Organic sales grow 2%Tough annual comparisonPositive read for BurberryGlobal luxury goods leader LVMH (MC:EPA) eked out a small increase in first-quarter revenue against strong comparable sales in the same period last year, sending its shares up 3% to ?807 and temporarily arresting the downtrend of the past month.Growth was the weakest since the rebound from the pandemic in early 2021, held back b

While the relentless advances in Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ), Bitcoin and US equities continue to grab most of the headlines (and that is not forgetting new all-time highs for headline stock indices in France, Germany, Taiwan, Australia and Japan), one asset is outstripping them all so far in 2024 ? and that is cocoa. Futures prices for the commodity have melted up by almost 150% this year alone, to a ne

The world of fantasy is clearly having a moment. The rise of ?romantasy? authors like Sarah J Maas, who has been a big part of UK publishing outfit Bloomsbury?s (BMY) recent success, have taken the genre out of its previous male-dominated realm to a whole new audience.Bloomsbury?s surging sales and the ongoing phenomenon that is Games Workshop (GAW) are two examples on the UK market which show the

Rewind to 2020, five years on from the landmark Paris Agreement to combat climate change, and aside from the pandemic the big stories in markets were the ?climate emergency? and the ?energy transition?.Although the Glasgow COP26 conference had to be postponed until 2021 due to Covid, there was no shortage of high-profile events from Manchester?s virtual four-day Green Summit to the WEF (World Econ

Post-Christmas updates from the industry demonstrate that not all luxury goods companies are created equal, with sector players experiencing contrasting fortunes as the post-pandemic boom normalises and well-heeled shoppers prove more selective.On 25 January, the world?s largest luxury goods group LVMH (MC:EPA) confounded investors? gloomy expectations by delivering better-than-expected fourth qua

Growth re-accelerates in Q4Drinks division serves up positive surpriseLVMH issues confident 2024 outlookShares in LVMH (MC:EPA) leapt 10% after the world's largest luxury goods group confounded investors? gloomy expectations by delivering better-than-expected fourth quarter organic sales growth of 10%, sending shares in rivals Hermes (RMS:EPA), Richemont (CFR:SWX) and Burberry (BRBY) higher on the

There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the FTSE 3

Major indices make biggest gains since JanuaryDriven by hopes that inflation and interest rates have peakedMid-cap FTSE 250 beats blue chip indexNovember was a great month for risk assets with major stock indices racking up their biggest gains since January. The German Dax was the leading European index, gaining close to 10% while the UK blue chip FTSE 100 was a laggard notching up a 2% gain.The d

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREThe 'nearshoring' trend is picking up speed: Mexico is well-placed to benefit, says the team on the BlackRock Latin America Trust. Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.The pandemic exposed the fragility of many supply chains for comp

Organic growth slows to 9%Fashion and leather goods sales miss expectationsBut LVMH remains 'confident' of continued growthShares in LVMH (MC:EPA) lost 7% to trade at €684.2 in early dealings on 11 October after the globe's biggest luxury goods group posted a third quarter sales growth slowdown as the post-pandemic luxury spending boom continues to fade.LVMH has struggled to lure well-heeled

Sales and earnings guidance upgradedInflationary pressures easingWolfson concedes Next was 'overly cautious'Retail bellwether Next (NXT) has upgraded its full-year profit guidance for the third time in four months following a better-than-expected first half sales performance delivered in the face of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.Shares in the FTSE 100 retailer rose 2.5% to £72.86 on the positi

Full-year results to be published on 26 September from consumer goods firm PZ Cussons (PZC) come hot on the heels of the company's announcement that it plans to take full control of its Nigerian business.This decision may come under some scrutiny as the impact of the devaluation of the Nigerian naira could well mar the upcoming numbers. Volatility in the currency and the country itself has been a

Persistent inflation and higher interest rates are squeezing disposable incomes. In this scenario there is logic in investors putting their cash behind companies which make premium products which confer pricing power or sell affordable luxuries which help consumers to socialise or unwind at the end of the working day.One sector that enjoys both these attributes is Beverages, the domain of soft dri

It may sound like a bold claim, but Akhil Patel argues his book, The Secret Wealth Advantage, can not only help readers anticipate periods of boom and bust but also tell them what to buy and sell when the time comes.The book presents a socio-economic history of the commercial property cycle and its influence on the economy as a whole, together with a well-articulated argument that without an under

Shares in pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (LLY:NYSE) have put in an outstanding performance over the last 12 months rising 71.4% to the $539 mark to become the world's largest drugmaker by market value.Much of the excitement around the stock has been driven by new treatments for two of the globe's biggest public health issues in obesity and Alzheimer's. The company announced results in July from a

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURENavigating the US stock market at a time of recessionAll signs are pointing to a recession in the US in the second half of 2023, with the impact of higher interest rates starting to be felt in the real economy. But, says Lisa Yang, manager on the BlackRock Sustainable American Income trust, there are always companies that can thrive. Capital at risk. The value of inve

A tricky week for US stocks ended on a brighter note as some dovish messaging from US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell helped lift technology stocks.While Powell suggested the Fed was not done yet with rate hikes in testimony before US lawmakers he did at least suggest he and his colleagues would proceed with caution. Financial markets are largely pricing in a 25 basis point hike at the conclus

The Bank of England dug deep into its arsenal on Thursday and enacted an interest rate hike of 50 basis points, as Wednesday's red-hot UK inflation reading forced its hand.The BoE's hike took bank rate to 5.00% from 4.50% previously. The move was somewhat of a surprise, as a 25 basis point hike was largely expected. However, Wednesday's red-hot consumer price index data, which showed the UK's stub

Stocks were largely in the green in London on Friday as markets look to the Bank of England after a week of interest rate decisions from central banks.The FTSE 100 index closed up 14.46 points, or 0.2% at 7,642.72 - ending the week 1.1% higher.The FTSE 250 ended marginally lower, down just 8.52 points at 19,030.89. The index ended the week 0.3% lower. The AIM All-Share closed up 1.03 points, or 0.

European equities headed into Friday afternoon in the green, ending what could have been a difficult for stock markets on the up.Facing hawkish words from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, as well as the expectation that the Bank of England will hike again, it would not have been surprising to see equities struggle this week.However, shares have defied the odds and pushed higher once