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Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Which 10 FTSE 100 shares have jumped most in the past six months?
A mining giant headquartered in Mexico City has been the FTSE 100's biggest riser over the past six months. Fresnillo shares have jumped 77 per cent amid a surge in gold prices, as President Trump's tariffs have led to considerable turmoil in global stock markets and driven investors to safe-haven assets. Gold prices smashed a record $3,500 per ounce on 22 April, a few weeks after Trump announced a 10 per cent baseline tax on all US goods imports, as well as 'reciprocal' tariffs of 25 per cent on dozens of countries. Prices have also been driven up by inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds and high demand from central banks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Silver prices have similarly been lifted by geopolitical turmoil, although not to the same extent as gold. The element increased in value by approximately 21 per cent last year, from $23.65 to $28.90 per ounce, thanks to strong industrial demand for use in green technologies such as solar panels and electric vehicles. Rising prices and moderately higher production output combined to help Fresnillo's turnover jump by 29.3 per cent to $3.5billion in 2024, and its pre-tax profits skyrocket more than sixfold to $743.9million. Another firm that has enjoyed a fruitful last six months is the little-known telecoms provider Airtel Africa, whose shares have soared by around 70 per cent. This is despite the group recently reporting that its revenues flatlined at just under $5billion in the year ending March. Its operating profits also declined by 11.1 per cent to less than $1.5billion. Some distance behind, at 57 per cent, is Rolls-Royce Holdings, which has enjoyed an exceptional turnaround under chief executive 'Turbo' Tufan Erginbilgic. Having severely struggled during the pandemic when airline travel virtually ground to a halt, the engine manufacturer slashed costs by cutting jobs and improving its supply chain. The measures coincided with a rebound in foreign travel boosting the amount of time its engines were in use and governments ramping up defence spending in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Consequently, the company's market value has jumped about ninefold since the start of 2023, from £7.9billion to £71.5billion, and is on track to reach its 2027 profit targets two years ahead of schedule. BAE Systems has likewise benefited from growing military expenditure; shares in Europe's largest defence contractor have climbed by 47 per cent. Among the Footsie's other top ten performers over the last six months are Lloyds Banking Group (up 48 per cent) and NatWest Group (up 34 per cent). The latter exceeded first-quarter earnings forecasts, achieving an operating pre-tax profit of £1.81billion, compared to analyst estimates of £1.56billion. Ahead of NatWest are Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (up 40 per cent), whose shares traded at a record high on Tuesday, and motor insurer Admiral Group (up 36 per cent). Behind the firm in ninth and tenth place are Next (up 32 per cent), which has just become the fourth British retailer to score at least £1billion in annual pre-tax profits, and British Airways owner International Airlines Group (up 31 per cent). The FTSE 100 was up 0.8 per cent today to hit 8,785 - back to levels seen at the start of March. It is up 14.3 per cent since 9 April, when Trump's tariff shock sent global markets into freefall.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Are these the best UK stocks to consider buying right now?
Investors are constantly hunting for the best stocks to buy. And 2025 has so far proved to be a great year for some of Britain's largest businesses, such as Fresnillo (up 58%) and Airtel Africa (up 52%). Sadly, not every company in the FTSE 100 has been so fortunate. And three of the weakest performers include: WPP (LSE:WPP) – down 28% Glencore – down 27% Ashtead Group – down 13% While frustrating, it's not uncommon for top-notch stocks to go through periods of lacklustre performance. And for long-term investors who dig deeper, examining the biggest short-term losers can sometimes reveal massive long-term winners. With that in mind, let's explore the worst-performing business of this batch – WPP. WPP's lacklustre performance isn't particularly new for existing shareholders, given the stock has been on a downward trajectory since hitting highs of around 1,200p in 2022. Not all of this can be blamed on the management team. As a firm that specialises in advertising and public relations, market conditions have been quite unfavourable following the rise of inflation in 2023. However, the firm has seemingly been slow to respond to the shifting landscape of AI-driven tools. And it seems that the group's corporate culture is also diminishing. Anonymous employee reviews on Glassdoor don't paint a rosy picture. And earlier this year, CEO Mark Read faced significant backlash after introducing a mandatory return-to-office policy that didn't go down well with employees. In fact, over 20,000 workers signed a petition to try and overturn this decision. Needless to say, in an industry where top-tier talent is crucial, having a large part of the workforce seemingly unhappy doesn't bode well for attracting and retaining the best staff. Despite the seemingly gloomy state of the business, there's room for cautious optimism. The firm's multi-year restructuring plan is finally nearing completion. As such, shareholders may soon be reaping rewards from some long-awaited efficiency gains. At the same time, investments in AI tools, while late, have started accelerating with systems like WPP Open. Such moves are anticipated to improve client retention. And with the wider economic landscape improving and advertising spend on the rise, WPP could soon enjoy recovery tailwinds that get its financials back on track. With the shares trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 6.6, investors have seemingly set the bar quite low. So, if WPP can get things back on track, the share price could bounce back significantly, enabling contrarian investors to benefit. Having said that, continued weak performance paired with a fiercer competitive environment could equally result in further share price losses. In other words, there's an element of risk that investors need to investigate further before jumping in. The post Are these the best UK stocks to consider buying right now? appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Zaven Boyrazian has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has no position in any of the shares mentioned. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Zawya
21-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Vodacom pursuing joint fibre ventures in Africa broadband push
Vodacom Group is pursuing partnerships for joint fibre ventures as Africa's second-largest mobile operator looks to accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband coverage across its markets. With the voice market slowing in parts of the continent including South Africa, telecom companies such as Vodacom and rivals MTN and Airtel Africa have doubled down on high-speed internet, an area long dominated by fibre companies such as Maziv-owned Dark Fibre Africa and Vumatel in South Africa. Vodacom wants to merge with Maziv but the deal has been prohibited by South Africa's competition authorities. Asked what will happen if its appeal with the Competition Appeal Court fails, Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said on a call with journalists that since funding for the proposed deal is still in the bank, the operator has "opportunities" to look at where else it could invest the money. "We will pursue fibre joint ventures in all our markets," Joosub said, adding that Vodacom had already set up a new entity in Tanzania and was working on fibre in Mozambique. "We're looking at different opportunities and different share the same ambition of wanting to make sure that we can provide connectivity," he added. The ideal joint venture structure for Vodacom would be a 50-50 split with Vodacom not concerned about controlling any vehicle, Joosub said. Rolling out fibre organically is a slow and costly expansion option at a time when mobile operators need to make up ground on existing fibre networks. Homes and businesses connected by Vodacom reached 198,000 in the year ended 31 March, while its own fibre passed almost 166,000 homes and businesses. Vodacom, majority-owned by UK-based Vodafone, has 211.3 million mobile network customers across eight African countries. It is also partnering with satellite providers, including Amazon's Project Kuiper. Joosub said Vodacom could also potentially partner with Elon Musk's Starlink as "satellite is a necessary part of being able to expand coverage to everyone". All rights reserved. © 2022. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Vodacom pursuing joint fibre ventures in Africa broadband push
JOHANNESBURG, May 19 (Reuters) - Vodacom Group (VODJ.J), opens new tab is pursuing partnerships for joint fibre ventures as Africa's second largest mobile operator looks to accelerate the roll out of high-speed broadband coverage across its markets. With the voice market slowing in parts of the continent including South Africa, telecom companies such as Vodacom and rivals MTN (MTNJ.J), opens new tab and Airtel Africa (AAF.L), opens new tab have doubled down on high-speed internet, an area long dominated by fibre companies such as Maziv-owned Dark Fibre Africa and Vumatel in South Africa. Vodacom wants to merge with Maziv but the deal has been prohibited by South Africa's competition authorities. Asked what will happen if its appeal with the Competition Appeal Court fails, Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said on a call with journalists that since funding for the proposed deal is still in the bank, the operator has "opportunities" to look at where else it could invest the money. "We will pursue fibre joint ventures in all our markets," Joosub said, adding that Vodacom had already set up a new entity in Tanzania and was working on fibre in Mozambique. "We're looking at different opportunities and different share the same ambition of wanting to make sure that we can provide connectivity," he added. The ideal joint venture structure for Vodacom would be a 50-50 split with Vodacom not concerned about controlling any vehicle, Joosub said. Rolling out fibre organically is a slow and costly expansion option at a time when mobile operators need to make up ground on existing fibre networks. Homes and businesses connected by Vodacom reached 198,000 in the year ended March 31, while its own fibre passed almost 166,000 homes and businesses. Vodacom, majority-owned by UK-based Vodafone (VOD.L), opens new tab, has 211.3 million mobile network customers across eight African countries. It is also partnering with satellite providers, including Amazon's Project Kuiper. Joosub said Vodacom could also potentially partner with Elon Musk's Starlink as "satellite is a necessary part of being able to expand coverage to everyone".
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Airtel Africa, MTN seek infrastructure sharing deal in Rwanda and Congo
Africa's telecommunication giants Airtel Africa Plc and South Africa's MTN Group are looking for opportunities to share network infrastructure in Rwanda, Congo-Brazzaville and Zambia in a bid to lower capital and operational costs, enhance the quality of service to customers and extend digital and financial inclusion across Africa. Airtel disclosed in its latest audited financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2025, that the planned infrastructure sharing agreements target sharing of all access network equipment, including the antenna, mast and backhaul equipment collectively referred to as Radio Access Network (RAN). The latest disclosure comes after the two telcos concluded similar agreements in Uganda and Nigeria in March this year targeting improved network cost efficiencies, expanded coverage and the provision of enhanced mobile services to millions of customers, particularly those in remote and rural areas who do not yet fully enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.'Following the conclusion of agreements in Uganda and Nigeria, MTN and Airtel Africa are exploring various opportunities in other markets, including Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Zambia,' says Airtel. Telecom infrastructure sharing is a growing trend in the telecommunications industry, where different service providers share resources like cell towers and network equipment and most of these infrastructure sharing agreements are the result of commercial negotiations rather than regulatory intervention. The practices help to reduce costs and has the potential to enable the delivery of world-class, reliable mobile services to more and more customers across Africa. RAN sharing is the most comprehensive form of access network sharing involving the sharing of all access network equipment, including the antenna, mast and backhaul equipment. Airtel Africa which has operations in 14 African countries says reaching underserved communities is its key priority and the company would continue to expand rural coverage through new site rollouts and investment in spectrum and technologies to support increased capacity to facilitate corporate purpose of transforming lives.'As part of ensuring our services are future ready, in addition to purchasing spectrum, we grew our fibre infrastructure and 5G capabilities and remain committed to our investment into data centres to further support digital inclusion across our markets,' the telco says. Airtel group continues to invest in its network and distribution infrastructure to enhance both mobile connectivity and financial inclusion across its countries of operation.'In particular, we continue to invest in expanding our 4G and 5G network to increase data capacity, deploy new sites – especially in rural areas – thereby enhancing coverage and connectivity,' it says.'Our refreshed strategy puts the customer at the core of our strategy. We believe that by ensuring great customer experience, we will deliver on our corporate purpose of transforming lives across Africa.'Airtel says it remains focused on enhancing its 4G network availability, along with expanding newly launched 5G technology in key markets like Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.'Mobile money continues to be a key growth engine for the Group. We remain focused on building Africa's most accessible and inclusive digital financial services platform—one that delivers both impact and sustainable value for Airtel Africa,' it says. Last year Airtel Africa Plc concluded a deal to extend its telecommunication tower lease agreements with the American Tower Corporation (ATC) across its four subsidiaries in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and Niger by 12 years. The extension of the tower lease agreements is expected to help Airtel Africa reduce the risks of network failures and increase the maximum amount of data (information) that can be transmitted over a network to effectively rollout the 5G network. The deal is also expected to help the company reduce its operating expenses by focusing on renewable energy solutions across a significant number of sites. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
