Stocks in London started the week on the front foot, picking up strength as Monday?s trading session wore on, to post healthy gains by the close.Gold hit a new high before fading, airlines and miners were in demand, while Entain prospered on bid speculation.The FTSE 100 index closed up 32.31 points, 0.4%, at 7,943.47. The FTSE 250 ended up 128.64 points, 0.7%, at 19,854.58, and the AIM All-Share c

The FTSE 100 rose on Monday morning, albeit not as confidently as peers in Paris and Frankfurt, as investors reflect on a slew of data releases from last week, and look ahead to what could be a key few days for inflation and monetary policy developments.The FTSE 100 index rose 9.70 points, 0.1%, at 7,920.86. The FTSE 250 climbed 68.77 points, 0.4%, at 19,794.71, and the AIM All-Share advanced 4.55

Currys (CURY) 60.1pMarket cap: £681.3 millionBuy electricals retailer Currys (CURY) following the washing machines-to-smartphones purveyor?s second full-year profit upgrade within three months (18 March). Currys? latest positive earnings revision demonstrates that self-help measures under CEO Alex Baldock?s stewardship are starting to pay off.And given its UK and Nordics market leadership, the FT

Recent sales better than expectedFull year PBT to be ?at least? £115 millionGreek disposal on trackElectricals retailer Currys (CURY) has upgraded its full year profit forecast for the second time in three months following the end of takeover interest from Elliott Advisors and JD.com (JD:NASDAQ), news that sparked a 4% share price rally to 59p.In an unscheduled update, the washing machines, mobil

This column signed off last week by bemoaning telecoms testing specialist Spirent Communication?s (SPT) surrender to a £1 billion from US rival Viavi.As we observed, the 61% premium was not anywhere near as generous as it looked when you consider the takeout price of 172.5p was 100p less than the shares were trading for in early 2023. In the same spirit it is only right to welcome Currys? (CURY)

US activist walks away from bidding?Multiple? efforts to engage with board rebuffedBut JD.com could yet table a bidCurrys? (CURY) shares tumbled 9% to 59p after US investment firm Elliott Advisors abandoned its efforts to buy the electricals retailer, having had two bids spurned and ?multiple attempts? to engage with the board rebuffed.Waterstones-owner Elliott may have withdrawn its bid interest

Stock prices in London opened in the red on Monday, despite a favourable inflation reading from China, as investors nervously await Tuesday?s US data.While a hotter-than-forecast Chinese consumer price index print reassured, stock market investors will be hoping the US data shows inflation is cooling, however.The FTSE 100 index fell 3.85 points, 0.1%, to 7,655.89. The FTSE 250 was down only 9.60 p

CMA CGM ups offer to 480pWincanton board backs increased bidMystery suitor emergesShares in Wincanton (WIN) accelerated 11.4% to an all-time high of 500p on Monday after agreed buyer CMA CGM upped its offer for the UK logistics company and an unnamed third party threw its hat into the ring.This has set the scene for a bidding war over the Wiltshire-based business.French shipping group CMA CGM, whi

Frasers increases stake to 8.9%Sports Direct-owner a ?strategic shareholder?Opportunity to sell more products via GAME chainMike Ashley-controlled Frasers (FRAS) has shunted its way up the shareholder register at model trains-to-planes maker Hornby (HRN:AIM) as the deal-hungry conglomerate pounces on yet another retail name going through tough times.Shares in Hornby leapt 40.5% to 29.5p on news Fr

UK mid caps are seemingly under siege with a noticeable increase in takeover approaches from overseas suitors in recent months.The latest target is leading UK TV and laptop-to-washing-machine retailer Currys (CURY), providing further evidence that valuations are attractive across the sector argue analysts at Peel Hunt.This week, Currys rejected a £700 million offer (62p per share) from Elliot Par

Kingfisher (KGF) 223.5pMarket cap: £4.27 billionInvestors seeking to buy a retail market leader whose shares look just too cheap should peck away at Kingfisher (KGF), the home improvement giant behind the B&Q and Screwfix store chains. Shares concedes we could be a touch early with our ?buy? call, since the £4.3 billion cap is grappling with fragile consumer confidence, particularly in France, a

New £80 million buybackJD Sports warning a recent overhangN Brown stake tops 20%Mike Ashley?s Frasers (FRAS) has launched a fresh £80 million share buyback to address a near-10% year-to-date share price pullback at the retail powerhouse behind sporting goods chain Sports Direct as well as House of Fraser and Flannels.Analysts at Liberum believe shares in the FTSE 100 conglomerate have suffered d

Solid Christmas performanceFull-year profits to beat expectationsYear-end net cash position predictedTechnology products purveyor Currys (CURY) proved the FTSE 250?s big winner on Thursday, the lowly-rated shares rallying 9% to 49.5p after the electronics retailer delivered a profit guidance upgrade off the back of solid Christmas sales.Group adjusted pre-tax profit for the year to April 2024 is n

Next kicks off festive reporting seasonScope for upbeat news from B&MPotential Christmas winners include CurrysRetail bellwether Next (NXT) kicks off the post-Christmas reporting season on 4 January followed by discounters B&M European Value Retail (BME) and Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) on 9 January.Investors will be eager to learn if the sector benefited from some last-minute festive shopping when all th

While the present-day incarnation of Currys (CURY) is a technology products specialist selling everything from whizzy gadgets to white goods, the retailer's origins can be traced back to 1884 when one Henry Curry founded the Curry Cycle Co bicycle-building business.In 1984, Dixons Retail acquired Currys and thirty years later, 'Dixons Carphone' was formed through a complex merger between Dixons an

London?s blue-chip benchmark surged over 100 points on Thursday, spurred on by US interest rate cut hopes, though the Bank of England and European Central Bank struck more hawkish tones than the Federal Reserve.Between them, the trio have enacted around 1,500 basis points worth of hikes in the current cycle, but it is seemingly the Fed that will cut faster, according to its dot-plot.The BoE?s vote

Stocks in London continued to rally during midday trade on Thursday, as the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged, matching Wednesday?s move from the US Federal Reserve.Sterling was quoted at $1.2706 shortly after midday on Thursday, higher than $1.2525 at the London equities close on Wednesday. Before the decision, the pound was trading at $1.2667.The FTSE 100 index was up 137.20 points,

H1 EBIT beats expectationsFY24 2024 guidance reiteratedNordics profitability improvesShares in technology products retailer Currys (CURY) rallied 11% to 50.25p after the TV, washing machine and laptop seller reported a ?solid? first-half performance in a tough environment and confirmed its full-year to April 2024 guidance.This suggests the Christmas trading period is off to a decent start at Curry

Add a fast-growing company with a massive international market share opportunity to portfolios by buying SharkNinja (SN:NYSE). This household appliance innovator is the group behind two exciting global brands, Shark and Ninja. The clue is in the name.Shares in the Massachusetts-headquartered company have had a strong run since their New York Stock Exchange debut (31 July), yet they remain modestly

Shares in Currys (CURY) are down 20% year-to-date, so the technology products retailer needs to maintain its full-year guidance and deliver a solid trading update with its first-half results, due on 14 December, if the equity is to regain some spark.Operating against a difficult consumer backdrop, the focus will be on like-for-like sales trends at the FTSE 250 TV, washing machine and laptop seller