Bitcoin is having another moment in the sun on the back of the decision by the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to greenlight exchange-traded funds which track the cryptocurrency. There is no doubting the significance of this move. It will make it easier and potentially cheaper for investors, though crucially only those across the Atlantic for now (of which more later), to invest. Mains

Stocks in London fell back on Thursday with losses accelerating after strong US inflation figures dented hopes of an early cut in interest rates.The FTSE 100 index closed down 75.17 points, 1.0%, at 7,576.59. The FTSE 250 ended down 172.15 points, 0.9%, at 19,107.93, and the AIM All-Share closed down 4.99 points, or 0.7%, at 744.72.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 1.0% at 757.53, the Cboe UK 250 closed

Better than expected quarterly sales and profitStrength seen across the boardDividend hiked 63%Often companies provide the briefest of commentary to investors when the news is unpalatable and endless detail when things are going swimmingly well.That has never applied to fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) which, true to form, released a short trading update on Friday.Fortunately for inve

Airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) is expected to report between £387 million and £395 million pre-tax profit before foreign exchange adjustments on 6 July when it publishes full-year results to 31 March 2023.The company last updated on trading on 20 April when it came across as upbeat despite flagging cost pressures from fuel, carbon taxes, a higher US dollar and wages. It sa

Can embattled retailer ASOS bounce back into fashion with investors?The online fast-fashion retailer is wrestling with weak consumer demand and cash flow pressuresHalf-year results on 10 May from ASOS (ASC) will give investors a read into how 20-something fashionistas are coping with the cost-of-living crisis, as well as an update on progress against new CEO Jose Antonio Ramos Calamonte's 'Driving

- Record Q4 royalty revenue anticipated, up 21% - Debt facilities refinanced and increased on better terms- New investment in acquisitive fire and safety businessAlternative capital solutions provider Duke Royalty (DUKE:AIM) said it expected to make £5.7 million in recurring revenue in its fourth quarter to 31 March, representing 21% growth on the prior year.If achieved, it will eclipse the recor

European markets mostly recovered from some weak afternoon trading on Thursday, after a large interest rate hike from the European Central Bank, and some hawkish comments from the Federal Reserve.The ECB raised its key interest rates by 75 basis points, as it 'frontloads' its fight against surging inflation and soaring energy bills.It is the Frankfurt-based central bank's second rate hike since 20

Global stock markets started the new month in positive spirits following a strong performance on the US Nasdaq technology index which closed up over 3%, capping its biggest two-day gain since 2020.Sterling gained against the dollar to sit at $1.35 once again, while Brent crude traded sideways at $89.16 per barrel as OPEC and its allies were expected to approve a modest increase in production this

Shares in royalty finance provider Duke Royalty (DUKE:AIM), added 4.5% to 41p following the release of its third quarter trading update which showed a record quarter for deployment and 'normalised' cash revenue.The group delivered cash revenues of £3.9 million in the three months to December, excluding any benefit from sales of equity assets and redemption premiums.Management expects the group to

Global stock markets kicked-off the new month in buoyant mood with Germany's DAX index gaining 1.5%, following a strong performance on the US Nasdaq index which closed up over 3%, capping its biggest two-day gain since 2020. Alphabet is expected to release its earnings after the close.Chinese markets are closed for new year while Japan's Nikkei 225 gained 0.3%.Brent crude nudged up 0.2% to $89.3 a

UK equity markets ended the week on a more cautious note with both the blue chip FTSE 100 index and its mid-cap counterpart FTSE 250 index ending Friday's session in negative territory with the former down 0.10% at 7122.32, and the latter 0.17% weaker at 22,646.08.The UK market surrendered earlier gains in response to a significantly weaker than expected non-farm payrolls number.Seema Shah, Chie

Both the blue chip FTSE 100 and mid-cap FTSE 250 Index continued to trade in positive territory at lunchtime on Friday. The former was trading 0.23% firmer at 7,145.85 and the latter 0.44% higher at 22,785.53.The FTSE 100 is set for a 1.8% weekly gain, recovering some of the losses seen last week when fears around the new variant Omicron gripped global stock markets.The UK market has taken some co

Shares in alternative capital provider Duke Royalty (DUKE:AIM) gained 4.5% to 46p after the company reported strong first half growth in revenues and profit and said it was confident of exceeding market expectations for the full year to 31 March 2022.According to Refinitiv data the market is expecting the company to achieve a full year net profit of £7.7 million and total revenue of £13 million.

The FTSE 100 nudged into positive territory on Friday in a muted end to the week, with big oil helping to offset falls in commodity-related stocks. BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) rose 1.7% and 1.3% to 342.4p and £16.514 respectively, tracking firmer crude prices after OPEC+ said it would review supply additions ahead of its next scheduled meeting if the Omicron variant dents demand.Miners

The argument for investing in the water sector is simple. Water is critical for both human life and commercial activity. Economic and business growth is contingent upon a steady stream of clean water.For these reasons water has been talked about as potentially the next big thing in terms of global investment trends for at least a decade.However a combination of the growing prominence of investing

UK stocks were barely changed on Monday as markets took a breather ahead of a busy week of earnings announcements and an interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.Strong gains across mining shares were offset by weakness in consumer staples and healthcare stocks, leaving the market directionless.At the close the FTE 100 index of leading shares was down just 2 points at 7,025.COM

UK stocks clawed back early losses but remained in the red Monday lunchtime as markets took a breather ahead of a busy week of earnings announcements and an interest rate decision from the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.Bitcoin surged 10% to $38,526 on a combination of short-covering and rekindled investor enthusiasm after Tesla said it might resume accepting payment in cryptocurrencies.At 12pm the

UK stocks started the week on the back foot with the FTSE 100 index shedding 29 points or 0.4% to 6,998 points by 8.30am, even though US markets hit a new peak on Friday, as weakness in banks offset gains for mining stocks.US markets ended last week at record levels with the S&P 500 index rising 1% to a new high of 4,411 points and the Nasdaq 100 index gaining 1.2% to 15,112 points.In contrast, Ch

Sometimes investors ignore funds which have accumulated a limited amount of funds from investors, often because they are seen as not having much of a future due to a lack of scale or just because they don't have the marketing budgets of the big asset managers.However, ignoring these smaller funds could mean neglecting some potentially interesting investment options.VICTIMS OF SUCCESSWhile we are l

Shares in non-bank finance provider Duke Royalty (DUKE:AIM) fell 4% to 36.7p after the firm revealed it had sold its investment in a river cruise business for a loss and was simultaneously raising fresh capital.Duke, which normally lends to businesses in exchange for a royalty on their earnings, took the unusual step of taking physical ownership of three Rhine and Danube cruise boats from long-ter