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Wetherspoons has banned its customers from playing music out loud or taking calls on speaker, saying the noise was an increasing problem driving people “nuts”.

The company – which runs 792 pubs and bars across the UK – said that following complaints it has asked customers to switch their phones and tablets to silent or to use earphones.

Polling in recent years by various organisations suggests people are largely opposed to others playing music or taking calls on speaker in public spaces.

Wetherspoons told the BBC that staff will be asked to use “common sense” when enforcing the ban.

“We are not looking to ask anyone to leave a pub if they go against the ruling, but it is an option for managers if they refuse to do so,” the company said.

It follows a stricter, longstanding policy from rival pub chain Sam Smiths which bans no phone or tech use of any kind, in addition to a ban on swearing.

Wetherspoons does not play music in any of its pubs, with chief executive Tim Martin describing them as “an oasis of tranquillity and contemplation”.

The chain does play music in the evening at its 44 Lloyds’ bars. It confirmed that the ban on customers playing music and taking calls on speaker would also apply to those venues.

The number of Wetherspoons pubs has steadily fallen over the last decade from a peak of 955 in late 2015.

The firm has faced a financial challenges during those ten years from the Covid pandemic and inflation.

Last month, it told investors that profit for the year would be lower than expected because of higher costs for food, labour, repairs, energy, and business rates.

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Shares of metal companies dropped up to 2% on Tuesday, after recording sharp gains in the previous session, with analysts advising investors to view profit-booking-led corrections as buying opportunities.

Nifty Metal dropped half a per cent amid an overall bearish market sentiment on Tuesday, with NMDC shares falling more than 2% to lead losses. Hindustan Copper shares lost over 1%, after rallying around 8% in the previous session.

Today’s fall in metal stocks comes as metal prices corrected after hitting multi-month highs the previous day. Copper prices fell as the market digested a string of disappointing economic data from China, and the US-Iran truce expired without a longer-term peace deal. This comes a day after the red metal hit its highest in more than six months on Monday amid worries around availability on the London Metal Exchange, where inventories are at their lowest since February.

Gold and silver prices also declined in the domestic market, although the precious metals extended gains in the international market.

Also read | Gold slips below Rs 1.55 lakh/10 gm on MCX, but global prices extend gains. What’s next?

Should you buy metal stocks?

Metal stocks are reacting to a decent recovery in underlying metal prices, said Sunny Agrawal, Head of Fundamental Research at SBI Securities. He noted that copper, aluminium, zinc and silver prices are up by 6%, 4%, 8% and 12% respectively over the last month.
“Investors can selectively participate in a few names like Nalco and Hindustan Zinc. Traders should adhere to stop loss to factor in sudden correction in the underlying metal prices which is a function of many factors including dollar index, global demand supply etc,” Sunny Agrawal from SBI Securities said.

Technical view

One of the better ways to assess the outlook for a basket of stocks is to study the corresponding sectoral index, as it provides a broader representation of the underlying group, said Hitesh Rathi, Technical Analyst at Angel One. “In this context, the Nifty Metal index had been trending lower since May this year, with the sectoral index forming a 100% bearish pole on its 0.25% × 3 point and figure chart. This resulted in a correction of over 10% in the index, translating into a sharper decline across several metal stocks,” he explained, adding that the technical setup now appears to be turning constructive.

The sectoral index seems to have established a strong support zone in the 12,500–12,400 band, underscored by the formation of a weak breakout on its daily 1% renko chart, he added. Following this development, the index has already rallied by over 5% in a relatively short period, indicating a meaningful improvement in momentum.

The combination of a well-defined support zone and the bullish breakout formation suggests the presence of strong demand at lower levels and points towards a potential reversal in the broader trend, according to the analyst. “That said, given the sharp upmove witnessed recently, chasing momentum at current levels may not offer the most favourable risk-reward proposition. Instead, any retracement towards the 12,800–12,700 band should be viewed as an opportunity to accumulate select metal stocks, with the broader sectoral setup now turning increasingly constructive,” Rathi concluded.

Also read | Paytm block deal: Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s Resilient Asset likely sells nearly 2 crore shares worth Rs 2,949 crore

(With inputs from agencies)

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Shares of Colgate-Palmolive slipped 2.35% on Tuesday following its Investor Day 2026 presentation. Investors appeared cautious as management outlined strategic priorities that balance aggressive brand investments with long-term profitability goals, causing the stock to slide to an intra-day low of Rs 1,965 on the BSE.

Should you buy, sell or hold the stock?

In an analyst note reported by ET Now, Goldman Sachs maintained its Neutral rating on Colgate Palmolive with a target price of Rs 2,050, implying a modest upside from current levels. The brokerage highlighted that Colgate’s strategy is aggressively pivoting toward volume recovery, premiumization, and category expansion. ET Now reported that while heavy step-ups in brand spending and advertising intensity could weigh on operational margins over the short term, structural cost savings from the company’s ‘Funding the Growth’ initiative will help cushion profitability.
Motilal Oswal maintained its Buy rating on Colgate Palmolive with a target price of Rs 2,500, implying a 27% upside from current levels. The brokerage noted that the core investment thesis remains intact as Colgate continues to lead and drive category expansion in India. It highlighted strong traction in science-led innovations like Colgate Strong Teeth with Arginine and rapid scaling in premium offerings such as Visible White Purple. Motilal Oswal expects sales to reach Rs 66.5 billion in FY27E and Rs 71.2 billion in FY28E, supported by steady volume execution and segment leadership.

Nuvama maintained its Buy rating on Colgate Palmolive with a target price of Rs 2,350, implying a 22.5% upside from current levels. The brokerage highlighted the company’s persistent focus on driving oral care penetration and expanding market reach. It noted that 45% of rural Indians still do not brush daily and 76% of urban Indians do not brush twice a day. Nuvama added that management’s decision to allocate roughly 16% of revenues toward brand building underscores a strategy centred on long-term category expansion over short-term margin maximisation, backed by a distribution footprint across 7.1 million stores.

Colgate management commentary

Managing Director Prabha Narasimhan emphasised that Colgate is best placed to lead and expand the oral care category in India. “Our strategy is clear: drive growth ahead of profitability,” management stated, pointing out that premium toothpaste share has expanded 2.5 times compared to 2021 levels and direct retail coverage now reaches 1.7 million outlets.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times.)