Member Info for earnacrust

My broker indicates profits rise from £16.7m to £34.3m

EPS rise from 26p to 44p

Dividend drops to 28p

Just been to Liverpool again to take my wife to hospital.

The WH Smith at the hospital and the railway station both very busy.

Big queues at the self service tills. Assistants about the place to help.

Just asked the question re hospitals.

Received this reply.

WHSmith Travel is a leading travel retailer with a presence in a wide range of locations in the UK, including airports, hospitals, train stations and motorway service areas.

Just taken my wife to hospital in Liverpool. Notice WH Smith in train station and WH Smith in Royal Liverpool Hospital. Due to take my daughter to fly back to the USA. WH Smith will be there to welcome us at the airport. There is still a very strong showing of the WH Smith name thoughout the UK.

I checked when I got home last night. WH Smith states, "We operate over 130 stores in over 100 Hospitals in the UK, and our hospital business continues to grow. Our stores are tailored to each location, providing a one-stop-shop solution for staff, patients and visitors in hospitals."

I presume this will be retained as part of the travel business.

Trading statement not looking good

"Liontrust was hit with net outflows of £1.3bn for the first quarter of 2025, as investor sentiment remained unchanged from the end of last year, when £1.6bn was pulled from the asset manager."

Just called at motorway station on the M6. Noticed a big W H smith shop. I presume this will remain W H Smith together with all the stores inside major railway stations in the UK. That must account for a large number of stores which are not included in the sale.

The CMA must generally conclude a market investigation within 18 months from the date that the reference is made (with a potential additional 6 months for putting remedies in place) and the final report is expected by November 2025 at the latest.

Why all this talk about CMA report due out soon?

I hope you are right Oliver. Does anyone know when CMA will produce a report?

Due next week.

Hope you are right. Lion are making a big hole in my portfolio at the moment.

Wil we see any turnaround in the short term?

I hope Dave and Rojen are right. I doubled my holding at 600p and continue to watch the Lio fall Southward.

MUMBAI, June 14 (Reuters) - Vodafone Group (VOD.L) is looking to sell its entire $2.3 billion stake in India's Indus Towers, two sources with direct knowledge said, as part of the British firm's effort to repay debt.

Vodafone owns 21.5% of mobile-tower operator Indus via various group entities. As of Friday's closing stock price in Mumbai, the investment is worth $2.3 billion.

The final size of the stake sale is yet to be decided and could be lower than 21.5% if demand, which is still being assessed, is insufficient, said the sources, who declined to be named as the discussions were private.

Nothing startling in trading statement.

Hope you are right HumpyD, decided to top up myself today

Any ideas why we are seeing this rise?

Hi Gutty,

Is you a man or is you a woman?

You is keepin us gessin.

Should be information and opinion out tomorrow with trading announcement

What's caused this price increase from 13th.Dec.?

BRUSSELS, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Vodafone (VOD.L) and CK Hutchison's $19 billion mobile merger in Britain does not pose any competition concerns to EU antitrust regulators, according to a European Commission filing.

The companies sought approval from the EU competition enforcer for their bid to create the UK's biggest mobile operator on Oct. 30.

The Commission, which set a Dec. 6 deadline for its decision, is reviewing the deal under its simplified procedure.

The deal in contrast faces intense scrutiny from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority because it will reduce the number of networks from four to three, a threshold which regulators worry could reduce competition.

Hi Dan,

I too have a long way to go to reach breakeven (91p)

There seems to be something causing this current rise, but I can't find anything on line.

Any suggestions welcome