Stocks in London ended in the red on Wednesday, despite the FTSE 100 hitting another record high earlier in the day, while Tesla was the star in New York, where wider markets mixed.The FTSE 100 index gave back 4.43 points, 0.1%, at 8,040.38. The blue-chip index traded as high as 8,092.19 earlier Wednesday, its best-ever level. Selling pressure in the afternoon prevented it from achieving another c

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Latin American economies welcomed 2024 with new economic vigour. They have shaken off a legacy of economic mismanagement, and now look set to play a new role in the global economy. The region?s e

Ultimate Products (ULTP) 156pMarket cap: £142.9 millionStrong brands, a resilient business model and multiple growth opportunities ahead are among the investment attractions the market is missing at Ultimate Products (ULTP). This company is the owner of homeware brands including Salter and Beldray. The Oldham-headquartered firm is well placed to profit with UK and international retailers starting

Weak first-half sales priced inProfit seen ?significantly? higher New finance director appointedShares in ASOS (ASC) rallied 10% to 366.2p in early dealings after the online fast-fashion retailer maintained its full-year 2024 guidance and flagged progress in shifting its mountain of excess stock as chief executive Jose Calamonte?s turnaround plan gains traction.Nevertheless, the retailer?s transit

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE The mining sector is not homogenous. On the BlackRock World Mining Trust, we believe this year its fortunes may be particularly disparate, as a range of factors weigh on individual commodities and regions. As we see it, there are three key factors that will determine the performance of mining companies for the remainder of 2024: geopolitics, global growth and infras

Positive momentum continuesRecord first quarter sales10% earnings upgrade impliedAffordable colour cosmetics supplier Warpaint London?s (W7L:AIM) stunning cycle of upgrades continues.The company, which supplies its wares to the likes of Tesco (TSCO), Boots and Superdrug, has raised its year-to-December 2024 outlook after experiencing continued rapid growth in the first quarter, sending shares in t

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Melissa Gallagher, Head of Investment Trusts, BlackRockFor more than 150 years, the investment trust sector has thrived, surviving wars, financial crises, epidemics and demonstrating a remarkable ability to evolve and remain relevant. UK investment trust assets have increased from £78 billion in 1999, to £267 billion today[1]. Many factors have driven this, but th

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

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE As investors look ahead to 2024, they still need to decide whether to take the risk in equity markets, or keep their savings in cash. Cash rates remain high for the time being, and there are a range of factors that could create market volatility in the year ahead. Nevertheless, while the future is uncertain, there are a number of reasons to hold faith in the markets

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREThe remainder of 2024 looks set to be volatile, with geopolitical tensions and a major election in the US likely to create noise. The energy sector is always vulnerable to short-term shifts in sentiment and changing views on the outlook for global growth, but the long-term trends are strong, as demand expands and supply remains constrained. Capital at risk. The value

?Strong? Q4 performanceRetail volumes up 9%Share buyback continuesUsed car retailer Motorpoint (MOTR) has reported an improvement in trading in the new calendar year amid an uptick in consumer demand for nearly-new vehicles.Margins gradually improved through the fourth quarter to March 2024 too, as the Derby-headquartered company increased stock turn and worked through the inventories affected by

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.As developed markets see higher interest rates feeding through into the real economy, activity is likely to slow. But there are stronger prospects for investment growth in many emerging markets,

London?s FTSE 100 rose on Thursday morning, despite doubts over the timing of US Federal Reserve interest rate cuts still lingering, while gold reached another record high.The FTSE 100 index opened up 18.52 points, 0.2%, at 7,955.96. The FTSE 250 was up 34.02 points, 0.2%, at 19,787.66, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.82 of a point, 0.1%, at 742.90.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 795.53, the Cboe UK

In retrospect, it seems clear the tipping point for AI (artificial intelligence) was the release in November 2022 of OpenAI?s free-to use ChatGPT system.Until that point, most AI products were being developed privately and weren?t widely available to the public, added to which most were fairly clunky whereas ChatGPT was able to interact in a conversational way, answering questions, challenging inc

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE David Goldman, manager of the BlackRock Income & Growth Investment Trust gives his perspective on the year ahead. Marketing MaterialCapital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Amid the macro-driven markets of the last three to five years,

Iconic denim products maker Levi Strauss (LEVI:NYSE) may be one of the oldest companies in the US, tracing its origins all the way back to 1853, but it remains highly relevant today.It regularly scores near the top in apparel brand rankings in both the US and internationally and the company?s shares are on a strong run ahead of its first-quarter numbers (to the end of February) on 3 April.Earnings

US telco stocks have outstripped the performance of tech this yearTelco earnings growth has averaged 10% a year over the past threeEntertainment sub-sector projected earnings growth of 25.9% in 2024Global equities have been on a relative tear so far this year led by Japan. Among major indices, the Nikkei 225 tops the lot, its 21.9% rise beating the rallies of US, Indian and European peers, and sma

H1 revenue down 18%Free cash flow improvedCEO sees a ?faster and more agile? ASOSSales at struggling online fast fashion retailer ASOS (ASC) remain in freefall, having plunged by 18% in the first half to 3 March 2024 amid intense competition and the ongoing squeeze on fashionistas? purchasing power and as ASOS focused on reducing stock levels to boost profitability.So why did shares in the fallen

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Rhys DaviesFund Manager, InvescoMy job as manager of Invesco Bond Income Plus Ltd (BIPS) is to supply income to enable the investment trust?s board to pay dividends to shareholders.The income comes from a portfolio of bonds. If we think of the portfolio as the income engine, then higher coupons¹ and higher yields over the past two years have allowed us to refue

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Stephen AnnessHead of Global Equities, Invesco The Magnificent Seven ? the group of supercharged stocks named after the classic Western movie ? that delivered such outstanding returns in 2023 generated so much attention you would think it impossible to have beaten the index without owning them all. The fact that some of us did should be hugely reassuring to investor