Return to positive like-for-like growthFull year guidance reiteratedLitigation worries cloud the outlookConsumer goods powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser (RTK) topped the FTSE gaining almost 5% to £14.44 after revealing better than expected first quarter like-for-like sales and confirming full year profit targets.The shares are down 18% year to date compared with a 5% gain in the FTSE 100 index reflect

Capital preservation funds are positioned to help investors avoid large losses while growing their wealth too, albeit more slowly than more risk-tolerant funds. In the investment trusts patch, the three main wealth preservers are Ruffer Investment Company (RICA), Capital Gearing Trust (CGT) and Personal Assets Trust (PNL), while RIT Capital Partners (RCP) also has a capital preservation bent.Durin

It has been a rough few years for shareholders in hygiene, health and nutrition products powerhouse Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) with the stock down 30% on a five-year view.The FTSE 100 company flourished during the pandemic, which heightened hygiene awareness and boosted sales of its Dettol and Lysol disinfection brands, but demand then normalised and the shares have sold-off on growth disappointments

London stocks closed in the red on Friday, with Reckitt shares sinking after a verdict was passed in its baby formula lawsuit.The US Federal Reserve will announce its interest rate decision on Wednesday, followed by the Bank of England the following day.Amongst individual stocks, Reckitt Benckiser plummeted on Friday, after it said it will pursue all options to overturn a $60 million verdict by an

Nine quarters of like-for-like growthNaira devaluation dents profitabilityDividend slashed by 44%Consumer goods firm PZ Cussons (PZC) has slashed its dividend and warned on profits amid the further devaluation of the Nigerian naira, disappointing news that triggered a 20% share price plunge to a five-year low of 102.6p.The earnings alert and payout cut from PZ Cussons raises questions over the dec

Most of us will be aware of the need to plan for our retirement, however far or otherwise we might have got with doing so. After all, when we stop working we all still want to enjoy a decent quality of life. In this article we will explore how much money you will need and the level of pension pot required to achieve it as well as providing some investment ideas for people at the start of the proce

European equities moved lower at the start of the week, in subdued trade amid a US public holiday, and as stock market investors look to the first batch of major interest rate decisions of the year.Financial markets in New York are closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, but traders return to desks on Tuesday.Among individual stocks, an underwhelming update from Crest Nicholson sent shares

Trust returns to long-run outperformance trendBenchmark-beating 17.6% returnUK mid-caps cheaper than large-capsJean Roche-run investment trust Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP) returned to form in style over the year ended 30 September 2023, delivering a net asset value total return of 17.6% versus the disappointing 30% decline in the previous year.This beat the 13.6% total return from the benchmark

Conflict is always an unhappy subject, but it remains an area of real focus across the globe. Cross-border collisions of ideology, hegemony, raw materials, and even survival, mean national budgets reach astronomical levels, especially in the US, by far the world's largest military spender.In 2022, global military budgets hit an all-time high of $2.2 trillion, according to data released by the Stoc

Middle East sales down 20%Adjusted profits rise 17%Refinancing a positive catalyst for penny stockNow a specialist global franchise business, having shuttered its remaining UK stores before the Covid pandemic struck, cost-cutting helped Mothercare (MTC:AIM) deliver a 17% increase in adjusted pre-tax profit for the half to 23 September 2023.Unfortunately, shares in the mother and baby products bran

Babcock International (BAB) 401.4pGain to date: 22.1% Original BUY @ 328.8p on 16 March 2023We highlighted the FTSE 250 company was at the start of a major recovery under chief executive David Lockwood and chief financial officer David Mellors, who together successfully turned round defence outfit Cobham before its £4 billion sale to US private equity firm Advent in 2020.An increase in geopolitic

Investor concerns on the US interest rates outlook hurt stocks in Europe on Friday, although investors in New York still bought despite recent hawkish comments from US central bankers.Among London shares, Diageo was by far and away the worst FTSE 100 performer. There was some slight strength in oil stocks, as Crude prices recovered, while defence firms also climbed with contract-winning Babcock In

It is a hard fact that a more unstable world is typically a driver of orders and ultimately revenue, profit and cash flow for defence companies.Investors will therefore be watching the tenor of BAE Systems' (BA.) third quarter trading update closely on 13 November now the world is facing up to conflict in the Middle East as well as confronting a grinding war in Ukraine.Since the Russian invasion i

Walt Disney (DIS:NYSE) used to be one of those stocks that even cautious investors could rely on. For the past 40-odd years the share price has steadily chugged higher, and investors have been repaid for their faith with a reliable stream of dividends year after year.Yes, there have been stumbles along the way, even the most dependable stocks falter now and then. Disney floundered during the inter

London's FTSE 100 opened the week in the green, with a deal by US lawmakers to avoid a shutdown lifting the mood.If last week was anything to go by, however, it will be a difficult final quarter for equities. Interest rate worries and China growth concerns continue to loom large.The FTSE 100 index opened up 13.28 points, or 0.2%, at 7,621.36. The FTSE 250 was up 100.97 points, or 0.6%, at 18,380.3

Stock prices in London opened in the red on Thursday amid worries around China's property sector, and the increasing likelihood of interest rates remaining higher for longer weighed on market mood.The FTSE 100 index opened down 5.35 points, or 0.1%, at 7,587.87. The FTSE 250 was down 19.67 points, or 0.1%, at 18,200.56, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.52 of a point, or 0.1%, at 728.01.The Cboe UK

Full-year results to be published on 26 September from consumer goods firm PZ Cussons (PZC) come hot on the heels of the company's announcement that it plans to take full control of its Nigerian business.This decision may come under some scrutiny as the impact of the devaluation of the Nigerian naira could well mar the upcoming numbers. Volatility in the currency and the country itself has been a

Carex maker offers £22.8 million for minority-held sharesDeal to 'simplify and strengthen' Nigeria businessBut unit's volatile history means investors unconvincedBranded consumer goods group PZ Cussons (PZC) has offered to buy the minority-held shares in its Nigeria business for £22.8 million in a deal management argues will strengthen its operation in the highly populous African nation.Nigeria

Babcock CEO offloads shares to meet tax liabilitiesMitie CEO buy signals confidence in firmNatWest CFO Katie Murray and others sell upDavid Lockwood, chief executive of aerospace and defence firm Babcock International (BAB), sold 79,574 shares at 376p on 9 August, netting proceeds of £298,000 to meet tax, national insurance contributions, dealing costs and 'retention of the balance of shares.'Loc

Lots of people are trying to generate more money and alternative incomes during the cost-of-living crisis, but they need to make sure they are up to date on the tax rules around earning extra money to avoid the taxman asking for unpaid dues.More than one in three adults has more than one income stream, according to Utility Warehouse, as people look to take on more jobs or turn a hobby into a money