After last week?s market spasm over hints from Fed officials that rates may need to rise rather than fall due to the resilience of the US economy, this week the focus moved on to earnings with around one third of S&P 500 companies posting first-quarter updates.So far most firms have beaten estimates, leading to slim gains for the indices, but an increasing number have tempered their guidance for t

A key rationale for investing in the smallest companies on the UK market is that these businesses have the most capacity for growth.However, for several reasons investing in micro-cap businesses is not for everyone and has, with some notable exceptions, proved less than fruitful in recent years. WHAT IS A MICRO CAP?The definition of what constitutes a micro cap varies. Natalie Bell, fund manager a

Digital coupons business jumps 17% post New York IPOJoins Reddit and Astera Labs as major new listings this yearAt $103.25 day one close, Ibotta market cap over $3 billionThere?s been plenty of talk about an IPO (initial public offering) market revival this year, and Ibotta?s (IBTA:NYSE) blistering New York debut will only bolster that narrative.On its first day as a public company, shares in the

Private equity firm hoping for valuation up to ?16 billionGoing public would allow firm to expand and diversify modelAmsterdam market picked over New York and LondonPrivate capital investment firm CVC Capital Partners hopes to get an IPO (initial public offering) away at the third attempt later this month.The London-based buyout giant, which owns stakes in Liptons Tea, upmarket watch maker Breitli

Encouraging start for small caps trustHulse sees value opportunity in UK small capsWindward?s potential excitesShares in Onward Opportunities (ONWD:AIM) rose 1.5% to 111.5p after the smaller companies-focused trust reported an 11.3% NAV (net asset value) total return to 106.5p for the nine months from its March 2023 IPO (initial public offering) to the end of December.That performance compares to

Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ)-backed cybersecurity firm Rubrik (RBRK:NYSE) plans to raise up to $750 million as it becomes the latest company to unveil plans for an IPO (initial public offering) in the US. The roster of companies planning to go public is starting to fill out after two years of relative drought following recent successes by social media platform Reddit (RDDT:NYSE) and semiconductor conn

The shrinking UK stock market is a worry for fund managers and has wider implications for the UK as a listing venue as well as the UK?s economic growth, say analysts at Peel Hunt.This article explores the so-called de-equitisation of the UK stock market, or plainly put the substitution of debt for equity via share buybacks and cash acquisitions.More than 45 companies exited the UK market in 2023 d

Kitwave shares up 41% year-to-dateCash and banking facilities funded purchaseTotal Foodservice has around 4,000 product linesShares in Kitwave (KITW:AIM) were up 4.5% to a new all-time high of 372p in morning trading as the food and drink wholesaler announced it was buying Total Foodservice, a leading independent food wholesaler in the North of England for £21 million.The purchase has been made i

We begin this article with the cautionary tale of former high-flying cloud telephony and conferencing firm LoopUp (LOOP:AIM).At the beginning of March, the firm dropped a bombshell on investors by announcing the board had unanimously decided that canceling its listing on AIM and raising money from a handful of private backers was ?in the best interests of the group and our shareholders?.The stock

The London Tunnels is a major new heritage and cultural experience in central London.The company intends to apply for admission on a major stock exchange, as part of its plans to extensively restore, adaptively reuse and bring back to life the Kingsway Exchange Tunnels, near Holborn, originally built in the early 1940s, and designed to shelter 8,000 people during the London blitz.In collaboration

It has been a busy time for shareholders in Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT), but it has been a fruitful time too with the shares hitting new 12-month highs in March.First, the board announced it would buy back at least £1 billion worth of shares in order to help narrow the discount to NAV (net asset value).Then, Delaware-based Elliott Advisors revealed it had taken a 5% stake in the trus

Shares priced at $34 a share, top end of range$750 million raised from the IPOReddit begins trading under ticker RDDTAfter eyeing a New York listing since 2021, social media company Reddit (RDDT:NASDAQ) was finally granted its wish on 21 March.The shares finished the day 48% higher than their IPO price of $34, giving the company a market cap of about $9.5 billion.The website, which hosts millions

Major US indices notched-up further all-time highs this week on dovish comments from Fed chair Jay Powell in the press conference following the central bank?s decision to leave interest rates unchanged.The Fed?s summary of economic projections sees stronger economic growth and stickier inflation, but it still anticipates a couple of rate cuts later in the year.The small-cap, economically sensitive

Retail pharmacy firm Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA:NASDAQ) is set to report its second-quarter earnings as speculation continues to swirl about a return to the London market for its UK chain Boots. Trading as Alliance Boots after a 2006 merger with pan-European wholesale and retail pharmacy outfit Alliance UniChem, the business was acquired by private equity in 2007 before merging with North Ameri

Total revenue and other income up 13.8% to $1.2 billionPre-tax profit up 21.5%Strong passenger and capacity growthKazakhstan-based airline Air Astana (AIRA) reported a 21.5% increase in pre-tax profit to $68.7 million for the 12 months ending 31 December 2023.The company reported total revenue of $1.2 billion, up 13.8% on the prior year as passenger numbers increased 10.1% to a record 8.1 million.

Adjusted EBITDA ahead of guidanceGrowth trend improved in H2Positive cash flow targeted for 2024Shares in Deliveroo (ROO) rose 2.6% to 117.5p after the takeaway company reported significantly narrowed losses and a welcome uptick in revenues in what the food delivery service dubbed a ?resilient year of growth given macroeconomic conditions?.The London-headquartered firm also flagged an improved sec

Kitwave (KITW:AIM) 329pMarket cap: £233.45 millionAmong the London stock market?s successful small cap IPO?s (initial public offering) of recent years, Kitwave?s (KITW:AIM) stock has more than doubled since Shares highlighted the independent wholesaler?s attractions in October 2021, but the company has the capacity to deliver plenty of growth and income for investors in the years ahead. We believ

The FTSE 100 was outperforming its European peers at midday Tuesday, after market sentiment got a boost from UK employment data, which has raised the chances of a Bank of England interest rate cut.A red-hot US consumer price rise could undo all of that progress, however. According to FXStreet cited consensus, the US annual consumer price inflation rate is expected to have remained at 3.1% in Febru

Stock prices in London opened largely higher on Tuesday morning, with TP ICAP topping the FTSE 250 as it mulls a minority float of its Parameta Solutions arm, while pet care firms struggled amid UK watchdog scrutiny.The FTSE 100 index rose 59.85 points, 0.8%, to 7,729.08. The FTSE 250 climbed 34.28 points, 0.2%, at 19,564.37, though the AIM All-Share fell 2.09 points, 0.3%, at 736.19.The Cboe UK 1

After repeated delays due to stock market volatility, social media business Reddit will finally make its Wall Street debut some time later this month according to its Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing on 22 February.If the New York listing does go ahead it will be the first major technology IPO (initial public offer) of 2024 and the first social media float since Pinterest (PINS:NYSE