Emma Powell

Only drastic action stands a chance of convincing investors that Vodafone is capable of being revived. A history of value destruction by her predecessors has put an even greater burden on Margherita Della Valle, now the permanent chief executive, to prove that the telecoms company can return to grow

It pays to be conservative when managing the expectations of a tetchy market. For Lloyds Banking Group, though, that meant investors looked past an upgrade to

The freak spike in energy prices has jump-started Centrica’s bottom line, after years of anaemic returns. Now the British Gas owner is attempting to convince investors it can use windfall profits to prepare the ground for more sustainable cashflows once markets cool The plan? Invest between £600 mil

Standard Chartered has become the latest bank to boost its profit forecasts on the back of the rapid rise in interest rates. The London-listed, emerging ma

The chasm that has built up between the market value of infrastructure funds and the assets in which they invest is problematic for expansion plans. Equity markets are no longer the easy source of growth capital that they have been. In that context, Greencoat UK Wind is in a more assured position. I

When is the post-lockdown hangover going to ease up? For Diageo, it is a headache made worse by inflation dulling consumer spending. The heady rise in sales, bo

Investors are laser-focused on the top line when it comes to the largest consumer goods companies. It’s partly an acknowledgement of the challenges that stem fr

A small band of names have sent the New York market higher this year. The “magnificent seven” of technology stocks that include Nvidia, Apple and Microsoft have recorded heady share price rises of anywhere between 40 per cent and 220 per cent.It has been driven by bets that any company with the abil

After a rocky time of it, Admiral has set itself up for a smoother ride. The Welsh insurer is starting to feel the benefit of premium rises, which have improved profits that had been hampered by rampant claims inflation. The Cardiff-based group has lifted premiums ahead of the broader market, up by

Housebuilders are being truly tested for the first time in 15 years. Without windfall government support schemes and ultra-low borrowing rates that have sent profits soaring for the big players, margins have been crushed and share prices sent into freefall. Now, former kingpin Persimmon could be on