If you'd invested in: Evraz and Dignity

published 28 December 2018

If only...

Evraz (LSE: EVR) mines iron ore and coal, and also produces steel for construction materials such as beams and rails, in Russia, North America, and South Africa. The firm is headquartered in London; Roman Abramovich, the Russian-Israeli billionaire and Chelsea FC owner, has a 3% stake. Evraz saw profits skyrocket to US$1.1bn in the first half of 2018, up from US$86m the previous year, thanks to its efforts to cut costs and reduce debt. Impressed investors have propelled the shares to 480p, marking a 40% increase since 1 January.

Birmingham-based funeral directorDignity (LSE: DTY) has had a difficult year. January's funeral-sector price war forced executives to knock a quarter off its prices, a move that halved the value of the stock in a single day. It has plummeted by 62.3% so far this year. Underlying profits fell by 14% to £68.6m in the first nine months of the year, although a gain in market share provided some cheer. Prospects still look bleak, however, now that the Competition and Markets Authority is probing "exploitative" pricing in the UK funeral sector.

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Madeleine is a journalist in based in Tokyo. She is a former contributor for MoneyWeek, covering stock markets, art and travel, and is a former investment writer for The Financial Times. Her work has appeared in titles including The Week, Investors Chronicle and the NME.