Primark owner ABF lifted by broker note. Photograph: David Sillitoe Associated British Foods stood out as a bright spot in a market weighed down by economic woes. The Sunblest and Silver Spoon company’s shares climbed 35p to £10.51, initially on speculation of a possible demerger of its successful retail business Primark. But traders soon dismissed [...]

Ocado shares fall as so-called stabilisation period ends Ocado, the newly floated online grocery retailer chaired by Michael Grade, has fallen to a new low after Goldman Sachs revealed it had been in the market to support the shares almost every day since dealings began on 21 July. Goldman, one of Ocado’s key advisers, conducted [...]

Yell warns on economy recovery. Photograph: Gabriel Szabo/Newscast Yell, the heavily endebted directories group, has lost nearly 11% after a disappointing trading update and talk of possible fundraisings. The company said first quarter revenues were down 10.6%, with earnings down 10.9% at constant exchange rates. It said this was in line with previous guidance, as [...]

Kingfisher, home to the B&Q DIY chain, is cautious about the outlook for consumer spending in the UK. Photograph: David Sillitoe Shares in Kingfisher, the retailer home to B&Q, are under pressure this morning after it posted falling sales and warned of a tough outlook in the UK. While official data today showed that retail [...]

Sports Direct was left with a pile of unsold England kits after the team’s World Cup exit. Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP Sports Direct must be cursing the England team’s early exit from the World Cup. Its buyers had hoped to see the team in the last eight and bought in kits accordingly. But in the event [...]