| Unsurprisingly, consumers have changed their shopping behaviour as a result of Covid-19. Some of the changes may be lasting. A trading update from Dis-Chem yesterday revealed that while some customers are venturing back to its stores, an increasing number are shopping online from the safety of their homes. That's despite an easing of lockdown restrictions. It's reported a decent rise in sales as its financial year draws to a close. The thing is, there may be less impulse buying as online sales grow - unless it can continue to tempt customers with all those unnecessary goodies that find their way into shopping trolleys. While Dis-Chem's January seemed pretty good, Tiger Brands reported a poor performance for the month. Increased competitor activity, supply chain disruptions and poor seasonal demand were a few of the factors it blamed for the drop-off in sales. Meanwhile, British American Tobacco says revenue from its SA business recovered quickly after tobacco restrictions were eased last August. It's reported a small decline in global cigarette volumes for last year but an increase in earnings and its dividend. More on those stories to follow, along with updates from Stadio and AECI, and the news that Cartrack's shareholders have approved its plan to shift its listing to the Nasdaq in the US. Finally, in their latest Mining Monitor, Ingham Analytics have increased their full-year dividend expectations for BHP Group after the miner declared a record interim payout on Tuesday. It's a busy results week for mining companies next week, which coincides with our latest initiative, Share360, in which we aim to give you a complete view of the markets, sharing all the latest news that can affect share prices and your investments. It's also a forum where you can connect with us and share your views too. As we kick off Share360 next week, the spotlight will be on the mining sector. I hope you have a good day. Stephen Gunnion Managing Editor, InceConnect
The latest from Ingham Analytics In their latest Mining Monitor entitled "Dividend delight" Ingham Analytics say they have held their EPS estimate for F2021 on BHP but in view of the higher payout ratio at the interim result have upped their full year dividend forecast. A strong interim BHP result was boosted by rising commodity prices and a nice surprise on the dividend. Is there more juice to squeeze? Other popular downloads include "Kuaishou bounce", "Stop the Game - I want to get off", "All that glitters?" (on Sasol) and "Elevator to the stratosphere?" | 