Articles by: CHRIS BAILEY OF FINANCIAL ORBIT

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Friday news I missed last week from Rolls-Royce and Imperial Brands

I was a bit busy on Friday and missed two things. The first was that Rolls-Royce (RR.) shares pushed up nicely, which is good news given I am a fan of the stock (as last noted here, in February). I was pleased to read that “the owner of Air India is looking to snap up around 30 Airbus aircraft, which are powered by engines built by the UK’s leading engineering group". That was nice, but the real reason for the rise in shares was a few bid rumours based on the fact that, as the Mail on Sunday puts it, “arch-rival BAE Systems (BA.) could be a contender". All good fun…but don’t ever bet on bids alone. Meanwhile, I want to talk about Imperial Brands (IMB)...

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-27 13:23:38

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It is a Friday - and you might be bored with large caps - but Smiths Group is still cheap

Six months ago I observed that the British multinational diversified engineering business Smiths Group (SMIN) was worth sixteen to seventeen quid a share. The share price has risen about 10% since then, meaning a just shy of a fifteen quid share price this morning. After all its first half numbers showed a 3.4% rise in organic revenue growth and an 11.1% rise in operating profits given it saw “strong demand across most end markets”. And it also sold its Medical business in recent months too allowing it to focus on other parts of its business and buying back some shares too.

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-25 10:42:22

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Keep buying Essentra and its “hassle-free supplier of essential industrial components”

I have been a big fan of shares in Essentra (ESNT) - whicvh hopes to be “the world’s leading responsible hassle-free supplier of essential industrial components” - for about nine months now. And whilst my average purchase price of below 275p is very pleasant compared to today’s c. 315p share price, the share has been pretty volatile year-to-date after I discussed its continued good progress back in January . So am I still hoping for a 400p+ share price target or not?

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-18 10:16:07

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Prudential is never dull or boring

Back in August last year I observed that “when the FTSE 100 dumps next, have a look at Prudential (PRU)”. So given that markets have been volatile year-to-date and the insurance giant has in the last week published its full year 2021 results, how am I thinking about the stock today?

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-13 11:19:19

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Stay excited about “born green in the 1950s” SIG!

Have you enjoyed the last week in the financial markets? It certainly has been volatile but such is life in the stock market world and - as I have observed before - if you see volatility as more of a threat than an opportunity, get somebody else to manage your investment portfolio as it will make you a lot less stressed and a lot wealthier. Meanwhile for us obsessed with the world of the financial markets the key always remains how you react. And that brings me this morning to the just announced FY21 numbers of SIG (SHI).

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-11 11:02:30

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Markets catch-up #2 after a mad few days

The world of investment is never simple, if it was we all would be on the beach all the time. Life - in any case - is always about how you respond to challenges and that brings us to the markets year-to-date. It is little surprise that the Russian ETF market is down over 80% year-to-date (assuming you can trade it) and little surprise that markets in Poland and Germany are both down more than 20%. But despite all the pan-European angst, ETF markets in the United States, Japan, India and China are all down either side of 10%, far worse than the 5% fall seen by the UK ETF market and far, far worse than the year-to-date gains still seen by a third of global markets including Brazil, Chile, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, Nigeria and Canada. Of course you all know why: high commodity market exposure - rather than the technology stocks that have dominated many investors over the last decade - has been rather helpful.

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-06 11:53:45

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Markets catch-up #1 after a mad few days

This has certainly been an interesting first four days of March for global investment markets. And - in a way - being a bit too busy with meetings and travel over Thursday and Friday to do anything much with investment market choices is no bad thing.

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-03-05 13:01:00

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A word or two on ‘scrambles to stave off collapse’ at McColl’s and then onto problems at (John) Wood Group

Two stocks to talk about today. You may remember back in December I observed about McColl’s (MCLS) after observing plans for change - and a troubled balance sheet - at the convenience shop and newsagent operator, ‘whilst I am going to keep watching this one, I am not buying today’. That was smart as the shares have fallen from c. 10p when I wrote in December to about 7p on Friday.

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-02-27 13:06:22

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Will less friendly real estate markets fall on SEGRO shares?

For the first time in a couple of years I might be visiting London in just under a couple of weeks time. Such excitement (not!) to see the Big Smoke. I read the other day that "house hunters wanting to buy a property in London this year are likely to face more competitive market conditions than in 2021...Since January, 51% more buyers have entered the market and 35% more property viewings took place". Such is the excitement (not!) for property market thoughts for 2022, because we all know that it is easy to extrapolate any generally positive move over the last 40 years for another few years.

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-02-20 11:43:12

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PZ Cussons is still a bad day buy

It has been another busy week and - despite the fact it is half term holiday time for some - it will be another hectic seven days for a bunch of corporate news, macroeconomic matters and geopolitical discussions. If you want a quiet life in the investment world then wait for Christmas. One stock that reported over the last week but which I have not had an opportunity yet to comment on is PZ Cusson (PZC) which ‘builds brands to serve consumers better with Hygiene, Baby and Beauty at our core’ in brands such as Carex, St. Tropez, Cussons Baby, Sanctuary Spa, Morning Fresh (depending on which part of the world you live in).

By Chris Bailey of Financial Orbit
2022-02-13 09:31:37

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