London?s FTSE 100 hit another record high on Friday, rounding off a strong week with another gain, despite a robust US inflation reading threatening to spoil the party.The FTSE 100 index added 60.97 points, 0.8%, at 8,139.83. It is its best closing level ever, and it earlier hit a record intraday high of 8,146.75.The FTSE 250 was up 222.18 points, 1.1%, at 19,824.16, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.1

London?s FTSE 100 pushed higher on Thursday, leaving peers on the continent and beyond in its wake, on share price rises for heavyweights AstraZeneca, Barclays and Unilever, as well as M&A impetus for Anglo American.Trade was underwhelming elsewhere, however, as equities struggled following a red-hot US inflation reading, which was coupled with numbers showing a slowdown in growth.The FTSE 100 ind

Stock prices were up in London heading into the afternoon on Thursday, with Anglo American leading the charge on confirming it was ?reviewing? a takeover bid from its larger Australian rival BHP Group.The FTSE 100 index was up 54.22 points, 0.7%, at 8,094.60. The FTSE 250 was down 20.05 points, 0.1%, at 19,699.32, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.33 of a point at 755.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% a

After almost closing at a new high in early April, the UK?s blue-chip FTSE 100 has finally made it into the ranks of indices hitting new all-time highs thanks to a 4.5% gain since the start of January.On 22 April the index reached its highest ever close and on 23 April it moved through its previous intra-day high.The UK clearly isn?t in the same league as the US, where the S&P 500 has notched up n

The persistently high interest rate environment means companies are under pressure to cut costs and jobs are an obvious target. While they can cut their workforce through redundancies or slash the wage bill through shorter or fewer shifts, others might already be operating with a skeleton crew and cannot pare back any further.It is against this scenario that higher wages are adding to companies? p

Investors in London continued to show confidence, as stocks at the open on Tuesday added to Monday?s gains, boosted by the prospect of interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index opened up 33.06 points, 0.4%, at 8,056.93. The FTSE 250 was up 54.48 points, 0.3%, at 19,653.87, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.14 points, 0.3%, at 751.32.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 804.24, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 17

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

Investors in London showed confidence on Monday, as Ocado boosted the FTSE 100 despite shareholder pressure to move its listing to the US, while takeover talks drove Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Tyman in the FTSE 250.Amongst individual stocks, Ocado boosted the FTSE 100 on pressure to move to the US. The FTSE 250 got a boost from takeover talks for both Hipgnosis Songs Fund and Tyman.The FTSE 100 inde

Stock prices in London improved at the open on Monday, with FTSE 250 stocks Hipgnosis and Tyman rising on news of prospective takeovers for both firms, while investors more widely shook off nerves ahead of a key US inflation reading later this week.The FTSE 100 index opened up 96.75 points, 1.2%, at 7,992.60. The FTSE 250 was up 152.32 points, 0.8%, at 19,543.62, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.13

Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell?s phrase ?bump in the road? to describe choppiness in the expected downward path for inflation is being tested following a third consecutive hot inflation reading on 10 April.Headline consumer price inflation for March remained elevated at 3.5%, while core inflation, excluding volatile food and energy prices came in at 3.8%, both ahead of forecasts.At the March int

In the Spring Budget, the chancellor announced the launch of new British savings bonds with the promise of a three-year cash account intended to raise more money for the government. The new products have been launched, so we?ll explain what they are and when you might want to use them.WHAT ARE THE NEW BONDS?Despite being branded as ?British savings bonds?, the money raised will go into the general

We said last week the market faced a test with the US CPI (consumer price index) report and that?s exactly how it turned out, with a third successive hotter-than-expected print sending the S&P 500 index down 2% on the week, its worst five-day performance since last October.As expected, it was the ?core? reading excluding food and energy prices which did the damage, with services inflation ? the Fe

UK stocks look cheap on so many different valuation metrics, not just one or two, suggesting a robust, genuine investment opportunity is available to long-term investors. So why does nobody seem convinced?This article explores the scepticism surrounding the UK?s market?s attractive valuation and examines the underlying evidence to support it. Shares concludes UK stocks really are a compelling inve

Stock prices in London closed largely up on Wednesday, as the FTSE 100 shrugged off hotter-than-expected UK inflation data.The FTSE 100 index closed up 27.63 points, 0.4%, at 7,847.99. The FTSE 250 ended down just 4.40 points at 19,340.14, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.84 points, or 0.7% at 743.12.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.6% at 785.06, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.1% at 16,784.15, and the Cbo

Q1 revenue misses by ?100 millionChip kit firm?s stock falls more than 4%Underlying market remains supportiveChip stocks have been gunning it this year thanks to booming demand for the most advanced AI (artificial intelligence) technology. The US SOX semiconductor index, which measures the world?s meaningful chips stocks, has rallied 15% since the start of January, so ASML?s (ASML:AMS) revenue mis

Stock prices in London opened mixed on Wednesday, as UK consumer price inflation ebbed, but not by how much economists were expecting, prompting investors to rethink their Bank of England interest rate expectations.The reading followed numbers showing UK wage growth was loftier than expected in the three months to February. Sterling traded higher early Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened just 1.54

The FTSE 100 achieved a solid gain and almost hit its best-ever level on Friday, with its mining and oil producing contingent sparing it from declines seen in equities elsewhere.Shares in Frankfurt and New York failed to find their feet as investors fretted over rising tensions and US interest rate worries.The FTSE 100 index ended up 71.78 points, 0.9%, at 7,995.58, closing below the 8,000 point m

As investors gear up for the latest earnings season, stubbornly resistant inflation continues to dominant the mood music on US markets. After Wednesday?s (10 Apr) hotter-than-expected CPI data and the FOMC minutes, analysts at investment banks Citi, UBS, and Goldman Sachs all said they don?t see the Federal Reserve cutting rates in June, a blow to hopes that the interest rates down cycle will get

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Friday, as the UK could be on a path to avoid a recession according to new GDP data from the Office for National Statistics.Eyes are also on the banking earnings season, which kicks off on Friday. Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are due to release first-quarter numbers. Asset manager BlackRock also reports.The FTSE 100 index opened up 61.11 p

European stocks were in the red on Thursday midday, after hope for Summer interest rate cuts diminished following hotter-than-expected US consumer price inflation.Investors are also eyeing the latest interest rate decision from the European Central Bank and hopes for some clues about the trajectory of rates in a press conference which will follow.The FTSE 100 index was down 18.46 points, 0.2%, at