The FTSE 100 ended higher in London, with hope of UK interest rate cuts in the summer picking up, while US stocks were largely higher despite an inflation caution from the Federal Reserve chair. Investors also had a trade war worries to contend with, as the US slapped tariffs on billions worth of Chinese imports, including in the electric vehicle and chip spaces. The FTSE 100 index rose 13.14...

Stocks in London were largely flat at midday on Tuesday, on the back of boosts at Burberry and Vodafone, as hopes for a summer interest rate cut were bolstered by supportive comments from the Bank of England's top economist. The FTSE 100 index was up 5.85 points, 0.1%, at 8,420.89. The FTSE 250 was up 14.46 points, 0.1%, at 20,574.80, and the AIM All-Share was little changed at 786.60. The Cbo...

Pubs group Marston's revealed continued outperformance of the wider market with like-for-like sales up 7.3% in the first half and underlying pub operating profit 22% higher at £52.7 million. The shares have performed strongly over the last week ahead of the results, inviting some profit taking today with a fall of 4% to 32.1p, but that still leaves them around 13% higher over the period. DEM...

New broom management get one chance to sweep away previous aspirations and problems and reset market expectations. Chief executive Margherita Della Valle, appointed to the top Job at Vodafone just over a year ago, has now laid out the script of her final act; rebasing the dividend. The shareholder payout for full year 2024 (to 31 Mar) was left untouched at €0.09, but investors will get o...

Shares in On The Beach 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 holiday retailer reported an 11% increase in group revenue to £80.8 million for the six months to 31 March...

Rebuffing a takeover bid can heap pressure aplenty on a board, so the fact electricals retailer Currys has upgraded profit guidance in the wake of batting off foreign interest is helpful to management's credibility. Shares in the washing machines-to-smartphones seller sparked up 9.5% to 71.5p after Currys bumped up guidance for the third time this year following a 'strong finish' to the year...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Magnificent businesses are not confined to the US. In this article, Imran Sattar, Portfolio Manager of the Trust, explains why there are reasons for investors to be optimistic about the UK stock market despite the well documented headwinds, including the fact there are many companies with high returns and good growth prospects. I was appointed portfolio man...

Stocks in London started off steady on Tuesday, with Vodafone leading the FTSE 100 on the back of better-than-expected annual results, as new data showed a slight increase in the UK unemployment rate. The FTSE 100 index opened up 9.70 points, 0.1%, at 8,425.78. The FTSE 250 was up 20.22 points, 0.1%, at 20,580.56, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.15 points, 0.2%, at 785.11. The Cboe UK 100 was...

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...

A PCA or person closely associated to Amit Bhatia, non-executive chair of construction materials giant Breedon , bought 1.1 million shares at 383p for a total value of £4,210,250 on 10 May. The purchase was made through Abicad Holding Limited, similar to a purchase at the beginning of April for 1.5 million shares at 385p for a total value of £5,775,000. The FTSE 250 construction firm recentl...

Activist investors usually prepare for a long and hard-fought battle when targeting underperforming companies and management teams. It must therefore be rather pleasing when events conspire to allow a profitable early partial exit. That seems to be the case for Elliott Investment Management after the investor revealed it has roughly halved its position in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust to...

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 C...