London's FTSE 100 closed higher on Friday, though stocks in New York struggled, taking little confidence from a key US inflation gauge producing no scares.The FTSE 100 index ended up 44.33 points, 0.5%, at 8,275.38. The FTSE 250 ended up 59.25 points, 0.3%, at 20,730.12, and the AIM All-Share closed up 3.10 points, 0.4%, at 805.79.For the week, the FTSE 100 lost 0.5%, the FTSE 250 fell 0.2%, while

Cloud security business beats quarterly billings estimatesStock surges in after-hours tradingAnalyst remain largely optimistic on stockThe mood around cloud security firm Zscaler (ZS:NASDAQ) has darkened considerably this year as investors fretted over the potential impact of an economic downswing and rising competitive threats might exert on growth.Yet those fears now look overcooked after the Si

Stocks in London were higher on Friday at midday, with the FTSE 100 leading the pack, after inflation in the eurozone came in hotter-than-expected.The FTSE 100 index was up 28.37 points, 0.3%, at 8,259.42. The FTSE 250 was up 6.68 points at 20,677.55, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.59 points, 0.2%, at 804.28.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 823.92, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.4% at 18,148.14, and the

Compass director buys £60,929 sharesElementis CEO sells £523,653 sharesBaron Oil director buys amid falling share priceArlene Isaacs-Lowe, non-executive director of food service giant Compass Group (CPG) has bought 2,800 shares at £21.76 for a total value of £60,929 on 30 May.Isaacs-Lowe's move comes after the company delivered strong first half growth in all regions driven by new contracts an

CFO steps down with immediate effectInternal replacement appointedPrimary listing moves to the USGlobal sports betting and gaming company Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) saw its shares drop 6% after the Paddy Power and Betfair operator said chief financial officer Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson was stepping down with immediate effect.The primary listing of Flutter's shares shifts to the US from today (31 Ma

London stocks were mixed on Friday morning, ahead of core personal consumption expenditures index data, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred US inflation gauge.The FTSE 100 index opened up 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,243.72. The FTSE 250 was down 16.03 points, 0.1%, at 20,654.84, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.91 of a point, 0.1%, at 803.60.The Cboe UK 100 was up marginally at 821.87, the Cboe UK

Equity prices in London ended higher on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 snapping a six-day losing streak, though there was nervy trade in New York ahead of the release of a key US inflation gauge on Friday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 47.98 points, 0.6%, at 8,231.05. The FTSE 250 surged 234.53 points, 1.2%, at 20,670.87, and the AIM All-Share ended up 2.42 points, 0.3%, at 802.69.The Cboe UK 100 ended

Stocks in New York were called lower at midday on Thursday, but European stocks were stable with Auto Trader and Currys among the top performers.The FTSE 100 index was up 17.00 points, 0.2%, at 8,200.07. The FTSE 250 was up 175.00 points, 0.9%, at 20,611.34, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.16 points, 0.3%, at 802.43.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 818.16, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.8% at 18,070.82, an

Full year profits plunge2025 year of transitionCost savings of £20 million to £25 millionInvestors in Dr. Martens (DOCS) have endured a torrid time since the iconic footwear firm's 2021 IPO (initial public offering), with the shares booted around 80% lower following a slew of profit warnings.Results for the year ended 31 March 2024 revealed another drop in profits after a challenging year, mostl

Revenue up 14% to £570 millionOperating profit climbs 26%Shares gain another 12%Shares in Auto Trader (AUTO) jumped by 94p or 12% to a new life-high of 825p as the online car marketplace reported a 14% increase in group revenue to £570.9 million for the year ended 31 March 2024.The FTSE 100 firm said the used car retail market had been robust throughout the past financial year and it expected th

Q1 sales and earnings beat expectationsFull year outlook raisedApparel and footwear a bright spot for US consumersShares in Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS:NYSE) jumped 16% to an all-time high on Wednesday (29 May) after the omni-channel retailer reported better than expected first quarter sales and profit growth and raised its full year outlook.Executive chairman Ed Stack noted the product pipeline fr

Stock prices in London were virtually unmoved Thursday morning, as investors carefully eye a flurry of US economic data.Amongst individual stocks, Auto Trader was the morning's star performer, after it posted higher annual revenue and profit. Bootmaker Dr Martens shares got a boost, too, despite warning of a gloomy outlook.The FTSE 100 index opened up 0.35 of a point at 8,183.42. The FTSE 250 was

There's no doubt the shock departure of a star fund manager or well-followed stock picker is a red flag, but there are various reasons why successful portfolio managers choose to leave their investment management firm and therefore their funds.And, as with most aspects of investing, there are no hard and fast rules about what investors should do when their fund manager ups sticks. Much depends on

This column has no axe to grind with Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and ? like everyone else ? it continues to be both surprised and impressed by the growth that the semiconductor specialist is generating, thanks to the competitive position it is crafting itself in providing silicon chips that power the data centres that, in turn, drive the large language models that are so important to the development of A

Last week got off to a positive start on the economic front with the headline rate of UK inflation dropping to 2.3% in April, a whisker above expectations and the Bank of England's official 2% target.The main driver of lower prices was the household energy cap, added to which goods price inflation turned negative ? although food prices went up slightly ? which should have set the scene for the Ban

Cybersecurity industry investors have been experiencing the jitters after Palo Alto Networks' (PANW:NASDAQ) back-to-back quarters of soft guidance. It's certainly put pressure on large sector ETFs, with firm early year gains for £1 billion-plus ETFs L&G Cyber Security (ISPY) and iShares Digital Security (LOCK) all but wiped out in.Which piles the pressure on Crowdstrike (CRWD), one of cybersecuri

How much pocket money you should pay your children is a common dilemma among parents, but new data shows how much the nation is paying its kids.The Natwest Rooster Money report shows how people using its pocket money app manage the payments and how much they pay their kids. And children have felt the effects of the cost of living crisis, with their average pocket money reducing by £5.20 a year ov

We kick off this month with two more takeovers, or attempted takeovers, of UK small-cap firms.On 21 May Singapore-based but UK-listed specialist engineer XP Power (XPP) rejected a bid from Denver, Colorado-based rival Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS:NASDAQ).The firm said it had received a series of 'highly conditional, opportunistic, indicative proposals' from the US company, the latest at £19.5

CVS (CVSG:AIM) £10.63Market Cap: £760 millionVeterinary services specialist CVS Group (CVSG:AIM) is under a cloud at the moment following confirmation by the competition watchdog CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) it would investigate the pet care market for unfair practices after its initial look into the market in September 2023.The CMA is concerned pet owners are overpaying for medicines

The long-awaited investor day at AstraZeneca (AZN) on 21 May delivered a punchy increase in the pharmaceutical giant's long term growth ambitions inviting further analysts upgrades to revenue and profit forecasts.After achieving its prior target of generating in excess of $45 billion of revenue by 2023 set a decade ago, management is aiming for more than $80 billion in annual revenue by 2030 and a