Many people are prepared to pay a high price for growth in the current market. Indeed, Shares has been keen to extol the virtues of quality businesses capable of growing despite a troubled backdrop. However, we sense growing interest in the market for value opportunities and our research shows it is currently possible to find decent companies trading at attractive prices. Warren Buffett ...

After rallying over 1% this morning, the FTSE 100 swung the other way on Tuesday afternoon to close deeply in the red, as a surging pound and plummeting US consumer confidence dragged the index down. The UK’s benchmark index closed 1.11% lower to 6,037.01, with the exporter-heavy index – full of companies who report in US dollars – hit by the pound’s rise against the dollar. Also ...

UK stocks closed in positive territory on Wednesday, buoyed by strength in miners as the gold price continued to surge and with oil stocks in demand as crude prices broke higher following another significant drawdown in US weekly stockpiles. The benchmark FTSE 100 index closed up 68.72 points, or 1.14%, at 6,104.72. Motor insurer Hastings (HSTG) jumped 17.7% to 253p after it agreed to a bid ...

UK stocks were stronger on Wednesday, picking up where they left off on Tuesday and maintaining the bullish outlook for August so far. Motor insurer Hastings (HSTG) soared on the back of a £1.66 billion takeover bid from Finland’s Sampo and Rand Merchant Investment, although a new record for the gold price revealed continuing investor unease. At 11.15, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 62 ...

Concerns around a second wave of coronavirus infections led global stock markets sharply lower on Monday morning. The FTSE 100 index plunged 2.2% in early trade, dropping back below the 6,000 mark to hit 5,969 points. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell a whopping 3.5%, with the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropping 2.32%. US equity futures are pointing to a 2% fall in indices there later ...

London’s FTSE 100 made substantial gains in early trading on Tuesday, bid up 165.73 points or 2.97% to 5,748.12 amid continued hopes that the spread of coronavirus may be levelling out in major hotspots in Europe and the US. Embattled Cineworld (CINE) rallied 17.3% to 46.45p after the cinema operator suspended dividends in a bid to strengthen liquidity, having shuttered all its cinemas ...

The FTSE 100 plunged 3.75% to 5,096 in early morning trade despite Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledging £350bn, equivalent of 15% of the UK’s GDP, in support for businesses. Companies across the UK are facing an unprecedented crisis as people stay at home and spend only on essentials due to the coronavirus outbreak, with the sharp drop in economic activity putting a wide of range of jobs and ...

Mining companies were among the biggest fallers in the FTSE 350 today as markets worry about the impact from the coronavirus outbreak in China. The country’s government has extended the national holiday by three days to help contain the virus, with Chinese companies advising staff to work from home or take longer holidays. Retail, leisure and hospitality are the sectors set to take the ...

UK stocks eased back after last week’s strong finish, with the FTSE 100 index giving up 21 points or 0.3% to 7,303. Banks, Household Goods, Mobile Telecoms and Tobacco were the sectors weighing the most on the index. Global banking giant HSBC (HSBA) delivered a disappointing third quarter earnings update, with profits down 24% to $3bn, and abandoned its Return on Tangible Equity target of ...

UK stocks didn’t get off to the best of starts on Monday morning as doubts grow as to whether or not there will actually be a Brexit deal. Despite positive noises over the weekend, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said a ‘big gap’ still remains over customs arrangements. This news led the pound to dip to a little under $1.26 on the dollar. That helped stemmed some losses on the FTSE ...

Investors have breathed a sigh of relief after the charity saga which has engulfed iron ore miner Ferrexpo (FXPO) cleared its directors of any wrongdoing. An independent review into whether donations made by Ferrexpo to Ukrainian charity Blooming Land had been misappropriated found that funds may well have been misued, but absolved all Ferrexpo directors and staff of any blame. The firm’s ...

Markets continued to claw back some of the month’s losses following signs yesterday from China and the US that they would resume trade talks. The FTSE 100 was trading up 0.4% at 7,212 while the FTSE 250 advanced by a similar amount to 19,370. Selco-owner Grafton (GFTU) reported an uptick in half-yearly profits on improved margins strength in its merchanting and retailing businesses in ...

UK stocks retreated on Thursday with the FTSE 100 index down 33 points or 0.5% to 7,171 led by Metals, Mining and Oil Services stocks. Mining stocks came under pressure after analysts at Liberum cut their forecast for iron ore prices and downgraded Anglo American (AAL), BHP (BHP), Ferrexpo (FXPO) and Rio Tinto (RIO) to Sell. Also weighing on the index was copper miner Antofagasta ...

Emerging concerns of a global recession drag on UK stock markets in early trade on Thursday as a political unrest in Hong Kong, inverse yield curves and ex-dividends take their toll in a largely quiet day for corporate news. The FTSE 100 sinks around 25 points, or about 0.35%, to 7,123.14, its lowest since February and echoing the dismal session overnight for major US markets. On Wall Street ...

The FTSE 100 fell a whopping 1.7% with a 134 point drop to 7,450 following a whole host of bad news across the world. After the Bank of England cut its growth forecast for the UK as it warned of the dangers of a no-deal Brexit, US president Donald Trump again used Twitter to move markets, announcing a fresh 10% tariff on another $300bn of Chinese goods, which effectively means all Chinese ...

The FTSE 100 starts Friday on the back foot, down 0.3% to 7,583.96, as mining stocks fall on worries over slowing growth in the world economy. Aviation services firm John Menzies (MNZS) guides for full year earnings to be at best flat year-on-year after a weaker than expected first half performance. Its shares fall 14.1%. In a first half trading update specialist building materials supplier ...

After a poor May, which wiped over $2 trillion off global stock market values, investors are breathing a sigh of relief that the first week in June has seen markets tick back up again. As of last night's close S&P500 had recovered 3.3% this week, roughly half the amount it lost last month, while Germany’s Dax index is up 2% and including today's gains the FTSE 100 is also up 2%. The ...

UK markets open for trade on Monday on the front foot although there is precious little corporate news to steer investors one way or the other. At 9am the benchmark FTSE 100 index is quietly in positive territory, adding around 7 points to 7,434.84, with investors seemingly drawn to seek out bargains following a weaker end to last week. The FTSE 250 mid cap index is also on the rise, up close ...

Stocks start the week in a positive mood with the FTSE 100 index up 0.2% to a new six month high of 7,473 led by energy stocks. Oil prices have hit a new high for the year as the US tightens sanctions on Iran by withdrawing waivers on its exports to countries such as China and Turkey. Brent crude is trading at $74.50 per barrel on Tuesday compared with less than $55 per barrel at the start ...

An update on trade talks between the US and China fails to have any major influence on global stock markets, with the FTSE 100 edging a mere 2.6 points higher to 7,404.5 on Friday, a fairly quiet day for corporate news. Sports betting and gaming giant GVC (GVC) gains 11p to 594p on a strong first quarter update, news of ‘an excellent start to the year’ reassuring the market following recent ...