Many first-time investors will start by building a basic portfolio from funds. The next step is to look at shares in individual companies. Investing in shares (also known as stocks and equities) can be both an exciting and rewarding activity. However, before you take the plunge it is worth having a good understanding of the fundamentals behind shares and share ownership. BECOMING A PART ...

Stock markets around the world have staged a big recovery from their March lows, yet there are many individual companies that have stubbornly failed to find their feet. Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s (SBRY) and aircraft engines maker Rolls-Royce (RR.) are among a small clutch of FTSE 100 companies to have extended share price losses since 23 March, when the UK’s benchmark index hit its ...

At the time of writing, the FTSE All-Share stands 32% above its March lows, which sounds pretty good, even reassuring, on the face of it. However, that rebound means that the All-Share has still lagged the FTSE All-World over the same period. It also means that the UK has underperformed most major equity markets during the current recovery phase and indeed for the year as a whole. Cynics ...

Investors seeking exposure to a wide range of UK companies still paying dividends should snap up BMO Capital & Income Investment Trust (BCI) as its portfolio contains many of these prized names. This trust could be an easier and more convenient way for income investors to back the dividend payers as it only requires buying a single product rather than lots of individual shares. Among the ...

For all the talk of stock markets bouncing back from March lows, UK shares have only delivered marginal gains in the past six weeks. At 6,088 on 26 May, the FTSE 100 index was up just 5.1% since 14 April, despite some wild one-day moves. US stocks have performed in a similar fashion. While coronavirus and its impact on the economy and company earnings are still the main drivers, older concerns ...

Shares in high street lender Barclays (BARC) climbed 5% to 103p despite the bank reporting a big hit to first quarter earnings from increased provisions for bad loans. Statutory profit before tax was £0.9bn after the bank took a £2.1bn credit impairment charge to reflect its ‘initial estimates of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.’ Profit before tax excluding credit impairment ...

Shares in global banking group HSBC (HSBA) were little changed at 415p, despite a 48% drop in first quarter earnings due to a sharp increase in provisions for  bad loans. Pre-tax profits for the three months to 31 March were $3.2bn compared with $6.2bn a year ago, after the bank increased its charges for expected credit losses and other impairments from $0.6bn to $3bn. OIL EXPOSURE Most ...

UK stocks inched higher on Tuesday, helped by gains in Asian markets and growing optimism that more countries would allow businesses to re-open in a phased relaxation of the global lockdown. The FTSE 100 index of leading stocks rose 0.2% to 5,856, with gains in industrial stocks and insurers helping to offset losses in heavyweight banks, oils and retailers. Shares in global bank HSBC ...

The market has come storming back since it bottomed out on 23 March from a coronavirus-inspired plunge. As we write the FTSE 100 is above the 5,700 mark and some 16% off its lows. Suggestions that some countries are past the peak of infections, a cautious reopening of the Chinese economy and reports of progress on a coronavirus treatment have all helped sentiment. In the FTSE 350, travel ...

This year has seen 233 London-listed companies either cancel, cut or suspend their dividends, principally because of the coronavirus crisis. This is terrible news for anyone who relies on their investments for income. In many instances, even previously-declared dividends are not going to be paid, a terrifying trend only seen during times of massive distress that has returned as fiscal prudence ...

At the time of writing more than a quarter of the FTSE 100 index has elected to defer, cancel or cut their final dividends for 2019 or interim dividends for their next fiscal year. Perhaps the biggest blow to income seekers has come from the banking sector, where the Prudential Regulatory Authority made it clear that neither dividend payments nor buybacks from Barclays (BARC), HSBC ...

In the latest part of our first-time investor series, we explain the benefits of investing in funds, investment trusts and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). There are thousands of funds on offer which provide access to an array of asset classes, geographic regions and investment styles ranging from growth and value to income. This diverse universe of products is the best starting place for someone ...

Following a letter from the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA), the Bank of England’s regulatory body, the UK’s biggest banks have agreed not to pay any dividends this year and to suspend their share buyback programmes. The letter, which went to the seven largest ‘systemically important UK deposit-takers’, also asked the banks and the Nationwide building society not to pay any ...

The FTSE 100 dropped sharply in opening trade as banks were told to suspend dividends and buybacks, while investors also brace for a likely global recession as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK’s benchmark index opened 3.24% lower to 5,488.27, mirroring falls seen in Asian stock markets with the Nikkei 225 in Japan down 4.5%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong dropping 2.17% and China’s ...

Europe’s largest bank HSBC (HSBA) has revealed plans to slash up to 15% of its workforce over the next three years after earnings more than halved in the year to 31 December. Despite a 4% increase in revenue, net profits slid 53% to just $6bn from $12.6bn as the bank took a $7.3bn write-down on its investment banking and commercial banking units in Europe and a $2.8bn charge for bad ...

Shares in global banking giant HSBC (HSBA) were the worst performer on the FTSE 100 on Tuesday, losing 6% to 555p after it reported a 53% fall in full year profits and revealed it would lay off 35,000 staff. Although group revenues were up 4% to $56bn last year, a combination of higher operating costs – up 22% to $42.3bn due to a goodwill write-off of $7.3bn – and higher provisions for ...

Asian markets were lower on Tuesday with tech stocks hit by Apple's warning that it would miss its sales guidance this quarter due to lower production and sales in China owing to the impact of the coronavirus. Although the UK market doesn't have a big weighting in tech stocks, the FTSE 100 index reflected the weak mood in Asia losing 0.9% to 7,363 led by financial and commodity ...

Payouts to shareholders from UK-listed companies rose over 6% last year to a record £81bn, according to the latest Janus Henderson Global Dividend Index. The increase was boosted by big special payments from miners BHP (BHP) and Rio Tinto (RIO), as well as Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). But when stripping out the special payouts, as well as currency fluctuations, underlying UK dividend ...

There is a saying that a good start in January means the year as a whole is likely to see positive returns. Looking at the history of the FTSE 100 since its inception in 1984, seven of the index’s 10 best years came when it got off to a flyer in January and seven of its 10 worst showings came after a drop in the first month of the year. Investors could be forgiven for fearing the worst ...

UK mid-cap stocks powered ahead on 'Brexit day' with the FTSE 250 index gaining 86 points or 0.4% to 21,378. The pound also gained to €1.19, which is good for domestic stocks. Meanwhile the FTSE 100 was down 0.3% or 25 points to 7,362 as Asian-exposed stocks including Diageo (DGE), HSBC (HSBA), Rio Tinto (RIO) and Standard Chartered (STAN) weighed on the index. US tech shares advanced ...