THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Brazil versus Mexico: a tale of two monetary policies While economists speculate over when the US interest rate cycle might turn, one region's central banks have already started to shift - Latin America. Brazil, Chile and Peru have been among the first countries to lower rates, having started their tightening cycle far sooner than the rest of the world. What mig...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Investment trusts: what is 'gearing'? Investment trusts have a number of unique features that set them apart from other types of collective funds. One of the most important is the ability to use 'gearing', where a trust takes on debt to put more money to work in the financial markets. But how does it work? And why do investment trusts use it? Capital at risk. Th...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Marcel Stötzel Co-Portfolio Manager, Fidelity European Trust PLC Artificial intelligence could pave the way for an array of advancements, or it could dismantle democracies. With society increasingly calling for protection against the threats posed by AI, portfolio manager Marcel Stötzel outlines how through the integration of AI analysis into their ESG ass...

Stocks in London retreated on Tuesday, with a stronger pound not helping the FTSE 100's cause, with focus shifting to meeting minutes from the US Federal Reserve this evening. The FTSE 100 index was down 40.25 points, 0.5%, at 7,456.11. The FTSE 250 lost 90.31 points, 0.5%, at 18,508.74, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.18 points, 0.2%, at 720.77. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.5% at 743.94, the C...

Investors largely shrugged off third quarter results from Zoom Video Communications (ZM:NASDAQ) despite beating expectations as mixed guidance for Q4 dulled enthusiasm. After initially jumping 8%, pre-market trading points to a 0.3% fall to $65.82. Revenue grew 3.2% year-on-year to $1.14 billion, beating the consensus estimate of $1.12 billion, helped by its gradual shift to Enterprise custom...

Shares in Capita (CPI) rallied 9% to 21p as the business process outsourcing firm announced a new cost-saving plan aimed at saving an additional £20 million a year. The jump reduces losses for the year to date to a little over 17%. The announcement is something of a double-edged sword - on the one hand, it is positive for shareholders but on the other it is negative for employees as it includ...

Premium food supplier Cranswick (CWK) was one of the top gainers in the mid-cap FTSE 250 index on Tuesday, rising 2% to £37 after delivering tasty first half results and raising full year guidance. The shares notched-up a new 12-month high and have gained around 20% in 2023 supported by persistent upward analyst earnings revisions. Cranswick is a key supplier of pork and poultry products to s...

Online electrical retailer AO World (AO.) has upgraded its year-to-March 2024 pre-tax profit guidance from 'around £28 million' to between £28 million and £33 million after stronger margins helped the white goods group deliver a first half return to profit with improved cash generation. This positive news sent shares in the fridges, laptops and televisions seller 5% higher to 87p. However A...

Investors in Dublin-based building materials group CRH (CRH) have every right to feel smug given that with all the negative sentiment surrounding the UK construction sector the firm's shares have been hitting new lifetime highs. The positive mood continued this morning with the shares rising 2% to £48.44 after the group posted a solid nine-month trading update and raised its full-year earning...

Stock prices in London were mixed on Tuesday morning, as the FTSE 100 slid on a strong pound and investors remained cautious ahead of a statement from the UK chancellor of the exchequer on Wednesday. The FTSE 100 index opened down 22.11 points, 0.3%, at 7,474.25. The FTSE 250 was up 12.01 points, 0.1%, at 18,611.06, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.11 of a point at 722.06. The Cboe UK 100 was do...

Specialist products supplier Diploma (DPLM) topped the FTSE 100 on Monday after beating full year market estimates and raising its 2024 outlook. Revenues for the year to 30 September were 19% ahead of the prior year representing organic growth of 8% while adjusted operating profit jumped 24%. While revenues were in line with company complied consensus profit was around 3% ahead of market expec...

London's FTSE 100 was lower on Monday, with underwhelming corporate earnings and some caution ahead of a major day on the UK fiscal calendar keeping a lid on enthusiasm. There was some impetus from M&A news among smaller listed companies in London. The pound was also on the up, with Dutch bank ING predicting sterling could edge close to the $1.26 mark should there be a 'risk-positive environme...