On 14 May, the world?s largest home-improvement retailer Home Depot (HD:NYSE) is set to release its first-quarter earnings. The firm, which has a market value of over $330 billion and operates more than 2,300 stores in the US, Canada and Mexico, is expected to report EPS (earnings per share) of $3.60 on revenue of $36.65 billion.While this will be a step up from the previous quarter, it represents

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Latin American economies welcomed 2024 with new economic vigour. They have shaken off a legacy of economic mismanagement, and now look set to play a new role in the global economy. The region?s e

With geopolitical tensions rising, the price of Brent Crude could top $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia?s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 suggests former White House advisor Bob McNally in an interview with Bloomberg.Brent Crude has rallied more than a quarter since December 2023 and almost touched $92 per barrel last Friday (5 April) raising fears of a commodity-led rebound in inflation.T

Oil and gas output upTrading division strongBrent crude back at $90Shares in energy producer BP (BP.) rose 1.8% to a new six-month high of 519p after the firm raised its guidance for upstream production and Brent crude prices extended their recent rally. POSITIVE ON BALANCEBP?s first-quarter guidance was mixed but on balance the market looked to the positives including a stronger upstream p

Mercadolibre (MELI:NASDAQ) $1,528.95Market cap: $77.5 billionReaders that have come across MercadoLibre (MELI:NASDAQ) before will likely be familiar with the badge some pin on it ? the ?Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) of Latin America?. And just like its US peer, the Uruguay-based business has spent the past couple of decades emerging as one of the region?s ecommerce leaders.It may have started out as a mark

In a world of thousands of stocks, certain people just want to focus on ones that are doing well. If these stocks are part of a group with a snappy acronym or label, they must surely matter, right? That is the widespread view among the investment community.Investors love a narrative and what better way to hook people in than with a label that says, ?look at me?. The Magnificent Seven is the latest

Stocks in London were mixed on Wednesday morning, as inflation came in cooler than anticipated, ahead of interest rate decisions in the US on Wednesday and in the UK on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index opened down 7.59 points, 0.1%, at 7,730.71. The FTSE 250 was up 10.67 points, 0.1%, at 19,443.48, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.44 of a point, 0.1%, at 736.00.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 773.96, th

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Nuclear power, which uses uranium to produce electricity with a small carbon footprint, has been around for decades, but the technology and underlying commodity have experienced renewed interest as the world looks to transition away from fossil fuels and nations work to increase energy security. The shift from fossil fuels to green energy sources such as solar and wi

At 10pm UK time last Wednesday (21 February) traders around the world would have been watching their monitors waiting for the latest quarterly results from Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) to drop. A lot was riding on them as even a mildly disappointing showing from the AI chip star could well have triggered a wave of selling. As it turned out, Nvidia smashed it again.The company declared an AI ?tipping poin

Fundsmith founder Terry Smith and head of investment research Julian Robins were in good spirits while chatting with AJ Bell?s editor in chief Dan Coatsworth in a video interview.As usual, Smith was candid and open to discussing various topics from investment strategy to individual stocks and succession planning.VIDEO ? Terry Smith: my future as manager of Fundsmith Equity Fund and thoughts on per

1. China policy recalibration: Following a sharp decline in the technology sector in January, policymakers in China are reviewing draft legislation titled, ?Measures for the Administration of Online Games?. The legislation was designed to further restrict engagement and monetisation of online games in China. Policymakers? willingness to make adjustments based on feedback from investors is positive

There are five Latin American countries which are constituents of the MSCI Emerging Markets list. They vary considerably in terms of their performance and size.The biggest, and the best performer over the last decade, is Brazil whose fortunes are heavily tied to commodity markets given it is a big exporter of metals, oil and crops. The total value of the MSCI Brazil index is comfortably more than

Each quarter the analyst community eagerly awaits the publication of the 13F forms by the leading US investment managers.The releases, which have to be published within 45 days of the end of the quarter, are parsed for clues into what these ?star? managers are thinking about the world and about the markets.Unsurprisingly, the quarterly filings by Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B:NYSE), led by legendary i

Annual profit surges on higher ratesFurther $2 billion share buybackChina provision a negative surpriseShareholders in HSBC (HSBA) will be feeling frustrated after the global bank posted its best-ever annual profit and extended its share buyback yet its stock price slumped on an unexpected non-cash charge for its holding in a Chinese lender.After trading 3% lower in the Hong Kong session, the shar

Investors will be looking forward to tucking into fourth-quarter results from fast-food giant McDonald?s (MCD:NYSE) on 5 February to see whether despite higher interest rates US consumers are still hungry for its value-for-money offering.?It's hard to see McDonald's not winning in any consumer environment,? says Wedbush analyst Nick Setyan, while Andy Barish at Jefferies named the stock a top pick

London?s blue chips closed little changed, after a bright start, ahead of a busy week of data, central bank announcements, and earnings.The FTSE 100 index closed down 2.35 points, marginally down, at 7,632.74. The FTSE 250 ended down 26.86 points, 0.1%, at 19,311.16, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.42 of a point, marginally lower, at 750.28.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.2% at 762.54. The Cboe U

1. We are constructive on equity markets in 2024. Drivers include consensus expectations for a recovery in earnings growth, the likelihood of a soft economic landing in the United States, and evidence that interest rates have peaked. Over the past 30 years, emerging market equities have on average risen 14% in the 12 months following the first Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut.2. In 2024, more than f

Stock prices in London closed up on Wednesday as private sector expansion proved stronger than expected, and amid a host of strong PMI data from around the world.The FTSE 100 index closed up 41.94 points, 0.6%, at 7,527.67. The FTSE 250 ended up 179.06 points, 0.9%, at 19,171.68 and the AIM All-Share closed up 5.93 points, 0.8%, at 744.85.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 752.68, the Cboe UK 250 cl

Equities in London were on the up heading into Wednesday afternoon, with a better UK economic data and measures out of China lifting the mood.The pound climbed on an improved UK purchasing managers? index reading, while miners cheered a move by China?s central bank which it hopes will spark some life into the Asian economy.Over in Frankfurt, SAP was one of the stories of the day. The software firm

Stocks in London rose on Wednesday morning, as large-cap miners benefitted from news of stimulus measures from China.The FTSE 100 index opened up 38.21 points, 0.5%, at 7,523.94. The FTSE 250 was up 85.94 points, 0.5%, at 19,078.56, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.37 points, 0.2%, at 740.29.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 751.62, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.6% at 16,517.35, and the Cboe Small Companies