Little good cheer in another week of geopolitical worries

Despite the current market malaise and worrying geopolitical news, shares in Intertek, the multinational inspection and product testing company with operations in Haywards Heath, were buoyed by upbeat analyst comments in the wake of decent half year results. Intertek has been struggling of late as the company attempts to exit from low margin contracts, whilst facing a slowdown in new orders from the oil and gas industry. Export bans and bad weather have also taken their toll. Having fallen by 18% from the last trading update in May investors reacted positively to news of a potentially better second half.

It wasn’t such a pretty picture for the likes of InterContinental Hotels. The shares were marked lower on their half-year figures that were not expected to result in significant market upgrades. A bias to mid-market brands like Holiday Inn has helped the company outperform the industry in tough times. The hotel group has also seen good growth exposure to China and the Asia Pacific region, with an attractive pipeline of new rooms.

Staying with the fallers, Royal Mail shares reached their lowest level since its initial public offering. Some analysts now believe Royal Mail will miss its 2015 margin guidance, coming under increasing, albeit well-flagged, competitive pressures by rival TNT Post UK.

The newly merged consumer electronic group, Dixons Carphone, created from the £3.8bn. tie-up of the high-street phone retailer and PC World owner succumbed to wider market weakness and closed lower on its stock market debut as a newly merged company. 

In a week of trade war talk, military escalation in Russia / Ukraine and new tensions in Iraq it is not surprising that holding gold is gaining appeal once again. The flight to safety was also evident in the bond markets, with the yield on 10-year US Treasuries testing its lowest level since May.