The FTSE 100 achieved a solid gain and almost hit its best-ever level on Friday, with its mining and oil producing contingent sparing it from declines seen in equities elsewhere.Shares in Frankfurt and New York failed to find their feet as investors fretted over rising tensions and US interest rate worries.The FTSE 100 index ended up 71.78 points, 0.9%, at 7,995.58, closing below the 8,000 point m

Shares in hundreds of UK and US-listed companies have not fully recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global stock market crash in February 2020, even though most major market indices are now trading above that level.According to SharePad data, 196 stocks in the FTSE 350 and 149 stocks in the S&P 500 are still trading below the day before markets crashed four years ago (21 February 202

London?s FTSE 100 ended higher on Tuesday, registering its first daily gain since hawkish words from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week all but ensured there would be no March rate cut from the Federal Reserve.His words echoed around markets on Thursday, and there was a red-hot US jobs report on Friday, the final nail in the coffin for March rate cut hopes. Markets still digested that r

Investors in mobile operator Vodafone (VOD) will be keen to hear at next week?s third-quarter trading update (5 February) whether a deal for its Italian business is in the offing.Swiss operator Swisscom (SCMN:SWX) and French firm Iliad have both expressed an interest, with Iliad valuing Vodafone Italia at a cool ?10.5 billion including debt.This follows news last month of the first successful test

Stocks closed in the green as US producer prices raise investor sentiment despite hopes of early US rate cuts fadingThe FTSE 100 index closed up 48.34 points, 0.6%, at 7,624.93. The FTSE 250 ended up 89.69 points, 0.5%, at 19,197.62, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.34 points, or 0.6%, at 749.06. Over the course of the week the FTSE 100 was down 0.8%, the FTSE 250 lost 0.1% and AIM All-Share fell

Stocks closed lower on Friday in London as investors looked increasingly risk averse amid an expectation that interest rates will stay higher for longer and clashes continue in the Middle East.The FTSE 100 index closed down 45.18 points, or 0.6% at 7,599.60 on Friday but finished the week 1.4% higher.The FTSE 250 ended down 381.47 points, or 2.1%, at 17,454.22 and closed the week down 1.6%.The AIM

The FTSE 100 proved resilient at the open on Friday, while global trading remained generally downbeat on a stubborn US inflation print and disappointing economic data from China.The FTSE 100 index opened up 3.63 points at 7,648.41. The FTSE 250 was down 48.99 points, 0.3%, at 17,786.70, and the AIM All-Share was down just 0.17 of a point at 695.40.The Cboe UK 100 was marginally higher at 764.04, t

European equities came under pressure on Thursday afternoon after a hotter-than-predicted US inflation reading, souring what had been a positive morning for stocks.The FTSE 100 still managed to end in the green, with oil majors leading the way. The FTSE 250 tumbled after the US data, despite hitting a 10-day high earlier in the session.The FTSE 100 index added 24.75 points, 0.3%, at 7,644.78. The

Lower-than-expected growth for the Chinese service sector saw stock prices in London fall on Tuesday, alongside sterling, as investors worried about the health of the world's second-largest economy.The FTSE 100 index closed down 14.83 points, 0.2%, at 7,437.93. The FTSE 250 ended down 32.72 points, 0.2%, at 18,491.42, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.54 of a point, or 0.1%, at 740.05.The Cboe U

Construction equipment rental specialist Ashtead (AHT) has setitself quite a high bar when it comes to its first-quarter earnings report on 5 September.The firm has beaten revenue forecasts in nine out of the last 10 quarters. Moreover, the comparison with the same quarter last year is a tough one as rental revenue was up 26% to just over $2 billion and adjusted pre-tax profit was up 29% to $555 m

Another week, another takeover - this time it is alternative asset manager Gresham House (GHE:AIM), which is being bought by private equity firm Searchlight for £470 million.At £11.05 per share, 63% above the previous closing price and 10% above the all-time high a year ago, the purchase price represents an enterprise value of almost 16 times last year's earnings before interest, tax, depreciati

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Friday, despite a more positive mood this week, with investors believing the end of the Federal Reserve's hiking cycle is in sight.Focus was also on major US banks, with figures from JPMorgan and Wells Fargo impressing, though Citigroup suffered lower revenue.The FTSE 100 index closed down 5.64 points, 0.1%, at 7,434.57. The FTSE 250 ended down 64.90 points, 0.4%, at 1

European equities took a slight pause for breath on Friday, on the back of sizeable gains on Wednesday and Thursday, with eyes now turning to the health of the US corporate sector.Easing US inflation readings lifted the mood earlier this week, but earnings from major US banks are now the next risk event for equities to negotiate. The slew of earnings begins with the likes of JPMorgan Chase & Co, W

First-half results from Howden Joinery (HWDN) on 20 July will reveal the impact a slowdown in the housing market is having on its trading.The trade kitchen supplier last updated in the spring, with a trading statement covering the 16-week period to 15 April. Like-for-like revenue was flat on the same period a year earlier in the UK business once you accounted for the impact of an additional sales

A big profit warning on 14 June from Hays' (HAS) rival Robert Walters (RWA) has created nervousness ahead of the former's fourth quarter and full-year trading update on 13 July.The recruitment space is often a bellwether for the wider economy and, with economic clouds gathering, the portents are not too promising.This is despite April's solid third quarter update from Hays, with the company seeing

Deal sees veteran Pease bow outConsolidation gathering paceListed UK firms could be vulnerable to takeoversCompetition for customers and the need for economies of scale are driving another round of consolidation in the UK wealth management industry with the announcement this week of yet another deal.Yesterday it emerged that hedge fund Lansdowne Partners had agreed to acquire equities specialist C

London's stocks finished higher on Friday, following some positive earnings from some big banks in the US, as well as a recent US producer price index print lifting hope that the the Federal Reserve's hikes may come to an end.The FTSE 100 index closed up 28.53 points, or 0.4% at 7,871.91 on Friday, ending the week 2.7% higher.The FTSE 250 ended up 172.56 points, or 0.9%, at 19,242.69, finishing th

Contrasting fortunes for 888 and Entain shareholders ahead of big updatesWilliam Hill's £19 million fine for gambling protection failures adds to compliance issues at new owner, 888Online gambling and gaming company 888 Holdings (888) will release full year results and a first quarter trading update on 14 April while larger peer Entain (ENT) will give a first quarter trading update on 18 April.In

An under-the-radar constituent of the IA UK Equity Income sector that is delivering stellar returns despite difficult market conditions is VT Tyndall Real Income Fund (BYX0D61). Small at £18.9 million of assets, it is big on ambition under the stewardship of manager Simon Murphy and competitive on cost, with a lowly annual management charge of 0.35%.Murphy took over the fund right before the pand

Watches of Switzerland Watches investors are looking for another robust update from the specialist retailerA third quarter update (9 February) from Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) provides a window to see if the luxury watch retailer continued to trade positively over Christmas and New Year. On 14 December the Rolex-to-Breitling purveyor, which benefits from pricing power and longstanding brand part