Latest news with #ChrisWatt
Herald Sun
a day ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Stock Tips: Never mind the alpha, what's the Sigma play this week?
It's no easy gig analysing share prices and company performance but somebody's got to do it. Every week two experts from our Share Tips columnist pool give us their recommendations. Sean Conlan – Leyland Private Asset Management BUY Sigma Healthcare (ASX:SIG) We believe SIG will grow into its current PE multiple by refurbishing existing Chemist Warehouse stores, opening 20 new stores per annum across Australia and by exporting the brand offshore. Judo Capital Holdings (ASX:JDO) Improved funding costs give us more comfort on the near-term margin outlook. With forecast a~34% earnings CAGR over the next three years, and trading at only 12x FY26 P/E we think the valuation is attractive. HOLD Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE) TWE has trimmed guidance for FY25 earnings growth, citing lower-than-expected wine sales in the US where economic uncertainty is hurting consumer demand. Austal (ASX:ASB) We remain positive on the long-term outlook for ASB, considering the macro tailwinds and attractive growth profile, however, we are conscious of its current valuation. SELL Bank of Queensland (ASX:BOQ) While BOQ's simplification strategy and pivot towards business is bearing fruit, we think it will continue to struggle to make returns above the cost of capital over the medium term. Lovisa Holdings (ASX:LOV) We are concerned about the quality of stores recently opened and think that higher-than-normal rates of discounting may be driving strong LFL sales. Chris Watt – Bell Potter Securities BUY CAR Group (CAR) Resilient RV sales, solid international operations and strong earnings momentum support continued growth. The company continues to benefit from a scalable global expansion strategy that allows it to replicate its model across international markets. Treasury Wine Estates (ASX:TWE) While the US premium wine market is weak, core luxury brands remain strong. DAOU Vineyards synergies and broader international opportunities provide upside despite recent downgrades. HOLD Technology One (ASX:TNE) A strong first-half result confirms the business is executing well, with growing recurring revenue and cash flow. However, recent share price gains limit short-term upside. James Hardie (ASX:JHX) Strategy execution in US new construction is on track, particularly in the southern states. That said, macro softness and affordability challenges persist. SELL IDP Education (ASX:IEL) Deteriorating student volumes and shifting global immigration policy have led to significant earnings downgrades. Visibility remains poor, and risks are elevated. Cettire (ASX:CTT) Weak margins, US tariff headwinds, and a soft cash position point to a challenging outlook. The path to profitability appears longer and riskier. The views, information, or opinions expressed in the interviews in this article are solely those of the interviewee and do not represent the views of Stockhead. Stockhead does not provide, endorse or otherwise assume responsibility for any financial advice contained in this article. Originally published as Stock Tips: Never mind the alpha, what's the Sigma play this week?
Scotsman
27-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Capital investor makes critical £200 million funding pledge to Scottish businesses
'Our new commitment builds on a strong foundation and is focused on unlocking even more opportunities for Scottish scale-ups to thrive' – Paddy Graham, BGF Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish businesses with high-growth potential are in line for a £200 million boost after a new pledge from a key capital investor. BGF, formerly the Business Growth Fund, has made the commitment as part of a £3 billion UK-wide promise to support fast-growing companies over the next five years. The latest pledge builds on the £391m already invested in Scotland since 2011. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad BGF says its 'regional-first' approach is designed to address disparities in capital access and support entrepreneurial ecosystems across Britain. Members of the BGF Scotland and Northern Ireland team. Picture: Chris Watt Photography As part of the broader UK-wide pledge, BGF has committed £300m to 'female-powered' businesses across the UK, making it one of the largest initiatives of its kind. This follows a £25m commitment to the Invest in Women Taskforce (IWT), which helped unlock in excess of £250m of investment in 2023. Since 2011, BGF portfolio companies across the UK have driven £7.1bn in revenue growth, £1bn in export growth, and created more than 27,000 jobs, according to the group. With 74 per cent of its capital invested outside London and the south east of England, BGF sees itself as being 'uniquely placed to reduce regional inequalities'. Paddy Graham, regional partner, Scotland and Northern Ireland, said: 'Scotland has long been recognised for its innovation and entrepreneurial energy. Our new £200m commitment builds on a strong foundation and is focused on unlocking even more opportunities for Scottish scale-ups to thrive.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The new £3bn commitment from BGF ramps up the £2.3bn invested between 2020 and 2024. The capital will be deployed across a range of sectors to accelerate economic growth and support entrepreneurs in Scotland, it added. Sulmara, an independent provider of survey and inspection services to the offshore wind and energy markets, is a BGF portfolio company. Picture: Paul Box The Invest in Women Taskforce noted that female entrepreneurs remain underfunded in the UK, often receiving just a fraction of available capital. Data from Beauhurst shows that in 2024, just 2 per cent of UK equity investment went to all-female founded teams, down from an already low 2.5 per cent in 2023. BGF's new commitment aims to help close this gap, unlocking opportunities for diverse leadership and driving economic growth in every region, IWT added. Debbie Wosskow, co-chair, Invest in Women Taskforce, said: 'This is another historic moment. BGF's 10 per cent commitment to female-powered businesses is significant; at £300m in total, it builds on our already ground-breaking progress with the Invest in Women Taskforce, and is one of the largest ever made in the UK. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It marks a turning point in how we back women-led enterprise and setting a minimum proportion of invested funds is exactly the kind of action that can start to reshape our business landscape for the better. Yet the scale of the challenge is vast - we need more institutions to show the leadership and vision that BGF has by pledging support to female entrepreneurs and investors, and reap the commercial returns and economic benefits it can yield.' Andy Gregory, chief executive of BGF, added: 'We're committing at least £300m in female-powered businesses because we believe the next wave of great British entrepreneurial businesses will be far more diverse. This is about shaping a future that reflects the talent of the whole UK. Now is the time to turn good intentions into meaningful action - and that starts with investment at scale.' BGF claims to be the 'most active investor' in female-led scale-up ventures for the past five years, having provided some £500m since 2011. The new commitment represents a significant step up from previous investment. BGF backs earlier-stage businesses in the life sciences and 'deep tech' sectors, and growth-stage businesses typically generating between £1m and £10m in profit. It provides patient capital as a minority equity partner. Initial investments in growth-stage business are between £3m and £30m, and between £3m and £10m for earlier-stage businesses. BGF provides follow-on funding to support further growth, and 'tailored value creation support' from investment to exit. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With a local team based in Edinburgh, BGF ensures close collaboration with Scottish founders and businesses. Example investments north of the Border include providing £15m for Sulmara, an Aberdeen-based low carbon offshore specialist, to support the company's global growth and investment in new technologies. Meanwhile, BGF-backed Strathberry, the Edinburgh-based luxury brand, has announced plans to target £100m of revenues in the next three years. In March, it emerged that the amount of money being pumped into smaller businesses in Scotland rebounded last year after a tough 2023, with the nation ranked top for deal numbers outside of London. Releasing its latest research, the British Business Bank said that during the first three quarters of 2024 the overall investment value of announced equity deals involving smaller businesses in Scotland rose 14.2 per cent on the same period the previous year, to top £407m. That increase was more than double the UK-wide gain of 6.6 per cent. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While the actual number of transactions dropped slightly, by 1.5 per cent to 135, this was the second best year-on-year change among the UK's 'nations and regions' and well ahead of the average drop of 24.3 per cent. Dedicated funding In late 2023, the state-backed British Business Bank launched its £150m dedicated Investment Fund for Scotland to increase the availability and supply of finance to all parts of the country. Susan Nightingale, director, UK network, devolved nations at the British Business Bank, said: 'Our report's findings underline the strength and resilience of Scotland's smaller business community and the financial ecosystem that supports it.
The National
22-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Family-run Scottish pizza firm 'creates 17 jobs' at Coatbridge factory
Victor Pizza Ltd, which began as a small bakery in the 1970s, has grown into a £5 million business, supplying pizzas to schools, chip shops, and sports venues across the country. The company is now moving to a larger factory in Coatbridge, more than doubling its production capability. (Image: Chris Watt Photography) The expansion is supported by a seven-figure funding package from Bank of Scotland and will allow Victor Pizza to introduce new product lines, including high-protein pizzas, pizza wraps, and mini buffet pizza bites. Anne Marie Cairney, co-founder at Victor Pizza, said: 'We've come a long way from frying pizzas in the back of a Glasgow bakery. Now, we're sending out hundreds of pallets every month to customers all over the UK. 'Winning Scottish Family Business of the Year in 2019 was a real 'pinch me' moment and proof that all the hard work and heart haven't gone unnoticed. 'We've built something more than a factory. It's a family. And that's the difference people feel when they work with us. This new chapter in Coatbridge gives us space to grow while staying grounded in the values we started with.' (Image: Chris Watt Photography) Victor Pizza said it regularly donates surplus stock to charities including FareShare, Too Good To Go, and Emmaus. The business also runs educational visits for local schools and provides career pathways—saying that five members of the senior leadership team began without formal qualifications and worked their way up internally. Kyle Gibson, relationship manager at Bank of Scotland, said: 'Victor Pizza is a fantastic example of how a value-led, family-run business can grow without losing its heart. "Their commitment to innovation, sustainability and community shines through, and we're proud to support them on their journey.'
Glasgow Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow's Victor Pizza opening new Coatbridge factory
Victor Pizza Ltd, which began as a small bakery in the 1970s, has grown into a £5 million business, supplying pizzas to schools, chip shops, and sports venues across the country. Known for its innovation and commitment to quality, the company is now moving to a larger factory in Coatbridge, more than doubling its production capability. READ MORE: 2000s popstar shares love for Glasgow ahead of Hydro gig (Image: Chris Watt Photography) The expansion is supported by a seven-figure funding package from Bank of Scotland and will allow Victor Pizza to introduce new product lines, including high-protein pizzas, pizza wraps, and mini buffet pizza bites. Anne Marie Cairney, co-founder at Victor Pizza, said: 'We've come a long way from frying pizzas in the back of a Glasgow bakery. Now, we're sending out hundreds of pallets every month to customers all over the UK. 'Winning Scottish Family Business of the Year in 2019 was a real 'pinch me' moment and proof that all the hard work and heart haven't gone unnoticed. 'We've built something more than a factory. It's a family. And that's the difference people feel when they work with us. This new chapter in Coatbridge gives us space to grow while staying grounded in the values we started with.' READ MORE: 'Best' store in busy area announces shock closure - leaving shoppers gutted (Image: Chris Watt Photography) Victor Pizza has a rich history rooted in Scottish-Italian culinary tradition. One of its early creations, the Pizza Fritto, was developed after a local Italian chip shop owner asked for a pizza that could be deep-fried. That collaboration turned into a Scottish chip shop staple. More recently, the company partnered with Donnie Maclean, founder of Scottish health food brand Eat Balanced, to produce a nutritionally balanced pizza. Made with iodine-rich seaweed, a natural prebiotic fibre in the base, and a vitamin-packed red pepper sauce, the pizza has won awards and is served in schools and sports venues across the UK. True to its values, Victor Pizza regularly donates surplus stock to charities including FareShare, Too Good To Go, and Emmaus. The business also runs educational visits for local schools and provides career pathways—five members of the senior leadership team began without formal qualifications and worked their way up internally. READ MORE: Legendary band announce UK tour leg - with only one Scottish date Sustainability is central to the company's next phase. The new factory is being prepared for solar panel installation, and Victor Pizza is working with Scottish Enterprise on projects to reduce food waste and cut carbon emissions. Kyle Gibson, relationship manager at Bank of Scotland, said: 'Victor Pizza is a fantastic example of how a value-led, family-run business can grow without losing its heart. "Their commitment to innovation, sustainability and community shines through, and we're proud to support them on their journey.'
Scotsman
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Scotland's newest EV charging firm reveals where it wants to expand
Major tourist routes to the Highlands targeted Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... You'd think by the flurry of announcements from electric vehicle (EV) charging firms that Scotland would be saturated with places to top up your battery by now. But apparently, far from it - and the lack of them is putting drivers off switching to electric. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Six years ago, I was astounded to discover there were no chargers in the vicinity of the Royal Yacht Britannia in Edinburgh, which put paid to my plans to tour the ship while the electric car I was testing got refuelled for the trip back to Glasgow. That may have since been rectified, but I was still pleased to see new charge point operator Source - run by Perth-based power firm SSE and fuel forecourt company TotalEnergies - has opened a charging hub next door at the Ocean Terminal shopping centre. 'Hub', by the way, means, in the EV sense, a cluster of chargers, in this case 12 - rather than its use in aviation to denote an airport hosting connecting flights. Source managing director Deepa Chandrasekaran said key rural routes such as A9 were ripe for more EV chargers | Chris Watt Photography Source managing director Deepa Chandrasekaran, launching the site on Wednesday, told me there was still a 'massive catch up' required to provide enough chargers for the number of electric vehicles on the roads. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She said: 'That's why you see people are frustrated because they don't see enough infrastructure and they wonder if they are making a mistake buying an electric vehicle.' For Source, the focus is on key roads in rural Scotland, such as the A9. Ms Chandrasekaran said: 'The natural target is the most sought-after routes, whether it's for locals or tourists. 'The Highlands are such a beautiful part of the country and it's where sustainability and clean air comes into the picture, because if you're driving your gas guzzler there, that's almost ironical.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Her comments echo Alex Reid, a director of the Scottish Rural and Islands Transport Community group, who this week underlined the crucial importance of a reliable network of EV chargers to encourage tourists - most of whom travel by car in rural areas - to use greener vehicles. In his latest Rural Charge Weekly blog, he said charging points was now on touring visitors' checklists along with parking and public toilets.
