The UK’s index of blue-chip shares finished the day holding in the green up 0.3% to close at 7,016.63. Across the pond, US markets were mixed as investors await update from US Federal Reserve, with tech and small caps rebounding. The Dow and S&P 500 were both trading modestly in the red but the Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 rallied 0.4% and 1% respectively. As well as ...

The UK’s index of blue-chip shares regained ground in early afternoon trading after late morning drift as investors await update from US Federal Reserve. As well as continuing concerns about inflation, investors are worried about the rising number of Delta variant cases and the repercussions of China's latest clampdown on tech and other private sector businesses. At 12.30pm, the benchmark ...

Nasdaq-listed Microsoft beat expectations yet again in the final quarter of fiscal 2021 to 30 June as large cap technology stocks continue to reap rewards of the world’s digital shift. Microsoft, the world’s largest software company worth $2.16 trillion, reported revenues 21% higher year-on-year of $46.2 billion and operating profit of $19.1 billion, up 42%. The analyst consensus for the ...

Investors took the latest update from British American Tobacco (BATS) in their stride, leaving the shares largely unchanged at £27.69, despite signs of further progress in the firm’s push into non-combustible products. For the six months to June, group revenues rose 8.1% on a constant currency basis to £12.175 billion helped by a 50% jump in ‘new category’ sales to £883 ...

Shares in pub group Marston’s (MARS) gained 3.4% to 86.4p on Wednesday after reporting a better than expected recovery in trading since reopening. Despite social restrictions limiting the number of customers when pubs could open indoors from 17 May, overall sales performance has been better than management’s internal expectations. The key drivers have been additional food covers, warmer ...

Banking group Barclays (BARC) gained 3.9% to 176p as it reported second quarter results that exceeded market expectations. It also announced an interim dividend of 2p, and a share buy back of £500 million. Barclays has reported a pre-tax profit of £5 billion on net income of £12bn during the first six months of 2021. Both reported EPS (earnings per share) of 12.3p, and the interim dividend ...

Mining titan Rio Tinto (RIO) posted a record first half profit as it benefited from higher commodity prices, buoyed by government stimulus spending during the pandemic. However the shares were a touch lower, reflecting the fact that many investors had already factored in the impact of buoyant metals markets. In the last 12 months the stock is up by a quarter. Net earnings for the six ...

UK stocks got off to a mixed start on Wednesday as better corporate earnings were outweighed by weak overnight performances in the US and Asia. US markets gave back some of their recent gains as heavyweight tech stocks Alphabet, Apple and Microsoft dipped despite strong earnings. In Asia, Chinese stocks remained at their lows for the year after three days of heavy losses despite state-run ...

UK stocks closed lower on Tuesday as global markets were rattled by increasing regulatory interference from the Chinese authorities. Better than expected consumer confidence data in the US wasn’t enough to prevent stocks retreating across the board with the Nasdaq 100 falling close to 2% in early trading ahead of earnings updates from big tech heavyweights Microsoft and Alphabet after the ...

China-focused investment trusts have seen their share prices fall by as much as 9% after investors started to panic about increased regulatory interference from Beijing. JPMorgan China Growth & Income (JCGI) was the worst faller among this group, followed by Baillie Gifford China Growth Trust (BGCG), Pacific Horizon Investment Trust (PHI) and Fidelity China Special Situations ...