Our latest review of the best and worst earnings revisions across the FTSE 350 throws up a few surprises in terms of sectors and individual stocks, particularly in the light of their relative performance. There are three distinct clusters of winners, split between investment, real estate and consumer discretionary companies. Among the investment companies, Molten Ventures ...

In our latest screening of FTSE 350 stocks with the biggest one-month upgrades to earnings per share forecasts for this year and next year, the clear winners in terms of numbers are retailers. Heading the field, somewhat surprisingly, is clothing and sportwear group Frasers (FRAS), best known for its pile-it-high-and-sell-it-cheap Sports Direct chain which accounts for more than 50% of ...

UK stocks had their best week in a month, closing in on their previous highs after official figures showed the economy expanded at 2.3% in April, its fastest rate since last July, as lockdown measures eased. The service sector registered record growth of 27.6% compared with last year as non-essential retail and hospitality businesses re-opened. At the the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was ...

UK stocks traded higher on Friday after official figures showed the economy expanded at 2.3% in April, its fastest rate since last July, as lockdown measures eased. The service sector registered record growth of 27.6% compared with last year as non-essential retail and hospitality businesses re-opened. At 1pm the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was 35 points or 0.5% higher at 7,124 led by ...

UK stocks opened on the front foot on Friday as official figures showed the economy expanding at 2.3% in March, its fastest rate since July 2020. At 9am the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was 0.6% higher at 7,129 points. Overnight trading in Asia was subdued with China’s Composite SE index off 0.6% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 down 0.1%. COPORATE NEWS The UK’s largest listed ...

The latest Halifax house price index data (7 Jun) showed a UK property market still in runaway form. This might be good news for the value of your own home, but it will also make it more difficult for many to get on the property ladder – meaning more demand for rental properties. In investment terms the options for people looking to put money to work directly in the residential property ...

UK stocks traded higher on Wednesday as mining stocks found favour thanks to a sharp rally in metals and commodity prices. In Asian trading the Shanghai Composite SE index surged 1.4% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.2%. Gold prices were 0.3% higher at $1,845 an ounce and Brent oil prices were slightly lower at $60.8 a barrel. At 12 pm the FTSE 100 was up 27 points or 0.4% t0 6,559 ...

UK stocks opened higher on Wednesday after a clutch of positive corporate results and dividend resumptions. In Asian trading the Shanghai Composite SE index surged 1.4% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.2%. Gold prices were 0.3% higher at $1,845 an ounce and Brent oil prices were slightly lower at $60.8 a barrel. At 08.45 am the FTSE 100 was 14 points higher at 6,546 ...

London’s FTSE 100 took a turn for the worse in afternoon trading on Monday as rising coronavirus cases and the prospect of tighter lockdown restrictions finally caught up with the stock market. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned the UK is at a ‘perilous’ moment in the pandemic and said ministers are keeping lockdown restrictions under ‘constant review’, adding that ‘where we have ...

UK stocks fell throughout morning trading as reports emerged that the Government is considering tighter lockdown restrictions. Stocks had already started in subdued fashion as investors took profits following strong recent gains, driven by expectations of more US stimulus and Covid vaccine success, but continued to fall on Monday as concerns mount over rising coronavirus cases and the ...

The FTSE 100 made a slow start to the new trading week with opening enthusiasm from vaccine roll-outs and US stimulus giving way to the grim reality of mounting coronavirus cases. Increasingly draconian measures are reportedly being contemplated by the Government to halt the spread of the more virulent form of Covid with worries intensifying that the NHS is close to being swamped. At ...

Markets in the US and Europe moved lower on Thursday as technology-led declines continued on disappointment at the US Federal Reserve’s pledge to keep rates low for an extended period. In the UK, the Bank of England echoed the Fed by keeping interest rates near zero and warning of an ‘unusually uncertain’ recovery ahead. The FTSE 100 ended the session 0.47% lower at 6,049.92, sentiment ...

The FTSE 100 slipped lower on Thursday following the Federal Reserve’s announcement last night that it was likely to keep interest rates near zero for several years while the global economy recovers from Covid-19. At 11.25, the blue chip benchmark was 50.4 points, or 0.83%, lower at 6,028.11. Fed chair Jerome Powell said the central bank would ‘maintain an accommodative stance of ...

UK shares tracked declines on Asian stock markets in early trade on Thursday as the lack of new stimulus measures by the US Federal Reserve left investors disappointed ahead of a Bank of England policy meeting. The benchmark FTSE 100 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 were both sharply lower in opening deals with banks, miners and automakers leading the declines. The FTSE 100 was off by around ...

UK stocks eked out relatively modest gains in early trading on Monday as investors weighed signs of economic recovery with a potential resurgence in coronavirus cases. At 0825, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was up 13.71 points, or 0.2%, at 6,173.01. Mining company Rio Tinto (RIO) shed 0.9% to £44.95, even as it reached an agreement with the government of Mongolia on a new source of domestic ...

Having invested in shares since he was a kid, Duncan from London is using his investment expertise to rebuild his ISA after spending most of his savings on house renovations. Duncan, who is in his early 40s, has been investing actively for around 15 years. He works full-time and owns his own home with a mortgage. He describes investing as his hobby and says: ‘My late grandfather was an ...

The property sector is facing its biggest test since the 2016 Brexit vote, with the coronavirus pandemic leading to a new wave of property fund suspensions, dividends being cut and a collapse in valuations. People have been left to question if investing in commercial property is still a viable option and whether it can be relied on for income in the same way as before. However, not all parts of ...

Income is a big motivating factor for people to invest in the markets. The idea of securing a regular stream of cash which can be used to pay the bills or reinvested to help boost capital returns is an attractive one. However, this income is not guaranteed and the last two months or so of dividend cuts, suspensions and deferrals have seen billions of pounds worth of payouts from UK stocks taken ...

The FTSE 100 slumped in early trade on Thursday as investors mull the threat of a resurgence in coronavirus cases. This comes after several countries, which have recently eased lockdown restrictions, reported a renewed spike in infections. Germany, China and South Korea have struggled to put a lid on new Covid-19 cases and are bracing themselves for a second wave of outbreaks and re-imposing ...

After opening lower on Wednesday as the coronavirus death toll approached 500 in China, the FTSE 100 firmed 31.46 points to 7,471.28 with global stock markets in recovery mode, although oil remained weak amid fears the outbreak will lead to persistently lower demand from China and clobber the global tourism sector. Tobacco maker Imperial Brands (IMB) wafted 8% lower to £17.97 on a warning full ...