Results round-up

Passenger transport operator Stagecoach posted final results for the year to 30 April on Wednesday, with adjusted earnings per share rising 3.7% to 27.7p.

The FTSE 250 firm saw revenue of £3.87bn during the period, up from £3.2bn, with profit before tax rising marginally to £187.4m from £185m.

Total operating profit rose to £228.8m from £227.1m.

“These are a solid set of results, with further revenue and underlying profit growth,” commented chief executive Martin Griffiths.

“We are experienced at managing the challenges we face, and the improvements and changes we are making now should ensure that we continue to have a strong portfolio of sustainable and growing businesses for the long-term.”

Griffiths said Stagecoach was investing for growth and improving customer journeys with new digital tools, smart ticketing and the introduction of greener and more comfortable buses and trains.

Profits rose 17% in the year to April at Dixons Carphone, which delivered a updated strategy and an optimistic appraisal of its chances post-Brexit as the largest player in the UK market.

With much of the results largely pre-flagged by the company, the new news was chief executive Seb James's strategy update, which confirmed that the coming 12 months are "likely to be busy".

"We have very ambitious plans this year which include making every one of the former Dixons stores one of the new 3-in-1 shops, introducing a lively and interactive new e-Commerce platform to Carphone Warehouse, opening Europe’s most modern distribution centre in Sweden, introducing same-day delivery, rolling out circa 150 new stores in the US with Sprint, delivering our honeyBee platform to major global clients, launching our new home services division with a mandate to become a true emergency service for customers across the UK, and continuing to drive market share, price competitiveness and customer satisfaction everywhere."

The joint venture with the Sprint mobile network in the US, where the pair have agreed to roll out a total of up to 500 stores, is expected to contribute $40m-$50m of annual EBIT to the group by 2019/20, the company said.