UK 15:51 Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Breaking news and expert analysis on fast-moving AIM and LSE listed shares
Although my main area of interest is in oil and mining stocks, I do also keep a close eye on macro factors and politics, and do look at other sectors as well, especially when it comes to larger companies that may be directly impacted by changes.
Hello Share Choosers. Having just returned from an exotic weekend break in Doncaster, I can attest that the hotel trade is even healthier than it was before Covid. There are a lot of people travelling and partying as they work hard to make up for lost time. I treated myself to a stay at the famous Earl of Doncaster for a golden wedding, but like most folks I usually choose something at the cheaper end of the market. Like Travelodge or Premier Inn.
I am such a fanboy of Whitbread (WTB), the company most of us know today as the owner of Premier Inn hotels. A number of years back I made a really solid return, especially after Coca-Cola purchased Costa Coffee off it for a decent amount of cash. I sold most of my shares during that time period, but joined in its money raising during the early days of COVID-19 as it sought to ensure Premier Inn focused business was going to be able to keep growing, not just in this country but also in Germany where it sees material future prospects. And that brings us to today’s “FY23” numbers.
As I noted most recently last week, I am a big personal fan of Whitbread plc (WTB) and its Premier Inn brand. I even contributed a few quid to its profitability numbers over recent months. How excited am I then about its “performance driven by our ‘investing to win’ strategy over the last two years”, “well-placed to capitalise on the strong market recovery in the UK and Germany”, and “adjusted profit before tax of £271.9m, including £24.9m losses in Germany”?
