Every time anyone in the UK puts money into a pension, a deal is struck. The government adds tax relief to the contribution, and the quid pro quo is you have to lock that money away for retirement. Hence why you can only access a pension after the age of 55, rising to 57 from 2028.The idea is that if you?ve got your own funds to live on in retirement, you won?t fall back on the benefits system and

Interest rates are expected to stay higher for longer to combat the sticky inflation which remains a threat to investors? hard-earned wealth and purchasing power. During periods of high inflation, it is crucial to invest in companies that possess pricing power, because these firms can pass on increased costs to customers, enabling them to maintain profit margins and generate the robust cash flows

There was a general wringing of hands on 19 April over the latest monthly retail sales figures published by the ONS (Office for National Statistics) which showed the volume of goods bought flatlined from February to March rather than increasing by 0.3% as expected.However, when measured on an annual basis rather than a month-on-month basis ? which to our mind seems a much fairer comparison ? volum

Stock prices in London rose on Tuesday heading into the afternoon, as UK economic data buoyed investors with ?fresh optimism? and helped the FTSE 100 hit another intraday high.Amongst individual stocks, AB Foods was the star of the morning, thanks to a jump in its interim profit. JD Sports also rose, after agreed to buy US sports fashion retailer Hibbett for just over $1 billion.The FTSE 100 index

European stocks declined on Friday morning after reports of explosions in Iran, fuelling worries of a conflict escalation.The FTSE 100 index opened 50.93 points lower, 0.7%, at 7,826.12. The FTSE 250 was down 178.53 points, 0.9%, at 19,272.14. The AIM All-Share was down 4.15 points, 0.6%, at 741.14.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.7% to 781.46, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.8% at 16,706.81, and the Cboe Small

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Thursday, with some positive corporate updates helping lift the FTSE 100, a far cry from the sell-off New York tech shares suffered overnight.The tech sector comes into focus again, with streaming service Netflix, traditionally one of the FAANG stocks alongside Facebook owner Meta, Amazon, Apple and Alphabet, reporting quarterly earnings later.The FTSE

The start of the new financial year tends to be when many of us really think about our own financial circumstances.Increases in average wages have finally overtaken inflation, those on the National Living Wage have enjoyed chunky pay increases and employees will feel the benefit of the cut to national insurance when they receive their April pay. While prices haven?t been rising as quickly as they

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

A classic example of a superb business with staying power, The Coca-Cola Company (KO:NYSE) is blessed with iconic brands spearheaded by Coca-Cola or ?Coke?, the world?s most recognised soft drink synonymous with its red cans.Coca-Cola?s brands resonate with consumers around the world, making the New York-listed group?s products the beverage of choice for billions when at home or on the move.Powerf

European shares fell on Thursday, with markets grappling with US inflation, Federal Reserve interest rate and geopolitical worries, with the latter hitting travel stocks.Elsewhere among central banks, the European Central Bank left rates unmoved as expected, but the odds of a June cut have risen. The Bank of England is ?way off? cutting, however, a monetary policy committee member said.The FTSE 10

European equities were mixed on Thursday morning, ahead of the European Central Bank?s next interest rate decision this afternoon.The FTSE 100 index opened up 2.10 points at 7,963.31. The FTSE 250 was down 4.02 points at 19,797.73, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.13 points, 0.2%, at 756.32.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 796.00, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.1% at 17,216.17, and the Cboe Small Companies

To paraphrase pop singer Britney Spears, ?oops, it?s done it again? would probably be a fair response to last week?s US non-farm payrolls which once again blew past expectations and dashed any lingering hopes of an early cut in interest rates.Rather than 214,000 news jobs being added last month there were 303,000 new roles created, making March the 39th straight month of employment growth and sugg

US-listed large-caps shone last year with shares in mega-caps, and the ?Magnificent Seven? in particular, surging higher. However, this outperformance only widened the valuation gap between US large and small-caps and left shares in the latter cohort languishing at the low end of historical valuations.Over one and five years, the Russell 2000 index of US small-cap stocks is up 14.6% and 30.5% at t

European stocks reversed course after Wednesday afternoon?s US inflation, but largely clung on to earlier gains, though it was a bearish start in New York as investors re-assessed the interest rate outlook on the back of the red-hot data.The Federal Reserve?s latest dot-plot suggested three rate cuts could materialise this year. Since the March meeting, however, data has been robust and the odds o

Apollo looking to break up businessLeaderless status leaves firm vulnerableActivist Eminence Capital has board seatShares in bookmaker Entain (ENT) topped the FTSE 100, climbing 5% to 826p on rumours private equity groups including Apollo are eying a potential break-up of the Ladbrokes and Coral owner after it initiated a formal review of the group?s structure amid activist pressure.The Times news

Stocks prices in London fell into the red on Friday, as unexpectedly high US jobs growth squashed hopes of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve sooner rather than later.The FTSE 100 index closed 64.73 points, 0.8%, at 7,911.16. The FTSE 250 ended down 147.25 points, 0.7%, at 19,725.94, and the AIM All-Share closed down 2.53 points, or 0.3%, at 740.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.9% at 790.22,

Positive late stage trail results for ImfinziFirst and only immunotherapy to demonstrate survival benefitImfinzi is Astra?s second biggest selling cancer drugPharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (AZN) said a late-stage trial for its blockbuster lung cancer drug Imfinzi significantly improved overall survival and disease-free progression in patients with aggressive small cell lung cancer.Small cell lun

Stocks in London slumped as increased geopolitical tensions and interest rate uncertainty added to investor nerves ahead of the US jobs report.The FTSE 100 index was down 77.03 points, 1.0%, at 7,898.86. The FTSE 250 was down 202.97 points, 1.0%, at 19,670.22, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.61 points, 0.5%, at 738.97.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.9% at 789.74, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.0% at 17,12

Trust underperforms benchmarkDividend increased for 42nd consecutive yearManager positive on outlookMerchants Trust (MRCH) served up a 42nd consecutive year of higher dividends, up 2.9% to 28.4p per share, but the portfolio fell 3.1% for the year, lagging the FTSE All-Share?s total return of 1.9%.Chairman Colin Clark described the performance as ?very disappointing? but stressed that the result ?c

?Strong? Q4 performanceRetail volumes up 9%Share buyback continuesUsed car retailer Motorpoint (MOTR) has reported an improvement in trading in the new calendar year amid an uptick in consumer demand for nearly-new vehicles.Margins gradually improved through the fourth quarter to March 2024 too, as the Derby-headquartered company increased stock turn and worked through the inventories affected by