Stocks in London rose to a record high on Monday morning, as market attention moves to the US Federal Reserve interest rate decision due on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index rose 40.03 points, 0.5%, at 8,179.86. It had climbed to 8,185.59 shortly after the opening bell, its best-ever level.The FTSE 250 was up 42.62 points, 0.2%, at 19,866.78, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.45 points, 0.3%, at 757.73.Th

In the Spring Budget, the chancellor announced the launch of new British savings bonds with the promise of a three-year cash account intended to raise more money for the government. The new products have been launched, so we?ll explain what they are and when you might want to use them.WHAT ARE THE NEW BONDS?Despite being branded as ?British savings bonds?, the money raised will go into the general

The Japanese benchmark index breached its 1989 all-time high of 38,915.87 on 22 February 2024.So, what is fueling Japan?s Nikkei 225 which rallied 28% last year and is this rally a sign for investors to ?pile in? or maintain a ?safe distance??A combination of factors has driven the surge in Japanese equities and the benchmark, including reforms by former prime minister Shinzo Abe during his second

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURECharles Luke, Investment Manager, Murray Income Trust PLCAt a time when investors can pick up a high income from bonds, the real value of a stock market portfolio is its ability to grow income and capital over time. This growth potential is particularly important when inflation is likely to be structurally higher, and preserving the real value of invested wealth is in

ChatGPT is the hot topic around the world. It's therefore no surprise investors are now wondering whether generative AI (artificial intelligence) is the next big thing in technology, and if so, which companies are best positioned to ride it.After years of research, it appears AI is reaching a tipping point, capturing the imaginations of everyone from students saving time on their essay writing to

European shares have started 2023 on the front foot as being starved of Russian gas supplies has not had as devastating an impact as feared this winter and inflation shows some signs of easing.However, in an environment which remains uncertain Bank of America strategists think investors should have exposure to more defensive areas of the market such as food, beverages, and healthcare.Investment tr

Oil and gas prices are down so far in 2023 and both are trading back where they were a year ago. If central bankers, politicians, companies and consumers are looking for good news when there seems to be so much bad around, this is it.Higher energy prices stoke inflation, crimp corporate profit margins and act as a tax on consumers. The reverse therefore holds true, so oil and gas price weakness wo

Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) and Facebook-owner Meta Platforms (META:NASDAQ) are facing growth roadblocks as regulators in the US, UK and EU bare their teeth.The US Federal Trade Commission has moved to block Microsoft from its planned $69 billion deal to buy gaming giant Activision Blizzard (ATVI:NASDAQ), claiming that it could undermine competition in high-performance consoles and gaming subscription

The less than happy story of football clubs on the stock market has a new chapter as Manchester United (MANU:NYSE) might be put up for sale by its controversial owners, the Glazer family.Casual observers might be surprised to learn that such a significant global brand from the world's most popular sport is valued by the market at just £3.5 billion - for context that's roughly comparable with hous

A horror year for cryptocurrencies reached its latest zenith as crypto exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy. This has raised fears over contagion in this nascent asset class and seen investor nervousness grow over other participants in the market.In what resembled a digital version of a bank run, concern about the financial position of FTX and other firms owned by its founder and, now former, chief e

Clothing retail will fall under the investor spotlight next week when Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Associated British Foods (ABF) report results, and bright spots are expected to be few and far between.Shares in Marks & Spencer dropped sharply last month after it warned of cost pressures and unveiled plans to cut more stores. In a presentation to institutional investors (12 October), it said it would

The Federal Reserve, like so many other Western central banks, remains on the horns of a dilemma. The US central bank can either let inflation run unchecked and run the risk that damages the economy as consumers? pockets and corporations? margins feel the pinch, or it can raise interest rates to try and dampen inflation but run the risk that growth slows down, or a recession develops.Stock markets

Google-owner Alphabet (GOOG) is a giant in internet advertising. It is growing fast with large technological moats and very attractive operating profit margins of 30%.In five years, it has doubled revenues and is forecast to have generated nearly 40% sales growth alone in 2021.Digital advertising will account for 61.5% of global advertising spend for the first time in 2022, according to the latest

Accsys TechnologiesAccsys (AXS:AIM) is a global leader in sustainable wood technology and sells its products into the construction and building materials industries in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia through timber distributors.Its Accoya wood product is both sustainable and high-performing, with a 50-year guarantee, which makes it an ideal replacement for man-made, carbon-polluting alterna

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING PROMOTIONStrix (KETL:AIM) is an Isle of Man based global company and a world leader in the design, manufacture, and supply of kettle safety controls in addition to other components and devices. It has been admitted to trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange, and has grown into a global business.A new 'Sustainable. Innovative. Dependable' Strategy was recently

Strix (KETL:AIM) is an Isle of Man based global company and a world leader in the design, manufacture, and supply of kettle safety controls in addition to other components and devices. It has been admitted to trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange, and has grown into a global business.A new 'Sustainable. Innovative. Dependable' Strategy was recently launched in 2021 with a commitme

Environmental campaigners may grimace and investors who run strict environmental, social and governance ESG screens are likely to remain indifferent, but yield-seeking portfolio builders will doubtless be delighted to see Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) promise higher cash returns to shareholders in the second half of the year.The oil major was already expected to be the fourth-highest individual dividen

Companies with large defined benefit pension deficits have been warned by The Pensions Regulator that dividends might have been to put on hold if they are under financial pressure amid efforts to recover from the pandemic.Less than 200 pension schemes have asked to reduce or postpone their deficit contributions since April last year. However, with the Government looking to wind down its support to

There has been a simmering debate since the start of 2021 as to whether China might overtake the US as the engine of world growth over the coming decade.However, our belief is that ultimately the US will continue to rule the roost economically and politically for the rest of this decade. Its pro-business attitude, both from Capitol Hill and the Federal Reserve, will ensure that companies continue

Both Google-owner Alphabet and software titan Microsoft beat market expectation with their latest quarterly earnings.The performance helped to boost global stock market sentiment and demonstrated that despite the rotation out of growth into value stocks, areas of the technology growth space remain operationally buoyant in the wake of the pandemic.Results from Alphabet were particularly impressive