The start of the new financial year tends to be when many of us really think about our own financial circumstances.Increases in average wages have finally overtaken inflation, those on the National Living Wage have enjoyed chunky pay increases and employees will feel the benefit of the cut to national insurance when they receive their April pay. While prices haven?t been rising as quickly as they

Organic sales grow 2%Tough annual comparisonPositive read for BurberryGlobal luxury goods leader LVMH (MC:EPA) eked out a small increase in first-quarter revenue against strong comparable sales in the same period last year, sending its shares up 3% to ?807 and temporarily arresting the downtrend of the past month.Growth was the weakest since the rebound from the pandemic in early 2021, held back b

Blue-chip stocks in Europe fell on Tuesday, though oil majors and miners stopped London?s FTSE 100 from suffering a sharper decline.Stocks struggled, but gold was on the rise again, achieving another record high. Defence firms were sold off, meanwhile.The FTSE 100 index ended down 8.68 points, 0.1%, at 7,934.79. The FTSE 250 ended down 91.23 points, 0.5%, at 19,763.35, while the AIM All-Share rose

Second half momentum improvementProfit guidance ?slightly? increasedNew branding well-receivedCake Box (CBOX:AIM) shares sweetened up 6.2% to 171p on Monday after the fresh cream celebration cakes retailer said full year profits will be ?slightly? ahead of the £5.9 million consensus estimate, implying a 10% year-on-year uplift, after trading momentum improved in the second half.As a result, reven

Though its shares have drifted 20% lower over the past five years, Krispy Kreme (DNUT:NASDAQ) spiked on news (26 March) the sweet treat brand is expanding its partnership with burger chain behemoth McDonald?s (MCD:NYSE).This follows a successful test at 160 McDonald?s restaurants in Kentucky where ?consumer excitement and demand exceeded expectations?, according to Krispy Kreme. The phased rollout

Earnings per share top forecastsSeafood business back on trackGroup looking at growth optionsShares in FTSE 250 fresh goods packaging firm Hilton Food (HFG) climbed 2.1% to a new year-high of 872p in early trading after the firm posted better-than-expected earnings and increased its dividend.Chief executive Steve Murrells hailed the company?s ?good performance against a challenging market? and sai

Many investors had high hopes going into 2024. The market?s robust first-quarter rally still managed to surprise them. Resilient corporate profits, enthusiasm around AI and hopes that the Fed will cut rates have given investors plenty of reasons to keep on buying and keep buying they have in the run-in to Easter.Everything from stocks to bitcoin to gold have marched to new records in the first qua

One of the chocolate industry?s seasonal peaks, Easter is upon us with eggs from the world?s major brands adorning retailer?s shelves.Chocolates are tough for consumers to resist at this time of year, but is this an opportune time to put money to work with purveyors of one of the world?s most popular little luxuries?SWEET CONSUMER CATEGORYAccording to MarkNtel Advisors, the global chocolate market

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE An equity income option to suit all tastesEquity income offers a breadth of investment options, depending on the regionThe UK is an option for recovery, Asia for growth, and the US for diversificationEquity income strategies may have a tailwind from falling interest ratesThere remains considerable debate over when and by how much interest rates could fall this year.

Stock markets have been making new all-time highs in the US, Europe and Japan and investors are asking whether they are witnessing a new global bull market for stocks which began in November 2023.Momentum is a powerful factor in stock markets. Prices tend to trend in the same direction which mean buying winners and selling losers can be a profitable strategy.It is not only about price but also ear

Full year profit rises 13.1%2024 off to good startUnexpected extra payoutFood-to-go specialist Greggs (GRG) continues to deliver tasty sales and profit growth despite the tough economic backdrop with its value proposition shining through during the cost-of-living crisis.Shares in the bakery retailer rose 4.6% to £28.40 on Tuesday morning after Greggs served up strong full-year results, announced

Despite all the doubts about the durability of the rally, US stocks continue to power head with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posting new life-highs during the past week leaving them up 7.5% and 9% respectively year-to-date.Both indices have registered their best February since 2015, with the Dow Jones recording its best return in three years.Importantly, it isn't just the 'Magnificent Seven' w

Investors will ravenously digest comments on the current trading environment when UK food-to-go specialist Greggs (GRG) delivers its full-year results on 5 March.While the value-for-money sausage roll, coffee and Yum Yums retailer has enjoyed positive momentum supported by its value-for-money proposition, extended trading hours and deliveries, an upgrade to guidance feels like a stretch with the f

Having hit a new record high of 5,040 points on Monday, the S&P 500 index quickly went into reverse on Tuesday after a hotter-than expected January inflation report.However, economists were quick to point out that when it comes to interest-rate decisions, the Federal Reserve pays more attention to the PCE (personal-consumption expenditure) data which is released at the end of the month. Sure enou

US stocks continued their journey skyward ahead of the Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday night only to return to earth with a bump on Thursday on a combination of hawkish comments from the central bank and uninspiring tech earnings.While no-one expected interest rates to be cut from their current level of 5.25% to 5.5%, the monetary policy statement was less conciliatory than expected with Fed

Profit guidance upgraded againBrands have positive momentumEuan Sutherland to succeed Roger WhiteOne of Shares running Great Ideas selections, Irn-Bru-to-Rubicon drinks maker AG Barr (BAG) served up another full-year profit upgrade which sent the shares up 1.5% to a 52-week high of 576p.The beverages business behind iconic Scottish tipple Irn-Bru as well as take home cocktail offering FUNKIN and c

The retail sector accounts for £104 billion of the FTSE 350 index by value of its 22 constituents, making it of significant importance to the UK stock market and to any investor with exposure to UK equities.The fortunes of retailers can tell us about the state of the consumer and in turn provide clues on economic activity. Therefore, even if you do not have exposure to individual stocks in this s

According to London Stock Exchange data there were just 23 IPOs (initial public offerings) in total on the UK market in 2023, only slightly more than half the number the preceding year and the lowest since the exchange started publishing records in 1995.For the first time since the financial crisis just one company joined the market in the fourth quarter, and that was a new listing rather than an

Robust trading continued in Q1Record Christmas day salesPBT to be towards top end of expectationsAll Bar One-to-Toby Carvery owner Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) expects pre-tax profits for the year to September 2024 will come in towards the top end of consensus estimates after sales picked up over Christmas with a boost from the return of work parties and festive gatherings.The pubs company, whose bra

Fourth-quarter like-for-likes up 9.4%Full-year profit guidance maintainedBetter-than-expected cash in coffersTyneside baker Greggs (GRG) topped the FTSE 250 leader board, with shares in the food-on-the-go retailer rising 7% to £26.46 following a tasty fourth-quarter trading update which showed like-for-like sales remained strong despite demanding prior-year comparatives.The value-for-money sausag