Stock prices in London were up heading into the afternoon on Monday, beating more cautious trade on mainland Europe, as investors shifted focus onto this week?s Federal Reserve interest rate decision in the US.The FTSE 100 index rose 40.94 points, 0.5%, at 8,180.77. It had climbed to 8,189.14, its best-ever level.?The blue-chip index continues to glow and sustain energy that we haven?t seen in the

Stocks in London rose to a record high on Monday morning, as market attention moves to the US Federal Reserve interest rate decision due on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index rose 40.03 points, 0.5%, at 8,179.86. It had climbed to 8,185.59 shortly after the opening bell, its best-ever level.The FTSE 250 was up 42.62 points, 0.2%, at 19,866.78, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.45 points, 0.3%, at 757.73.Th

Revenue and earnings beat Street estimatesStrongest revenue growth in two yearsFirst ever dividend announcedShares in Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) are set to open at a new all-time high after the Google parent reported strong double-digit first quarter revenue growth, and bested Wall Street profit estimates. The internet search giant also announced it would pay its first ever dividend.Pre-market data ha

After last week?s market spasm over hints from Fed officials that rates may need to rise rather than fall due to the resilience of the US economy, this week the focus moved on to earnings with around one third of S&P 500 companies posting first-quarter updates.So far most firms have beaten estimates, leading to slim gains for the indices, but an increasing number have tempered their guidance for t

Stock prices were up in London heading into the afternoon on Thursday, with Anglo American leading the charge on confirming it was ?reviewing? a takeover bid from its larger Australian rival BHP Group.The FTSE 100 index was up 54.22 points, 0.7%, at 8,094.60. The FTSE 250 was down 20.05 points, 0.1%, at 19,699.32, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.33 of a point at 755.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% a

Australian miner launches deal worth proposed $38.8 billionAnglo has huge copper assets crucial to buyoutCopper prices at two-year highs as renewable energy demand risesFTSE 100 mining group Anglo American (AAL) has huge iron ore, platinum, coal and, through its? controlling stake in dealer De Beers, diamonds, but make no mistake, BHP?s (BHP) interest in the business is a big bet on copper.Copper

I?m going to be 50 next year, and so far, I have saved about £18,000 in a workplace pension. I have been automatically enrolled since 2016.My question is should I stick with it and get a SIPP pension as well? Or should I just put more in the workplace one until retirement?I hadn?t really thought about a pension until I hit 50.FranRachel Vahey, AJ Bell Head of Public Policy, says:Generally, for th

The world?s second largest economy and most dominant emerging market remains China and to get a window into the prospects for growth investors often look to PMI (purchasing managers? index) data.One influential reading is the Caixin/S&P Global China General Manufacturing PMI. Manufacturing accounts for a big chunk of Chinese GDP and PMI surveys are used globally as a leading indicator of economic

Gaming Realms (GMR:AIM) 31.6pMarket cap: £93.4 millionFor the uninitiated, Gaming Realms (GMR:AIM) is a leading business-to-business licensor and distributor of games to the regulated gaming market.The company owns the IP (intellectual property) to the Slingo brand, one of the most popular formats of games played online.As the name suggests the format is a mash-up of slots and bingo. The game in

Chip stocks are coming under pressure from investors made nervous by hints of weakening demand during the first half of 2024. During the past week or so there have been warnings from industry bellwethers from Europe and the Far East, dampening enthusiasm just as earnings season gets going in earnest.On 22 April Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM:NYSE), or simply TSMC, the world?s bigg

Dr. Martens (DOCS) 72.1pLoss to date: 21.6%In mid-December 2023 we said the knock-down share price of iconic footwear brand Dr. Martens (DOCS) was too tempting to resist despite the company delivering four profit warnings.Our rationale was simple ? either the self-inflicted operational issues would be fixed by the current management or the business would be taken over by an opportunistic predator

Interest rates are expected to stay higher for longer to combat the sticky inflation which remains a threat to investors? hard-earned wealth and purchasing power. During periods of high inflation, it is crucial to invest in companies that possess pricing power, because these firms can pass on increased costs to customers, enabling them to maintain profit margins and generate the robust cash flows

This feature explores spin-offs or de-mergers, looking at the rationale for them and how they have performed, and asks if they can be a promising hunting ground for investors.One of the UK?s largest recent spin-offs was GSK?s (GSK) demerger of its consumer healthcare division in 2022.GSK reportedly rebuffed a £50 billion offer from personal goods giant Unilever (ULVR) to buy the division, named H

A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund manager a

Net interest income fallsCost-to-income ratio jumpsFull-year guidance maintainedThe UK?s largest mortgage lender, Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY), delivered a weak first-quarter trading update with most of the key metrics seemingly heading in the wrong direction.The lack of mention of share buybacks or guidance on the dividend also disappointed investors, however confirmation of the bank?s full-year t

Lowest profit margins in four years predictedElectric vehicle maker appears to have ditched its low-cost model plansStock has fallen 42% this yearMega tech earnings kick-off this week with Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) set to get the ball rolling after the market close Tuesday (23 Apr), and the results and commentary are likely to be bleak.The electric vehicle giant earlier this month reported an 8.5% decli

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

Stock prices in London closed up on Friday, but investors remained tentative as Israel carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran.The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.80 points, or 0.2%, at 7,895.85. The FTSE 250 ended down 59.37 points, 0.3%, at 19,391.30, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.38 of a point, 0.1%, at 745.67.Across the week, they were down 1.3%, 1.7% and 1.4% respectively.The Cboe UK 100 ende

Stock prices in London declined as investors were cautious due to concerns that the Iran-Israel conflict could escalate, following reports by Iranian state media about explosions in the province of Isfahan.The FTSE 100 index was 47.06 points, 0.6%, at 7,829.99. The FTSE 250 was down 166.79 points, 0.9%, at 19,283.88, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.00 points, 0.5%, at 741.29.The Cboe UK 100 was d

European stocks declined on Friday morning after reports of explosions in Iran, fuelling worries of a conflict escalation.The FTSE 100 index opened 50.93 points lower, 0.7%, at 7,826.12. The FTSE 250 was down 178.53 points, 0.9%, at 19,272.14. The AIM All-Share was down 4.15 points, 0.6%, at 741.14.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.7% to 781.46, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.8% at 16,706.81, and the Cboe Small