The long-awaited consultation on motor finance compensation by the Financial Conduct Authority was broadly welcomed by analysts, though opinions differed on its financial impact. Consumer redress of £8.2 billion to be paid by Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY), Barclays PLC (LSE:BARC), Close Brothers Group PLC (LSE:CBG) and the rest of the industry is "towards the better end of expectations", said Deutsche Bank.
Marks and Spencer Group PLC (LSE:MKS) has picked up another vote of confidence in the Square Mile, with Citi upgrading the retailer to “buy” and setting out a case that its turnaround still has further to run. The US bank says investors are underestimating the structural tailwinds in both M&S's food and fashion businesses.
The City likes a good war chest, and BAE Systems PLC (LSE:BA.) has been busily filling its own.
Waymo, an autonomous vehicle company and Alphabet company, first began offering driverless ridesharing services to all customers in Phoenix in 2020. It has since expanded to multiple cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin, where it competes with Tesla's Robotaxi service—but largely remains the leader in the emerging industry so far.
Waymo has been granted a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in New York City, the first such approval granted by the city. The company told TechCrunch it plans to start testing “immediately.
Waymo received its first permit from the Department of Transportation to start testing in New York City with a trained specialist. The Alphabet subsidiary will start testing eight vehicles in Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn through late September.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City is entering a multi-year growth phase, with volume growth, intermodal scaling, and unique North American corridor driving future earnings. Despite a Q2 revenue miss, I see the topline weakness as temporary; bulk provides stability, intermodal is the growth engine, and merger synergies will expand margins. CP's single-line Canada-U.S.-Mexico network is unmatched, supporting a projected 15%+ EPS CAGR and justifying a higher valuation premium versus peers.
If you want to know how the City feels about Lloyds Banking Group PLC (LSE:LLOY) after its half-year results, the short answer is broadly positive, with a pinch of caution. The UK's biggest retail bank has cleared its biggest legal headache in years, posted some of its best returns in over a decade, and is still paying out one of the more generous dividends in the FTSE 100.
BP PLC (LSE:BP.) will evidently need more than expectation beating results and a giant oil discovery to impress Royal Bank of Canada.
Kansas City Life Insurance Company is trading at a steep discount—around 56% of tangible book value—despite resolving litigation and cleaning up its balance sheet. The company is preparing for a sale post-2025, with hidden real estate value and normalized earnings power supporting a $60–$75/share takeout. Recent comparable deals and scarcity value for small life insurers suggest a base case sale price of $55, with upside to $75 if a bidding war emerges.
Dividends are one of the best benefits to being a shareholder, but finding a great dividend stock is no easy task. Does City Holding (CHCO) have what it takes?
City Holding (CHCO) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.29 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.97 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.96 per share a year ago.