If you'd invested in: AstraZeneca and Mitie Group

published 10 August 2018

If only...

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (LSE: AZN) is expected to grow its earnings per share (EPS) in 2018, after four years of stagnant profits. Last month Astra reported that drug sales fell by 2% to $10bn (in constant currency terms) in the first half of 2018, while core operating profits were down 34% to $2.2bn. However, sales from new medicines rose by 69%, thanks largely to a strong performance from its cancer drugs including Tagrisso, which has benefited from its recent approval as the first-choice treatment for lung-cancer patients in Europe.

Mitie Group (LSE: MTO) provides services to owners and occupiers of commercial and industrial properties. The outsourcer, which was hit by several profit warnings and investigations by financial regulators last year, came under scrutiny after Carillion's collapse in January this year. However, in June it reported a pre-tax loss of £24.7m, down from £58.2m the previous year, while revenues rose 3.8% to £2.2bn. Mitie's chief executive Phil Bentley claims the firm's turnaround is on track and that it will return to profit this year as cost saving measures start to take effect.

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Alice grew up in Stockholm and studied at the University of the Arts London, where she gained a first-class BA in Journalism. She has written for several publications in Stockholm and London, and joined MoneyWeek in 2017.