Stocks in London struggled on Thursday after weak performance on Wall Street, as investors consider the latest economic data ahead of the Bank of England interest rate decision.The FTSE 100 index opened down 103.80 points, 1.4%, at 7,457.83. The FTSE 250 was down 91.06 points, 0.5%, at 18,721.82, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.75 of a point, 0.1%, at 757.34.The Cboe UK 100 was down 1.2% at 744.2

In 2022 there was a 'white gold' rush as lithium prices soared thanks to huge Chinese demand. The chemical element is a key component in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles and the storage of energy generated by renewable sources. China is at the forefront of battery production.Many analysts are forecasting a decline in lithium prices, but several executives have told Shares they ar

London's stocks were lower at midday on Thursday, as miners and oil majors weighed on the FTSE 100 amid rising Covid cases in China and fears over further tightening from the world's central banks.The FTSE 100 index was down 84.82 points, or 1.1%, at 7,745.88. The FTSE 250 was down 265.93 points, or 1.3%, at 19,624.97, and the AIM All-Share was down 6.49 points, or 0.8%, at 852.61.The Cboe UK 100

Looking back over 2018, the list of UK companies which have gone bust or entered into voluntary restructuring looks like the kind of Christmas reading only Scrooge would enjoy.Although only a few of these were, or are, companies listedon a stock market, the issues behind their problems are very relevant to the broader investment community.Bench, Berketex, Byron, Carpetright (CPR), Claire's Accesso

After rallying through most of 2017, popular cryptocurrencies have firmly fallen out of bed. For example, bitcoin soared to record highs of $20,089 just before Christmas and has since fallen by 44.5% to $11,154.The decline has been widespread across the cryptocurrency ecosystem with every one of the top 10 cryptocurrencies, by market value, showing steep declines over recent weeks. This group incl

After a busy week it's a quiet start in London with few significant corporate or macro-economic announcements. The FTSE 100 is slightly higher, up 0.3% to 7,575.54 in early trading.Overnight in the US Republicans unveiled details of its tax reform plan which would lower the corporate rate from 35% to 20%. Shares in consumer electronics business Apple hit a record high as pre-sales of its new iPhon

Clothing retailer Next (NXT) plunged 4.5% to £42.20 this morning after analysts at Berenberg downgraded the stock to a 'sell'.This downgrade comes just days after Next shares leapt 10% on the back of an upbeat update on trading for the second quarter of the year. Shares in the fashion-to-homewares colossus soared last week as the firm reported a surge in online sales after warmer weather in June

Global stock markets approach the end of the week on a sour note. The FTSE 100 dips 0.3% at the market open to 7,363 on Friday, following a poor performance in Asia and surrounding areas.Markets in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea and Australia all pulled back.London Stock Exchange (LSE) reported 17% rise in total income for 2016 to £1.65bn. It says work continues on the proposed merger with Deutsc

With many trading desks deserted in the run-up to the New Year volumes are light amid the expected dearth of corporate news in early trade on Friday. In the final trading day of 2016 the blue-chip FTSE 100 index staggers around 24 points lower, or roughly 0.3%, to 7,096, having closed at a record 7,120.26 on Thursday, boosted by precious metals miners such as Fresnillo (FRES) and Randgold Resource

Clarity on the Brexit timetable by Prime Minister Theresa May sends the pound down 0.3% against the dollar at $1.2936 and triggers a small sell-off in banks and housebuilder shares. The latter overshadows expectations that Chancellor Philip Hammond will unveil a £5 billion housebuilding stimulus package later today at the Conservative Party conference.Fund manager Henderson Global Investors (HGG)

Tungsten producer Premier African Minerals (PREM:AIM) says it may spin off its Zulu lithium project as a separately-listed business.The company has initiated a review of the project with a new drilling programme and appointment of natural resources entrepreneur David Lenigas who has been tasked with trying to find strategic investors and/or joint venture partners.The news sends Premier African Min

AIM miners hot for lithiumSmall cap miners are cashing lithium projects to play the latest hot commodity. Ironridge Resources (IRR:AIM) has bought an exploration project in Ghana, saying global demand for the lithium is increasing at an 'unprecedented rate'. Kodal Minerals (KOD:AIM) has struck a deal for a second lithium exploration project in Mail. (DC)Jackpotjoy IPO loomsToronto-listed online bi

In the wake of half year results (24 August) the nerves of many Xaar (XAR) investors have twitched uncomfortably. Can this one-time UK technology rising star recapture its former growth glory? The unequivocal answer from its management is yes.Xaar is a world-leading designer and maker of digital inkjet printhead technology used across several industrial applications, including barcodes, in graphic

The housebuilding sector is once again in focus as Berkeley (BKG) and Redrow (RDW) update on trading. Their mixed fortunes build on the conflicting messages recently coming out of the sector with McCarthy & Stone (MCS) having last week warned on a pullback in trading versus positive messages from other housebuilders.Berkeley says reservations were down 20% in August year-on-year reflecting lower l

Cambridge-based printing technology manufacturer Xaar (XAR) has taken its first step on to the acquisition trail, signalling a shift in its global growth strategy that could see additional deals struck in future. Xaar has paid an upfront $11 million (£8.3 million approximately) for US-based EPS, a supplier of customised direct-to-product printing kit.Xaar is a world-leading designer and maker of

Shares in London look set to finish the week with gains, up 1.1% at 6,015, after a solid overnight lead from markets in the US and Asia.The S&P 500 finished 0.3% higher, Japan's Nikkei 225 was up 1.1% and shares in mainland China advanced 0.4% as US economic data on inflation and manufacturing production came in roughly as expected.A volatile session in currency markets sees sterling trade around

The market value of Facebook (FB:NDQ), Amazon (AMZN:NDQ), Netflix (NFLX:NDQ) and Google's parent company Alphabet (GOOGL:NDQ) combined now exceeds $1 trillion (£694 million) after a year of stellar stock market gains.The rise of the newly christened 'FANG' stocks is a key reason the S&P 500 index ended 2015 in positive territory, up 1.4%, and they now form a substantial part of the index.At $1 tr

UK share indexes surrender the rump of yesterday's gains in early trading on what looks likely to be a relatively quiet Friday session. Blue-chip retailers are out of favour, as are several insurers and banks. Asia bourses eased overnight, while Wall Street was mixed.The FTSE 100 is off around 85 points, or 1.3%, at 6,111, while midcaps are down similarly, the FTSE 250 falling 161 points to 16,926

London shares tank in early trade on Friday as Greece is once again thrust into the limelight. Greek prime minister Alex Tsipras has stood down from his post in response to the most recent bail out deal with the rest of the EU, paving the way for new elections and putting investors worldwide into a spin. This, plus fears of a slowing global recovery, saw a big sell-off overnight in the US, with le

Buy at any price. It sounds like the kind of hubris that comes before a mighty stock market fall. Today's emphasis on relatively expensive high quality stocks - championed by some of the UK's most respected investment chiefs - looks like just that.And we've been here before: 'One decision stocks', an ill-fated investment fad in the late 1960s and early 1970s, looks like it's making a comeback. It