BIG BIG NEWSNEWS
01 August 2019 | SHARES | 9I
t was a week to forget for Centrica (CNA) as
shares in the energy company hit a 21-year
low following a series of bad news.
ŚŝĞĨĞdžĞĐƵƟǀĞ/ĂŝŶŽŶŶĂŐƌĞĞĚƚŽƐƚĞƉĚŽǁŶ
following a £446m pre-tax loss in the six months
to 30 June, and the company slashed its interim
dividend by more than half.
^ŚĂƌĞƐŝŶƚŚĞƌŝƟƐŚ'ĂƐŽǁŶĞƌĨĞůůƚŽĂƌŽƵŶĚ
ϳεƉ͕ĂŵĂƌŬĞĚĐŽŶƚƌĂƐƚƚŽƚŚĞϭρϬƉƚŚĞLJǁĞƌĞ
trading at a year ago.
tŚŽĞǀĞƌƌĞƉůĂĐĞƐŽŶŶǁŝůůŚĂǀĞĂƚŽƵŐŚƚĂƐŬ͕
as will incoming ZĞĐŬŝƩĞŶĐŬŝƐĞƌ;ZͿ K
>ĂdžŵĂŶEĂƌĂƐŝŵŚĂŶ͘
ZĞĐŬŝƩƌĞǀŝƐĞĚŝƚƐĨƵůůLJĞĂƌĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐĂŌĞƌĂ
ŇĂƚĮƌƐƚŚĂůĨŽĨŝƚƐLJĞĂƌ͕ŝŵƉĂĐƚĞĚďLJĂƐůŽǁĚŽǁŶŝŶ
ĚĞŵĂŶĚĨŽƌŝƚƐŝŶĨĂŶƚĨŽƌŵƵůĂƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐŝŶŚŝŶĂ͘
ůƐŽǁĞŝŐŚŝŶŐŽŶƚŚĞƌĞƐƵůƚƐǁĞƌĞĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ
pressures and its inability to successfully push
ƵƉƉƌŝĐĞƐ͘ŝŐĐŽŵƉĂŶŝĞƐůŝŬĞZĞĐŬŝƩĂŝŵƚŽŚĂǀĞ
ƉƌŝĐŝŶŐƉŽǁĞƌ͕ďƵƚƚŚĞĮƌŵŚĂƐĨĂĐĞĚŇĂŐŐŝŶŐƐĂůĞƐ
ǁŝƚŚŝƚƐĞƩŽů͕ƵƌĞdžĂŶĚ^ĐŚŽůůďƌĂŶĚƐ͘Centrica, Reckitt
Benckiser, BP and the
week’s other big news
We look at the market’s risers and fallers from the last week
London Stock Exchange (LSE) swirled investor
excitement on the FTSE 100 this week as its shares
ƐŽĂƌĞĚƚŽĂŶĂůůͲƟŵĞŚŝŐŚŽĨάςρ͘ϭρĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ
ĐŽŶĮƌŵĂƟŽŶŽĨŝƚƐƚĂůŬƐƚŽďƵLJĚĂƚĂƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƌ
ZĞĮŶŝƟǀĨŽƌΨϮϳďŶ͘
dŽŐĞƚŚĞƌ>^ ĂŶĚZĞĮŶŝƟǀǁŽƵůĚďĞƚŚĞůĂƌŐĞƐƚ
ůŝƐƚĞĚŐůŽďĂůĮŶĂŶĐŝĂůŵĂƌŬĞƚƐŝŶĨƌĂƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞ
provider.
BP (BP) also had a good week despite being hit
by lower oil prices. Its shares moved up to 546p
ĂŌĞƌŝƚďĞĂƚĞdžƉĞĐƚĂƟŽŶƐŽŶŝƚƐǀĞƌƐŝŽŶŽĨŶĞƚ
ŝŶĐŽŵĞ͕ƵŶĚĞƌůLJŝŶŐƌĞƉůĂĐĞŵĞŶƚĐŽƐƚƉƌŽĮƚ͕ǁŚŝĐŚ
ƐƚŽŽĚŇĂƚĂƚΨϮ͘ΘďŶŝŶƚŚĞƐĞĐŽŶĚƋƵĂƌƚĞƌ͕ďĞƩĞƌ
ƚŚĂŶƚŚĞΨϮ͘κςďŶĨŽƌĞĐĂƐƚĞĚ͘
Sports Direct (SPD) on the other hand had a
ƚĞƌƌŝďůĞƟŵĞĂƐŝƚƐƐŚĂƌĞƐƐƚĂƌƚĞĚƚŚĞǁĞĞŬŽǀĞƌ
25% down following its delayed results debacle.
dŚĞĐŽŵƉĂŶLJŚŝĚĂƚƚŚĞďŽƩŽŵŽĨŝƚƐƌĞƐƵůƚƐ
ĚŽĐƵŵĞŶƚĂƐŚŽĐŬΦςϳκŵƚĂdžďŝůůĨƌŽŵƚŚĞĞůŐŝĂŶ
ĂƵƚŚŽƌŝƟĞƐ͕ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐǁŚŝĐŚůĞĚŝƚƐĂƵĚŝƚŽƌ'ƌĂŶƚ
Thornton to quit.Source: Shares, SharePad. Data as of 30 July 2019BEST PERFORMERS
STOCK SHARE PRICE RISE REASON
ŽďŚĂŵ 39.4% dĂŬĞŽǀĞƌŽīĞƌĨƌŽŵh^ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞĞƋƵŝƚLJŐƌŽƵƉĚǀĞŶƚ
Just Eat 24.4% Merger proposal from Takeaway.com
Vodafone 16.1% hŶǀĞŝůƐƉůĂŶƚŽƐƉŝŶŽī ƵƌŽƉĞĂŶŵŽďŝůĞŵĂƐƚďƵƐŝŶĞƐƐFTSE 350 MOVERS OVER THE PAST WEEK
WORST PERFORMERS
STOCK SHARE PRICE FALL REASON
ƐƚŽŶDĂƌƟŶ -43.1% ZĞƉŽƌƚƐĂƐůƵŵƉŝŶƐĂůĞƐ
Sanne ͲϮΘ͘ϳй tĂƌŶƐŽĨǁĞĂŬĞƌŽƉĞƌĂƟŶŐŵĂƌŐŝŶƐ
Metro Bank -19.9% ZĞƉŽƌƚƐΘκйĚƌŽƉŝŶŚĂůĨLJĞĂƌƉƌĞͲƚĂdžƉƌŽĮƚ