Stock prices in London opened in the green on Friday, as the UK could be on a path to avoid a recession according to new GDP data from the Office for National Statistics.Eyes are also on the banking earnings season, which kicks off on Friday. Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are due to release first-quarter numbers. Asset manager BlackRock also reports.The FTSE 100 index opened up 61.11 p

Surveys point to steady growthBuyer confidence improvingConstruction sector expandingIn a further sign of returning confidence in the housing market, the latest survey from the Halifax ? part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) ? shows annual prices continuing to rise despite relatively subdued activity.The news wasn?t quite enough to support the shares of the leading developers such as Barratt Develop

No-one could accuse the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) of sitting on its hands, least of all this year.As well as investigating several high-profile mergers ? including this month alone Aviva (AV.)/AIG Life, SpreadEx/Sporting Image, RedBird IMI/Telegraph Media Group, Pharmacy2U/Lloyds Direct and Hitachi/Thales ? the regulator has been busy looking into pricing in the funeral market (again

Revenues fall 20% Profits down over 40%Company cooperating with CMAShares in Taylor Wimpey (TW.) were down over 3% to 135p in morning trading as the UK housebuilder said pre-tax profit had fallen 42.8% to £473.8 million for the year to 31 December compared to £827.9 million in the same year ago period.The company?s share price performance today contrasts with a 10% gain over the past year.

Many people dream of retiring early to pursue their real passions before they get too old to enjoy them. Is it just a pipedream or could it be a reality for some people?This feature explores the pros, pitfalls and practicalities of the so-called FIRE movement which is gaining increasing traction. A recent AJ Bell Money & Markets podcast discussion on the subject provoked a strong response from lis

Prices are turning positive againLower mortgage rates helpingActivity seen picking up this yearHousebuilders and housing-related stocks got a lift going into the Bank of England?s monetary policy meeting thanks to a positive read on the property market from the latest Nationwide house price survey.Shares in Barratt Developments (BDEV), Crest Nicholson (CRST), Persimmon (PSN), Redrow (RDW), Rightmo

UK housebuilders Persimmon (PSN) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) have been on quite a run of late with shares in both jumping around 40% over the last two months.A shift in interest-rate expectations since the middle of November has had a positive effect on mortgage costs, while house prices have perked up after months of decline which has combined to give the downtrodden sector a much-needed boost.Both f

Stock prices in London sparkled at midday on Wednesday, as investors cheered UK inflation coming down faster than anticipated.The FTSE 100 index was up 44.63 points, 0.6%, at 7,682.66. The FTSE 250 was up 126.06 points, 0.7%, at 19,442.04, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.92 points, 0.4%, at 748.31.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 766.92, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.7% at 16,922.53, and the Cboe Small Co

Gains across the sector year-to-dateSome stocks trading at new highsEyes on Berkeley Group this weekEven though the most recent results from housebuilders such as Barratt Developments (BDEV) and Bellway (BWY) were resolutely downbeat, the firms? share prices have been on the charge since the middle of October as investors have bet on the Bank of England continuing to hold interest rates at their c

Persimmon raises completions targetPartnership deals pave the wayAverage house prices turning upA positive third-quarter trading update and evidence of a bounce in house prices helped lift shares in Persimmon (PSN) and other developers from their recent lows.Persimmon added 2.5% to £11.09 while rivals Barratt Developments (BDEV) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) gained around 1.5% apiece. HIGHER FUL

Stock has jumped 23% in a week to all-time recordQ3 earnings smash forecasts with more to come in Q4AI tech in data centres helping drive booming demandInvestors have been racing to buy shares in Arista Networks (ANET:NYSE) more than any other US stock this week. The stock has jumped 23% in the past few days, taking the share price to an all-time $211.68 high, which means the valuation has increas

Sky-high interest rates and unruly inflation make the future direction of the economy more uncertain than usual. It is certainly no time to be complacent.Against such a tough backdrop now is a good time for investors to take stock and consider if the income they expect from dividends in their portfolios are safe.Investors are often attracted to the highest yields, but this can indicate markets do

Stocks in London closed higher on Wednesday, as UK consumer price index inflation cooled by more than expected in August.The mood was also optimistic ahead of interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England.The FTSE 100 index closed up 71.45 points, 0.9%, at 7,731.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 285.67 points, 1.6%, at 18,712.37, and AIM All-Share closed up 4.29 points, 0.6%,

The FTSE 100 outperformed European peers heading into Wednesday afternoon, with the interest rate sensitive house building sector shining after investors reeled in the Bank of England expectations after a cooler-than-expected UK inflation reading.A hike on Thursday was largely seen as a foregone conclusion prior to the data, but the surprising slowdown in UK inflation means the decision is on some

New-build market has 'worsened' since JuneProfit forecast cut to due lower sales Rightmove survey adds to pessimismChertsey-based developer Crest Nicholson (CREST) released an unscheduled trading update warning that full year earnings would be up to a third lower than its previous forecasts due to the tough market for new-build housing.The shares fell as much as 14% to 167p before stabilizing at 1

Equities in Europe opened in negative territory on Monday, with markets seeing little reason to push higher ahead of inflation data drivers later this week.Inflation readings from the US and China are reported this week, and stock market investors will be hoping for two differing outcomes. In the US, another inflation slowdown is the ideal outcome, as it would take some sting out of Federal Reserv

First-half revenue and earnings fall over 20%Second-quarter sales rate disappointsFull year guidance tops expectationsInvestors welcomed the latest trading update from leading housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) despite the firm posting a near-30% drop in pre-tax profit for the first half of the year.Moreover, while net private reservations were lower and cancellations were higher, the company report

Stock prices in London climbed on Wednesday as softer-than-expected UK inflation lifted hopes for a lower peak for interest rates, while large-cap overseas earners got a boost from a weaker pound.The FTSE 100 index opened up 88.26 points, 1.2%, at 7,541.95. The FTSE 250 was up 460.88 points, 2.4%, at 19,079.10, and the AIM All-Share was 4.52 points, 0.6%, at 758.88.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.2% at 7

Stocks in London were firmly lower at midday as the latest meeting minutes from the US Federal Reserve indicated that interest rates in the world's largest economy will remain higher for longer.The FTSE 100 index was down 100.37 points, or 1.4%, at 7,341.73. The FTSE 250 was down 240.88 points, or 1.3%, at 18,152.45, and the AIM All-Share was down 7.76 points, or 1.0%, at 744.61.The Cboe UK 100 wa

Share prices were on the rise in Europe on Thursday, while gold was sharply lower, amid a risk-on atmosphere following the passage by the US House of Representatives of a bill that will allow Washington to avoid a disastrous debt default.The FTSE 100 index opened up 39.34 points, 0.5%, at 7,485.48. The FTSE 250 was up 44.51 points, 0.2%, at 18,767.41, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.82 points, 0.2%