London?s FTSE 100 achieved a record close on Monday, as sabre-rattling in the Middle East began to die down, while the pound struggled on renewed hope that the Bank of England is taming UK inflation.Among individual shares, there was some M&A impetus for Tyman and Hipgnosis Songs Fund. A bullish broker note lifted some UK high street and grocer stalwarts, though model train maker Hornby went off t

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

Full year 2024 profits to meet downgraded guidanceSporting summer to boost sales£1 billion pre-tax profit milestone in sightRetailer JD Sports Fashion (JD.) has a spring in its step again, having damaged its hard-earned credibility with a surprise January profit warning pinned on a softer and more promotional Christmas trading season.Shares in the trainers, tracksuits and running tops seller rall

London?s FTSE 100 edged lower after the opening bell on Wednesday, as investors moved with trepidation as eyes turn to a US inflation reading due later in the week.The FTSE 100 index opened down 13.02 points, 0.2%, at 7,917.94. The FTSE 250 was down 23.35 points, 0.1%, at 19,754.29, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.27 of a point at 739.79.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 791.57, the Cboe UK 250 was

Stocks in London were on the rise at the start of the afternoon, ahead of the eagerly-anticipated UK budget announcement, though eyes are also on events in the US with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaking later and as the race for the White House hots up.The FTSE 100 index was up 26.81 points, 0.4%, at 7,672.97. The FTSE 250 was up 148.97 points, 0.8%, at 19,420.00, and the AIM All-Share w

Revenue down 5.4% to £568.6 millionPrint circulation revenue up 2%Pre-tax profits down 10% to £92.7 millionShares in Reach (RCH) were up over 15% at one point in morning trading to 68p after annual profit came in slightly ahead of market expectations. The newspaper publisher reported a 5.4% fall in revenue to £568.6 million for the 53 weeks to 31 December 2023.The shares were also buoyed by po

London?s FTSE 100 ended higher on Tuesday, registering its first daily gain since hawkish words from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week all but ensured there would be no March rate cut from the Federal Reserve.His words echoed around markets on Thursday, and there was a red-hot US jobs report on Friday, the final nail in the coffin for March rate cut hopes. Markets still digested that r

Media company Spotify Technology (NYSE:SPOT) primarily generates cash from streaming music to listeners digitally, and judging by its third-quarter results, where total revenue grew 11% on the previous year to $3.4 billion, business is good for the Swedish-based firm.Subscribers and non-subscribers are able to listen to millions of songs from a variety of genres from indie, rock and pop to classic

Momentum sustained over ChristmasFood the standout performerGrowth slowdown, outlook caution weigh on sentimentOne of 2023?s best performing stocks, Marks & Spencer (MKS) sustained its positive sales momentum over the Christmas period with total sales up 7.2% to £3.86 billion and UK like-for-like sales up 8.1% in the 13 weeks to 30 December 2023.However, shares in the retail bellwether, which had

Announcement made after UK close yesterdayEndeavour shares down 16% year-to-dateDeputy chairman to assume top roleShares in Endeavour Mining (EDV) took a dramatic turn this morning, falling over 14% to £14.52 at one point, as the mining group said chief executive and executive director Sebastien de Montessus?s contract had been terminated with immediate effect for ?alleged serious misconduct.?

Third quarter results beat forecastsPositive start to Christmas seasonTepid Q4 outlook weighs on sentimentOne of the athleisure industry?s star turns, yoga lifestyle giant Lululemon (LULU:NASDAQ), delivered forecast-beating results (7 December) for the third quarter to 31 October and flagged a pleasing start to the Christmas shopping season.Why then, did shares in the yoga-pants-to-belt-bags selle

Earnings weakness on the cards says analystGoogle-owner has been throwing money at AI this yearStock?s long-run investment case still strongAnalysts at broker Mizuho believe Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) faces a tricky end to the year as growth clouds hover over its Google Cloud computing business.?For cloud, our AWS [Amazon Web Services] case study of cost optimisation indicates that Google Cloud?s reve

The AI boom continues to drive stunning revenue growth for Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ), which smashed already-elevated earnings expectations, but the firm issued a veiled threat that US restrictions on selling advanced chips to China may come at a cost.Nvidia clocked adjusted earnings per share of $4.02 on revenue of $18.12 billion in the third quarter (to 31 October), a sharp beat versus consensus estim

The FTSE 100 was essentially steady on Wednesday at midday, as investors held fire before the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt?s Autumn Statement, while the FTSE 250 was steadily up.The FTSE 100 index was down 2.54 points at 7,479.93. The FTSE 250 was up 139.05 points, 0.8%, at 18,486.68, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.00 point, 0.1%, at 717.31.The Cboe UK 100 was up slightly at 746.73, the Cboe UK 250 w

Investor concerns on the US interest rates outlook hurt stocks in Europe on Friday, although investors in New York still bought despite recent hawkish comments from US central bankers.Among London shares, Diageo was by far and away the worst FTSE 100 performer. There was some slight strength in oil stocks, as Crude prices recovered, while defence firms also climbed with contract-winning Babcock In

Full-price sales top expectationsFull-year targets raised againAnalyst sees online sales revivalFor investors in retail group Next (NXT), quarterly earnings updates must be a familiar routine with the firm beating estimates and lifting its outlook, and today's third-quarter trading update is no different.Nevertheless, given the tough environment for retailers due to the pressure on household finan

More UK companies at risk of failureMortgage arrears also rising fastBig banks appear unconcernedJust in time for Halloween, corporate advice and insolvency firm Begbies Traynor (BEG:AIM) has released its latest Red Flag Report showing a sharp rise in the number of 'zombie' UK companies.At the same time, global credit intelligence firm Pepper Advantage has published data pointing to a frighteningl

Conflict in the Middle East has had an inevitable knock-on effect to investor sentiment but other than a surge in crude prices there seems, so far, to be no lasting impact on markets in general with the S&P 500 shedding just over 2% over the past week.However, with US Treasury yields almost at 5% and real yields close to 2.5%, risk aversion was the order of the day leading to selling of basic mate

No sign of activity picking upPrivate reservations fall furtherCompletions seen down around 20%The UK's leading housebuilder Barratt Developments (BDEV) echoed the downbeat sentiment expressed earlier this week by rival Bellway (BWY), describing the new-build market as 'uncertain' and lamenting the end of the government's Help To Buy initiative for first-time buyers.Barratt shares slid 2.8% to 412

Biggest shareholder to own more than 50% of bankEquity and bond holders face painShares jump in value by a quarterShares in financially-challenged lender Metro Bank (MTRO) jumped 25% to 57p after the firm announced it had secured an agreement for a significant cash injection including £150 million of new equity capital.Investors chased the stock higher in the hope today's news will secure its imm