US stocks endured a difficult week with technology stocks and small caps particularly in the firing line amid disappointing news from the chip sector, escalating tensions in the Middle East and the pushing back of rate cut expectations.Electric vehicle maker Telsa (TSLA) had a particularly tricky time of it as investors continue to react to news of job cuts, a big delivery miss earlier this month

Surveys point to steady growthBuyer confidence improvingConstruction sector expandingIn a further sign of returning confidence in the housing market, the latest survey from the Halifax ? part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) ? shows annual prices continuing to rise despite relatively subdued activity.The news wasn?t quite enough to support the shares of the leading developers such as Barratt Develop

Like for like sales growth slows to 5.8%Big jump in operating profitTough comps in second halfSlowing like for like sales growth at pubs group JD Wetherspoon (JDW) was enough to knock the shares 7% lower to 737.5p, bringing an end to a strong run which has seen them gain 25% over the last year, comfortably ahead of the FTSE 250.Like-for-like sales growth slowed to 5.8% in the seven weeks to 17 Mar

Stock prices in London were in the green on Friday morning, as Nationwide data showed the UK housing market is recovering, ahead of UK manufacturing data.The FTSE 100 index opened up 40.73 points, 0.5%, at 7,670.75. The FTSE 250 was up 74.12 points, 0.4%, at 19,128.99, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.03 of a points at 736.47.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 768.41, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 16

Hopes for interest rate cuts from the Bank of England were boosted on Thursday after the UK slipped into a recession, according to the latest GDP data, sending stocks in London higher.?Confirmation that the UK is in recession has done nothing to knock UK stocks off course. An economy pushing through mud is not new news and if anything, it might encourage the Bank of England to think harder about c

Prices are turning positive againLower mortgage rates helpingActivity seen picking up this yearHousebuilders and housing-related stocks got a lift going into the Bank of England?s monetary policy meeting thanks to a positive read on the property market from the latest Nationwide house price survey.Shares in Barratt Developments (BDEV), Crest Nicholson (CRST), Persimmon (PSN), Redrow (RDW), Rightmo

Shares have fallen 21% over the past yearFull year 2023 pre-tax profit now expected to be £41 millionOne-off charge of £13 million related to legal claimShares in Crest Nicholson (CRST) were down over 4% to 207p as the housebuilder issued a profit warning because of higher costs and a one-off charge from a legal claim.The group now expects a full-year pre-tax profit of £41 million for the year

London share prices continued to rally into the new year early Thursday, and sterling held above $1.28, as markets priced in a series of interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.The FTSE 100 index opened up 13.31 points, 0.2%, at 7,738.26. The FTSE 250 was up 9.81 points, 0.1%, at 19,730.56, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.80 of a point, 0.1%, at 762.23.The Cboe UK 100 index was up 0.1% at 77

Gold price surges past $2,100 per ounceWeak US dollar lifts precious metalTraders bet on US interest rate cuts in 2024Gold prices surged past $2,100 per ounce to a record high helped by a weak US dollar and ongoing conflict in Gaza, Israel and Ukraine.According to Refinitiv data, gold hit $2,122, up 2% on the day, before falling back to $2,064 per ounce.Since the start of November, the US dollar h

Considering companies which invest in insolvency litigation cases are meant to be anti-cyclical, winning when the economy goes into a downturn, by rights Manolete Partners (MANO:AIM) should have cleaned up during the pandemic as the number of struggling businesses soared.However, much to the firm's chagrin, the opposite scenario unfolded - tens of thousands of struggling firms were saved from goin

Lower-than-expected growth for the Chinese service sector saw stock prices in London fall on Tuesday, alongside sterling, as investors worried about the health of the world's second-largest economy.The FTSE 100 index closed down 14.83 points, 0.2%, at 7,437.93. The FTSE 250 ended down 32.72 points, 0.2%, at 18,491.42, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.54 of a point, or 0.1%, at 740.05.The Cboe U

Stock prices in London struggled at midday on Tuesday amid fresh worries for the world's second-largest economy.'Nagging worries about the Chinese economy are a big contributing factor to the change in mood - the latest PMI reading from the services sector painting a shocking picture,' said Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.The FTSE 100 index was up 9.46 points, or 0.1%, at 7,462.22. The

Self-storage and private rental markets strongFirms all investing for future growthValuations yet to respond due to high ratesWhile shares in UK property stocks are stuck in the doldrums due to rising interest rates, the latest announcements from a leading self-storage firm and a pair of property rental groups suggest it is very much 'business as usual'.A GROWING MARKETIn its first-quarter trading

June's larger-than-expected half percentage point interest rate rise has pushed the FTSE 100 index back into negative territory for the year and triggered fears of recession among investors and market observers.Moreover, there seems little doubt the UK central bank will raise rates again at its August meeting, the only question being by how much.'It now appears that interest rates may go higher th

Stocks in London closed in the red on Friday as fears of a recession in the UK mounted with weak economic data and the prospect of global interests staying higher for longer.'The words from the chairman of the [US Federal Reserve], alongside the [Bank of England]'s assertiveness, show that central banks aren't yet done with monetary tightening, in a dynamic that highlights the risks of an economic

After a strong 2022 as energy prices surged in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UK's contingent of UK small and mid-cap oil and gas companies has endured a much more challenging time in 2023. Windfall taxes have taken a big bite out of profits and commodity markets have fallen back as fears of recession dampen demand expectations.Facing the prospect of an unstable and more onerous fis

Stocks in London were trading in the red on Friday at midday, with the FTSE 100 set for a negative week as a whole, as most attention shifts to a series of in-play interest rate decisions due next week and the following week.Among individual listings on Friday, downbeat trading update from Croda International sent chemicals company shares lower, but Harbour Energy and Ithaca Energy got a boost, af

While there is much handwringing over the outlook for the new-build housing sector, it seems the rest of the UK construction industry is in rude health. That has helped construction to be one of the best performing sectors in the FTSE 350 index year-to-date, up 20%.The latest S&P Global/CIPS UK Construction PMI survey - which tracks changes in the total volume of construction activity in the UK by

I'm trying to oversee my mum's finances. Over the last 25 years she has inherited a range of investments from two sources. She has never sold any, and with some investments she also chose to do dividend reinvestment so the number of shares she owns now is not what she inherited. None of the investments are in a tax wrapper, so if she needed to sell any, they would all be liable for capital gains t

Saga investors have to hope earnings are on courseThe share price has been unusually volatile since the interim resultsRather like its cruise-ship customers, shareholders in over-50s financial services and leisure group Saga (SAGA) will be hoping everything is plain sailing when the firm reports full year earnings on 4 April.The last six months have been anything but quiet, with the shares touchin