2023 sales and earnings down sharply2024 order book just over half-coveredBuyer confidence seen recoveringResidential developer Crest Nicholson (CRST) posted a significant drop in 2023 earnings due to a weak sales market but said house-buyer confidence had ?gradually returned? last year due to falling mortgage rates, leaving the shares trading sideways at 205p at lunchtime. The FTSE 250 fir

The FTSE 100 declined on Tuesday morning in London as UK wage growth slowed, as expected, ahead of UK consumer and producer price inflation readings on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened down 25.93 points, 0.3%, at 7,568.98. The FTSE 250 was down 23.52 points, 0.1%, at 19,177.32, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.33 points, 0.2%, at 748.70.The FTSE 100 was down 0.3% at 756.04, the FTSE 250 was up 0.

European equities moved lower on Monday, missing a spark from New York, and as investors eagerly anticipate a week of UK data that could be key for the Bank of England interest rate outlook.The FTSE 100 index closed down 30.02 points, 0.4%, at 7,594.91. The FTSE 250 ended up just 3.22 points at 19,200.84, and the AIM All-Share closed down 1.69 points, or 0.2%, at 747.37.The Cboe UK 100 ended down

European equities moved lower at the start of the week, in subdued trade amid a US public holiday, and as stock market investors look to the first batch of major interest rate decisions of the year.Financial markets in New York are closed for Martin Luther King Jr Day on Monday, but traders return to desks on Tuesday.Among individual stocks, an underwhelming update from Crest Nicholson sent shares

Stock prices in London were slightly higher on Monday morning amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East and Taiwan and ahead of eurozone industrial production and trade balance data.The FTSE 100 index opened up 8.58 points, 0.1%, at 7,633.51. The FTSE 250 was up 39.41 points, 0.2%, at 19,237.03, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.93 points, 0.3%, at 750.99.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 762.21, the Cbo

Stocks in London ended the day in mixed fashion with blue-chips nursing modest losses and mid-caps ending in the green.A solid start to the day in the US helped, with the S&P hitting a 12-month high, as investors look ahead to CPI figures and the Federal Reserve?s interest rate decision on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 9.58 points, 0.1%, at 7,544.89. The FTSE 250 ended up 48.40 points,

- Scottish Mortgage down 43% in first half of 2022- Ambitious growth style has fallen out of favour- Global Opportunities Trust tops league with flat performanceOne of the UK's most owned growth investment trusts has bagged the unwanted gong for worst performance this year, so far.The £10.5 billion Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT) is owned by thousands of UK retail investors who have been

Despite weeks of anticipation, markets reacted with shock on Thursday to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with travel shares and anything connected to Russia dropping.Conversely, oil was trading above $105 a barrel, its highest in more than seven years, while safe-havens such as gold, the dollar, the Swiss franc and the yen were benefiting.Ten-year US Treasury yields narrowed sharply to 1.88% from 2.

A specialist new real estate investment trust is coming to the AIM market with a focus on UK life science properties in key innovation centres such as the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge and the St Pancras area of central London.Life Science REIT is looking to raise £300 million to target property assets in what is known as the 'Golden Triangle', including laboratories, offices and co-wo

The FTSE 100 index ended Friday's session in negative territory falling 0.91% to 6963.64 below the psychologically critical 7,000 level. The FTSE 250 index fared marginally better, remaining in positive territory up 0.1% at 23,658.14.Two main factors contributed to this decidedly mixed performance. First, the UK market was uninspired by the latest UK retail sales volumes for August which showed a

The FTSE 100 index dipped into negative territory during midday trading on Friday, softening by 0.2% to 7,0111.79. In contrast the FTSE 250 Index fared better trading 0.4% higher at 23,735.41.The UK market was uninspired by the latest UK retail sales volumes for August which showed a 0.9% decline from July. This compared with a consensus forecast of a 0.5% rise.According to the ONS report 6.5% of

London's FTSE 100 firmed 0.36% to 7,052.58 on Friday, while the FTSE 250 improved 0.53% to 23,758.83, as steadying Asian markets and a potential easing of UK travel restrictions provided the backdrop for some decent gains heading into the weekend.Airlines and other stocks whose fortunes are tied to the travel industry, including International Consolidated Airlines (IAG), TUI (TUI) and WH Smith (SM

Shares in Vertu Motors (VTU:AIM) accelerated 4.1% to a one-year high of 47.8p after the UK's fifth biggest automotive retailer raised pre-tax profit guidance for the year to February 2022 amid 'very robust' demand for used cars.With vehicle supply constraints and strong demand pushing up used car prices and gross profit per unit, Vertu now expects annual adjusted pre-tax profit will be above curre

London's FTSE 100 erased earlier losses on Monday to finish only slightly lower, off 0.2% at 7,032.85 points by the close.The move came as most of the UK eased coronavirus restrictions, although airlines, pubs, and restaurants all lost ground amid fears over the Indian coronavirus strain.The blue chip benchmark's intra-day recovery from its lows arose in spite of a weak start on Wall Street, with

Shares in car dealership Vertu Motors (VTU:AIM) surged 11% to 24.2p on Thursday after the company said that strong trading had continued into July as it experienced a robust recovery in demand for its vehicles and servicing.ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERYIn today's annual general meeting (AGM) update, chief executive Robert Forrester commented: 'A very successful 0% finance used vehicle sale event was exe

£4BN+ MARKET CAPJD Sports Fashion (JD.) +117%Retail sector darling JD Sports Fashion (JD.) sprinted higher once again in 2019. The branded sports and casual wear purveyor stormed into the FTSE 100 on record results and consistent earnings upgrades.Like-for-like growth in the core sports fashion business was driven by the savvy mining of an athleisure boom among youthful gym-goers.Investors also g

Brexit continues to dominate the headlines as the 31 October deadline for a withdrawal by the UK draws near and equity, bond and currency markets are becoming more volatile as a result.The dangers of second-guessing the outcome of the talks between Britain and the EU are clear from how the FTSE 250 index soared by more than 800 points, or 4%, one day (11 Oct) only to shed more than 200 points duri

UK investors will likely spend most of Thursday morning mulling the possibilities of three central bank announcements later today. The Bank of England's news at midday has damp squib written all over it while the ECB's likely downgrade to growth estimates has already been leaked.We'll find out the facts at 12.45pm, but it is Turkey that could grab the economic headlines, also at midday, with its'

The shares of 27 AIM companies have doubled or better so far in 2018. For those that don't know, AIM is the Alternative Investment Market, the junior trading platform of the stock market designed to nurture small, growth companies.While the rewards can be substantial, so are the risks, a point illustrated by Bahamas Petroleum (BPC:AIM) today. Its stock tanked more than 60% on Friday 24 August afte

The FTSE 100 is flat in early trading on Monday on soft Chinese economic data and ahead of a key Brexit vote in the UK parliament later.Drug maker Indivior (INDV) says a US court has granted a preliminary injunction against Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, preventing the sale of a generic version of the company's opioid addiction treatment.Shares in the firm, which have been battered amid several launche