Highlights
- UK-based businesses have repaid a furlough amount of £1.3 billion to HMRC to date, indicating stability in the business post-pandemic reopening.
- Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Entain Plc, Kingfisher Plc and BHP Group Plc are some of the stocks in focus today.
UK based businesses have repaid a consolidated furlough amount of £1.3 billion to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) since July 2020. The furlough scheme was introduced by the UK government during the pandemic period to protect jobs and support businesses. Businesses reopening and employment rise due to successful vaccination has reduced the number of people on the furlough scheme. The furlough scheme has helped close to 1.3 million small businesses.
Let us look at 4 FTSE listed stocks that are in focus today:
Royal Dutch Shell Plc (LON: RDSB)
FTSE100 listed company operates in the oil and gas sector. It is into exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas and markets it through its service station.
The company has been giving consistent returns to investors and distributes its profits with the shareholders through dividends and share buyback. The company’s subsidiary Shell Enterprises LLC has agreed to sell the Permian business to ConocoPhillips, a prominent shales developer, for USD 9.5 billion in an all-cash transaction. The company plans to distribute USD 7 billion from sale transactions to its shareholders, while the remaining funds will be used to strengthen the balance sheet.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc shares trade at GBX 1,504.80, up by 1.36% on 22 September at 9:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £54,448 million.
Entain Plc (LON: ENT)
The company operates in the sports betting and gaming segment. It provides its services through retail stores and online portals and has multiple consumer-centric brands like Bwin, Eurobet and many more.
The company has received a second takeover offer from the US-based DraftKings. As per the latest proposal, DraftKings will offer 2,800p per share, a 46.2% premium to the closing share price on 20 September. DraftKings’ offer of £16.6 billion is a combination of cash and DraftKings Class A common share. Entain Plc board will discuss the revised takeover bid and will make a further announcement in the coming days.
Entain Plc shares trade at GBX 2,438, up by 7.83% on 22 September at 9:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £13,240 million.
Kingfisher Plc (LON: KGF)
The company provides home improvement products through its chain of 1,380 stores. The company has operations in eight countries, and consumers can access the company’s products and services through stores and e-commerce channels.
The company reported revenue of £7,101 million, a rise of 22.2% on a constant currency basis, while its gross profit was at £2,697 million, up by 25.4% during the six months ended 31 July 2021. The higher revenue was primarily due to strong demand for home improvement across retail and trade channels. Also, the company’s e-commerce sale was up by 21% during the period. As a result of solid half-yearly performance, the company has declared an interim dividend of 3.80p per share.
Kingfisher Plc shares traded at GBX 351.80, up by 0.54% on 22 September at 9:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £7,388 million.
BHP Group Plc (LON: BHP)
The company is one of the largest mining companies globally, focusing on the exploration and production of base and precious metals.
The company’s share has declined over 15% since 1 September 2021 due to a fall in the iron ore prices which has gone below USD 100/ton, the lowest levels since July 2020 due to weak demand in China. As a result, BHP Group Plc stock saw profit booking from investors as lower iron ore price is expected to impact the company’s upcoming quarterly results.
BHP Group Plc shares trade at GBX 1,909.20, up by 3.10% on 22 September at 9:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £39,111 million.
Comment