Three things you need to know in the financial markets this morning from investment writer, Tony Cross.
Hargreaves Lansdown
There’s a trading update out from Hargreaves Lansdown [LON:HL] this morning, which includes an uplift to profit forecasts. The investment house notes that after its strong interim report on 1st February, demand has continued unabated with specific interest from existing clients in trading US equities. As a result, profits are now expected to top the upper end of previous forecasts.
Dignity
On a rather more sombre note, preliminary numbers for the full year have been released by funeral provider Dignity LON:DTY. Sadly, the COVID crisis resulted in a death toll some 14% higher in 2020 than 2019. This saw revenues at the firm advance around 5% higher, although government restrictions on gatherings – including funerals – restricted the company’s ability to provide some services. Despite making it through a challenging year, the company is now facing calls from its largest shareholder who is seeking the appointment of an executive director onto the board, along with the removal of the existing chairman.
Carnival Cruise Lines
An interesting note from the travel industry here with Carnival Cruise Lines [LON:CCL], the operator of P&O Cruises, who have announced they will run a series of trips over the summer from Southampton. Access will be limited to passengers who have been vaccinated against COVID 19 and the ships aren’t scheduled to dock during their itinerary. It’s an interesting move for a sector which has been particularly badly hit by the global health pandemic and the popularity of sales can expect to be closely followed.
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