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Pet care stocks go to the dogs after CMA shock

The competition watchdog is reviewing how vet services are bought and sold
September 7, 2023

A review of the veterinary sector by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has caused shares in pet care companies to crash.

CVS Group (CVSG), which owns over 500 surgeries in the UK, Netherlands and Republic of Ireland, saw shares plunge by 27 per cent on Thursday morning. Meanwhile, shares in Pets at Home (PETS) - which generates about a third of its operating profits from veterinary services - fell by 10 per cent. 

The CMA said that vet bills appeared to have risen faster than the rate of inflation and that pet owners “may not find it easy to access the information they need about prices and treatment options”.

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