As investors gear up for the latest earnings season, stubbornly resistant inflation continues to dominant the mood music on US markets. After Wednesday?s (10 Apr) hotter-than-expected CPI data and the FOMC minutes, analysts at investment banks Citi, UBS, and Goldman Sachs all said they don?t see the Federal Reserve cutting rates in June, a blow to hopes that the interest rates down cycle will get

Stocks in London opened lower on Wednesday morning, amid steep falls for St James?s Place and Reckitt Benckiser, ahead of key US data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 15.96 points, 0.2%, at 7,667.06. The FTSE 250 was down 74.73 points, 0.4%, at 19,087.93, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.18 points, 0.2%, at 743.47.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 767.49, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.5% at 16,439.30, a

Stock prices were more stable at midday Thursday after Wednesday?s decline and ahead of the weekly US jobless data.The FTSE 100 index was up 10.95 points, 0.2%, at 7,457.24. The FTSE 250 was up 146.84 points, 0.8%, at 19,011.21, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.96 points, 0.3%, at 740.76.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 745.29, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.7% at 16,429.45, and the Cboe Small Companies was

Stock prices in London opened little moved on Thursday as investor mood remained cautious after Wednesday?s stark falls amid the surprise uptick in UK inflation, and the evolving outlook for US rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index opened down 6.72 points, 0.1%, at 7,439.57. The FTSE 250 was up 0.41 of a point at 18,864.78, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.35 of a point at 738.45.The Cboe UK 100 was flat a

Just a couple of months back investors had been in gloomy mood over chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM:NYSE), or TSMC as it is usually known. Yet the stock has now rallied about 20% after third quarter results at the back end of October as financial markets price an end to the prolonged chip slump.TSMC chief executive CC Wei has been saying he anticipated that the chip indu

Occasionally, funds can become victims of their own success, becoming so popular and attracting such inflows that they become harder to manage and their size begins to impact on the investment process and performance.One way asset management companies seek to dampen down investor demand in such instances is to 'soft close' such a collective, which means the fund is technically still open for sales

Despite PepsiCo (PEP:NASDAQ) having twice beaten earnings forecasts this year, by an average of 8%, and twice raised its outlook, the shares have fallen close to their lowest level since January on concerns over pricing and its continued presence in Russia.Although the firm raised its sales guidance in July and held out the prospect of further price hikes not affecting demand for its drinks and sn

The FTSE 100 suffered its six successive daily decline, as poor UK data, US interest rate worries and a familiar name in China property sector woe combining to send London's large-cap index lower again.The last time the blue-chip benchmark suffered six straight days in the red was in late-June. You would need to go all the way back to July 2019 for its last seven-day losing streak.There was a brig

Operating profit at top end of previous guidanceLike-for-like revenue up 16% in first six weeksDividends to restart 'as soon as circumstances permit'Casino and bingo operator Rank (RNK) delivered in-line results for the year to 30 June 2023, with operating profit at the top end of its previously-guided £15 million to £20 million range implying a stronger second-half performance.The Mecca bingo a

Stocks in Europe were rocked by Fitch lowering its US rating on Wednesday, evoking memories of S&P doing the same almost 12 years ago to the day.Stocks suffered then, and they similarly struggled now. Barely a handful of London's 100-strong flagship large-cap benchmark were on the up, with BAE Systems among those shielded by the fallout after it boosted guidance.'There is a saying that when the US

As markets move into the summer period the US economy appears as resilient as ever which puts greater focus on the upcoming earnings season which kicks-off on 13 July.The June non-farm payrolls report (7 July) came in weaker than expected for the first time in more than a year with 209,000 jobs added compared with consensus forecasts of 225,000. In addition, April and May was revised down by a com

A positive session for equity markets turned even more bullish on Wednesday afternoon when data showed US inflation cooled at a faster pace than had been expected last month.The data lifted hope that the Federal Reserve, which is expected to lift rates by 25 basis points later this month, will pause hikes thereafter.In London, banking shares maintained gains, on the back of passing the Bank of Eng

Soft drinks-to-snacks powerhouse PepsiCo (PEP:NASDAQ) has a track record of beating earnings forecasts then raising guidance. This means investors will be counting on another round of upwards earnings revisions when the company serves up second quarter results on 13 July.However, there are no guarantees it will report good news, given PepsiCo is lapping demanding comparatives and contending with p

US stocks recovered from a tricky start to the past week to trade higher as the latest economic data increased hopes the Federal Reserve's rate hiking cycle is nearing an end.US inflation at the wholesale level continued its downward slide in March with annualised price increases sinking substantially to 2.7% from an upwardly revised 4.9%, according to PPI (Producer Price Index) data released on 1

The FTSE 100 index set a new record high early Wednesday, after firm, but not overly hawkish, remarks by US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell triggered a rally on Wall Street.London's equity benchmark was up 58.66 points, or 0.8%, at 7,923.37 Wednesday morning, having hit a new high of 7,926.35 immediately after the open. The index is up 4.9% so far in 2023.The FTSE 250 index was up 161.68 point

London share prices improved as the morning went along on Wednesday, though the FTSE 100 still trailed European counterparts at midday, as investors looked ahead to a US inflation reading on Thursday with increasing confidence.The FTSE 100 index was up 49.36 points, or 0.6%, to 7,743.85 at midday. The blue-chip index hit a high of 7,749.88 on Wednesday morning, its best level since early August 20

A mixed UK jobs report left the London stock market similarly mixed early Tuesday, as investors awaited the day's main event - a US inflation reading coming a day before the next Fed rate decision.The FTSE 100 index opened up 6.31 points, or 0.1%, at 7,452.28. The FTSE 250 was up 9.91 points, or 0.1%, at 18,829.35. Meanwhile, the AIM All-Share was down 1.30 points, or 0.2%, at 829.18.The Cboe UK 1

Equities and currencies were hardly changed on Thursday at midday in London, as traders hunkered down ahead of some big data reports and three major central bank decisions next week.The FTSE 100 index was down just 0.75 of a point at 7,488.44. The FTSE 250 was down 35.42 points, 0.2% at 18,895.15, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.40 points, 0.3%, at 832.13.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 749.36,

- Hong Kong market has best week since 2011- UK-listed China-focused trusts in high demand- Mining stocks top FTSE 100 gainersMarkets in Asia went into overdrive heading into the weekend thanks to a wave of positive news stories and talk that China could end its zero-Covid policy.Just a week after Hong Kong and Chinese stocks were hammered following the National Peoples' Congress in Beijing, the H

London stock prices recovered as the morning progressed on Monday, as investors came to terms with the prospect of continued aggressive rate hikes by the US central bank.The FTSE 100 index was down 22.82 points, or 0.3%, at 6,968.27. It had been 1.0% lower earlier on Monday.The FTSE 250 was down 151.90 points, 0.9%, at 17,201.38. The AIM All-Share was down by 7.25 points, or 0.9%, at 802.97.The Cb