If you'd invested in: Games Workshop and Connect Group
Nottingham's Games Workshop has doubled its share price in the last year, while that of newspaper distributor and logistics firm Connect Group has slumped by two-thirds.
If only...
Games Workshop (LSE: GAW) makes miniature models for fantasy role-playing war-gamers, and owns the successful Warhammer franchise, among others. The Nottingham-based company operates more than 460 shops around the world and 75% of its revenues are generated abroad. It seems to be bucking the trend of big names disappearing from the high street. The year to June 2018 saw revenue rise by almost 40% to £219m, with pre-tax profit up by 66% to £74.5m. The share price has almost doubled in the last year and has hit an all-time high.
Be glad you didn't...
Newspaper distributor and logistics outfit Connect Group (LSE: CNCT) has seen its share price more than halve in the past year as revenues fell and the company issued a series of profit warnings. The group owns the struggling Tufnells parcel-delivery firm. Earlier this year Tufnells was handed a £1.5m fine from the Health and Safety Executive, and it has also hit trouble with HMRC after underpaying staff. Connect's distribution business has fared better, but weaker magazine sales have hurt profitability. The stock is down by more than 68% this year.
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Ben studied modern languages at London University's Queen Mary College. After dabbling unhappily in local government finance for a while, he went to work for The Scotsman newspaper in Edinburgh. The launch of the paper's website, scotsman.com, in the early years of the dotcom craze, saw Ben move online to manage the Business and Motors channels before becoming deputy editor with responsibility for all aspects of online production for The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Edinburgh Evening News websites, along with the papers' Edinburgh Festivals website.
Ben joined MoneyWeek as website editor in 2008, just as the Great Financial Crisis was brewing. He has written extensively for the website and magazine, with a particular emphasis on alternative finance and fintech, including blockchain and bitcoin.
As an early adopter of bitcoin, Ben bought when the price was under $200, but went on to spend it all on foolish fripperies.
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