Stock prices in London surged on Thursday afternoon, shaking off a muted morning, as a dovish tilt to the Bank of England?s latest rate hold supported equities.Threadneedle Street maintained bank rate at a 16-year high of 5.25% for the sixth meeting in-a-row. However, two members of its Monetary Policy Committee backed a 25 basis point cut. Seven, Governor Andrew Bailey included, supported the hol

?Milestone? deal in luxury branded jewellery strategyRoberto Coin is sixth biggest jewellery brand in USEarnings and margin-enhancing acquisitionWatches of Switzerland (WOSG) has splashed out $130 million (£104 million) to buy Italian handcrafted jewellery business Roberto Coin Inc in a deal that skews the FTSE 250 firm?s sales mix a bit more towards the lucrative branded jewellery market.Shares

Group revenue down 7%Studios revenue down 16%Shares up 20% this yearShares in ITV (ITV) gained nearly 2% in morning trading despite the free-to-air broadcaster reporting a 7% fall in total revenue to £887 million for the three months to 31 March 2024.A ?sore point? for the free-to-air broadcaster came from ITV Studios which reported a 16% fall in total revenue to £382 million in the first quarte

Annual return of 23%Action the main driverShares up over 50%The UK?s largest private equity trust, 3i Group (III), delivered another outstanding return for investors in the year to the end of March despite adverse foreign exchange movements which trimmed NAV (net asset value) growth.However, with the stock price having risen more than 50% over the past 12 months there was an element of profit-taki

Stock prices in London edged down at the open on Thursday, while investors expect the Bank of England to keep its benchmark bank rate unchanged.The FTSE 100 index opened down just 2.68 points at 8,351.37. The FTSE 250 was down 10.32 points, 0.1%, at 20,481.67, while the AIM All-Share was up 1.41 points, 0.2%, at 781.24.The Cboe UK 100 was marginally up at 833.97, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.1% at 17,

The UK stock market has enjoyed quite the ride this year, with the FTSE 100 keeping pace with the S&P 500 in the US and hitting new record highs. It is certainly helping to raise the profile of what has been an unloved part of the investment universe ? however, investors often overlook one of the UK?s key attributes.You might think having a rich pool of takeover targets on cheap valuations is why

Shares in global banking group HSBC (HSBA) hit a five-year peak of 700p last week after the Asia-focused lender said first-quarter net interest income dipped 3% to $8.65 billion, beating market forecasts of $8.5 billion.Pre-tax profit of $12.65 billion, down around 2% on last year, also beat the consensus despite a higher technology spend thanks to low levels of provisioning for bad loans due to s

Aurora Investment Trust (ARR) 243pMarket cap: £185.3 millionInvestors seeking a value-oriented fund focused on avoiding permanent capital losses first and foremost, while offering exposure to the improving consumer outlook among other themes, should buy Aurora Investment Trust (ARR). Managed by long-term value investment firm Phoenix, the dividend-paying trust?s 10.2% discount to NAV (net asset v

Morgan Sindall (MGNS)Price: £23.52Market Cap: £1.09 billionInfrastructure, affordable housing and urban regeneration group Morgan Sindall (MGNS) is a good example of a UK stock with an attractive growth rate selling at a discount not only to the market but also relative to its own history. The group?s construction arm is expert in physical infrastructure and complex regeneration projects, while

From pop groups, TV shows, cars, home appliances, electronics and smartphones, South Korean brands have for years been familiar to global consumers. Millions of homes are filled with Smartphones and TVs made by Samsung Electronics (005930:KRX) and LG Electronics (006657:KRX), cars made by Hyundai Motor (005380:KRX) and Kia (000270:KRX), while microchips made by Hynix (000660:KRX) power these gadge

The last couple of years have seen outsized returns for stocks, especially those in the US, but that doesn?t mean now is a bad time to invest. The truth is there is never a bad time to invest as long as you are looking to stay invested for the long term.From its inception in 1984 to 2022, the FTSE 100 index has gained around 5.5% per year in price terms and 7.5% per year in terms of total return,

The emerging battle for market share in the lucrative obesity market, which analysts at Goldman Sachs estimate could be worth more than $100 billion by 2030, is starting to heat up.Sales of market-leading weight-loss drug Wegovy more than doubled to around £1 billion in the first quarter of 2024, helping to drive total sales for Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk (NOVO-B:CPH) up 24% to DKK 65.3 billio

The pilgrimage to Omaha for Berkshire Hathaway?s (BRK-B:NYSE) annual shareholder meeting had a tinge of poignancy this year following the passing of Warren Buffett?s long-term business partner and vice-chair Charlie Munger in November 2023.In memory of the ?abominable no-man?, as Buffett sometimes referred to Munger, the book stands at the meeting which would normally offer several investment book

Airline operator International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) is due to report first-quarter numbers on 10 May.The British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling owner has experienced a revival of fortunes recently due to strong consumer demand ? people are still prioritising holidays despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.The company has grabbed the attention of several analysts recently with Fr

Trainline (TRN) 326pMarket cap: £1.45 billionGain to date: 0.6% On 1 February Shares said that rail booking site and app Trainline (TRN) was ?firmly on track for growth? and investors should seize the momentum and buy the stock. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE SAID BUY?Trainline shares have been on a rollercoaster. On the 14 March a year-end trading update revealed full-year performance ahead of guida

One of the most compelling reasons for investing through a Junior ISA is to help provide your offspring with the necessary funds to leave university without the burden of onerous debts.If you invested the whole allowance of £9,000 every year from birth until your child reached 18 they would inherit a pot worth £229,000 based on an annual return of 4.5% and with charges of 0.75% factored in. Best

The journey of online clothing retailer ASOS (ASC) on the stock market has been a pretty extraordinary one. It started life as a penny stock on AIM ? when Shares first covered the story in 2003 it traded at 4.5p.Within a little less than five years the share price had reached more than £4, by 2014 it had hit £70 and, after another retreat, at its 2018 height it traded close to £80. Even its pan

I have a SIPP worth just over £1.5 million. I have previously applied for fixed protection 2014 and understand that this means my tax-free cash allowance is higher than normal.I am aged 73 and as yet haven?t touched the funds. Furthermore, I am not proposing to take any income in near future, instead I am taking income from my ISAs. What is the downside of crystalising a chunk of the SIPP and may

Warren Buffett is probably the only professional investor who needs no introduction. Over a long and illustrious career stretching back to 1965, he?s produced a mind-boggling 4,384,749% return for investors through his investment vehicle, Berkshire Hathaway. In other words, $100 invested in 1965 would today be worth over $4.3 million. For some context, the same $100 invested in the S&P 500 would n

Are consumers starting to push back on their pricey skinny lattes in response to higher interest rates and cost-of-living pressures?It?s a key question for analysts and investors in Starbucks (SBUX:NASDAQ) after the Seattle-headquartered coffeehouse colossus posted a second-quarter earnings and sales shock, sending the share price plunging close to two-year lows.The miss was bad enough, but slashi