bid to fund investment in renewables and networks. But the transition will be costly, and it’ll likely be a long road until renewables can generate cash more reliably.”
Marks and Spencer, full year results, Wednesday 24 May
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets:
‘’Although its joint venture with Ocado is struggling, M&S has staged a slick recovery in other parts of the business, which should bode well for its annual results. It’s picked itself up and brushed itself down from dwindling sales, with a remarkable turnaround for clothing and home ware. Marks and Spencer’s current diversification mix is proving more resilient as M&S core customers seem hardier amid the cost-of-living crisis.
The store estate shake-up, with larger stores closing while smaller more efficient shops in retail parks open, appears to be paying off. The ease of access to the new generation of stores is helping to drive click and collect services, which have been a particular bright spot for the company.
Re-building margins is a big focus given the cost-pressures and inflationary headwinds and investors are likely cheer evidence which might show the tie-up with logistics provider Gist is helping the company gain more control over its supply chain.’’
Close Brothers, trading statement, Wednesday 24 May
Steve Clayton, head of equity funds:
“There is a lot riding on this trading statement. The group have been testing investors patience in recent quarters with an increasingly large write down being incurred against their Novitas lending division, now in run-off.
At the same time, Winterflood, their market-making business has been struggling to cope with a downturn in trading volumes. Close need to reassure that they have a better grip on both of these issues and that trading in the rest of the banking business and their asset management division is holding up robustly.”
Tate & Lyle, full year results, Thursday 25 May
Matt Britzman, equity analyst:
“Recent performance has been strong from Tate & Lyle, taking higher input costs in its stride to deliver double-digit revenue growth. Analyst consensus is for revenue to come in at nearly £1.8bn for the full year with underlying pre-tax profit of £251m, a jump of over 70%. The more streamlined operation and a focus on the more profitable business areas look to be yielding positive results.
Costs are worth keeping an eye on. Higher prices have helped keep inflation at bay, but a heavy reliance on corn exposes the group to pricing development in that commodity. It’s expected that a further £15m in cost savings will be delivered over the final quarter, with the Group already well ahead of its original efficiency programme schedule.
At first glance, the new strategy looks to be progressing well. If management can navigate the increasingly challenging environment, Tate looks to be in a strong position.”
Pets At Home, Q4 results, Thursday 25 May
Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets:
‘’The tail has been wagging happily at Pets At Home as the retailer continues to benefit from the surge in animal ownership of recent years. Consumer revenue is now 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels thanks to growth across the group’s vet practices and its retail operations.
Although the mix of sales has changed due to the cost-of-living crisis with spending on accessories hit, the group’s growing customer base has added resilience with overall petfood sales continuing to climb sharply. Investors will still be keeping an eye on costs for the group as keeping vast stores heated has been expensive but with wholesale energy declined in price, this headwind should continue to subside.
The cream being lapped up by Pets is the growth in recurring revenue streams, with subscription sales climbing, bolstered by rising VIP and Puppy and Kitten Club memberships. Members have proved to be big spenders, anxious to keep fluffy and feathered members of the family, fed, entertained and in good health.’’
Among those currently scheduled to release results next week:
22-May
|
Big Yellow Group |
Full Year Results |
|
Kainos Group |
Full Year Results |
23-May
|
Assura |
Full Year Results |
|
Bytes Technology Group |
Q4 Results |
|
Caledonia Investments |
Full Year Results |
|
Cranswick |
Full Year Results |
|
Dowlais* |
Trading Statement |
|
Great Portland Estates |
Full Year Results |
|
RS Group |
Full Year Results |
|
SSP Group |
Half Year Results |
24-May
|
Aviva* |
Q1 Trading Statement |
|
C&C Group |
Full Year Results |
|
Close Brothers |
Trading Statement |
|
HICL Infrastructure |
Full Year Results |
|
Intertek Group |
AGM Trading Statement |
|
Kingfisher |
Q1 Trading Statement |
|
Londonmetric Property |
Full Year Results |
|
Marks & Spencer* |
Full Year Results |
|
NVIDIA* |
Q1 Results |
|
Pershing Square Holdings |
Q1 Results |
|
Petershill Partners |
Q1 Trading Statement |
|
Severn Trent |
Full Year Results |
|
SSE* |
Full Year Results |
|
Tullow Oil |
Q1 Trading Statement |
25-May
|
AJ Bell |
Half Year Results |
|
Hill & Smith |
Q1 Trading Statement |
|
Intermediate Capital Group |
Full Year Results |
|
Johnson Matthey |
Full Year Results |
|
Pets at Home* |
Q4 Results |
|
QinetiQ |
Q4 Results |
|
Tate & Lyle* |
Full Year Results |
|
United Utilities* |
Full Year Results |
|
Vanquis Banking Group |
Interim Management Statement |
|
Workspace Group |
Full Year Results |
26-May
No FTSE 350 Reporters
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The Coming Of The Police State In America
The Coming Of The Police State In America
Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,
The National Guard and the State Police are now…
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Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times,
The National Guard and the State Police are now patrolling the New York City subway system in an attempt to do something about the explosion of crime. As part of this, there are bag checks and new surveillance of all passengers. No legislation, no debate, just an edict from the mayor.
Many citizens who rely on this system for transportation might welcome this. It’s a city of strict gun control, and no one knows for sure if they have the right to defend themselves. Merchants have been harassed and even arrested for trying to stop looting and pillaging in their own shops.
The message has been sent: Only the police can do this job. Whether they do it or not is another matter.
Things on the subway system have gotten crazy. If you know it well, you can manage to travel safely, but visitors to the city who take the wrong train at the wrong time are taking grave risks.
In actual fact, it’s guaranteed that this will only end in confiscating knives and other things that people carry in order to protect themselves while leaving the actual criminals even more free to prey on citizens.
The law-abiding will suffer and the criminals will grow more numerous. It will not end well.
When you step back from the details, what we have is the dawning of a genuine police state in the United States. It only starts in New York City. Where is the Guard going to be deployed next? Anywhere is possible.
If the crime is bad enough, citizens will welcome it. It must have been this way in most times and places that when the police state arrives, the people cheer.
We will all have our own stories of how this came to be. Some might begin with the passage of the Patriot Act and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security in 2001. Some will focus on gun control and the taking away of citizens’ rights to defend themselves.
My own version of events is closer in time. It began four years ago this month with lockdowns. That’s what shattered the capacity of civil society to function in the United States. Everything that has happened since follows like one domino tumbling after another.
It goes like this:
1) lockdown,
2) loss of moral compass and spreading of loneliness and nihilism,
3) rioting resulting from citizen frustration, 4) police absent because of ideological hectoring,
5) a rise in uncontrolled immigration/refugees,
6) an epidemic of ill health from substance abuse and otherwise,
7) businesses flee the city
8) cities fall into decay, and that results in
9) more surveillance and police state.
The 10th stage is the sacking of liberty and civilization itself.
It doesn’t fall out this way at every point in history, but this seems like a solid outline of what happened in this case. Four years is a very short period of time to see all of this unfold. But it is a fact that New York City was more-or-less civilized only four years ago. No one could have predicted that it would come to this so quickly.
But once the lockdowns happened, all bets were off. Here we had a policy that most directly trampled on all freedoms that we had taken for granted. Schools, businesses, and churches were slammed shut, with various levels of enforcement. The entire workforce was divided between essential and nonessential, and there was widespread confusion about who precisely was in charge of designating and enforcing this.
It felt like martial law at the time, as if all normal civilian law had been displaced by something else. That something had to do with public health, but there was clearly more going on, because suddenly our social media posts were censored and we were being asked to do things that made no sense, such as mask up for a virus that evaded mask protection and walk in only one direction in grocery aisles.
Vast amounts of the white-collar workforce stayed home—and their kids, too—until it became too much to bear. The city became a ghost town. Most U.S. cities were the same.
As the months of disaster rolled on, the captives were let out of their houses for the summer in order to protest racism but no other reason. As a way of excusing this, the same public health authorities said that racism was a virus as bad as COVID-19, so therefore it was permitted.
The protests had turned to riots in many cities, and the police were being defunded and discouraged to do anything about the problem. Citizens watched in horror as downtowns burned and drug-crazed freaks took over whole sections of cities. It was like every standard of decency had been zapped out of an entire swath of the population.
Meanwhile, large checks were arriving in people’s bank accounts, defying every normal economic expectation. How could people not be working and get their bank accounts more flush with cash than ever? There was a new law that didn’t even require that people pay rent. How weird was that? Even student loans didn’t need to be paid.
By the fall, recess from lockdown was over and everyone was told to go home again. But this time they had a job to do: They were supposed to vote. Not at the polling places, because going there would only spread germs, or so the media said. When the voting results finally came in, it was the absentee ballots that swung the election in favor of the opposition party that actually wanted more lockdowns and eventually pushed vaccine mandates on the whole population.
The new party in control took note of the large population movements out of cities and states that they controlled. This would have a large effect on voting patterns in the future. But they had a plan. They would open the borders to millions of people in the guise of caring for refugees. These new warm bodies would become voters in time and certainly count on the census when it came time to reapportion political power.
Meanwhile, the native population had begun to swim in ill health from substance abuse, widespread depression, and demoralization, plus vaccine injury. This increased dependency on the very institutions that had caused the problem in the first place: the medical/scientific establishment.
The rise of crime drove the small businesses out of the city. They had barely survived the lockdowns, but they certainly could not survive the crime epidemic. This undermined the tax base of the city and allowed the criminals to take further control.
The same cities became sanctuaries for the waves of migrants sacking the country, and partisan mayors actually used tax dollars to house these invaders in high-end hotels in the name of having compassion for the stranger. Citizens were pushed out to make way for rampaging migrant hordes, as incredible as this seems.
But with that, of course, crime rose ever further, inciting citizen anger and providing a pretext to bring in the police state in the form of the National Guard, now tasked with cracking down on crime in the transportation system.
What’s the next step? It’s probably already here: mass surveillance and censorship, plus ever-expanding police power. This will be accompanied by further population movements, as those with the means to do so flee the city and even the country and leave it for everyone else to suffer.
As I tell the story, all of this seems inevitable. It is not. It could have been stopped at any point. A wise and prudent political leadership could have admitted the error from the beginning and called on the country to rediscover freedom, decency, and the difference between right and wrong. But ego and pride stopped that from happening, and we are left with the consequences.
The government grows ever bigger and civil society ever less capable of managing itself in large urban centers. Disaster is unfolding in real time, mitigated only by a rising stock market and a financial system that has yet to fall apart completely.
Are we at the middle stages of total collapse, or at the point where the population and people in leadership positions wise up and decide to put an end to the downward slide? It’s hard to know. But this much we do know: There is a growing pocket of resistance out there that is fed up and refuses to sit by and watch this great country be sacked and taken over by everything it was set up to prevent.
Spread & Containment
Another beloved brewery files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The beer industry has been devastated by covid, changing tastes, and maybe fallout from the Bud Light scandal.
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Before the covid pandemic, craft beer was having a moment. Most cities had multiple breweries and taprooms with some having so many that people put together the brewery version of a pub crawl.
It was a period where beer snobbery ruled the day and it was not uncommon to hear bar patrons discuss the makeup of the beer the beer they were drinking. This boom period always seemed destined for failure, or at least a retraction as many markets seemed to have more craft breweries than they could support.
Related: Fast-food chain closes more stores after Chapter 11 bankruptcy
The pandemic, however, hastened that downfall. Many of these local and regional craft breweries counted on in-person sales to drive their business.
And while many had local and regional distribution, selling through a third party comes with much lower margins. Direct sales drove their business and the pandemic forced many breweries to shut down their taprooms during the period where social distancing rules were in effect.
During those months the breweries still had rent and employees to pay while little money was coming in. That led to a number of popular beermakers including San Francisco's nationally-known Anchor Brewing as well as many regional favorites including Chicago’s Metropolitan Brewing, New Jersey’s Flying Fish, Denver’s Joyride Brewing, Tampa’s Zydeco Brew Werks, and Cleveland’s Terrestrial Brewing filing bankruptcy.
Some of these brands hope to survive, but others, including Anchor Brewing, fell into Chapter 7 liquidation. Now, another domino has fallen as a popular regional brewery has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Image source: Shutterstock
Covid is not the only reason for brewery bankruptcies
While covid deserves some of the blame for brewery failures, it's not the only reason why so many have filed for bankruptcy protection. Overall beer sales have fallen driven by younger people embracing non-alcoholic cocktails, and the rise in popularity of non-beer alcoholic offerings,
Beer sales have fallen to their lowest levels since 1999 and some industry analysts
"Sales declined by more than 5% in the first nine months of the year, dragged down not only by the backlash and boycotts against Anheuser-Busch-owned Bud Light but the changing habits of younger drinkers," according to data from Beer Marketer’s Insights published by the New York Post.
Bud Light parent Anheuser Busch InBev (BUD) faced massive boycotts after it partnered with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. It was a very small partnership but it led to a right-wing backlash spurred on by Kid Rock, who posted a video on social media where he chastised the company before shooting up cases of Bud Light with an automatic weapon.
Another brewery files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Gizmo Brew Works, which does business under the name Roth Brewing Company LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 8. In its filing, the company checked the box that indicates that its debts are less than $7.5 million and it chooses to proceed under Subchapter V of Chapter 11.
"Both small business and subchapter V cases are treated differently than a traditional chapter 11 case primarily due to accelerated deadlines and the speed with which the plan is confirmed," USCourts.gov explained.
Roth Brewing/Gizmo Brew Works shared that it has 50-99 creditors and assets $100,000 and $500,000. The filing noted that the company does expect to have funds available for unsecured creditors.
The popular brewery operates three taprooms and sells its beer to go at those locations.
"Join us at Gizmo Brew Works Craft Brewery and Taprooms located in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Find us for entertainment, live music, food trucks, beer specials, and most importantly, great-tasting craft beer by Gizmo Brew Works," the company shared on its website.
The company estimates that it has between $1 and $10 million in liabilities (a broad range as the bankruptcy form does not provide a space to be more specific).
Gizmo Brew Works/Roth Brewing did not share a reorganization or funding plan in its bankruptcy filing. An email request for comment sent through the company's contact page was not immediately returned.
bankruptcy pandemic social distancing
Spread & Containment
Revving up tourism: Formula One and other big events look set to drive growth in the hospitality industry
With big events drawing a growing share of of tourism dollars, F1 offers a potential glimpse of the travel industry’s future.
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In late 2023, I embarked on my first Formula One race experience, attending the first-ever Las Vegas Grand Prix. I had never been to an F1 race; my interest was sparked during the pandemic, largely through the Netflix series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive.”
But I wasn’t just attending as a fan. As the inaugural chair of the University of Florida’s department of tourism, hospitality and event management, I saw this as an opportunity. Big events and festivals represent a growing share of the tourism market – as an educator, I want to prepare future leaders to manage them.
And what better place to learn how to do that than in the stands of the Las Vegas Grand Prix?
The future of tourism is in events and experiences
Tourism is fun, but it’s also big business: In the U.S. alone, it’s a US$2.6 trillion industry employing 15 million people. And with travelers increasingly planning their trips around events rather than places, both industry leaders and academics are paying attention.
Event tourism is also key to many cities’ economic development strategies – think Chicago and its annual Lollapalooza music festival, which has been hosted in Grant Park since 2005. In 2023, Lollapalooza generated an estimated $422 million for the local economy and drew record-breaking crowds to the city’s hotels.
That’s why when Formula One announced it would be making a 10-year commitment to host races in Las Vegas, the region’s tourism agency was eager to spread the news. The 2023 grand prix eventually generated $100 million in tax revenue, the head of that agency later announced.
Why Formula One?
Formula One offers a prime example of the economic importance of event tourism. In 2022, Formula One generated about $2.6 billion in total revenues, according to the latest full-year data from its parent company. That’s up 20% from 2021 and 27% from 2019, the last pre-COVID year. A record 5.7 million fans attended Formula One races in 2022, up 36% from 2019.
This surge in interest can be attributed to expanded broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals and a growing global fan base. And, of course, the in-person events make a lot of money – the cheapest tickets to the Las Vegas Grand Prix were $500.
That’s why I think of Formula One as more than just a pastime: It’s emblematic of a major shift in the tourism industry that offers substantial job opportunities. And it takes more than drivers and pit crews to make Formula One run – it takes a diverse range of professionals in fields such as event management, marketing, engineering and beyond.
This rapid industry growth indicates an opportune moment for universities to adapt their hospitality and business curricula and prepare students for careers in this profitable field.
How hospitality and business programs should prepare students
To align with the evolving landscape of mega-events like Formula One races, hospitality schools should, I believe, integrate specialized training in event management, luxury hospitality and international business. Courses focusing on large-scale event planning, VIP client management and cross-cultural communication are essential.
Another area for curriculum enhancement is sustainability and innovation in hospitality. Formula One, like many other companies, has increased its emphasis on environmental responsibility in recent years. While some critics have been skeptical of this push, I think it makes sense. After all, the event tourism industry both contributes to climate change and is threatened by it. So, programs may consider incorporating courses in sustainable event management, eco-friendly hospitality practices and innovations in sustainable event and tourism.
Additionally, business programs may consider emphasizing strategic marketing, brand management and digital media strategies for F1 and for the larger event-tourism space. As both continue to evolve, understanding how to leverage digital platforms, engage global audiences and create compelling brand narratives becomes increasingly important.
Beyond hospitality and business, other disciplines such as material sciences, engineering and data analytics can also integrate F1 into their curricula. Given the younger generation’s growing interest in motor sports, embedding F1 case studies and projects in these programs can enhance student engagement and provide practical applications of theoretical concepts.
Racing into the future: Formula One today and tomorrow
F1 has boosted its outreach to younger audiences in recent years and has also acted to strengthen its presence in the U.S., a market with major potential for the sport. The 2023 Las Vegas race was a strategic move in this direction. These decisions, along with the continued growth of the sport’s fan base and sponsorship deals, underscore F1’s economic significance and future potential.
Looking ahead in 2024, Formula One seems ripe for further expansion. New races, continued advancements in broadcasting technology and evolving sponsorship models are expected to drive revenue growth. And Season 6 of “Drive to Survive” will be released on Feb. 23, 2024. We already know that was effective marketing – after all, it inspired me to check out the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
I’m more sure than ever that big events like this will play a major role in the future of tourism – a message I’ll be imparting to my students. And in my free time, I’m planning to enhance my quality of life in 2024 by synchronizing my vacations with the F1 calendar. After all, nothing says “relaxing getaway” quite like the roar of engines and excitement of the racetrack.
Rachel J.C. Fu does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Revving up tourism: Formula One and other big events look set to drive growth in the hospitality industry
Another beloved brewery files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
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