Business
Church Stretton florist says Christmas is busier than Mothers’ Day
Ellen Knightin Church Stretton
ELLEN KNIGHT/BBCA family florist has said they are working “twelve to fifteen hour days” to keep up with the demand’s of Christmas.
John R Thomas Florist, in Church Stretton, Shropshire, was celebrating the end of a bumper year which included the shop’s 40th anniversary and a national award nomination.
Catherine Thomas, whose husband John founded the shop, said the team has been “really, really busy”.
Her daughter Bea Prosser added the community has given them “phenomenal” support at a time when “small businesses have struggled.”
Mrs Thomas said the shop has been manic as staff work to keep up with orders and run workshops.
Wreath-making classes had sold out by October and there has been an uptick in customers making orders, which Mrs Prosser has put down to the firm being a finalist in the British Florist Association’s annual award.
Despite not winning, Mrs Prosser said they have received “lots of orders” and “more people following us on [social media].”
ELLEN KNIGHT/BBCNow, though, it is “all about Christmas bouquets and Christmas arrangements,” Mrs Thomas said.
Christmas is busier than Mothers’ Day and Valentine’s Day, she added, with staff working seven days a week to fulfill orders and serve customers.
ELLEN KNIGHT/BBC“It’s been amazing,” she said of the shop’s 40th year.
“I feel like we’re really valued – we’re part of a community, and we love them and they love us.
“Small businesses in particular have struggled with change to the National [Living] Wage etc, but people are still out and spending money in local shops.”
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By Emily Steel, Christina Shaman, Zach Caldwell, David Jouppi and Thomas Trudeau
December 22, 2025
Mumbai: Shares of Neptune Logitek made a weak debut on the BSE SME platform on Monday, listing at a steep discount to the IPO price and causing losses to investors.
The stock opened at Rs 100 per share, which was 26 per cent lower than the IPO issue price of Rs 126.
Soon after listing, selling pressure continued and Neptune Logitek share price slipped further by over 5 per cent to Rs 95.80 apiece during the intra-day session.
This meant that investors who received allotment in the IPO saw their investment value fall sharply on the very first day of trading.
The company’s IPO had a lot size of 1,000 shares. Based on the opening price of Rs 100 against the issue price of Rs 126, investors lost about Rs 26,000 per lot at listing.
With the stock falling further to Rs 95.80, the loss increased to nearly Rs 30,200 per lot. The weak debut created a negative sentiment around the stock in the market.
Ahead of listing, the grey market premium (GMP) of the Neptune Logitek IPO was around zero, which had already signalled a muted debut for the shares.
Neptune Logitek’s IPO was priced at Rs 126 per share, valuing the company at around Rs 173 crore after the issue.
The public issue closed on December 17 and received an overall subscription of 1.61 times, driven mainly by interest from retail investors.
The IPO was a fixed-price issue worth Rs 46.62 crore and consisted entirely of a fresh issue of about 0.37 crore shares.
The company plans to use the IPO proceeds mainly for capital expenditure, including the purchase of additional trucks and related equipment.
A part of the funds will also be used for partial repayment of debt and for general corporate purposes.
Neptune Logitek is an integrated logistics solutions provider offering services such as freight forwarding, customs clearance, air cargo handling, road and rail transportation, and multimodal coastal forwarding.
The company follows an asset-heavy business model, with ownership of its fleet, supported by in-house maintenance facilities and a captive fuel setup.
Business
Infosys, Wipro, TCS Gain As IT Stocks Rise For 4th Straight Day; Key Reasons Behind The Rally
Last Updated:
Shares of Indian IT companies rallied on December 2, pushing the Nifty IT index into positive territory for the fourth straight session
IT Stocks Surge
IT Shares Surge: Shares of Indian IT companies rallied on December 2, pushing the Nifty IT index into positive territory for the fourth straight session. Growing expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve and a sharp surge in Infosys ADRs were among the six key drivers behind the move.
The Nifty IT index rose 1.35 per cent to 39,214.90 as of 10:10 am. The index has now climbed over 1,150 points, or more than 3 per cent, over the past four sessions.
Infosys ADR surge
Infosys Ltd’s American Depository Receipts (ADRs) jumped sharply to fresh record highs on Friday, even as the company clarified that it was not aware of any material event behind the sudden spike. The ADRs hit a 52-week high amid aggressive short-covering, opening nearly 40 per cent higher before paring some gains.
Traders told Moneycontrol that the sharp rally was triggered by a short squeeze after a major lender recalled a large quantity of stock lent in the market. The sudden recall forced traders holding short positions to rush to cover their exposure, sharply driving up prices in a relatively illiquid counter.
“It looks like there is some buying interest after the surge in ADRs. But there doesn’t seem to be much substance to it as fundamentals and export competitiveness have not changed. Therefore, we expect things to return to normalcy,” said UR Bhat, co-founder of Alphaniti Fintech.
Soft US inflation data
US consumer price inflation eased more than expected in November. Consumer prices rose 2.7 per cent year-on-year, slowing from a 3 per cent increase recorded in the 12 months through September.
The moderation in the US Consumer Price Index, reported by the Labour Department’s Bureau of Labour Statistics on Thursday, has revived hopes of additional rate cuts by the Federal Reserve in the near term.
Rising hopes of further Fed rate cuts
Alongside softer inflation data, positive commentary from US central bank officials also lifted expectations of further easing. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said on Wednesday that the Fed still has room to cut interest rates amid signs of weakness in the labour market.
“I still think we’re probably, you know, maybe we’re 50 to 100 basis points off of neutral,” Waller said at the Yale School of Management CEO Summit in New York, indicating scope for rate cuts if required.
Lower US interest rates could boost discretionary spending, benefiting Indian IT companies that derive a large share of their revenues from the US market.
Strong Accenture results
Accenture posted better-than-expected first-quarter results on Thursday, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence solutions that help clients improve productivity.
The IT consulting major reported revenue of USD 18.74 billion, beating analysts’ average estimate of USD 18.52 billion, according to LSEG data. New bookings rose 12 per cent to USD 20.9 billion, including USD 9.88 billion in consulting bookings and USD 11.06 billion in managed services.
During its post-earnings call, Accenture’s management said overall and discretionary spending levels remained broadly in line with the previous year.
Value buying
The rally in IT stocks may also have been supported by value buying following months of underperformance. The sector has remained under pressure this year due to factors such as concerns over H1-B visa changes, tariff uncertainties and other global headwinds.
After a prolonged correction, investors may be re-entering the space, attracted by relatively attractive valuations.
Weakening rupee
After opening stronger, the rupee pared gains and slipped against the US dollar. Around 11:30 am, the rupee was trading at 89.70 per dollar.
A weaker rupee tends to benefit IT companies, as a significant portion of their revenues is denominated in US dollars.
Top IT gainers today
Wipro and Infosys were the top gainers on the Nifty IT index, rising more than 2 per cent each. Persistent Systems gained nearly 2 per cent.
HCL Technologies, Coforge and Tech Mahindra advanced over 1 per cent each, while Tata Consultancy Services added around 1 per cent. LTI Mindtree was trading marginally higher, while Mphasis slipped 1 per cent, bucking the broader sectoral trend.
Disclaimer: The views and investment tips by experts in this News18.com report are their own and not those of the website or its management. Users are advised to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
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December 22, 2025, 12:23 IST
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