Postive cancer trial resultsPotentially increases patient poolNew standard of careShares in AstraZeneca (AZN) got a further boost today, rising 2% after posting positive late-stage trial results for breast cancer treatment Enhertu which demonstrated clinically-meaningful progression-free survival improvements.This follows strong market-beating first-quarter results last week (25 April) which sent

First quarter sales and profit beat expectationsStrategy update scheduled for 21 MayFull year outlook confirmedShares in AstraZeneca (AZN) surged 5% to £119.3 closing in on a new 52-week high after first quarter revenue and earnings eclipsed market expectations and the pharmaceutical company reiterated full year guidance.After a few months of consolidation, the shares are back to winning ways and

Annual dividend upped 7% to $3.10Shareholders vote on CEO pay increaseSoriot one of the highest paid FTSE 100 CEOsPharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) announced a 7% increase in the annualised dividend to $3.10 per share which the board said, ?underlined the company?s confidence in its performance and cash generation?.Chairman Michel Demare explained that the increase is in line with the firm?s

Positive late stage trail results for ImfinziFirst and only immunotherapy to demonstrate survival benefitImfinzi is Astra?s second biggest selling cancer drugPharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) said a late-stage trial for its blockbuster lung cancer drug Imfinzi significantly improved overall survival and disease-free progression in patients with aggressive small cell lung cancer.Small cell lun

The prospect of a new British ISA has put the spotlight on the UK market. Some investors will not feel comfortable picking individual shares and an alternative is to look at actively managed funds and investment trusts. Here are some tips on putting together a UK-focused portfolio. WHICH FUNDS AND TRUSTS WILL QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE BRITISH ISA? The rules for which investments can qualify for

London?s FTSE 100 traded solidly higher at the start of the second quarter, boosted by oil majors and gold miners, ahead of UK data shortly.The FTSE 100 index opened up 48.35 points, 0.6%, at 8,000.97. The FTSE 250 was up 75.55 points, 0.4%, at 19,960.28, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.78 points, 0.5%, at 747.04.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 800.00, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 17,393.65, and t

In a world of thousands of stocks, certain people just want to focus on ones that are doing well. If these stocks are part of a group with a snappy acronym or label, they must surely matter, right? That is the widespread view among the investment community.Investors love a narrative and what better way to hook people in than with a label that says, ?look at me?. The Magnificent Seven is the latest

$2 billion cash acquisition beefs-up cancer portfolioFusion has prostate cancer drug in mid-stage trialsCash consideration pitched at 126% premiumPharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) has agreed to buy Nasdaq-listed Fusion Pharmaceuticals (FUSN:NASDAQ) for around $2 billion in cash to boost its cancer portfolio.The proposed deal is pitched at $21 per share, which is double the $10.64 closing pric

Lung cancer treatment gets US approvalRisk of disease progression cut by 38%Lung cancer a leading cause of deathsShares in AstraZeneca (AZN) topped the FTSE 100 leaderboard on Monday after the pharmaceutical firm said its lung cancer drug Tagrisso has been approved by the US regulator for treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).The shares gained 3% to £104.38, partially

Investors in FTSE 100 stocks on Monday held their nerve before key inflation data in the US tomorrow, while mid-cap stocks rose strongly ahead.The FTSE 100 index closed up 1.11 points at 7,573.69. The FTSE 250 ended up 141.61 points, 0.7%, at 19,203.93, and the AIM All-Share closed up 2.77 points, 0.4%, at 750.18.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 757.21, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 1.0% at 16,622.23,

Stock prices in London were mixed at the start of Monday afternoon, with the FTSE 100 down, as shares in some of its larger constituents struggled at the start of the week.The FTSE 100 index fell 11.34 points, 0.2%, at 7,561.24. The FTSE 250 is up 74.94 points, 0.4%, at 19,137.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.39 points, 0.2%, at 748.80.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.1% to 755.81, the Cboe UK 250 climbed

Q4 earnings miss consensus expectations2024 guidance in line with forecastsEPS expected to increase 12% to 14%A fourth quarter earnings miss and in line 2024 guidance was enough to send AstraZeneca (AZN) to the bottom of the FTSE leaderboard on Thursday with the shares dropping 4% to £100.86.Over the last year, the shares have lagged the blue-chip FTSE 100 index by around two percentage points, b

Shares in global bio-pharmaceutical firm GSK (GSK) have performed poorly in recent times, relatively speaking, lagging the FTSE 100 index by 4% and peer AstraZeneca (AZN) by a whopping 87% over the last five years.Operationally there have been clear signs of improvement, with the company delivering strong trading updates throughout 2023 which saw the shares finally outperform both the blue-chip in

A respected analyst is warning the ?relentless? pace of de-equitisation driven by depressed UK stock market valuations will continue unless action is taken.Low valuations are making the UK stock market an attractive hunting ground for acquirers and are a key factor behind the ?minimal? IPO (initial public offering) activity of the last two years which needs to be ?actively addressed? Peel Hunt?s (

With its shares trading close to all-time highs at $173, there is a lot riding on this week?s fourth-quarter earnings update from JPMorgan Chase (JPM:NYSE).Over the past year, the Jamie Dimon-led bank has seen profits lifted by the acquisition of First Republic and by an influx of customers who have flocked to the larger established banks following the crisis in small regional lenders.On top of it

London?s FTSE 100 made a tepid start to 2024, with underwhelming manufacturing data from the UK and eurozone doing little to lift sentiment.Equities in New York are called to open lower ahead of a key week for the US interest rate outlook. The latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes are released on Wednesday, before the official US jobs report on Friday.The FTSE 100 index was down 29.34 points, 0.4

Stocks in London mostly advanced on Tuesday as the New Year got underway, with investors digesting the latest manufacturing PMIs from major economies.The FTSE 100 index opened up 21.88, 0.3%, at 7,755.12. The FTSE 250 was down 12.20 points, 0.1%, at 19,677.43, and the AIM All-Share was 1.76 points, 0.2%, at 765.08.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 774.07, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.1% at 17,184.40, and

US dominates global equity market scaleUK?s 2.9% ranks 6th largestChina?s growth puts it 3rd behind EUGlobal equity markets have nearly tripled in size since 2003, climbing to $109 trillion in total market capitalisation. This is based on data from the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA).Over the last several decades, the growth

Our 2023 picks have smashed it - achieving an average return excluding dividends of 20.6%, more than four times the return of the FTSE All-Share and better even than the MSCI World which is up 17.9% this year.This is all the more satisfying as the MSCI World index has been powered by the US 'Magnificent Seven' tech stocks, whereas the Shares portfolio benefited from the inclusion of just one of th

As we approach the end of the year it is an opportune moment to shine a light on some of this year's least-loved stocks.Rather than look at the stocks which have lost the most, we have collected together those trading at or near their lows for the year along with those with the fewest friends in the analyst community and those which the hedge fund community thinks are outright shorts.If we first t