Just before the tragic accident at Alton Towers in early June, its owner, Merlin, the world’s second-biggest leisure park operator, was worth more than £4.7 billion. Had the abrupt decline since continued, this could have threatened its place in the FTSE 100.
In the event, the shares have recovered sharply. Alton Towers is one of its biggest attractions and visitor figures remained well down in the autumn, despite some popular Hallowe’en-themed activities. The park is now closed for the winter and Merlin is looking at cutting staff numbers to match lower demand.
The company’s end of year trading update showed the benefits of being such a diversified business. The accident will have contributed to a flat outcome this year, the result for 2015 unlikely