Average prices up by 1.3% for top-of-the-ladderMay typically strong month for price growthShares in UK housebuilders higher on newsThe average price of a property coming to the market for sale in May hit a new record of £375,131 up 0.8% or £2,807 in the month, according to data from online property portal Rightmove (RMV).The reason for the modest upwards price pressure was due to the spring sell

£22.5 million takeover to accelerate growthVictoria Plum recently out of administrationDeal should drive future upgradesBathroom retailer Victorian Plumbing (VIC:AIM) has acquired loss-making arch-rival Victoria Plum as the taps-to-toilets seller looks to accelerate its growth in a competitive yet sizeable total addressable market.Shares in Victorian Plumbing rose 5.6% to 90.2p on news of the dea

Full-year revenue and profit beatAdministrations increase 22%Positive outlookBusiness advisory specialist FRP Advisory (FRP:AIM) has revealed full-year revenue to the end of April grew 23% and profit increased 37%, both ahead of market expectations, sending the shares up by a tenth to 142.1p.Today's gain lifts the shares back into positive territory for the year to date and means they are up 27% o

If we took a straw poll of readers and asked which country has the world?s biggest sovereign wealth fund, the chances are Saudi Arabia and Singapore would come high up the list if not at the top.In fact, the largest is Norway?s Government Pension Fund Global which has a value of more than $1.6 trillion.When the country discovered large offshore oil fields at the end of the 1960s, the government de

One of the factors undoubtedly helping lift the UK stock market to new highs this year is an upturn in M&A (merger and acquisition) activity.According to Dealogic, the value of UK takeovers so far in 2024 is more than $78 billion, the highest level since 2018, as overseas buyers in particular home in on the undervaluation of the market.?The UK has become structurally very attractive for M&A. There

This year has been a struggle for Intel (INTC:NASDAQ) ? investors don?t seem to be buying the optimism the chip firm has spun around its PC and data centre business, while it has thus far failed miserably when it comes to convincing the market it hasn?t missed the AI (artificial intelligence) boat.Data from Sharepad shows Intel is the second-worst performer on the S&P 500 in 2024, down nearly 40%

Discounts and premiums to NAV (net asset value), which is the value of all the investments an investment trust holds minus any debt or loans, are among the trust universe?s unique quirks and can confuse novice investors. At the moment the vast majority of trusts trade at a discount.Annabel Brodie-Smith, the AIC?s (Association of Investment Companies) communications director, says: ?Only around 20

As Dinah Washington used to sing, what a difference a day makes, although its relevance to central bank meetings and stock markets was probably the last thing on the great jazz musician's mind.While there was no change in official UK interest rates at the latest Bank of England MPC (Monetary Policy Committee) meeting, there was plenty of chatter around governor Andrew Bailey's distinction between

If a person retires before state pension age, and their only taxable income is from a SIPP, how much can they withdraw a year tax free by taking a lump sum and some income before any income tax is due?What are the advantages or disadvantages of taking a tax-free lump sum like this as opposed to taking the full tax-free lump sum in one go?DaveRachel Vahey, AJ Bell Head of Public Policy, says:From

This is the first in a series of articles focused on the fundamentals of investing. Don?t worry if you are relatively new to investing because the series starts at the very beginning and explains what investing is, how it works and is intended to provide a useful framework for thinking about investing.The series is not exclusively for beginners and later on it will include more advanced features s

Copper is already one of the most important materials underpinning human civilisation, and the energy transition is only likely to see demand for the industrial metal build in the years to come.Limits and pressures on supply and this growing demand profile are already seeing copper prices mount a charge and recent M&A activity ? with BHP?s (BHP) unsuccessful (for now) attempt to take over Anglo Am

Companies tend to list on the stock market when conditions look ripe for a healthy reception from investors so as to get a deal away at the best price.After a fallow period for IPOs (initial public offerings) in 2022/23, activity appears to be gathering pace buoyed by the FTSE 100 and FTSE All-Share notching up new all-time highs in recent weeks.In an unusual turn of events, London could benefit f

Full year tops expectations2025 organic growth of 6% to 8% on expanded marginDividend increased by 7%Global data services specialist Experian (EXPN) notched-up a new high and led the FTSE gainers after revealing full year revenue growth at the top end of expectations and a strong outlook.The shares jumped 7% to £37.75 taking gains over the last 12-months to 35%, handsomely outperforming the blue-

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE By Melissa Gallagher, Head of Investment Trusts, BlackRock ?During tough economic conditions, the pie gets smaller. If customers don?t have a compelling reason to buy a product, they won?t.?While the outlook for this year?s ISA season is less grim than it was 12 months ago, there are still headwinds for markets in the year ahead. The UK slipped into recession at the

Value market challengingHigh street market competitive for B2B salesOverheads increased by £1.3 millionShares in On The Beach (OTB) fell as much as 9% to 151p in morning trading as the online package holiday provider?s first-half results showed it is feeling the pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and competition on the UK High Street.It was not all ?doom and gloom? however, as the beach holi

London?s FTSE 100 ended lower in quiet trade on Monday, with the latest development in the Anglo American-BHP saga providing some excitement, as investors look to Wednesday?s US inflation data for fresh impetus.The FTSE 100 index ended down 18.77 points, 0.2%, at 8,414.99. It ends a six-day win streak for the large-cap index.The FTSE 250 closed down 85.04 points, 0.3%, at 20,560.34, and the AIM Al

London stocks were mixed at midday on Monday, ahead of Wednesday?s US consumer price reading, though analysts believe potential London floats by Shein and Raspberry Pi could be a game-changer for UK-listed equities.The FTSE 100 index was up 7.05 points, 0.1%, at 8,440.61. The FTSE 250 was down 33.65 points, 0.2%, at 20,611.59, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.45 points, 0.1%, at 789.42.The Cboe UK

Stocks in London kicked off at a more tepid level on Monday following a week of all-time highs, balanced by success at Diploma and a downturn at BAE Systems, as investors await Wednesday?s US inflation data.The FTSE 100 index opened up 9.34 points, 0.1%, at 8,441.86. The FTSE 250 was up 14.63 points, 0.1%, at 20,660.01, and the AIM All-Share was up 4.37 points, 0.1%, at 4,590.66.The Cboe UK 100 wa

London?s FTSE 100 and its blue-chip peers in Paris and Frankfurt hit record highs on Friday, riding a wave of interest rate optimism, though it was a slightly more cautious start in New York, where stocks traded mixed.The FTSE 100 index closed up 52.41 points, 0.6%, at 8,433.76, after hitting a record high 8,455.77 earlier. The FTSE 250 ended up 114.08 points, 0.6%, at 20,645.38, and the AIM All-S