Shares News

The FTSE 100 opens lower this morning amid ongoing trade war tensions and falling oil prices after OPEC’s decision to cut output. The slide in the price of crude puts index heavyweights BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) on the back foot. BP falls 1.3% to 569p and Shell is down 0.4% to £26.95. On a quiet day for corporate news a profit warning and capital raise at estate agent ...

Investment trusts Woodford Patient Capital (WPCT) and Syncona (SYNC) get a major boost as the initial public offering (IPO) of portfolio company Autolus was priced at the top of the $15 to $17 range. Autolus is a gene therapy developer at the cutting edge of cancer treatment. It is working on Chimeric Antigen Receptor therapies for white blood cells called T-cells, or CAR-T therapies. The ...

The FTSE 100 opens up 27 points to 7,584 despite fears of a rising pound’s impact on the index's constituents. The Bank of England’s decision to keep interest rates the same yesterday was widely priced in by the market despite some hawkish tones from certain members of the Monetary Policy Committee. Asset manager River & Mercantile (RIV) gains 2p to 280p after opening a new office in ...

Defence company Chemring (CHG) has had a positive first half to 2018 heled by a higher operating margin of 7.9% amid an increased contribution from its countermeasures division. This helped drive underlying pre-tax profit up 31% to £14.8m despite a 8% dip in revenues as the company moves away from its lower margin ‘Energetics’ division, essentially ammunition. The company has also ...

Housebuilder Crest Nicholson’s (CRST) share price de-rating amid anticipated margin erosion in 2018 has been overdone according to Liberum analyst Charlie Campbell who says now is the time to buy the stock. While you could argue that Campbell is somewhat biased as Crest Nicholson is a corporate client of Liberum, he does make some good points worth considering. Over the last year, shares ...

Sub-scale Dunedin Smaller Companies Investment Trust (DNDL) is to merge with the Harry Nimmo-steered Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust (SLS). This development follows a strategic review of the company, among the more modestly sized in the Association of Investment Companies’ (AIC) UK smaller companies sector and struggling for attention as a result. The combination follows the ...

Troubled UK electricals and mobile phone retailer Dixons Carphone (DC.) reported a 24% slump in annual profit on Thursday, as expected, and said it would take time to turnaround the group’s performance in a tough market. Dixons Carphone, the victim of a cyber attack recently, posted pre-tax profit of £289m for the 12 months to 28 April 2018 versus £404m in the previous year. Like-for-like ...

Just 40% of UK adults are confident in the financial services industry, according to research carried out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Less than a third or respondents feel that financial services providers are honest and transparent. Laura Suter, personal finance analyst at investment platform AJ Bell says that ‘just 6% of people have used regulated financial advice in the ...

Fears have arisen over a shortage of carbon dioxide production in Europe, which could have trading implications for a number of stock market-listed food and beverage names, whose beer, fizzy drink and barbecue-related sales could end up falling flat over the summer. A shortage of CO2 among some of the largest suppliers in north-western Europe has emerged, endangering an expected boost to beer ...

Housebuilder Berkeley (BKG) says it is at peak profitability, warning that profit could fall by nearly a third in its current financial year. Analysts reckon it will only make £640m pre-tax profit which is considerably less than the £934.9m made in the year to April 2018. The most recent financial year saw pre-tax profit rising by 15.1% and exceed the previous guidance of £900m thanks ...