FTSE 100 falls accelerated through the afternoon session despite a firm start on Wall Street, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq trading higher. Reports that the US and China could release some of their strategic oil reserves appear to have taken their toll, and despite a recovery in the price of Brent crude, up 0.7% at $80.87 a barrel, both BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) posted near ...

The FTSE 100 remains entrenched in the red at lunchtime on Thursday as investors were spooked by reports that the US and China could release some of their strategic oil reserves. West Texas Intermediate is off 0.45% while Brent crude fell 0.32% to $80.02 a barrel. These worries saw both BP (BP.) and Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) among the biggest FTSE 100 fallers, off around 2% a piece at 335.95p ...

Markets in the US and Europe moved lower on Thursday as technology-led declines continued on disappointment at the US Federal Reserve’s pledge to keep rates low for an extended period. In the UK, the Bank of England echoed the Fed by keeping interest rates near zero and warning of an ‘unusually uncertain’ recovery ahead. The FTSE 100 ended the session 0.47% lower at 6,049.92, sentiment ...

The FTSE 100 slipped lower on Thursday following the Federal Reserve’s announcement last night that it was likely to keep interest rates near zero for several years while the global economy recovers from Covid-19. At 11.25, the blue chip benchmark was 50.4 points, or 0.83%, lower at 6,028.11. Fed chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would ‘maintain an accommodative stance of ...

UK shares tracked declines on Asian stock markets in early trade on Thursday as the lack of new stimulus measures by the US Federal Reserve left investors disappointed ahead of a Bank of England policy meeting. The benchmark FTSE 100 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 were both sharply lower in opening deals with banks, miners and automakers leading the declines. The FTSE 100 was off by around ...

UK equity rallied strongly in early trade on Friday as investors welcome the removal of several key risks that have been hanging over the stock market, sparking the pound to post its biggest gain against the dollar in two and a half years, with £1 worth $1.34. The market now has more confidence that Prime Minister Boris Johnson should be able to pass a Brexit deal and for the UK to formally ...

UK shares started higher on Thursday as sentiment continued to rise following more constructive tariff talks between the US and China. At 9.30am the FTSE 100 was 25 points, or 0.34%, to the good at 7,362, while the FTSE 250 was 55 points higher at 20,037. Miners were firm across the board after the US agreed to delay tariffs on $250bn of Chinese imports. Banking shares gave back some their ...

US stocks ended down yesterday after the Federal Reserve cut its forecast for GDP growth with financial stocks and the Dollar selling off in late trading as the prospect of further interest rate rises receded. Typically as the Dollar falls, commodity prices get a boost and this is feeding through into strength in miners and energy producers in the UK this morning with BHP (BHP), Rio Tinto ...

Would you like some help in spotting individual companies that could be interesting candidates for a dividend reinvestment strategy? This article discusses a way to find stocks that are highly cash generative and so have the potential to pay more and more dividends each year. We also run through some stocks that have been suggested by stock screening systems, based on criteria meant to find ...

Managers and board room teams have, hopefully, a lot of knowledge about the businesses they run or oversee on behalf of shareholders. At the top of their respective industries, most senior staff at public companies will have worked through numerous economic and stock market cycles. They understand probably better than anyone else the key drivers of profitability within their business ...

The Alternative Investment Market (AIM) turned 21 in June yet many investors remain conflicted about the London Stock Exchange’s (LSE) junior market. For some AIM has really matured into adulthood, others believe it remains the difficult child of the stock market family and is best avoided. AIM was launched on 19 June 1995 with a clear objective to attract small companies from around the ...

The market buzzes marginally higher in opening trade in London with a mixture of industrials and engineers setting the tone, while many investors eyes will be turning to Ofcom's early findings over UK broadband investment, with early indicators that it will not force leading player BT (BT.A) to spin-off its Openreach national infrastructure network. Investors welcome the news, shares in the telco ...

Firmer metal prices help miners to early gains in London as the FTSE 100 treads water ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen this evening. A second reading of US first quarter GDP at 12.30 BST could provide some clues on Yellen's outlook for interest rates in an address which is scheduled after markets close in the US. Overnight, stocks gained in Tokyo and Hong Kong but fell ...

Tavistock Investments (TAVI:AIM), a top 10 UK financial adviser network, hit break-even in the second half of its financial year according to a trading update issued ahead of full year results. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), after excluding non-underlying items, is now expected to show a profit for the year to 31 March 2016, chief executive Brian Raven ...

Investors are delaying decisions to commit money to wealth management products because of market volatility, according to Brooks Macdonald (BRK:AIM) co-founder and chief executive Chris Macdonald. Plans at Brooks to launch two new funds in the latter half of 2015 were deferred because of a lack of institutional take-up. And two funds which were launched failed to reach critical mass, incurring ...

Higher-rate taxpayers are increasingly looking for alternative tax benefits as the government tightens up the roles around pensions. This is making venture capital trusts (VCTs) a popular choice for people across the country. Venture capital trusts are funds that allow investors to claim up to 30% income tax relief on up to £200,000 invested in a VCT per year. You need to hold the investment ...

It’s not an easy time to be an asset manager. Tumbling equities markets spell bad news for businesses which earn fees based on a small percentage of their clients’ funds and this is the situation many of the sector’s firms find themselves in. There are still a few diamonds in the rough and thanks to the recent equity sell-off the sector is now trading below its long-term next 12 month ...

'Financial policy has dominated markets since 2008. That emphasis is slowing; business profit and valuation cycles are becoming increasingly important.’ This statement from Ewen Cameron Watt, chief investment strategist at BlackRock, is extremely important for anyone investing in 2016. We are at a tipping point with economic growth and interest rates where the gradual removal of monetary ...

UK shares rally in early trade on Wednesday ahead of Chancellor George Osborne’s joint Spending Review and Autumn Statement. Osborne is widely expected to announce deep cuts to public sector spending when he kicks off the Autumn Statement at 11.30 this morning. He could also unveil tax changes to pensions, motoring, savings and housing. The UK housing market is anticipated to be sharply in ...

Recruitment companies are volatile stocks with zero future earnings visibility and trade at heady valuations – a punchy cocktail for even the most risk-tolerant investors. Operating earnings across the sector’s major UK-listed stocks collapsed by 80% the year after the financial crisis before tripling again the year after. Stock prices fared similarly. Over time, it has been demonstrated that ...