Nationwide's Virgin Money swoop blasted by Aussies: Bank's biggest independent investor 'disappointed' with board agreeing £2.9bn takeover
TONY HETHERINGTON: Boss behind firms fined £340k for more than 1.4m nuisance calls is unmasked
86-year-old's woes with a faulty smart meter that sent his bills soaring show why so many people are shunning them, writes JEFF PRESTRIDGE
Councils that ban you from car parks if your vehicle is TOO LONG: Five now have length restrictions as most authorities say they've no plans to extend bay sizes
Gerald Seymour has written 40 pacy thrillers, but big screen success hasn't materialised: 'Hollywood silly money? I'd only have stuffed it under the bed!'
Gold is seen as a solid investment in times of turmoil - experts share their 24-carat advice on how (and when) to get involved
British businesses awash with 'accidental' bosses who have received no formal training, recruitment firm warns
FTSE 100 hits an all-time high - but remember the stock market adage of 'sell in May and go away' says HAMISH MCARE
MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Why it soon won't be hip to give the cold shoulder to Smith & Nephew
North Sea projects worth £21bn put at risk by Labour: Tax threat to British jobs and investment
Rachel Reeves wants to banish the idea that Labour is anti-business, but where is the 'white heat' revolution to revive Harold Wilson's glory days?
Cost-of-living crunch wipes shine off Thomas Sabo jewellery
Helium and hydrogen company set to join stock market in boost for City
CITY WHISPERS: Bill Ackman's cerulean eyes charm 'Woodstock' crowd at Berkshire Hathaway
Should the Bank of England have cut interest rates instead of holding firm? The This is Money podcast
Households with emergency savings pots rises substantially in recent years - five financial trends revealed in new research
Families with TWO retired generations will surge to one million in a decade: Savings have to stretch further if you want to help out your loved ones
'My oven is redundant': Almost half believe ovens will be obsolete as air fryer craze shows no signs of slowing
Some sneaky estate agents only putting forward offers from buyers who use their in-house mortgage broker
From Victorian to Regency, the five most popular types of period property currently for sale revealed
Bank of England holds interest rates at 5.25% for sixth time in a row - what it means for YOUR mortgages and savings
When will interest rates fall? Forecasts on when base rate will be cut - and what borrowers and savers should do
How much would a rate cut save you? Use our interest rate rise or fall mortgage calculator
We're financial experts - this is how you can use your Isa and pension to grow your wealth in the new tax year

Marston's toasts a strong summer

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:01 EDT, 5 August 2010

View
comments

Brewer Marston's said it was on track to hit full-year profit targets after a strong summer at its managed pub business.

A man having a quiet pint in a traditional english pub

In a trading update, the Wolverhampton-based company reported sales at its 2,159 tenanted pubs ahead by 1.7% year-on-year in the 43 weeks to the end of July.

But underlying profit shrank by 4%. Sales in the 11 weeks to July 31 rose by 2.7%, due largely to good early summer weather and the World Cup.

Marston's (up 0.8p at 98.75p) remains 'cautious' about trading in the second half due to potential fallout from the emergency Budget.

But the firm insisted it is on track to meet full-year profit forecasts of £70.5m to £76m.

Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.