Stock prices in London were up heading into the afternoon on Wednesday, with Reckitt jumping on a strong start to 2024, while Lloyds rose despite a fall in profit.The FTSE 100 index was up 38.40 points, 0.5%, at 8,083.21. The FTSE 250 was down 3.41 points at 19,796.31, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.1 of a point at 754.97.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 807.00, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 17,1

Investors in London continued to show confidence, as stocks at the open on Tuesday added to Monday?s gains, boosted by the prospect of interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index opened up 33.06 points, 0.4%, at 8,056.93. The FTSE 250 was up 54.48 points, 0.3%, at 19,653.87, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.14 points, 0.3%, at 751.32.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 804.24, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 17

UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling inve

London?s FTSE 100 was down a tad on Monday morning, with trade lacking in inspiration as investors moved with caution ahead of a US inflation print on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened down 9.32 points, 0.1%, at 7,901.84. The FTSE 250 was down just 0.09 of a point at 19,725.85, while the AIM All-Share added 2.43 points, 0.3%, at 742.48.The Cboe UK 100 declined slightly to 789.88, the Cboe UK 250

At the centre of the current boom in generative AI (artificial intelligence) is chip maker Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ).It designs some of the fastest computer chips in the world which are needed to run data hungry LLMs (large language models) capable of understanding natural language.Readers may be familiar with Nvidia?s historical link to the gaming industry, but less familiar with the US giant?s connec

The idea behind our investment philosophy is quite simple. We?re living on a planet of around eight billion people ? that planet is finite, and its population is growing but also demanding higher standards of living.The necessary switch to a more sustainable way of running the global economy is being facilitated by new technologies, smart entrepreneurial activity, and government actions to shape n

The London Tunnels is a major new heritage and cultural experience in central London.The company intends to apply for admission on a major stock exchange, as part of its plans to extensively restore, adaptively reuse and bring back to life the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, near Holborn, originally built in the early 1940s, and designed to shelter 8,000 people during the London blitz.In collaboration

The world of fantasy is clearly having a moment. The rise of ?romantasy? authors like Sarah J Maas, who has been a big part of UK publishing outfit Bloomsbury?s (BMY) recent success, have taken the genre out of its previous male-dominated realm to a whole new audience.Bloomsbury?s surging sales and the ongoing phenomenon that is Games Workshop (GAW) are two examples on the UK market which show the

?At least? £1 billion earmarked for buy-insPortfolio delivering strong resultsSignals confidence in portfolio valuationsFallen growth star Scottish Mortgage (SMT) has set aside at least £1 billion for share buybacks over the next two years as the FTSE 100 trust seeks to narrow its wide share price discount to NAV (net asset value), news which sent the shares up 2.1% to 797.2p on Friday morning.F

In an up and down week US indices were a touch off their record levels although the end of the week took on a more positive hue thanks to comments from Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell. Powell suggested rate cuts were not too far away. Shares in IT outfit Hewlett Packard Enterprises (HPE:NYSE) surged on strong demand for the company's artificial intelligence focused servers. Excitement around

Like-for-like sales growth 7.1% highest in 10-yearsHas been growing sustainably over the past decadeConfident in achieving 17.5% marginGlobal testing and quality assurance specialist Intertek (ITRK) topped the FTSE 100 gainers after posting its highest annual like-for-like sales growth in a decade and giving a positive outlook.The shares jumped around 7% to a new 12-month high taking gains over th

Stocks in London were predominantly lower at midday on Monday, as investors remained cautious ahead of a busy week of monetary policy decisions and economic data.The FTSE 100 index was down 33.74 points, 0.4%, at 7,648.76. The FTSE 250 was down 81.03 points, 0.4%, at 19,273.35, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.12 of a point at 741.43.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.5% at 766.27, the Cboe UK 250 was down

Stock prices in London were in the red at midday Friday, though StanChart rose, as buoyant mood in stocks following Nvidia?s earnings began to falter.At midday, the FTSE 100 index was down slightly, 1.05 points, at 7,683.44. The FTSE 250 was down 78.99 points, 0.4%, at 19,184.51, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.34 points, 0.2%, at 748.62.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 769.23, the Cboe UK 250 wa

Divestment wipes out debt in fullMarlowe to return over £150 million to shareholdersCEO Alex Dacre to departShares in Marlowe (MRL:AIM) rocketed 35% higher to 569p on news the business-critical services and software firm has agreed to sell certain GRC (governance, risk and compliance) software and services assets to private equity firm Inflexion for an enterprise value of £430 million.The announ

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREEric Chan, Investment Manager, abrdn Asian Income Fund Limited?Eric Chan pens his thoughts on his recent trip to Australia, where he spoke to some of our holdings and potential prospects around their businesses and the broader macro outlook there.Purpose of the tripI wanted to get a better feel of where our holdings are and how they see the operating environment headi

Revenue miss and soggy guidanceStock slumps more than 9% after-hoursOnline advertising recovery is splittingSocial media platform Pinterest (PINS:NYSE) lost nearly 10% of its value in after-hours trading overnight as it became the latest in a run of internet stocks that bank on online advertising to spook the market.Pinterest, a sort of visual discovery engine for finding ideas like recipes, home

Many people dream of retiring early to pursue their real passions before they get too old to enjoy them. Is it just a pipedream or could it be a reality for some people?This feature explores the pros, pitfalls and practicalities of the so-called FIRE movement which is gaining increasing traction. A recent AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast discussion on the subject provoked a strong response from lis

Sales down 4% in December and JanuaryFashion retailer unveils new CEONew broom Erver has work cut outShares in H&M (HM-B:STO) cheapened 9% to SEK153.5 (£1/SEK13.2) in Stockholm after the Swedish fashion retailer disappointed the market with news of a 4% sales slide for December and January that demonstrated there is still work to be done to turn the business round.In order to shake things up, H&M

London?s FTSE 100 outperformed at the start of the week, with oil majors dragging it higher, though gains were harder to come by elsewhere in Europe ahead of a key week of monetary policy announcements and economic data.The FTSE 100 index was up 20.42 points, 0.3%, at 7,655.51. The FTSE 250 was up 84.67 points, 0.4%, at 19,253.35, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.62 points, 0.2%, at 749.08.The Cboe

2023 profits shy of estimatesTougher trading seen in DecemberBoard envisions brighter 2024Shares in Inspecs (SPEC:AIM) plunged almost 30% to a 12-month low of 62.1p after the eyewear company warned its performance for the 2023 calendar year would be below market expectations due to softer sales in December.The market took a dim view of the news, although Bath-headquartered Inspecs said it expected