H&T Group: all that glistens
There was a cracking trading update from H&T Group (AIM:HAT), the UK's largest pawnbroker by size of pledge book, with the Group trading well ahead of current market expectations for the year.
With the yellow metal up approximately 30% in £Sterling terms in the year to date and now making regular appearances on our TV screens the Group has benefited considerably from higher gold purchasing volumes. Management commented that H&T identified the opportunity of building a retail network focused on gold purchasing in early 2009 and has opened 56 Retail Mall Units so far. These units are branded as H&T but operate separately from the pawnbroking store network. The Board is conscious that current volumes may not be sustainable and so has avoided locking in to a fixed cost structure for the…