Elon Musk attracts young people as buyers and investors

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Young investors drawn to ‘businesses of the future’

Tesla is a unique company, not only from an innovation perspective, but because of its ability to attract non-traditional investors.

On of the key reasons for this phenomenon is the personality of its CEO Elon MusK.

That is the view of Peter Garnry, Head of Equity Strategy at Saxo, who spoke about the powerful appeal of electric vehicle stocks – in particular Tesla – on investors.

“In many ways, Elon Musk is a great showman. He captivates his audience and he’s telling a narrative that many young people can relate to, which are both the new buyers of electrical vehicles and the new class of retail investors,” said Garnry.

In addition, Tesla, and other electric vehicle companies, are seen as the companies of the future, and there is a reason for people’s desire to invest, beyond Musk’s ability to do marketing.

When it comes it electric vehicles, Tesla is the standout operator, while year-to-date, the Tesla share price is up by a mere 3.73%.

However, Tesla is not the only electric vehicle manufacturer that interests young future-oriented investors.

Garnry says Nio, the Chinese EV manufacturer, is another popular choice among investors, “but if you want to expose yourself to the industry and not be focused on which of the manufacturers win the arms race, you could look at battery producers”.

“Traditionally car manufacturers have owned the intellectual property on which a car has been built upon. But this is bound to change with electric vehicles gaining ground, because the battery technology will be owned by the battery producers and not the car makers.”

Big changes expected for UK’s traffic light system

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Airline stocks react positively to the news

Updates to international travel rules are expected to be announced by the UK government later on Friday.

It has been reported that ministers are considering getting ride of the necessity for those who have received two jobs take PCR tests when they return home.

There are also rumours that the amber list will be removed as the traffic light system looks set to be simplified.

Dozens of countries could be removed from the red list, meaning international travellers returning from those destinations will no longer have to quarantine for 11 nights.

As of now, there are over 60 countries on the red list.

Travellers who have not been fully vaccinated are currently required to quarantine upon returning from an amber list county to the UK.

However, by removing amber as a category, only passengers returning from countries on the red list would need to quarantine in a hotel approved by the government.

“Navigating the UK’s traffic light system has felt more like Spaghetti Junction than a clear open road for holidaymakers and reports that the amber list could be canned entirely is manna from heaven for travel stocks which are enjoying broad-based gains,” said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.

The IAG share price is leading the way on the FTSE 100 on Friday, having added 4.29% at the time of writing.

FTSE 100 makes solid start on Friday as travel stocks fly

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The FTSE 100 added 0.38% on Friday, rising 7,055, as economic news came in from all angles.

“Steadying Asian markets and a potential easing of UK travel restrictions provided the backdrop for some decent gains for the FTSE 100 on Friday,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

“Navigating the UK’s traffic light system has felt more like Spaghetti Junction than a clear open road for holidaymakers and reports that the amber list could be canned entirely is manna from heaven for travel stocks which are enjoying broad-based gains.”

The hope for airlines and tour operators will be that a shift in the rules is the precursor to people jetting off for autumn and winter getaways to get the sunshine they were largely deprived off over the summer in the UK.

“People spending more on holidays could add to the pressure on retail sales as spending shifts from goods to experiences,” said Mould.

“August’s retail numbers were hit by shortages, though the big retailers were able to flex their muscles to keep stock on the shelves.”

An exception to the otherwise downbeat shopping trends were clothes and fuel, as people are out and about more they clearly care more about their appearance and are using their cars to get from A to B.

“Elsewhere, the Chinese economy is becoming a persistent migraine for the markets amid concerns over the real estate sector as major property developer Evergrande teeters on the brink of default and with the spread of the Delta variant and state crackdown on the tech sector also undermining sentiment,” Mould said.

FTSE 100 Top Movers

IAG (3.39%), Informa (3.21%) and Entain (2.54%) are leading the way on the FTSE 100 heading into the weekend.

While it was generally a positive day for the UK index, Anglo American (-3.35%), Rio Tinto (-2.32%) and Ashtead (-1.96%), were all in the red.

UK retail sales fell unexpectedly in August

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Supply chain issues remain a concern for the sector

UK retail sales fell by 0.9% in August as shoppers decided to spend more on eating out than in certain stores.

The Office for National Statistics revealed the fall in retail sales when compared to July, the month before.

Food store sales saw 1.2% fall, as Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician for economic statistics at the ONS, said the figures are “linked to an increase in eating out following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions”.

Non-food stores saw a decrease of 1%, with lower volumes of sales in department stores.

Fuel sales rose by 1.5% as more people continued to increase the amount they travel.

“August is often dubbed the silly season with many sectors slowing down as the country enjoys a bit of a holiday,” said Danni Hewson, AJ Bell financial analyst.

“After months of restrictions the data suggest that consumers took every opportunity to get out and socialise and that’s had a knock on to retail sales. People needed to buy less food and drink in store because they were enjoying having someone else do the cooking, restaurants and takeaways profited as did forecourts as people filled up to get out, although fuel sales are still struggling to get back to pre-pandemic levels.”

Non-food sales also tumbled despite that back-to-school push and retailers will be weighing up whether that fall was down to consumers deciding to spend their pennies elsewhere or because goods simply weren’t available.

“Department stores and clothing emporiums experienced the greatest difficulty in getting hold of goods but supply is an issue across the board,” said Hewson.

“Food stores in particular have had to shop about to get the products they require, a quick look on supermarket shelves shows some shopper favourites have been replaced with unfamiliar brands and both Morrisons and the Co-op have warned that supply issues and driver shortages are bringing price rises.”

Oriole Resources confirms latest assays from Senegal

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Oriole Resources share price falls sharply on announcement

Oriole Resources (LON:ORR) on Friday provided an update on its Senala project in Senegal, confirming that joint venture partner IAMGOLD Corporation has the option to spend up to $8m to earn a 70% interest.

IAMGOLD is currently in Year 4 of that earn-in and has this year completed more than 80% of a two-phase exploration programme for a planned c.11,000 metres at the Faré and Madina Bafé prospects.

Additionally, the AIM-listed company today reports the remaining results from the Phase 1 reverse circulation drilling programme programme, as well as initial results for the Phase 2 RC drilling at Madina Bafé where 3,111m of a planned 5,000m programme has been completed to date.

Phase 1 RC drilling results received for the final four holes at the Faré prospect, drilled to target near-surface mineralisation at the Faré Far South gold anomaly.

Best intersections (using 0.3 g/t Au cut off) include: 8.00m grading 1.00 g/t Au from 112.00m including 1.00m grading 2.22 g/t Au and 2.00m grading 1.43 g/t Au (FARC21-0114); 7.00m grading 0.68 g/t Au from 42.00m and 1.00m grading 1.74 g/t Au from 74.00m (FARC21-0115).

The results are from the southernmost fence line at Faré Far South, located c.300m to the southwest of the northernmost fence line which returned results of up to 35.00m grading 3.63 g/t Au (announcement dated 18 August 2021).

Initial results were received for the Phase 2 RC drilling programme at Madina Bafé, where 3,111m of a planned 5,000m drilling has been completed to date.

The remainder of the programme to be completed in Q4 2021, after the seasonal rains have eased.

The Oriole Resources share price is down by 5.68% during the morning session on Friday.

Oriole Resources CEO, Tim Livesey, said: “We are very pleased to see the continuation of mineralisation being evidenced by the second line of RC drilling at FaréFar South, some 300m from the previously announced intersections. This gives support to our idea that there are opportunities for multiple pods of mineralisation along the c.6.3 kilometre Faré trend, which could be combined to provide sufficient resources for a stand-alone development target.”

“At Madina Bafé, these early intersections again support the presence of mineralisation and we would hope that additional work could identify the controls on mineralisation in this area.”

John Lewis outlook remains uncertain heading into winter

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John Lewis Partnership posts pre-tax loss of £29m

Robust online sales and reduced Covid-related costs allowed John Lewis Partnership to reduce its losses, although it remains in the red after taking on £100m of costs by closing its stores and letting go of thousands of staff.

The partnership, which includes Waitrose, posted a pre-tax loss of £29m for the six months ending in July.

This was an improvement on the £635m loss that came a year ago when the firm was badly impacted by the onset of the pandemic.

The retailer said it will not yet make a decision on resuming staff bonuses or give back business rates as its outlook remains uncertain.

Usually, John Lewis makes the brunt of its profits in H2 with Christmas being its busiest time of the year.

Dame Sharon White, John Lewis’s chairwoman, said that “even with the success of the vaccination programme the course of the pandemic this winter is hard to call”.

Semafone luanches lawsuit against PCI-Pal

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NFTs could revive Stanley Gibbons shares

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Today’s announcement that its US subsidiary, Mallet Inc. was pushed into filing for Chapter 11,  as a sub tenant defaulted could be the nadir of its fortunes. The finals for the March 2021 year end showed an adjusted loss of £2.7m on £10.8m turnover and he shares at 2.75p are near its all time low with a £13m market cap.
The  £5.8m purchased of the world’s most famous and valuable stamp – the 1856 1c Magenta from British Guiana, which is the only one in existence,  could lead to a rebirth of  Stanley Gibbons  (LSE: SGI) as a stamps ownership  g...

Rolls-Royce share price jumps on announcement about all-electric plane

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Rolls-Royce Share Price

The Rolls-Royce share price is up by 4.27% on Thursday as the engineering company confirmed it will attempt to set a world record of 300mph later this year with its first all-electric plane. The move comes on the back of a rocky spell for the FTSE 100 company in recent weeks and months, after a promising start to the year.

This has been true across the board when it comes to companies involved in the airline industry due to its unpredictability. This article will examine what the company’s near-term outlook is, along with its longer-term future following the exciting news of today.

Travel Industry

While it feels impossible to predict, the vaccine roll-out continues to progress, and reports from airlines and other relevant firms are showing numbers picking back up.

This slow but steady progress allowed Rolls-Royce to record an underlying profit of £307m, albeit way off the £1.63bn recorded the year before.

Rolls-Royce has taken a number of precautionary measures in order to keep its balance sheet in check, including a corporate restructuring and raising capital, while its long-term debt will not be due until 2024. These factors have allowed the Rolls-Royce share price to climb by 66.7% since the beginning of the year.

Electric Plane

Rolls-Royce’s all-electric plane will attempt a world record of 300mph later in 2021 following its completion of its debut 15-minute flight.

The flight went ahead at a military testing site using a battery pack that the engineering firm said was the most “power-dense” ever put together for an aircraft.

Warren East, Rolls-Royce’s chief executive, said: “The first flight of the Spirit of Innovation is a great achievement.

“This is not only about breaking a world record; the advanced battery and propulsion technology developed for this programme has exciting applications for the urban air mobility market and can help make ‘jet zero’ a reality.”

Co-op pens Amazon deal but bemoans HGV driver shortage in UK

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Co-op pre-tax profit down by 38%

Co-op has reached an agreement with Amazon to begin robot deliveries as part of a plan to increase its online sales to £200m before the end of 2021.

The UK supermarket company confirmed the deal with the US tech giant that will allow Prime customers to purchase food from co-op which could then be delivered on the same day.

The service will first be rolled out in Glasgow and nearby before spreading to the rest of the UK before the end of the year.

“We are delighted to be working with Amazon. Its reach and leading technology and innovative approach means greater convenience for people in their communities,” Steve Murrells, group chief executive, said.

Co-op just reported a 3.2% fall in its H1 sales to £5.2bn following a busy period in the market a year prior.

Profits before tax were down by 38%, from £78m to £44m, while the firm recorded an underlying loss of £15m.

The supermarket chain also drew attention to the shortage of truck drivers in the UK, pleading for government intervention.

“This won’t be solved in isolation, this is a global issue where the supply chain has completely broken down,” Chief Executive Steve Murrells told Reuters on Thursday.

“You can’t solve (a shortage of) 90,000 HGV drivers in isolation, it needs a structural change,” he said.

Co-op is expecting its full-year profits to be reduced due to the HGV driver shortage that is impacting the UK supply chain.