Three things you need to know in the financial markets this morning from investment writer, Tony Cross.
Hargreaves Lansdown
Half year results from Hargreaves Lansdown [LON:HL] are out this morning. Assets under administration are now above £100bn and pre-tax profits have grown by 12%. Investors are being rewarded with an interim dividend which is 9% higher than was paid out a year ago and this has the potential to offer some cheer. New business added has slowed a little, but given the economic and political uncertainty which has been prevailing of late, investors may be happy to overlook this.
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Britvic
There’s a Q1 trading update out from Britvic LON:BVIC this morning, with revenues for the period up 4.9% on the previous year. That doesn’t take an accounting change into consideration however so add that in and the figure is a more modest 2.6%. That’s still being pitched as a robust start and the company remains on course to meet market expectations for the full year.
TalkTalk
Telecoms operator TalkTalk [LON:TALK] has published a Q3 update today, with figures looking flat to fractionally lower on previous trading periods. The company is however optimistic that the recent sale of FibreNation simplifies the underlying business and leaves them better positioned for growth in the future. The proceeds from this disposal will also bolster the balance sheet and with cost savings on track, the previously stated outlook for earnings remains unchanged.
