Strong first half Full year to be ahead of consensus Net debt continues to fall Over 50s products specialist Saga (SAGA) rallied as much as 8% to a new three-year high of 236p after the company reported a strong first half and said full-year profit is now expected to be ahead of consensus expectations. The shares have more than doubled over the last year reflecting robust trading updates and a...

Next directors sell 50,000 shares Saga director buys 1,479,385 shares Alliance Witan director buys £113,058 shares Jane Shields, group sales marketing and HR director at clothing and homeware retailer Next (NXT) (and a related party) have sold 22,000 shares at £109.87 for a total value of £2,417,164 and 28,000 shares at £109.87 for a total value of £3,076,391 on 1 April. > More detailed...

Profit ahead of guidance Dip on 2025/6 outlook Medium-term profit ambition of £100m What over-50s lifestyle group Saga (SAGA) gave with one hand, it took away with the other as the travel and insurance company reported better than previously guided full year profit but warned of a lower 2025/6 result due to a material increase in finance costs. Mr. Market seemed undecided what to make of the...

In the third of our four-part series on small caps (you can read part two on UK small cap funds and trusts elsewhere in this issue), we get our data-crunching caps on and take a look at key metrics around value, income and growth in the smaller companies universe.To narrow things down we limited our search to London-listed companies with market valuations between £50 million and £500...

First half profit jumps to £27 millionStrategic tie-up with AgeasSale of insurance underwriting unitSaga (SAGA) was the top performer in the FTSE All-Share on Friday, rising by a tenth after the over 50s travel and insurance specialist revealed strong first-half profit growth, a reduction in debt and confirmed it was in exclusive talks with Belgian insurer Ageas (AGS:EBR) to sell its...

Travel and cruise booking aheadInsurance improving despite tough marketOn track to meet full year targetsOver 50s travel and insurance specialist Saga (SAGA) had a bounce in its step on Tuesday after revealing a good start to its new financial year, putting the business on track to meet full-year expectations.Investors welcomed the trading update for the four months to 24 June ahead of the...

Annual underlying revenue up 13% to £732.7 millionRiver Cruise and Travel returns to profitStrong customer base of 9.6 millionShares in Saga (SAGA) were marginally higher this morning as the over 50s travel and insurance company reported a 146% rise in underlying pre-tax profit to £38.2 million for the year ending 31 January 2024 lifted by forward bookings from their cruise and travel...

The cruise industry is enjoying an unprecedented boom with around 35.7 million passengers expected to book a trip this year, up from 31.5 million in 2023 and 6% more than the number of passengers who set sail in 2019 according to the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).Going on a cruise holiday is slowly become a more popular alternative then jumping on a plane or a high-speed train...

Profit guidance upgraded againBrands have positive momentumEuan Sutherland to succeed Roger WhiteOne of Shares running Great Ideas selections, Irn-Bru-to-Rubicon drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) served up another full-year profit upgrade which sent the shares up 1.5% to a 52-week high of 576p.The beverages business behind iconic Scottish tipple Irn-Bru as well as take home cocktail offering FUNKIN...

The FTSE 100 was up at the open on Friday, beating other indices in early morning trade thanks to a boost from oil majors and positive data from the US.The FTSE 100 index opened up 59.70, up 0.8%, at 7,589.43. The FTSE 250 was down 15.69 points, 0.1%, at 19,207.41, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.52 of a point, 0.1%, at 747.58.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 758.53, the Cboe UK 250 was...

While motorists have benefitted from falling petrol and diesel prices this year - helping to offset some of the increased cost of the weekly shop - many are finding their motor insurance quotes have gone through the roof, typically with no explanation.According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), car insurance prices have jumped more than 40% in the last 12 months, while the ABI...

-Saga reports widened statutory loss on insurance hit-Shares slump more than 8%-Focused on reducing debts in 2023Investors were in no mood to give over-50s travel and insurance group Saga (SAGA) any credit for a return to profit on an adjusted basis as the company reported a significantly widened statutory pre-tax loss.Revenue in the financial year to 31 January was up 54% to £581.1 million...

Saga investors have to hope earnings are on courseThe share price has been unusually volatile since the interim resultsRather like its cruise-ship customers, shareholders in over-50s financial services and leisure group Saga (SAGA) will be hoping everything is plain sailing when the firm reports full year earnings on 4 April.The last six months have been anything but quiet, with the shares...

Over-50s travel and insurance group Saga (SAGA) has rebounded strongly of late, gaining 120% in just three months.This increase in the share price is from all-time lows below 100p and the shares are still, once you adjust for a 2020 share consolidation, down more than 90% on the price at which they listed in 2014.This isn't really a recovery of Saga's own making and has been led by wider...

- Profit guidance downgraded to £20 million-to-£30 million range- Saga warns insurance market inflationary pressures set to continue- Expects 'continued recovery' in cruise and travel businessesShares in Saga (SAGA) slumped 18.5% to 109.4p, an all-time low since its flotation in 2014, after the over-50s insurer and cruise operator warned full year profits will fall short of expectations amid...

Darlington-based vehicle hire and accident management group Redde Northgate (REDD) has come a long way in the past few years.From historically being a van sales and rental firm, the group now offers fleet management, vehicle repair, service and maintenance, claims management and even the installation of electric vehicle chargers.By providing its customers, who include large public and...

- Shares fall on disappointing outlook for insurance- New one year product will dilute margins- De-rating reflects concerns over earnings recoveryShares in over 50's services group Saga (SAGA) dropped as much as 4.5% to 159.5p following the release of a trading update to coincide with its AGM (annual general meeting).The firm revealed a combination of headwinds for the insurance business is...

After nearly two years of heavy losses, the travel sector is showing serious signs of bouncing back, despite the ongoing drag of the Omicron variant. Increased vaccination rates, pent-up demand and accumulated savings are helping to spur demand for global tourism nations roll back border restrictions.Organisations from across the travel industry welcomed the UK Government's decision to ditch...

London's FTSE 100 jumped 85 points or 1.2% to 7,066 points on Wednesday lunchtime after beleaguered Chinese property developer Evergrande cooled fears of an imminent collapse, stoking a sharp rebound in mining shares.Asian markets also recovered and US index futures were pointing up ahead of the open, while Brent crude advanced 1% to $75.40 per barrel and sterling recovered from overnight...

Over-50s services group Saga (SAGA) saw travel bookings for 2022 and 2023 beat pre-pandemic levels, but the shares dipped 0.6% to 349p as the company also warned on lingering Covid uncertainty.The company swung to a modest first-half profit thanks to gains on a property disposal, but it recorded underlying losses as the pandemic continues to weigh on its cruise business.Pre-tax earnings for...