Stock prices in London fell at midday on Tuesday, as investors nervously looked ahead to interest interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England.Amongst individual stocks, Unilever was boosted by cost saving plans. Oil prices also gave BP and Shell a boost.The FTSE 100 index was down 20.42 points, 0.3%, at 7,702.13. The FTSE 250 was down 76.27 points, 0.4%, at 19,410.26, a

Builder prides itself on qualityInitial costs of up to £15 millionShares erase their 2024 gainsAs they prepared to get together over tea and biscuits at the firm?s AGM (annual general meeting) in leafy Surrey, investors in housebuilder Crest Nicholson (CRST) received the unwelcome news the firm had decided to take a large remediation charge for build defects.The shares dropped 10% to 202p, erasin

Stocks in London opened in the red on Tuesday morning, after the Bank of Japan decided to end its negative interest rate policy.Amongst individual stocks, Unilever jumped after it announced job cuts, as well as the split off of its ice cream division.The FTSE 100 index opened down 1.42 points at 7,721.13. The FTSE 250 was down 12.40 points, 0.1%, at 19,474.13, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.13 o

Deal creates UK?s biggest housebuilderBarratt paying a 27% premium on paperBoth firms report improving sentimentThe housebuilding sector received a major confidence boost with the news Barratt Developments (BDEV) had agreed to acquire smaller rival Redrow (RDW) to create the UK?s largest quoted developer.Redrow shares jumped 13% to 678p, followed by Crest Nicholson (CRST), possibly the most-touted

Prices are turning positive againLower mortgage rates helpingActivity seen picking up this yearHousebuilders and housing-related stocks got a lift going into the Bank of England?s monetary policy meeting thanks to a positive read on the property market from the latest Nationwide house price survey.Shares in Barratt Developments (BDEV), Crest Nicholson (CRST), Persimmon (PSN), Redrow (RDW), Rightmo

2023 sales and earnings down sharply2024 order book just over half-coveredBuyer confidence seen recoveringResidential developer Crest Nicholson (CRST) posted a significant drop in 2023 earnings due to a weak sales market but said house-buyer confidence had ?gradually returned? last year due to falling mortgage rates, leaving the shares trading sideways at 205p at lunchtime. The FTSE 250 fir

Shares have fallen 21% over the past yearFull year 2023 pre-tax profit now expected to be £41 millionOne-off charge of £13 million related to legal claimShares in Crest Nicholson (CRST) were down over 4% to 207p as the housebuilder issued a profit warning because of higher costs and a one-off charge from a legal claim.The group now expects a full-year pre-tax profit of £41 million for the year

London?s FTSE 100 extended its win streak to three days on Wednesday, on the back of more favourable inflation data, this time from the UK, possibly bringing forward the tantalising prospect of interest rate cuts.Gains for stocks in London were largely broad-based. Interest rate sensitive sectors such as housebuilding property investment shone. Banks, whose net interest margins were once the benef

As headlines go, last week's Nationwide house price report showing prices down at their fastest annual rate since 2009 takes some beating even if a decline was more or less expected by experts.The building society's August survey showed the average house price was 0.8% lower than the previous month and 5.3% lower than August 2022 at £259,153, marking an annual fall of around £14,600 on the price

Stocks in London closed on the backfoot on Monday, as housebuilding shares were hurt by less-than-stellar data from Rightmove and a guidance cut from Crest Nicholson.The FTSE 100 index closed down 4.61 points, or 0.1% at 7,257.82 on Monday. The FTSE 250 ended down 197.61 points, or 1.1%, at 17,898.99. The AIM All-Share closed down 2.42 points, or 0.3%, at 729.82.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at

Less-than-stellar data from Rightmove and a guidance cut from Crest Nicholson hurt housebuilding shares and meant the FTSE 100 underperformed continental peers on Monday afternoon.Despite housebuilders keeping a lid on enthusiasm, the blue-chip index traded solidly in the green and looks set to avoid the ignominy of a seventh-successive day in the red, a fate it has not suffered since July 2019.Th

New-build market has 'worsened' since JuneProfit forecast cut to due lower sales Rightmove survey adds to pessimismChertsey-based developer Crest Nicholson (CREST) released an unscheduled trading update warning that full year earnings would be up to a third lower than its previous forecasts due to the tough market for new-build housing.The shares fell as much as 14% to 167p before stabilizing at 1

Investors seeking to position portfolios for a rally in small and mid cap stocks should buy BlackRock Throgmorton Trust (THRG), a fund with a strong long-run performance record trading at a 7.2% discount to net asset value (NAV), wider than the 4.7% 12-month average.The sell-off in quality growth stocks caused by rising interest rates has been a headwind for the portfolio, but Shares sees manager

Inflation rises at slowest pace this yearBonds and interest-rate sensitive stocks chased higherBank rates still set to go up next monthShares in downtrodden housebuilders and property companies were chased higher after the latest inflation data for June came in below expectations, raising hopes the Bank of England might slow the pace of interest rate increases.Leading the FTSE 100 higher were Pers

H1 profit slumps 60%Company warns of further house price fallsDividend maintainedUK housebuilder Crest Nicholson (CRST) reaffirmed full year pre-tax profit guidance of £73.7 million, in line with consensus forecasts, but warned it expects further falls in house prices as demand is crimped by higher borrowing costs.The shares fell 6% to 235p, their worst day since January, leaving them around a te

- Company cuts FY23 and FY24 guidance- Mention of bank covenants rattles market- Shares hit a 30-year lowInvestors in banknote and passport printer De La Rue (DLAR) will be thinking they have been here before after the firm cut its earnings expectations again for the year just ended and lowered its outlook for the coming year.A little over 12 months ago, the company cut its profit forecast for the

- Firms report sharp drop in reservations- Both decide to scale back their growth plans- First-time buyers pausing purchasesThe most recent trading updates from two of the UK's smaller listed house builders, Crest Nicholson (CRST) and Redrow (RDW), reinforce the message from the larger firms that homebuyer interest has waned significantly in the weeks since the calamitous 'mini-budget' in Septembe

Shares in some of the housebuilders are finally showing signs of life after a poor first quarter caused by concerns over the potential cost of fixing cladding on high-rise blocks.In January, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced it wanted developers to contribute £4 billion to a new fund to remediate what it called life-critical safety issues on buildings over 11 metr

Although many developed markets have hit a new all-time high in recent months, the FTSE 350 index of UK stocks still trades below the highs achieved in the middle of 2018.There are plenty of cheap shares on offer in this index. In this article we uncover stocks expected to consistently grow earnings over the next two years that trade at a price to earnings multiple below the market. This investmen

Major UK shares reversed early declines as positive company updates and a strong early showing on Wall Street offset the jump in the UK cost of living.The benchmark FTSE 100 finished the day 0.35% up at 7,589.66, with the ongoing sell-off of risk assets, and growth stocks in particular, being offset by strength in housebuilders, retailers and oil producers on the FTSE 100, and optimism generated b