AstraZeneca
Shares in AstraZeneca could be on course to get a lift this morning. The company has announced that the US regulator – the FDA – has approved the use of a drug the company has been developing. Pharmaceuticals companies end up investing significant sums of money over extended periods of time in a bid to get new drugs into the market. Investors will be glad to see the approvals being granted in the lucrative US market, even though European regulators gave the green light almost two months ago.
Ryanair
Full year numbers are in from Ryanair this morning and although the headline figures are good – over 130 million ‘guests’ travelled with the airlines, up 9% from a year ago – storm clouds are brewing on the horizon. A combination of lower fares and higher oil prices will create something of a perfect storm. Yes, there’s the chance we could see oil slide sharply lower, but this market remains competitive. A lower cost base may give Ryanair the edge in the sector, but have the good times come to an end?
Ocado
Ocado hit the headlines last week after signing a deal with US supermarket Kroger, but it’s been back in the press as news of the co-founder’s bonus payout raised a few eyebrows. Tim Steiner will pocket £110m for the year, helped largely by this landmark deal – but investors might not be rushing to criticise the arrangement, with the company likely to land a prized spot in the FTSE-100 and it’s tipped to become the next UK tech giant, too.
