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

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 heading into the afternoon on Wednesday, looking ahead to key US data on Thursday and Friday.The FTSE 100 index opened up 27.80 points, 0.4%, at 8,072.61. The FTSE 250 was down 2.65 points at 19,797.07, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.63 points, 0.2%, at 756.50.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 806.01, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1% at 17147.76, and the

Primark?s margin recovery narrative and sales performance for the second quarter ended 2 March will be in focus when parent Associated British Foods (ABF) delivers first half results (23 April).Shareholders will also be seeking reassurance the food-to-fashion conglomerate still expects ?meaningful progress? in profit and cash in the year to September 2024.The jewel in the ABF crown, Primark?s like

The end of the tax year is well known for being ISA season, when savers and investors rush to beat the 5 April deadline to make the most of their £20,000 annual ISA contribution.But in the background a hardy bunch of investors are just biding their time at the beginning of April, waiting for the new tax year to roll around, so they can pounce on their new ISA allowance as soon as it becomes avail

Stocks in London were higher at midday on Wednesday, boosted by retailers ahead of a US consumer price inflation reading.Amongst individual stocks, Tesco led the charge, after unveiling a £1 billion share buyback programme. Other retailers also got a boost on the back of the results.The FTSE 100 index was up 47.65 points, 0.6%, at 7,982.44. The FTSE 250 was up 171.65 points, 0.9%, at 19,935.00, a

Investor sentiment improved in London on Thursday afternoon, following words from the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell which helped soothe market concern over the US interest rate trajectory.While Powell?s remarked did not make the timing of interest rate cuts any clearer, he did affirm they will happen if the US economy continues to move as expected.The FTSE 100 index added 32.56 points, 0.4%,

The business of space has arrived, impacting our everyday lives for the better.?Space is the new industrial revolution- transforming all industries and addressing humanity's biggest challenges from climate change to global security, creating a better earth. With a market forecast to reach $1 trillion by 2030 , there is no sector or technology that space innovation won?t impact.?The space sector is

Record profits deliveredFY25 guidance reiteratedOverseas developments exciteShares in Next (NXT) rallied 5.4% to an all-time high of £89.66 on Thursday after the fashion and homeware retailer reported forecast-beating results for the year to January 2024 and reiterated its full year 2025 guidance.Investors? spirits were buoyed by comments from chief executive Simon Wolfson, described as a ?retail

With the end of tax year fast approaching, it is not too late to consider using thematic exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to bolster an ISA portfolio.Thematic ETFs are a low-cost way to gain exposure to long-term megatrends. So, if you are using an ISA to generate wealth in tax-efficient way over the long run then thematic ETFs could be a good fit as they aim to try and capture multi-decade themes.You

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

Offer pitched at 220p per shareMerger to create UK?s second biggest mortgage and savings groupVirgin Money suspends £150 million buybackVirgin Money UK (VMUK) was the FTSE 250?s big winner on Thursday, shares in the UK?s sixth largest retail bank surging 36% to 215.8p on news it has agreed the key terms of a £2.9 billion takeover by Nationwide Building Society.The mooted deal would create Britai

Evelyn Partners has just released its biannual Spot The Dog survey of UK-listed actively managed investment funds available to retail investors which identifies not just the winners but the losers, with the aim of pushing fund groups into taking action.The report focuses on funds which warrant ?special attention? because they have performed particularly badly compared with their benchmark over the

Warren Buffett?s antipathy toward gold as an investment is well known, thanks in part to a speech the Sage of Omaha gave at Harvard in 1998. Buffett acidly asserted that: ?Gold gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their he

Stock prices in London were up at the open on Wednesday, with sentiment improved ahead of an important day for investors, as UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt prepares to lay out the budget.The FTSE 100 index opened up 18.39 points, 0.2%, at 7,664.55. The FTSE 250 was up 119.71 points, 0.6%, at 19,390.74, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.71 of a point, 0.1%, at 735.60.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 767.53,

Testing kit supplier latest UK growth company to attract buyer175p per share offer a 60% premium to Monday?s closeStock had traded near 300p just a couple of years agoThere?s two ways of looking at Spirent Communication?s (SPT) agreed £1.01 billion takeover by US peer Viavi Solutions, a deal that saw Spirent shares rocket 60% to 173p. On the one hand, you could say it is further evidence of the r

Equities in Europe were in a muted mood Tuesday afternoon, while stocks in New York were called to open lower, with key political, fiscal and monetary policy events on the docket in the days to come.Wednesday?s UK budget, the last before the next general election, could see some tax cuts announced. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks in front of lawmakers that day too. Sticking with monetar

For years now, European equities have struggled to keep pace with their US counterparts, but the historically low valuations on the ?old continent? mean we could be at an inflection point with investors beginning to take notice at long last.European equities have attracted increased attention from investors in recent weeks as the US market has charged ever higher, leaving the valuations of global

It was a generally positive Thursday for London and European stocks, as markets reacted to the latest European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve meetings.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.98 points, 0.3%, at 7,684.49. The FTSE 250 ended up 144.53 points, 0.8%, at 19,263.50, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.06 of a point at 749.96.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 769.77, the Cboe UK 250 closed u

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