THG, Petrofac (PFC) & Marston’s (MARS): 3 FTSE stocks to keep an eye on

Highlights

• The UK stock market has made a cautious start on Wednesday ahead of the all-important budget announcement.
• THG Plc, Petrofac Ltd, Marston Plc are some of the key stocks in focus today.

The UK stock market has made a cautious start on Wednesday ahead of the all-important budget announcement. It will be a third budget presentation by chancellor Rishi Sunak. As per media speculation, there might be a positive announcement for the renewable energy and healthcare sector, while there could be additional taxes for the housebuilding sector.

Investors and traders will be keenly eyeing the budget statement, looking for key sectors that might be impacted following the announcement. The stock market can show volatile movement, reacting to the budget statements.

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Let us focus on 3 FTSE listed stocks that might see some movement today:

THG Plc (LON: THG)

The company operates in the consumer business segment offering beauty and nutrition products to its customers. It retails its own and third-party products through its e-commerce website. The company reported a 38% year-on-year growth in group revenue at £507.8 million in the third quarter of 2021. Overall, the company’s year-to-date revenue stands at £1,466.6 million, a rise of 42.3% compared to the same period last year. Higher revenue was primarily due to cost control, increased automation in operations, and a rise in repeat customers.

During the period, the company also completed the acquisition of Cult Beauty and successfully integrated its products on its platform.    

THG Plc currently trades at GBX 244.05, up by 0.83% on 27 October 2021 at 8:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £2,942.03 million.

Petrofac Ltd (LON: PFC)

The company operates in the oil and gas sector, providing equipment and engineering services to oil and gas companies. The company reported revenue of USD 1,595 million, while its EBITDA stands at USD 82 million in the six months ended 30 June 2021. The company’s new order intake is broadly in line with the expectations, and it is on track to deliver USD 250 million in cost savings. Also, the court has concluded its investigation into the company in relation to fraud and has imposed a penalty of £77 million.

The company has successfully raised £199.6 million by placing its 173.6 million shares at 115p per share. The net proceeds from the placing will be used to reduce debt and to pay off the penalty amount.

Petrofac Ltd currently trades at GBX 133.70, down by 6.31% on 27 October 2021 at 8:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £493.62 million.

Marston’s Plc (LON: MARS)

The company operates restaurants and pubs in the UK and other countries. It is also involved in the telecom and property management business. The company has seen continuous improvement in customer footfall and sales following the ease of lockdown restrictions. For the financial year ended 2 October 2021, the company’s total pubs sales were £402 million, which continues to recover well after the pandemic-led disruption. The company currently has net debt of £1,232 million.

Marston’s Plc currently trades at GBX 76.70, up by 0.07% on 27 October 2021 at 8:20 am GMT+1 with a market cap of £486.07 million.