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Highlights
- A new set of data has stated that sentiments within the business community in the UK have improved in May for the first time in three months.
- UK business confidence has increased by five points in May to 38% from 33% in April.
A new set of data by Lloyds Bank has stated that sentiments among businesses in the UK have improved in May for the first time in three months since the Russia-Ukraine war started. As per the report released on Tuesday, UK business confidence has increased by five points in May to 38% from 33% in April, despite increasing concern over a looming recession.
But at the same time, it stated that the consumer-facing businesses are getting highly impacted by the growing cost-of-living crunch.
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For the fifth month in a row, businesses are planning to raise their prices further. According to a survey, around 57% of businesses said they are planning to raise their prices in the next few months to protect profit margins considering the rising cost of raw materials and energy.
Retail sector confidence in May fell by two points to 27%, which clearly indicates a squeeze on household income due to the rising cost of energy. According to Lloyds Bank’s monthly barometer, around 53% of companies are expecting to increase their workforce. However, 46% of businesses surveyed said that the rising costs of raw materials and energy is their biggest concern for the next couple of months despite positivity among the businesses.
Related Read: Sainsbury's (SBRY) pledges to keep prices in check: Should you invest?
Let us look at 3 FTSE-listed stocks that have provided decent returns to their investors.
Investec Plc (LON: INVP)
The international bank and asset manager, Investec Plc, offers a range of financial products and services to its client from markets including Europe, Asia, the UK, and South Africa. With a market cap of £3,332.84 million, the company has provided its shareholders with a one-year return of 54.17% as of 31 May 2022. Its 5-year average dividend yield stands at 5.1%. The company’s shares were trading at GBX 478,00, down by 0.17%, at 8:15 AM (GMT+1) on 31 May 2022.
©2022 Kalkine Media®
Meggitt Plc (LON: MGGT)
The market cap of the multinational engineering company stands at £6,082.93 million as of 31 May 2022. It is specialised in components and subsystems for defence, aerospace, and selected energy markets. The company has provided its shareholders with a one-year return of 52.8% and its shares were trading at GBX 775.60 at 8:15 AM (GMT+1) on 31 May 2022. Its 5-year average dividend yield stands at 1.9%.
Related Read: CSP, JET, RMG: Why are these stocks in news?
Riverstone Energy Limited (LON: RSE)
The market cap of the closed-ended energy investment company stands at £369.43 million as of 31 May 2022. The company focuses its investment on the global energy industry across the sector to generate long-term capital growth.
The company has provided its shareholders with a one-year return of 118.12% and its shares were trading at GBX 690.00 at 8:15 AM (GMT+1) on 31 May 2022.
Note: The above content constitutes a very preliminary observation or view based on market trends and is of limited scope without any in-depth fundamental valuation or technical analysis. Any interest in stocks or sectors should be thoroughly evaluated taking into consideration the associated risks.