If you'd invested in: Evraz and Dignity
Central Asian miner Evraz has seen profits shoot up, while stiff competition is burying profits at funeral director Dignity.
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.
Be glad you didn't
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.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Madeleine is a former contributor for MoneyWeek and a Former investment writer for The Financial Times, and now Madeleine is a journalist in Tokyo. She has appeared in other titles such as The Week Magazine, Investors Chronicle Magazine and NME. On MoneyWeek Madeleine covered stock markets, art and travel and holiday.
-
Copycat banking websites on the rise - how to spot one
Over 2,000 banking copycat websites were reported as phishing scams in 2023, according to Which? But how do you know if the banking site you're about to use is real?
By Oojal Dhanjal Published
-
Saving for retirement: ISAs vs. SIPPs
Features SIPPs offer more generous tax breaks overall, but ISAs are more flexible. So, which is better?
By Marc Shoffman Last updated