Paul Hickman, an analyst at KBC Peel Hunt, once said during an interview with The Independent that Wetherspoon was “absolutely obsessive about operating standards“.

He adds: “I see Wetherspoon as an operator of retailing systems rather than just another pub company. It has more in common with Tesco and Domino’s Pizza, in terms of having a well-defined and coherent set of systems.“

Indeed, the chain’s recent annual results revealed encouraging figures. Operating profit climbed 4%, or £4m, to £111m while earnings rose 13% to 47p per share.

A solid 6% sales increase and a tidy full-year dividend of 12p per share make the colloquially termed ‘Spoons’ a healthy purchase for shareholders.

From sales to ales, below are my personal top three reasons why I drink only at Wetherspoon:

1. Design to be proud of

Steeped in British nostalgia, Wetherspoon pubs generally possess a charming, endearing quality that can be attributed to old-wood furnishings, homages to bygone owners — often taking the form of large plaques or paintings — and a very calm and social ambience.

One thing I really can’t stand is a pub that’s cramped and funnels you to the bar as cattle while you bump into other disgruntled patrons. Wetherspoon pubs always sport open-plan layouts, which really help to minimise the herding and are generally far more pleasant to socialise in.  

The chain is also renowned for refurbishing old local landmarks, offering a splash of character and heritage to every pub. Previous sites include cinemas and theatres, as well as a post office in Southend and a swimming pool in Sheffield.

2. The price tag

Sure, grandiose and lavish bars can be nice but they’re usually accompanied by a hefty entry fee and a premium on everything from coat hangers to a glass of tap water.

Wetherspoon’s free entry is an edge over the competition which, as you’ll find out below, comprises mostly of nightclubs and the odd independent pub. 

A 900-strong chain of properties can never boast the ‘cheapest’ goods — especially when shareholders have a stake in the business — but I’ve never seen a Spoons that isn’t bustling with customers during visits. In 2009, Wetherspoon served 1.5 million meals a week, including 254,000 breakfasts and 75,000 curries, in addition to half a million cups of coffee.

3. Late opening hours

If alcohol ceased to exist, one thing to remain would probably be the stories — audacious tales that involved late-night escapades and a few too many pints of the pub’s own brew.

Late-night openings give Wetherspoon two benefits: a trump over most of the local pubs that don’t carry a late-closing license and a benefit to local customers who’d like to sit and chat just that little bit longer.

Beyond midnight your options are typically ‘Spoons’ or a nightclub, so if you’re not a fan of body-pumping clubs with an entry fee of between two and twenty quid, take a seat in a Wetherspoon for some good food and good atmosphere — most of the time.

A worthy mention

No dramatic pub tale begins with “…and then I began to shout loudly across the table“. I find music to be one of the quickest ways to end an engaging conversation.

So the lack of music, particularly in the evening, is really welcome — no one is alienated by song choices and there’s no struggle to hear what the other person is saying — dialect depending.

Tim Martin was also going to receive a worthy mention, but that hair..!

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Disclosure: Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article.

The FTSE 100 member, which operates in 25 countries and employs 1,415 people, reported revenue rising $303m, or 13%, to $2.6bn. Gross profit climbed by 7% to $1.4bn.

However, operating profit dropped 68%, or $704m, to $381m while earnings fell 73% to 18p per share.  

Tullow attributed the profit shortfall to exploration write-offs of $871m and profits from disposals falling by $670m to just $30m.

The full-year results also displayed an unchanged dividend for 2013 of 12p per share and a cash pot of $1.9bn, up 6%.

Tullow said it hoped to invest approximately $1bn into major exploration campaigns within Kenya, Norway, Ethiopia, Mauritania and Guinea.

Aidan Heavey, Tullow’s chief executive, said:

“The Group delivered another year of exploration and appraisal success and production growth and made significant progress with its key developments in Ghana, Kenya and Uganda which will deliver major increases in cash flow over the next 3-5 years.”

“An ambitious exploration and appraisal programme is planned for 2014 which is targeting opportunities in our core plays in Africa and the Atlantic margins.”

Mr Heavey added that Tullow was “aiming for resource additions of over 200 million barrels of oil” during 2014 and claimed his firm was poised for “an exciting year of growth in 2014 with an enviable portfolio of assets and opportunities.”

Of course, whether today’s full-year results as well as the wider prospects for the energy sector both combine to make Tullow a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

The FTSE 100 member, which manufacturers and markets Dettol antiseptic and Nurofen pain-relief medication, among other household names, confirmed that net revenue for 2013 had climbed £500m, or 5%, to £10bn.

The full-year results reported adjusted operating profits had risen by £46m to £2.6bn, a 2% increase on the previous year’s figure.

The results also unveiled like-for-like sales growth was 5% but had slowed to 4% during the fourth quarter, down from 7% seen during the fourth quarter of 2012.

Reckitt announced debt had reduced by £0.3bn to £2.1bn alongside a £100m investment push that is “focused on Powerbrands, Powermarkets and new initiatives, as well as… newly acquired brands.”

Adjusted earnings for 2013 advanced 2% to 270p per share while the full-year dividend was lifted 3p to 137p per share.

Rakesh Kapoor, Reckitt’s chief executive, declared:

“Our strategy for growth and outperformance through driving Health and Hygiene Powerbrands together with our focus on 16 Powermarkets is delivering results.  We are pleased with the continued strength of our ENA – Europe and North America performance. And while emerging markets continue to slow, we delivered very strong results in India and China.”

Mr Kapoor emphasised that Reckitt would “deliver another year of high quality growth”, despite challenging market conditions during the beginning of the year.

Of course, whether today’s annual figures as well as the wider prospects for the household-goods sector both combine to make Reckitt  a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

The FTSE 250 member, which recently won best Online Travel Agency at the British Travel Awards, reported underlying losses for the three months that ended 31 December had reduced by £10m to £56m.

The group confirmed the first-quarter performance had pushed underlying twelve-month profits 36% higher to £274m.

The first-quarter results also highlighted net debt was reduced by nearly £300m, down from £1.55bn to £1.28bn, as well as revenues flat at £1.7bn. Some 36% of the group’s holidays were booked online.

In line with a disposal programme, the tourism firm announced the sale of Gold Medal to dnata, and Elegant Resorts to Al Tayya, for £45m and £14.3m respectively.

Harriet Green, Thomas Cook’s chief executive, attributed the performance to the “seasonal nature” of the business and reminded shareholders that these results should be viewed “in their annual context”.

She added:

“I am pleased to report further rapid progress delivering our strategy for sustainable profitable growth.”

“Our Q1 results, new product revenue growth, web integration, cost out and profit improvement programmes combined with an intense business focus and financial discipline, all underpinned by the Thomas Cook Business System, give us confidence of achieving our targets and delivering even more value in the years to come.”

Furthermore, Ms Green boasted that summer city bookings had increased 12% to 152,000, and the firm’s hotel portfolio had amassed 136 new destinations.

Of course, whether today’s first-quarter results as well as the wider prospects for the tourism sector both combine to make Thomas Cook a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

The FTSE 250 member, which employs around 2,000 people from across 15 regional divisions, boasted of a 41% hike in housing revenue, climbing from £487m to £690m for the period.

Other positive highlights from the statement included the completion of 3,245 home sales, which represented a 25% increase on the previous year.

Complementing the greater sales volume was a 13% rise in the average selling price, up by approximately £25,000 per home. However, this was assisted by the sale of “particularly high value London apartments” and a high number of expensive transactions in the south.

The update also revealed Bellway’s £240m investment in land, as well as an agreement on a further 4,700 plots valued at £217m. Net bank debt advanced from £6m to £16m.

The group attributes the trading update’s figures to “continued strength in the UK housing market, supported by… more widespread access to affordable mortgage finance”, which will purportedly continue to “deliver further enhancements in shareholder value”.

Bellway currently has a market cap of £2bn and the group’s previous statement showed earnings at £108m and a net asset value of £1.2bn.

Of course, whether today’s trading update as well as the wider prospects for the housing sector both combine to make Bellway a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

The FTSE 250 member, which operates 140 stores nationwide and sells more than 20,000 products, reported revenue for the 26 weeks that ended 28 December had risen by £16m, or 4.8%, to £356m.

The results also revealed pre-tax profits had rallied 2.9% to £61m and operating profits were up 4.5% to £62m.

The statement added that shareholders should expect an interim dividend of 5p per share, up 11.1% on the previous dividend of 4.5p.

Nick Wharton, Dunelm’s chief executive, said:

“We have further strengthened our customer offer, particularly through service, and improved our infrastructure, whilst increasing scale through expanding the store portfolio and growing multi-channel.  We have also invested significantly in increasing brand awareness, including through our first TV advertising campaign, and we are encouraged by the early results we have seen from this.  I thank all my colleagues across Dunelm for their hard work in helping deliver these considerable achievements.

“Whilst we are cautious about consumer spending trends overall, the combination of a customer offer that continues to appeal to a broad spread of consumers, a significant new store growth opportunity and an exciting multi-channel agenda all provide us with a high degree of confidence in Dunelm’s future growth prospects…”

Furthermore, Mr Wharton claimed Dunelm had committed to open ten new sites in the current year, encouraged by “continued growth in multi-channel sales”.

Of course, whether today’s half-year results as well as the wider prospects for the home furnishings sector both combine to make Dunelm a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

If you’d like to start a degree, have your savings ready. For a standard three-year course, you’d be expected to pay tuition fees of £9,000 per annum, plus living expenses averaging £80 a week — supermarkets aren’t getting any cheaper!

And although some lettings agents provide inclusive bills packages with the rent, most students will be rummaging through price-comparison websites for the cheapest utility deals.

(We may all hate him, but the operatic ‘Go Compare Man’ certainly saved me from studying by candlelight!)

There’s also a hearty donation to the university in the form of course books — I was charged £247 in total, but the books will typically last for the degree and beyond.

So, understandably, when student wallets are being stretched almost to the point of non-existence, accommodation could represent the final nail in the coffin.

Generally speaking, nothing more than humble accommodation is required for students. Perhaps owned by a genteel pensioner devoid of any grandiose money-making plans, their residences tend to be cheap, have convenient landlords — often living in the same house or nearby — and are occasionally of high quality.

But what about the accomodation provided by national lettings agents, which tend to label students with price tags and where profit is always paramount? Just how much extra could students pay by renting through these firms?

What about an additional £2,562 per year.

If there’s one thing students don’t want, it’s more zeros on their receipts

Take Unite Group PLC (LSE: UTG), for example, which provides homes for more than 40,000 students in more than 130 properties and has just spent £2m buying a new site in Aberdeen. With a healthy market cap of £744m, the firm has seen its share price increase steadily to sit comfortably at 423p.

Not to mention, Unite’s rental income for the six months to June 2013 was £58m and operating profits were a tidy £44m

The firm’s Scottish acquisition is to capitalise on what Richard Simpson, Unite’s managing director of property, calls, “favourable supply/ demand dynamics” in a city expected to “experience continued growth”. However, growth and growing demand can mean only one thing, growing prices — and if there’s one thing students don’t want, it’s more zeros on their receipts.

While Unite’s rising share price may reflect investor optimism and confidence, does it necessarily reflect the quality of service that the student customers receive? 

Well, it’s hard to dispute such a decisive investment in Aberdeen is going to benefit shareholders; Unite’s forecast 10% gross rental yield will certainly help annual revenues, and higher cash flow is never bad by any stretch of the imagination. But as I’ll explain right now, greater profits may not necessarily correlate to greater quality or customer service.

A cash machine to be sucked dry of notes

I study in Canterbury and have lived in properties offered by national landlords similar to Unite. If my two years, soon to be three, in student accommodation have taught me anything, it’s that very rarely are my necessities and experiences considered.

In the past month, I have encountered three separate incidents that brought me to question whether I was a tenant, an inconvenience or a cash machine to be sucked dry of notes.

First on the list, door locks. I waited three months beyond the date that I was quoted, despite numerous and insistent phone calls, for a lock to be placed on my bedroom door. The lock was supposed to be installed when I moved in, not after the first term.

Secondly, despite living with four others, I’m the only one with an ensuite. The other four have been showering in my room daily because their communal shower has not been working since Christmas Eve — the shower still isn’t fixed.

The final incident was a surprise deposit for my third year in student accommodation, starting in September. I paid £150 in upfront payments for my first university year, for my upcoming third year I’ve paid nearly £500.

The humble granny landlord

I’m hardly the classic image of an over-spending student — I’m yet to touch my overdraft.

But I’ve been scouring every money jar and the back of every sofa in search of money to keep food on the table — all because of a relatively extortionate set of up-front fees.

The humble granny landlord across the street doesn’t produce balance sheets and annual reports — as interesting as those documents would be — but the national student lettings agencies have the legal obligation to reveal their financial performances.  

As such, I know Unite predicts solid 3% rental growth this year and expects a 10% gross rental yield from the recent Aberdeen acquisition. But when budgeting and staying alive is a student’s one and only concern, this shareholder-friendly strategy is not exactly popular with the tenants.  

How much can a search save?

I wanted to test whether local landlords really could be cheaper than the national firms, so I’ve chosen three university cities — Aberdeen, Nottingham and Reading — for a quick comparison.

For each city, I’ll detail the cheapest accommodation offered by Unite and then compare that to the cheapest like-for-like property, where possible, from a local lettings agent that was found with a five-minute search.

Keep in mind that the following properties are chosen chiefly for their affordability. Unless otherwise stated, each property features wi-fi, bills, laundry services, a complete set of kitchen appliances and full furnishings.

Nottingham

Unite — St Peter’s Court: A classic ensuite, £99 per week, 44 week lease.

Local landlord: A standard ensuite, £89 per week, 44 week lease. Also includes free bus pass to Nottingham University.

Both properties feature identical amenities, with the local-landlord option providing “designer” furniture that is of noticeably higher quality. But with a simple Google search, you would save yourself £440 per year by using a local landlord, and you get a free bus pus for cruising the city.

Aberdeen

Unite — Mealmarket Exchange: A classic ensuite, £134 per week, 51 week lease. 

Local landlord: Standard ensuite, £103 per week, 51 week lease. No wi-fi.

There’s a notable difference in price and the lack of wi-fi is unfortunate for the local property, but it does still feature wired internet at speeds of 20mb/s. A quick search revealed that a year with a local landlord would save a sum of £1,581.

Reading

Unite — Kendrick Hall: A classic ensuite, £117 per week, 51 week lease.

Local landlord: Standard non-ensuite, £65 per week, 51 week lease. No house alarm, dryer or dishwasher. 

Reading was somewhat of an anomaly. Despite me spending nearly an hour searching online, Reading’s ensuites were very difficult to find. As such, the next best option was a standard non-ensuite room priced at £65.

The yearly saving if you used a local landlord here would be an enormous £2,562.

£2,562 savings every year

Housing prices are, by no means, black and white and it could be argued that you simply do get what you pay for — most of the time. But the ultimate goal for students is to budget well and not live outside of their means.

Students can receive an inordinate amount of pressure from their course and Unite’s desire to build on the £37m profits reported earlier this year is going to put even more pressure on their residents’ wallets.

From just a few minutes of searching, I reckon students could save anywhere from between £400 to £2,562 a year, simply by using smaller, independent landlords rather than large, public firms such as Unite. As a student, you want to be funding you own lifestyle, not those of faceless shareholders of profit-focused accommodation companies.

What’s more, granny and her lovely home-cooked meals can offer students a friendly face, friendly service, and even friendlier savings — as long as you don’t do what I once did and refuse a Sunday roast.

I’m not allowed in that house again. 

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article.

The FTSE 100 member, which supplies 900 million vaccine doses to 170 countries and employs nearly 100,000 people, reported a 1% rise in turnover to £26.4bn.

Glaxo also boasted core earnings per share stepping-up 4% to 112.2p, which the group said was “in line with financial guidance”.  

The statement also highlighted operating profits flat at £8bn.

The company claimed “strong” cash generation, with full-year net cash flow up 5% to £7.3bn. The dividend was lifted 5% to 78p per share.

Sir Andrew Witty, Glaxo’s chief executive, said:

“GSK’s performance in 2013 represented further strong delivery for the Group.  We met our guidance with core EPS growth of 4% and sales growth of 1% (+3% ex-divestments) and returned £5.2 billion to shareholders via further growth in the dividend and our continuing share buy-back programme.” 

“We also delivered the most productive period of R&D output in the Company’s history and led the sector for new medicine approvals.”

Sir Andrew added that GlaxoSmithKline’s financial success provided the firm with the flexibility to “fund organic investment and restructuring programmes as well as our ongoing commitment to a growing dividend.”

Of course, whether today’s full-year results as well as the wider prospects for the healthcare sector both combine to make GlaxoSmithKline a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool has recommended shares in GlaxoSmithKline.

The small-cap, which designs a variety of micro-audio devices and specialist software, reported revenue unchanged at $179m and underlying operating losses quadrupling from $3m to $13m.

Wolfson claimed the results were affected by a “volatile” mobile phone market that featured a “faster-than-anticipated transition from 3G to 4G (LTE) smartphones”.

Minor highlights within today’s statement included Mobile Audio Hub sales surging by 40% and MEMS microphone sales zooming 70% higher. The update also revealed year-end net cash at $26m and confirmed a restructure that aims to deliver annualised savings of $10m.

Mike Hickey, Wolfson’s chief executive, said:

“Overall, looking back on a year where we anticipated strong growth, we were disappointed with full year revenue that ended flat year-on-year, with strong sales in the first half being offset by a weaker second half performance.” 

“We expect to resume our growth trajectory in the second half of 2014 as customer phone inventories unwind; customers’ new products launch with Wolfson’s next generation, higher content Audio Hubs; and we benefit as new LTE platforms come to market. We have secured a $25m bank facility to support this anticipated growth.”

Mr Hickey added that first-quarter revenues could come in between $28m and $36m while gross margins might increase to 45%.

Of course, whether Mr Hickey’s projections, today’s full-year results as well as the wider prospects for the microchip sector all combine to make Wolfson Microelectronics a ‘buy’ right now is something only you can decide.

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article. 

The FTSE 100 member, which was recently voted Britain’s Most Admired Company within the specialty finance category, reported record revenue of £153m, up 13%, and record profits before tax of £104m, up 11%.   

The half-year statement also revealed that total assets under administration had climbed 43% to £43bn and net new client money had risen by £1.25bn, or 70%, to £2.8bn.

The blue chip boasted active client numbers had increased by 77,000 to 584,000, adding that approximately 18%, or 118,000, of Royal Mail shareholders invested in the postal service through the group’s services.

The interim dividend climbed 11%, with shareholders in line to receive 7p per share.

Chief executive Ian Gorham said:

“When we presented our interim trading results twelve months ago I reported that for the first time our assets under administration had passed £30 billion.  We are pleased to report that figure has grown by 43% to £43.4 billion. 

“During the six month period most parts of the business have reported record figures.  Client recruitment has surpassed all expectations justifying our commitment to our investment supermarket and digital media strategic initiatives.  We now count 584,000 investors as active clients, an increase of 77,000 (15%) in just 6 months.”

The chief executive added that 80% of the company’s clients would be “better off or no worse” following the RDR pricing changes announced last month, and that the “overall initial client reaction to our changes appears to be positive.”

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> Douglas does not own any share mentioned in this article