Latest news with #SimonMcNamara
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
What Simon McNamara's return means for General Motors in Supercars
The rebuild of General Motors' Supercars program is due to take a big step this weekend at Symmons Plains. That may sound like an odd thing to say during the 2025 championship, in which a Chevrolet driver – Will Brown – leads the points, there are five Chevrolet drivers in the all-important top 10, and Triple Eight leads the teams' standings. Advertisement All that comes after two seasons of Supercars racing under the Gen 3 regulations, and two drivers' and teams' titles. In two seasons and 52 Supercars races, the wins have been split Chevrolet 38, Ford 14. The 'rebuild' is about the future, not the present. Next year Triple Eight, the pitlane's alpha team, will race Ford Mustangs. Walkinshaw Andretti United, in past days a consistent winner for Holden, will change brands again, from Ford to Toyota. And the Japanese make is circling for a second team to run its GR Supra Supercars, and rumours persist that Brad Jones Racing remains a candidate for that role. Enter – or more accurately, welcome back – Simon McNamara. The long-time Holden Motorsport and Sponsorship Manager has returned to the sport, confirming that he has taken on the role of GM Motorsports Supercars Racing Program Manager at General Motors. Between 2007 and 2017 McNamara was responsible for Holden's Supercars successes. Much of that winning was down to Triple Eight, which raced through the 2009 season without manufacturer branding after being dropped by Ford. Holden and McNamara swooped, the team swapped its Ford Falcons for Holden Commodores, and the rest is history: eight drivers' titles and 10 teams' championships. Holden Motorsport boss Simon McNamara Holden Motorsport boss Simon McNamara Chris Von Wieldt Chris Von Wieldt Advertisement But when GM shuttered its Holden brand, McNamara, a 22-year veteran of the company, departed. Triple Eight and fellow Chevrolet team Erebus Motorsport kept the winning streak alive, but there were stirrings at both Ford and Toyota. Almost exactly three years before McNamara's retur,n Ford recruited Ben Nightingale to its communications team. With a long history in the pitlane, including stints with Supercars itself and DJR Team Penske, it was not long before motorsport in general and Supercars in particular were added to his CV. Even though his role and McNamara's are not identical, it was on Nightingale's watch that Ford poached Triple Eight away to not only race Mustangs but be its homologation team, a role it has successfully filled for GM. That move creates the somewhat odd situation whereby, unless something unforeseen happens, the only two Supercars champions racing under the Chevrolet banner in 2026 will be Scott McLaughlin in IndyCar and Shane Van Gisbergen in NASCAR. Advertisement If BJR defects to Toyota, it also means that the 14-10 numerical advantage Chevrolet enjoys over Ford will evaporate, with 10 Mustangs, eight Camaros and six Supras on the grid. From the outside it looks like high on McNamara's to-do list will be to circle the wagons and ensure the remaining Chevrolet teams receive the technical and financial support they require to be competitive. But in light of the incoming changes on the grid for 2026, it could well be a rocky road for Chevrolet fans for at least a couple of seasons. Read Also: Team 18 takes over as General Motors' homologation team in Supercars Advertisement For the medium to long-term however, the news looks much brighter. The return of the no-nonsense McNamara would not have happened without a clear picture of what GM plans to do in Supercars in the medium to long-term. While Audi's nascent Formula 1 program has seen some of its other racing programs shrink or disappear altogether, GM's Cadillac F1 program does not appear to be a factor in compromising Supercars future – in fact, just the opposite. Clearly, whether what comes next from GM involves a new model Camaro, Cadillac or something else for what would likely be Supercars' Gen 4, McNamara is sure to play a big role in what that will look like. To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
3 UK Dividend Stocks Yielding Up To 7.2%
The United Kingdom's FTSE 100 index has recently faced downward pressure, largely influenced by weak trade data from China, which has impacted companies with significant exposure to the Chinese market. In such a volatile environment, dividend stocks can offer a measure of stability and income potential for investors seeking reliable returns amidst broader market uncertainties. Name Dividend Yield Dividend Rating Keller Group (LSE:KLR) 3.54% ★★★★★☆ Dunelm Group (LSE:DNLM) 7.81% ★★★★★☆ OSB Group (LSE:OSB) 7.78% ★★★★★☆ Man Group (LSE:EMG) 5.74% ★★★★★☆ DCC (LSE:DCC) 3.68% ★★★★★☆ Big Yellow Group (LSE:BYG) 4.86% ★★★★★☆ NWF Group (AIM:NWF) 4.63% ★★★★★☆ Grafton Group (LSE:GFTU) 4.01% ★★★★★☆ James Latham (AIM:LTHM) 7.24% ★★★★★☆ RS Group (LSE:RS1) 3.38% ★★★★★☆ Click here to see the full list of 59 stocks from our Top UK Dividend Stocks screener. Let's review some notable picks from our screened stocks. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: James Latham plc, with a market cap of £217.57 million, imports and distributes timbers, panels, and decorative surfaces across the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Europe, and internationally. Operations: James Latham plc generates its revenue primarily from the timber importing and distribution segment, which accounts for £362.22 million. Dividend Yield: 7.2% James Latham offers a dividend yield of 7.24%, placing it in the top 25% of UK dividend payers. While dividends have grown steadily over the past decade, they are not well covered by cash flows, with a high cash payout ratio of 107%. Despite stable earnings coverage with a payout ratio of 33.4%, recent earnings reports show declining sales and net income, potentially impacting future dividend sustainability. Click here and access our complete dividend analysis report to understand the dynamics of James Latham. According our valuation report, there's an indication that James Latham's share price might be on the cheaper side. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Computacenter plc delivers technology and services to corporate and public sector organizations across the United Kingdom, Germany, France, North America, and internationally, with a market cap of £2.33 billion. Operations: Computacenter plc's revenue from Computer Services amounts to £6.44 billion. Dividend Yield: 3.2% Computacenter's dividend payments have been volatile over the past decade, though they are well covered by earnings and cash flows, with payout ratios of 46.8% and 28.2%, respectively. Despite this coverage, the dividend yield of 3.18% is lower than the top UK payers. Recent board changes include Simon McNamara joining as a non-executive director, which may influence future strategic decisions but does not directly impact dividend stability or growth prospects. Take a closer look at Computacenter's potential here in our dividend report. Our expertly prepared valuation report Computacenter implies its share price may be lower than expected. Simply Wall St Dividend Rating: ★★★★☆☆ Overview: Foresight Group Holdings Limited is an infrastructure and private equity manager operating in the United Kingdom, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, Spain, and Australia with a market cap of £459.09 million. Operations: Foresight Group Holdings Limited generates revenue through its segments of Infrastructure (£87.79 million), Private Equity (£50.78 million), and Foresight Capital Management (£8.10 million). Dividend Yield: 5.7% Foresight Group Holdings' dividend yield is in the top 25% of UK payers, supported by earnings and cash flows with payout ratios of 86.6% and 68.3%, respectively. Despite only a four-year dividend history, payments have been stable and growing. Recent earnings growth, highlighted by a net income rise to £12.65 million for H1 2025, supports future payouts. The company expanded its buyback plan by £5 million to £15 million, potentially enhancing shareholder value further. Navigate through the intricacies of Foresight Group Holdings with our comprehensive dividend report here. Upon reviewing our latest valuation report, Foresight Group Holdings' share price might be too pessimistic. Explore the 59 names from our Top UK Dividend Stocks screener here. Have you diversified into these companies? Leverage the power of Simply Wall St's portfolio to keep a close eye on market movements affecting your investments. Take control of your financial future using Simply Wall St, offering free, in-depth knowledge of international markets to every investor. Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Fuel your portfolio with companies showing strong growth potential, backed by optimistic outlooks both from analysts and management. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include AIM:LTHM LSE:CCC and LSE:FSG. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. 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