Shares in Adidas (ETR:ADS) plunged in Frankfurt after the German sportswear giant’s Q2 earnings missed expectations. Adidas pinned the blame on higher marketing spending around this summer’s FIFA World Cup, as CEO Bjorn Gulden sought to outcompete US sportswear rival Nike (NYSE:NKE). Share price: €150.3 (-17.4%)Market cap: €31.7bnPE FY26: 9.1Yield FY26: 2% The Gazelle and Samba sneaker maker also set nerves jangling with the news long-serving CFO Harm Ohlmeyer will leave when his contract expires at the end of the year. Ohlmeyer’s replacement is Birgit Kretschm, who is rejoining Adidas from clothing retailer C&A. Q2 miss While Adidas’ net profit from…

Shares in Pets at Home (LON:PETS) perked up after the specialist retailer reported a rise in Q1 sales. There was also relief as the FTSE 250 firm maintained FY27 guidance in the face of subdued consumer confidence. The update confirmed CEO James Bailey’s turnaround plan is working and helping the company extend its leadership of the UK pet care market. The pet food-to-vet services purveyor is ‘encouraged’ by its start to FY27. And the Cheshire-based firm is set up well for the remainder of the year where it will be lapping a ‘more stable retail performance’. First quarter treats For…

In the latest episode of the podcast, the Sharesify gang discuss the KOSPI’s plunge from all-time peaks. They also preview tonight’s big Fed meeting and key tech earnings across the pond. Our tech whizz Steven tells listeners why the market is worried about levels of AI spending. He also explains what ‘circular financing’ is. AI sell-off explained: Why circular funding and Credit Default Swaps have suddenly become the market’s biggest worry James has observed a clear rotation into value and quality names this week. He walks us through forecast-beating earnings from Unilever (LON:ULVR) and Reckitt Benckiser (LON:RKT). James also discusses…

Shares in Greggs (LON:GRG) rallied after the food-to-go retailer served up stronger-than-expected interim results. In H1, the sausage roll seller delivered further share gains in a tough food-to-go market. Greggs faces stiff headwinds from subdued consumer confidence and cost pressures. So there was relief among investors as the FTSE 250 firm maintained its FY26 guidance. The bakery chain is among London’s most-shorted stocks. That suggests today’s share price spike partly reflected short-sellers buying back stock to cover their positions. Greggs is on a roll Under CEO Roisin Currie, Greggs outperformed a challenging food-to-go market in H1. The Newcastle-based bakery chain’s…

Quality investing is a strategy that focuses on buying the best companies the stock market has to offer. We are talking financially healthy companies with durable competitive advantages, strong balance sheets and reliable cash flows. Additional markers of quality include high margins and track records of reliably generating profitable growth. When it comes to investing in quality, the goal is to identify resilient businesses that can compound wealth over time and weather economic downturns. Quality investors avoid chasing short-term share price momentum or buying shares trading at bargain-basement valuations in the hope they’ll eventually re-rate. While quality-focused investors don’t ignore…

Investment trust Biotech Growth (LON:BIOG) received another boost after Forte Biosciences (NASDAQ:FBRX) agreed a $2.2 billion takeover by Argenx (EBR:ARGX), a Belgian-Dutch pharmaceutical company. The Forte holding represents 3.03% of Biotech Growth’s net asset value (NAV). And the acquisition is the second takeover of one of the trust’s portfolio companies in a month as biotech’s M&A bonanza continues. Earlier this month, Biotech Growth scored yet another win as US pharma giant Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) snapped up portfolio company AtaiBeckley (NASDAQ:ATAI). The Forte takeover is the ninth merger or acquisition (M&A) in a year to benefit Biotech Growth Trust. Shares in the OrbiMed-managed fund have…

Consumer goods giant Unilever (LON:ULVR) rallied after delivering forecast-beating sales for Q2. This marked the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate’s best volume quarter in over a decade. Drawing confidence from a robust H1 performance, the Sunsilk-to-Vaseline maker also raised its FY26 outlook. Unilever now expects annual underlying sales growth to be within its 4% to 6% multi-year guidance range with around 3% underlying volume growth. Previously, the Dove-to-Domestos brands owner anticipated growth at the lower end of this range. Investors can also expect a ‘modest improvement’ in underlying operating margin versus the 20% delivered in FY25. Q2 sales beat Underlying sales grew 5.8%…

Shares in Pinewood Technologies (LON:PINE) surged after the automotive software provider said it is minded to recommend a £545 million takeover offer from Ridgeview Partners. The US private equity firm has tabled an offer at £4.48 in cash for ‘Pinewood.AI’. However, one of Pinewood.AI’s largest shareholders, Harwood Capital, is preparing to vote against the deal. Harwood owns 5.7% of the automotive software business and objects to preferential liquidation rights included in Ridgeview’s proposal. What does Pinewood.AI do? For the uninitiated, Pinewood.AI was spun out from automotive retailer Pendragon in 2024. This separation followed the sale of Pendragon’s UK Motor and…

UK food producer Cranswick (LON:CWK) flagged a positive start to FY27 and reaffirmed annual profit guidance. The pork-to-poultry processor delivered broad-based growth in Q1. Recent investments are translating into tasty market share gains across its poultry, pet food and houmous businesses. So why did the shares fall in early dealings? Well, a deceleration in growth, lower exports and the absence of another earnings upgrade triggered profit-taking. Robust demand Over the last 51 years, Cranswick has grown from a single mill producing feed for pigs in the North East of England into a major UK food producer. The company services major…

In the latest episode of the podcast, the Sharesify team talk markets, tech and the retirement of a trusts sector titan. Our tech guru Steven explains why Q2 results from Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) delivered one of the clearest signals yet that its AI investment programme is translating into growth. He also talks about the turnaround at Intel (NASDAQ:INTC), whose quarterly profits comfortably beat forecasts. James discusses the impending retirement of investment trusts legend James Henderson from Law Debenture (LON:LWDB) and Lowland Investment Company (LON:LWI). Henderson will be sorely missed at Law Debenture. Since taking on lead manager responsibilities in 2003, he has…