Rewind to 2020, five years on from the landmark Paris Agreement to combat climate change, and aside from the pandemic the big stories in markets were the ?climate emergency? and the ?energy transition?.Although the Glasgow COP26 conference had to be postponed until 2021 due to Covid, there was no shortage of high-profile events from Manchester?s virtual four-day Green Summit to the WEF (World Econ

A surprisingly strong GDP reading in the UK was offering a glimmer of hope the UK could avoid a recession, giving investors an excuse to start buying again after a tumultuous week.UK gross domestic product saw surprise second quarter growth, defying an earlier estimate and providing some much-needed good news for the economy, figures on Friday showed.The UK economy is now estimated to have grown 0

Stocks in London were on the up on Friday afternoon, though not by enough to claw back the losses from a tough third quarter for equities.Spirits on Friday were lifted by a UK gross domestic product reading. On the fiscal policy front, UK Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Prime Minister Liz Truss faced the OBR after a now infamous mini-budget last week.The FTSE 100 index was 31.82 points higher, 0.5%,

As investors debate whether the next move in markets is up or down, it's worth noting that there are a group of stocks which are quietly making new 52-week and multi-year highs and even a few making new all-time highs.While some are involved in special situations, such as bid talks, and some are related to the unprecedented surge in energy prices, the most interesting from our point of view are th

The first half of 2022 has been tough for both experienced and novice investors with very few places to hide. However, it was possible to make money if you backed oil and gas producers and defensive stocks, among several other sectors.Virtually nobody would have predicted that the UK's FTSE 100 would have been the best performing major stock market index in the world, down just under 3% for the pe

Investment trusts paid record dividends of £5.5 billion in the 12 months to the end of March 2022, up 15.4% year-on-year according to research by Link Group.Dividends from investment trusts have proved much steadier through the pandemic than those from individual companies listed on stock markets thanks to their ability to invest almost anywhere in the world.The advantages of the investment trust

Markets in Europe mostly closed in the green on Wednesday as stocks in New York made modest gains, with investors awaiting the Federal Reserve minutes at 1900BST.Investors are awaiting the Fed's next move on interest rates, with expectations for more half-point hikes to come as officials struggle to bring inflation down from four-decade highs.At its most recent meeting, the Fed decided to raise in

It is one thing for analysts to forecast which stocks and sectors will do well in a rising-rate or inflationary environment, but when it actually comes to pass it's always fascinating to see what works in practice.Judging by the list of stocks making 12-month highs over the past week, those who favoured real assets were on the money.Standing tall are 3i Infrastructure (3IN), AEW UK REIT (AEWU), GC

Technology-heavy Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust (SMT) tops the charts with retail investors, according to data from investment platform AJ Bell YouInvest.The Baillie Gifford-run investment trust was the most actively traded by AJ Bell YouInvest customers this week, regaining its popularity after falling out of favour for most of 2022's first quarter.Scottish Mortgage saw its shares rally nearl

UK stocks began the week on a positive mood with the FTSE 100 index hitting a new post-pandemic high of 7,188 in early trading, lifted by gains in oil majors Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) which more than offset losses for airlines and hotel firms.By the close the benchmark had retraced to 7,147, up 13 points or 0.2%, ahead of a government press conference which was widely expected to signa

UK stocks began the week with new highs for the FTSE 100, helped by gains in oil majors Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) which more than offset losses for airlines and hotel firms.By midday the FTSE 100 was up 30 points or 0.4% to 7,165, just shy of its mid-morning print of 7,188, a new 12-month post-pandemic high.Brent crude prices traded 1% higher to $73.4 a barrel, near the year's highs as

UK stocks made a positive start to the week on Monday helped by solid gains in oil shares Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) which lifted the FTSE 100 by 48 points or 0.7% to a new 12-month post-pandemic high of 7,182 points.Brent crude prices traded 1% higher to $73.4 a barrel, near the year's highs as the global economic recovery boosted prices. Last week Goldman Sachs raised its target price

Investors have reacted in a mixed fashion to the Budget after Chancellor Rishi Sunak pledged to extend furlough and support for businesses, continue relief on stamp duty and refrain from raising income tax.The blue-chip FTSE 100 was trading 0.6% higher at 6,654 shortly after the Chancellor's speech, losing half of the gains seen at the market open, while the more domestically focused FTSE 250 midc

Popular green investment fund JLEN Environmental Assets (JLEN) wants shareholders to back plans for an expanded investment strategy. The rough £630 million investment trust hopes to widen its remit so it can target new technology assets in the clean, green space, such as battery storage projects, low carbon farming and bioenergy supply chains.The new rules would also allow it to invest in project

UK stocks closed well into the red on Thursday as the Government set out strict restrictions once lockdown ends on 2 December.Most of England will have tough measures to follow, with just the Isle of Scilly, Isle of Wight and Cornwall in the lightest tier one of the Covid tier restrictions.There was also no direction for investors from Wall Street, as US stock markets were closed due to Thanksgivi

UK stocks tumbled throughout morning trading on Thursday as the Government announced England's new regional Covid tiers.Tougher tier restrictions will see more people in England placed under the highest tier, though cities like Liverpool and the capital London have avoided the harshest measures.The new system will come into effect once lockdown ends on 2 December.By lunchtime the UK's benchmark FT

The FTSE 100 made modest declines in early trading on Thursday in what is likely be a quiet-ish day with markets across the pond closing for the Thanksgiving holiday.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 had slipped around 0.2% to was 6,376.64, led by falls for banks, construction and oil stocks, with tobacco firm Imperial Brands (IMB), Lloyds (LLOY) and house builder Persimmon (PSN) topping the FTSE los

Renewable energy looks to be one of the areas set to receive the greatest amount of investment over the next 10 to 20 years. However, some market commentators have argued it's a sector not worth backing.A hard-hitting research note at the start of the year from JP Morgan claimed renewable energy investment trusts could end up becoming a 'victim of their own success', as growth in carbon-free energ

Yesterday saw the latest FTSE Russell quarterly index review, resulting in significant changes to the composition of both the FTSE 100 large-cap index and the FTSE 250 mid-cap index.Four stocks left the FTSE 100 - cruise ship operator Carnival (CCL), utility group Centrica (CNA), low-cost airline EasyJet (EZJ) and aerospace firm Meggitt (MGGT).Travel related stocks bore the brunt of the sell-off i

Power prices over the next few years could fall by 25% as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to some forecasts, forcing FTSE 250 investment trust The Renewables Infrastructure Group (TRIG) to cut its own estimates.TRIG said today that the coronavirus pandemic has led to a reduction in demand for electricity and caused gas and carbon prices to fall. The repercussions are expected to co