UK shares continued to climb on Wednesday with the FTSE 100 rising 0.5% back above the 7,300 level thanks to buying of oil majors and mining stocks. Meanwhile, investors were awaiting the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve’s latest Open Market Committee meeting, due after the market close, for clues as to the pace of interest rate hikes after recent strong inflation and jobs ...

UK stocks closed marginally higher on Tuesday despite most European markets sinking deep into the red and a weak opening on Wall Street. Investors seemed to put their faith in the UK's booster vaccination programme, while European Covid cases rise sharply leading to the re-imposition of government measures to curb the virus's spread. In the US, the re-appointment of Fed chairman Jerome ...

Shares in Reach (RCH) fell 4.2% to 289p despite the news publisher announcing a positive trading update for the period from 28 June to 21 November, one that indicated revenue growth was ahead of full year expectations. Today’s share price reaction is in part due to profit taking, as the business returns to a more normalised pattern of trading, following the relatively weak first half ...

UK stocks traded marginally higher at lunchtime despite European markets sinking deep into the red and US futures pointing to a weak opening on Wall Street. Investors seemed to shrug off sharply rising European virus cases and the re-appointment of Fed chairman Jerome Powell, which stoked concerns the withdrawal of monetary stimulus would be accelerated to counter inflationary ...

Alongside robust first-half results, veterinary and grooming services and pet supplies firm Pets at Home (PETS) said annual profit was expected to be at the top end of market expectations following a jump in earnings. This momentum is underpinned by continued growth in pet ownership, and the news lifted the shares 6.2% to 486.8p. For the 28 weeks ended 7 October 2021, pre-tax profit jumped ...

Shares in food producer Cranswick (CWK) gained 1.3% to £36.78 on Tuesday after the company revealed first half adjusted operating profit grew by 12.3% year-on-year to £69.6 million, on strong like-for-like sales growth. Growth was driven by a significant 35% uplift in poultry sales following capacity expansion at the Eye facility and a two bolt-on acquisitions in the non-meat convenience ...

Shares in online electrical retailer AO World (AO.), the lockdown winner turned post-vaccination era loser, slumped 25% to 93.4p after the fridges-to-flatscreen TVs seller lowered guidance again. With industry-wide supply chain disruption persisting, trading has proved weaker than expected during the Christmas run-in and management now expects full year group revenue to be flat to minus ...

IT reseller and adviser Softcat (SCT) reported year-on-year growth in revenue, gross profit and operating profit, while cash generation has remained in-line with normal trends during the first quarter to 31 October 2021. While today’s update was figure-free, the company typically converts about 90% of its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation into operating cash ...

UK stocks opened weaker on Tuesday after markets digested the re-appointment of Fed chairman Jerome Powell amid concerns that the rate of reduction in monetary stimulus would be accelerated to counter inflationary pressures. Brent crude futures were almost 1% lower at $79.2 a barrel while Gold was flat at $1,804 an ounce. Trading in Asia was quite with China’s SE Composite and Japan’s ...

The FTSE 100 finished Monday’s trading session 0.44% to the good at 7,255.46 points, with continuity-craving markets welcoming the White House’s confirmation it will stick with Jay Powell as chairman of the US Federal Reserve. Also lending some support was speculation about private equity interest in several UK firms following the $12 billion bid for Telecom Italia; BT Group (BT.A) was bid ...