Author: James Crux

Shares in Unilever (ULVR) rose 1.3% to £46.34 after the consumer goods powerhouse confirmed it is in talks to sell its foods business. The Dove soap-to-Domestos owner has received an offer for foods from spices-to-sauces maker McCormick (MKC). While the foods business includes iconic brands like Hellmann’s, Marmite and Knorr, it is now considered non-core. A multi-billion-dollar sale would complete Unilever’s pivot to higher-growth beauty and personal care categories. Sharpening the focus Over the past decade, the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate has been pulling back from the slower growing foods industry. Unilever has offloaded its spreads, tea and ice cream divisions. Since…

Shares in ECO Animal Health (EAH:AIM) rallied after the veterinary products specialist said FY26 earnings will be ‘materially ahead’ of expectations. The ‘beat’ reflects the ‘continued strong momentum’ and improved margins seen in H2. ECO is a fast-growing global animal health company headquartered in London. The David Hallas-led outfit develops and markets veterinary pharmaceuticals globally. Lead product Aivlosin is an antibiotic that treats enteric and respiratory diseases in pigs and poultry. Healthy momentum ECO expects FY26 results to beat consensus revenue and adjusted EBITDA expectations of £83.5 million and £7.6 million. H2 revenue growth proved ‘particularly strong’ in North America…

Sofa seller DFS Furniture (DFS) delivered ‘robust’ H1 results in a difficult market for big-ticket spending and reiterated FY26 profit guidance. With debt levels coming down, the home improvement retailer also reinstated the H1 dividend. Why then, did shares in the Doncaster-based firm fall 8% to 138p in early dealings? The negative catalyst was a cautious outlook from the company behind the dfs and Sofology brands. DFS warned of ‘some softening in footfall’ since the end of H1 due to adverse weather conditions. Led by CEO Tim Stacey, DFS also cautioned that consumer confidence remains ‘delicately balanced’. Sitting uncomfortably DFS…

In today’s podcast, the Sharesify team talk markets and the week’s winners and losers. While the FTSE 100 is still hovering above 10,320, the S&P 500 is up 1.2% so far this week. Ian explains why investors’ focus has shifted away from oil. First up, Steve explains why advanced memory stocks are the knitting behind the AI boom ahead of results from semiconductor company Micron Technology (MU) after the bell. What is the company going to say about demand? Crucially, what will be shared about pricing? Ian previews tonight’s Fed meeting and says there is ‘no suspicion’ that the US…

Shares in Moonpig (MOON) rallied 9% to 229.5p after the company said FY26 EPS growth would be at the top end of guidance. A new £65 million share buyback for FY27 from the online cards group was also greeted warmly by investors. This fresh buyback is a nod to management’s confidence in the outlook for Moonpig and its continued strong cash generation. In growth mode FTSE 250 constituent Moonpig provides online greeting cards, gifts and experiences. It trades as Moonpig, Red Letter Days and Buyagift in the UK and as Greetz in the Netherlands. Having traded in line with expectations…

Pawnbroker Ramsdens (RFX:AIM) upgraded its year-to-September 2026 guidance for the second time in two months off the back of the sky-high gold price. This positive news propelled the shares 11% higher to 405p in early dealings on 18 March. The financial services-to-retail firm now expects FY26 pre-tax profits to be ‘at least £24 million’. And if favourable gold price and trading conditions persist, profits could be ‘potentially up to £28 million’. That compares with the £21.1 million broker Cavendish was previously calling for. The updated guidance implies Ramsdens is on track to deliver at least 48% year-on-year PBT growth. Hot…

Specialist wine supplier Virgin Wines (VINO:AIM) uncorked palate-pleasing H1 results showing positive progress against a refreshed growth strategy. The Norwich-based firm delivered ‘meaningful’ market share gains in the half ended 2 January 2026, with a 40% year-on-year increase in new customers. To maintain this top-line momentum however, Virgin Wines guided to an extra £550,000 in customer acquisition spend. This was greater than the market expected and left the shares trading lower on the day. Winning market share Guided by CEO Jay Wrght, Virgin Wines is the UK’s largest direct-to-consumer (DTC) online wine retailer. The company’s medium-term target is to grow revenues…

Shares in Wickes (WIX) jumped 3% to 221.5p after the home improvement retailer posted forecast-beating FY25 profits and announced a fresh £10 million buyback for FY26. The kitchens-to-bathroom taps seller also raised its long-term store target to 300 locations from a previous ambition of 250 in a move expected to create over 2,000 new jobs. Led by CEO David Wood, Wickes delivered a 14.4% hike in FY25 adjusted pre-tax profits to £49.9 million. That beat the company-compiled consensus of £48.2 million as operating leverage and strong productivity partially mitigated cost inflation. Despite a tough market for big-ticket purchases, revenue rose…

Global fund F&C (FCIT) underperformed its benchmark in 2025 as the weak dollar and some disappointments in Europe and the US hindered performance. However, the world’s oldest investment trust raised the total 2025 dividend to 16.6p, an increase of 6.4%. That marked the 55th consecutive annual dividend rise from the trust as well as its 158th annual dividend payment for shareholders. The FTSE 100-listed fund also proposed a 4-for-1 share split at the upcoming annual general meeting (AGM) in May that will increase the affordability and liquidity of its stock. Trailing the benchmark Managed by Columbia Threadneedle’s Paul Niven, F&C’s…

Active fund manager Liontrust (LIO), has agreed to acquire River Global’s (RVRG) asset management arm in an all-share deal worth up to £9.7 million. Led by CEO John Ions, Liontrust said the deal will further expand Liontrust’s investment talent and broaden its client base. Liontrust expects the deal will be enhance its earnings in the year to March 2027 and prove ‘materially accretive’ in future years. Shares in Liontrust ticked up 4.5% to 256p on the news, while Martin Gilbert-chaired River Global rallied 30% to 4.4p. Gathering assets Liontrust is acquiring River Global Holdings Limited, which was formed by bringing…