Shares in the Baillie Gifford US Growth (USA) investment trust gained 1.6% to 331p after it significantly outperformed its benchmark during the first half of its 2021 financial year. The trust, which invests in listed and unlisted US companies, recorded a share price and net asset value (NAV) return 50.8% and 53.8% respectively in the six months to 30 November, well ahead of the 11.1% total ...

Shares in insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor (BEG:AIM) jumped 8% higher to 106.25p on Monday after the company made its largest acquisition to date, CVR Global LLP. The transaction represents a maximum consideration of £20.8 million on a cash and debt free basis and will create a ‘significant expansion of the group’s scale’ on London and the South of England. CVR is an insolvency ...

Trendy make-up supplier Warpaint London (W7L:AIM) will smash previous full-year guidance thanks to stronger-than-expected trading in the second half of 2020. The company behind the W7 and Technic cosmetics brands also revealed an extension of trials in Tesco (TSCO) stores for its W7 range. Warpaint stock jumped more than 10% in trading on Monday to  92.5p, its highest since before the ...

UK-listed Spirent Communications (SPT) is mulling a cash return to shareholders after reporting solid growth and better-than-expected profit margins. The manufacturer of telecoms and connectivity testing and analysis kit saw adjusted operating margins of ‘almost’ 20% in 2020 (to 31 December). This was the first time since 2012 that profit margins have been this high, a development that ...

Lending company Funding Circle (FCH) dipped 1.7% to 88.5p despite reporting better-than-expected performance in the second half of the year, supported by record loans under management (LuM) and originations. Today’s modest sell-off follows a strong run for the shares which are up nearly 30% in the last four months. The company reported second-half total income of £121 million and adjusted ...

UK stocks were largely flat early on Monday as the UK prepared to start offering Covid-19 vaccines to over-70s, while tensions remained high in the US, where markets are closed for Martin Luther King day, ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday. By 8.25 am, the FTSE 100 was up just 0.01% at 6,736.2 points, while the FTSE 250 edged up 0.18% to 20,653.2. ASTRAZENECA ADVANCES In ...

UK stocks closed lower on Friday as fresh lockdowns and rising virus cases dampened hopes of a swift economic recovery. Also dampening sentiment was disappointing December retail sales data in the US with the core figure coming in at -1.4% compared with -0.1% expected. US markets opened weaker as a result with the Russell 2000 losing 1.5% and the S&P 500 0.5% weaker. US bank Wells Fargo ...

The UK supreme court has handed victory to the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) and policy holders’ appeal against the high court ruling that insurers’ business interruption insurance didn’t cover Covid-19 related claims. Initially shares in insurer Hiscox (HSX) fell around 6% on the announcement but they have subsequently moved back into the black, up 3.5% to £10 after the company ...

UK stocks accelerated losses at midday as fresh lockdowns and rising virus cases dampened hopes of a swift economic recovery. The British economy will take more than two years to recover to its pre-coronavirus levels, according to a poll by Reuters, with more than 70 economists saying it would contract 1.4% this quarter. The poll comes alongside figures from the Office for National Statistics ...

Pharmaceutical company Indivior (INDV) was the biggest riser in the FTSE 250 on Friday morning with its shares gaining 10% to 115p as the firm lifted its profit guidance. In an update ahead of its full-year results for 2020, Indivior said it now expects to deliver adjusted pre-tax income ahead of its previous expectations following higher revenue as its treatment for opioid ...