Despite all the doubts about the durability of the rally, US stocks continue to power head with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite posting new life-highs during the past week leaving them up 7.5% and 9% respectively year-to-date.Both indices have registered their best February since 2015, with the Dow Jones recording its best return in three years.Importantly, it isn't just the 'Magnificent Seven' w

London?s FTSE 100 edged lower and its European peers closed off session highs as robust US jobs data may have all but killed any lingering hope that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates next month.The FTSE 100 index closed down 6.62 points, down 0.1%, at 7,615.54. It went into the jobs data on the up, before stock market sentiment soured in the wake.The FTSE 250 ended up 41.48 points, 0.2%,

Inflation to fall while growth recoversUK to outperform its EU neighboursUS ?soft landing? more than priced inAdvisory firm PwC has published what it calls ?a more rosy view? of the UK economy in 2024 compared with a year ago, with inflation returning closer to normal levels and real incomes improving.This chimes with the consensus view that the US economy will pull off a ?soft landing?, but if ei

When a stock price makes a new 52-week high or low it is usually a sign of a strong trend. Going against the flow at these times is fraught with danger for investors betting for a sudden change in direction.That is because share prices tend to overshoot. Behavioural scientists have shown that investors overreact to bad news and underreact to good news.When bad news comes investors often sell for e

Stock prices in London inched largely higher at midday on Monday, with the FTSE 100 lifted by its utility stocks and oil majors.Market mood remained subdued, however, amid rising tensions in the Middle East and some trepidation ahead of third-quarter US corporate earnings.The FTSE 100 index rose 32.10 points, 0.4%, at 7,631.70. Wealth manager St James's Place, up 3.7% and cigarette maker British A

Stocks in London closed mixed on Thursday, as investor attention turned to the main market event of the week, the Jackson Hole symposium.Stocks had made gains throughout the day, however, bouyed by an outperformance from Nvidia late Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 13.10 points, or 0.2% at 7,333.63 on Thursday. The FTSE 250 ended down 31.92 points, or 0.2%, at 18,194.57. The AIM All-Share cl

Stock prices in London were higher at Thursday's open, lifted by 'record' results from Nvidia late Wednesday, as well as a more positive outlook ahead of the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole event.The FTSE 100 index opened up 38.72 points, 0.5%, at 7,359.25. The FTSE 250 was up 149.88 points, 0.8%, at 18,376.37, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.48 points, 0.3%, at 736.95.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5%, t

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURENatural resources have been seen as vulnerable to economic weakness, but there are structural reasons why demand for commodities - and the companies that produce them - can thrive, says Mark Hume, manager on the BlackRock Energy & Natural Resources trust. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guarantee

Stocks in Europe were on the up on Friday afternoon, while the dollar struggled as investors bet that the Federal Reserve will soon call time on its hiking cycle.US banking earnings were also in focus. Numbers from JPMorgan impressed. Earnings from Citi are still to come.The FTSE 100 index was up 25.63 points, or 0.3% at 7,869.01. The FTSE 250 was up 212.33 points, or 1.1%, at 19,282.46, and the A

Last week's much stronger-than-expected January employment report from the Bureau of Labour Statistics has thrown investors a curve ball when it comes to reading the US economy and therefore the outlook for interest rates and the stock market.The non-farm labour survey showed US employment increased by 517,000 jobs last month, almost twice December's figure and nearly three times the forecast of 1

The FTSE 100 index was rising on Friday and not far off of its all-time high, as investors responded to an indicator showing slower inflation in the US, bringing the hope of higher-for-shorter interest rates.There also was good news from the UK and German economies, while the early market response to US banking sector earnings was mixed.The FTSE 100 was up 34.74 points, or 0.5%, at 7,828.78 midday

Condensed and ready-to-serve soups, cookies and potato chips may not excite investors as much as cloud computing, electric vehicles or the hottest new fashion brands, but shares in storied US processed foods-to-snacks company Campbell Soup (CPB:NYSE) are up 20% year-to-date amid ravenous appetite for the dependable earnings delivered by consumer staples.Historically, this $15.8 billion cap has out

The FTSE 100 moved into the green on Wednesday afternoon, with sterling also rising, as investors in the UK were buoyed by Liz Truss calling an end to her disastrous six-week tenure.Truss has announced her resignation after a chaotic 44 days in office during which she lost the confidence of Tory members of Parliament and the public and oversaw economic turbulence.She is set to become the shortest

UK government bond yields narrowed and share prices rose, though the pound continued to lag, amid increasing market expectations that Westminster will reverse course on fiscal policy, and even change chancellor.Prime Minister Liz Truss is to hold a press conference later on Friday amid speculation of a major U-turn on Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget.Kwarteng flew back to London on Friday f

A largely positive week was looking set to end on a softer note following hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve policy makers.In London, there was some mixed data to mull, with the retail sector holding up better-than-expected in July but consumer confidence in August hitting a record-low in GfK's long-running tracker.On the corporate side, Just Eat Takeaway.com was a top performer on Friday after

European stock markets were on the rise at the end of an eventful week, on a combination of positive earnings from big-name companies on both sides of the Atlantic and growing expectations that interest rates hikes may top out sooner than previously expected.Strong numbers from Apple and Amazon in the US and from NatWest and Standard Chartered helped to lift investor sentiment.Expectations for the

Stock markets were on the rise on Wednesday, lifted by some strong earnings reports, in the lead-up to a US interest rate decision after the London close.The Federal Open Market Committee will conclude its two-day policy meeting on Wednesday and announce its decision at 1900 BST. This will be followed by a press conference with Federal Re-serve Chair Jerome Powell at 1930 BST.The US central bank i

A full plate of earnings from London blue-chips was giving investors plenty to sink their teeth into early Wednesday, ahead of a key US interest rate decision after the close.Among reporting companies, Smurfit Kappa, Lloyds Banking and Reckitt Benckiser led the FTSE 100 index, while Unite Group and Rio Tinto were the biggest fallers.The Federal Open Market Committee will conclude its two-day polic

The euro fell to parity against the dollar on Tuesday morning, amid concern about recession in Europe and expectations that interest rates will continue to diverge from the US.The gloom spread to stock prices as well, with London and continental exchanges all suffering losses.The FTSE 100 index was down 30.59 points, or 0.4%, at 7,166.00. The FTSE 250 index was down 123.43 points, or 0.7%, at 18,7

So much for the bear market rally. The FTSE 100 ground to a halt in the latter part of May and fell over in early June, meaning it is now sitting on a 3.7% loss year-to-date.While still better than many other parts of the world, it's frustrating that the index stubbornly refuses to break out and trade higher. Investors want positive absolute returns, not simply a relative outperformance that still