Three things you need to know in the financial markets this morning from investment writer, Tony Cross
easyJet
Passenger numbers from easyJet for July are out and despite a slew of headwinds – from ongoing industrial action to speculation that many UK holidaymakers wouldn’t bother going abroad this year given the good weather at home, the numbers are creeping higher. Passenger numbers are up 4.5% from a year ago, just managing to outpace the capacity growth. The cost of handling stranded passengers however remains the unknown factor here – we’ll have to wait for quarterly results before seeing the detail.
Spire Healthcare
A cautionary note from private hospital operator Spire Healthcare this morning. Along with peers, the market is proving challenging and they expect EBITDA for 2018 to be materially lower than it was a year ago. The business is keeping a keen eye on costs and has trimmed capex, but the market is unlikely to cut news like this much slack.
HSBC
Cautious optimism, a rebounding profit figure and beating analyst expectations makes for a good set of headlines surrounding HSBC’s latest numbers. This reverses the surprise loss posted in the first quarter, although expenses continue to creep higher and this is something analysts are reported to be eyeing. That said, so long as growth is supported, then there should be little cause for concern.
