Stocks were down in London, Paris and Frankfurt at midday on Tuesday, after PMI data showed a decline in UK service sector activity, while registrations of new cars in the UK were down 10% in April. The FTSE 100 index was down 17.29 points, 0.2%, at 8,579.06. The FTSE 250 was down 10.15 points at 20,230.36, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.25 points at 707.50. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at...

Shares in Alpha International and Argentex fall while Cab Payments risesStrong first-half growth in revenue and profit seen at all three firmsMore cautious UK corporate activityWhether by design or chance, three foreign exchange and payment specialists reported their half-year results on Wednesday garnering very different responses.Alpha International (ALPH:AIM) and Argentex (AGFX:AIM) saw...

- Group enjoying positive market tailwinds- Demand growing for more sophisticated products- New businesses beating forecastsAIM-listed foreign exchange provider Argentex (AGFX:AIM) followed up its strong November interim results with an unscheduled trading update that revealed revenue and earnings for the full year would be ahead of current market forecasts.The shares, which have already had a...

- First half revenues rise 75% to £27.4 million- Full year to beat market expectations- Volatile currency markets provide tailwindsForeign exchange specialist Argentex (AGFX:AIM) said strong client demand had driven a 75% year-on-year increase in revenues to £27.4 million for the first half to 30 September.As a result, the board said it was 'confident in the group's ability to exceed market...

AIM probably isn't the first place investors would look for stocks offering growth at a reasonable price, given it is home to many pre-profit companies where most of the valuation depends on cash flows which will take many years to materialise.Yet it is also home to plenty of established, durable businesses with sustainable cash flows and earnings which are worth investigating. Here we pick...

Shares in foreign currency specialist Argentex (AGFX:AIM) gained 1.4% to 130p after it said in a full-year trading update to 31 March that revenues are expected to be £28.1 million, in line with expectations, as client trading surges back to pre-pandemic levels amid a more upbeat economic environment.A significant improvement in second half trading means that revenues are expected to grow by...

UK stocks posted early gains after the S&P500 index hit more all-time highs yesterday, driven by a strong jobs report and a record high in service sector activity.In addition, UK car sales rose around 11% in the key selling month of March. While showrooms have been closed for most of the past year, dealerships have kept sales afloat thanks to 'click and collect' and delivery services.By 8.30am...

UK stocks closed lower on Monday as investors took new localised Covid-19 restrictions outlined by prime minister Boris Johnson in their strideThe FTSE 100 index ended 15 points lower at 6,001 with gains in financial companies offsetting weakness in energy and consumer stocks.As expected, Johnson announced a three-tier grading system - medium, high and very high - for restrictions that could...

UK stocks traded almost unchanged on Monday as investors braced themselves for the introduction of new local Covid-19 meaures to be outlined later in the day by prime minister Boris Johnson.The FTSE 100 index added 5 points to 6,022 with gains in financial companies offsetting weakness in energy and consumer stocks.Johnson is expected to announce a three-tier grading system for restrictions...

Shares in foreign exchange provider Argentex (AGFX:AIM) dropped 25% to 102p after the company said it expected to report lower first half revenues due to a reduction in customer activity on the back of Covid-19.'FRUSTRATING' FIRST HALFTurnover for the six months to September is seen falling 14.7% to £11.8 million as some clients deferred their trading activity, although the firm stressed its...

London's FTSE 100 opened 0.3% lower on Monday as investors braced for the introduction of new local Covid-19 restrictions, expected to be outlined later in the day by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.In overseas trading China's Shanghai Composite gained 2.6% while Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.3%. Brent Crude prices were 1.3% lower at $40 a barrel and Gold prices were 0.25% lower at $1,925 an...

UK stocks started the week in uncertain mood while gold prices touched an all-time high of $1,991 per ounce as investors weighed continued weakness in the US dollar and a collapse in real US bond yields.The dollar, which has lost 10% of its value against global currencies since the start of the pandemic, has come to reflect growing concern over the unchecked spread of the virus in the US and...

Shares in foreign exchange (FX) broker Argentex (AGFX:AIM) soared after it reported a 30% jump in revenue to £29m, around 3% higher than analysts' expectations, in a trading statement for the year to 31 March.The shares rose 17.5% to 117p, in part due to relief the firm didn't report an increase in bad debts unlike fellow peer foreign exchange broker Alpha FX (AFX:AIM) which warned on...

Small caps could be a great place to invest in 2020 as there are some attractively-priced gems flying under the radar of many investors.It is important to stress that small caps aren't for everyone as they can be much higher risk investments compared to larger companies. However, for those comfortable with the risks, history shows us that smaller companies can outperform their larger...

UK stocks started the week on the back foot as concerns over corporate earnings started to surface ahead of the third-quarter reporting season.The FTSE 100 index of leading stocks gave up 14 points or 0.2% to 7,139 with Aerospace, Banks, Insurers and Metals Producers lagging. Propping up the index were Healthcare stocks and Oil Producers, the latter thanks to a small bounce in Brent crude...

UK stocks are generally weaker this morning after US stocks drifted lower overnight ahead of the G20 meeting in Japan this week.The FTSE 100 large-cap index gives up 0.4% to 7,390 due to weakness in banks, food retailers, industrial transportation and oil services companies. The FTSE 250 mid-cap index gives up 0.3% to 19,230 meanwhile.The big corporate news is in France where software and...