Stock prices in London opened in the green on Friday, as European stocks were boosted by a rally on Wall Street ahead of the key US nonfarm payrolls report later in the day.The FTSE 100 index opened up 39.43 points, 0.5%, at 7,661.59. The FTSE 250 was up 170.25 points, 0.9%, at 19,301.41, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.46 points, 0.3%, at 755.16.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 766.55, the Cboe UK 2

Stock prices in London opened lower on Wednesday, as inflation in the UK remained stubbornly high, while heightened tensions in the Middle East also weighed on sentiment.The FTSE 100 index opened down 23.28 points, 0.3%, at 7,651.93. The FTSE 250 was down 130.79 points, 0.7%, at 17,558.67, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.63 points, 0.2%, at 688.95.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 764.11, the Cboe

Persistent inflation and higher interest rates are squeezing disposable incomes. In this scenario there is logic in investors putting their cash behind companies which make premium products which confer pricing power or sell affordable luxuries which help consumers to socialise or unwind at the end of the working day.One sector that enjoys both these attributes is Beverages, the domain of soft dri

- Key brands continue to take market share- Drinks maker to restart dividends- But earnings come in at low end of guidanceDublin-headquartered drinks group C&C (CCR), the maker of Magners and Bulmers ciders, expects to deliver a solid 18% rise in revenues for the year ended 28 February 2023 and resume dividend payments, news that sent the shares bubbling up 2.7% to 154p.However in a mixed pre-clos

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE-There are many risks for the global economy in 2023, but there are also encouraging signs-Asia is benefitting from the reopening of China and improving investor confidence-Reliable cash flow and dividends are likely to be highly valued by investors this yearLast year saw a significant adjustment in financial markets, as inflationary pressures ushered in a new era of

- Consumer spending squeeze and rail strikes hit hospitality sales- Profit warning triggers 5% earnings downgrade- C&C continues to generate strong free cash flowShares in C&C (CCR) were the biggest FTSE 250 losers on Friday, falling 10.5% to 164.6p after the Dublin-headquartered drinks business served up news of disappointing trading in December.C&C pinned the blame for subdued Christmas sales on

Given the poor recent performance of many investment trusts compared with the FTSE 100 index - which has held up relatively well this year and which investors can access via a tracker fund for a few basis points - the age-old issue of fees has reared its head again.The big question for investors in investment trusts which carry a high OCF (ongoing charge fee) is should they stick with them when th

Overseas roaming price hikes have helped reverse years of lacklustre growth in the UK for mobile network Vodafone (VOD) in the first three months of its financial year to 31 March 2023.But while squeezing Brits abroad helped offset declines in its biggest market Germany, as new regulation had an impact, it will do little to lift the pressure on Vodafone chief executive Nick Read.Vodafone issued a

- Branded drinks maker is back in the black- Strengthened balance sheet paves way for dividend reinstatement- Further price hikes likely to mitigate cost inflationShares in C&C (CCR) fizzed 6.8% higher to 219p after the premium drinks company reported a return to profit for the year ended 28 February 2022 thanks to the return of the on-trade, and served up news of a robust start to the new financi

Shares in Dublin-headquartered drinks business C&C (CCR) frothed higher following a positive trading update (16 Mar) from the maker of everything from cider brands Magners, Bulmers and Orchard Pig to beer brand Tennent's and Tipperary Pure Irish Water.Investors toasted evidence of continued recovery in its markets and a significantly reduced debt pile. Indeed, Shore Capital noted C&C can not only

The biggest director deals by value over the last week were concentrated on the sell side and came amid strong recent trading updates.INCREASING SHARE LIQUIDITYDigital transformation group TPXimpact Holdings (TPX:AIM), formerly known as The Panoply Group, orchestrated a block sale of 8.2 million existing shares to institutions at a price of 230p on 20 October, representing 9.7% of the share capita

The biggest director deals by value over the last week were concentrated on the sell side and came amid strong recent trading updates.INCREASING SHARE LIQUIDITYDigital transformation group TPXimpact Holdings (TPX:AIM), formerly known as The Panoply Group, orchestrated a block sale of 8.2 million existing shares to institutions at a price of 230p on 20 October, representing 9.7% of the share capita

There has been a wave of takeover approaches for listed companies, both from rivals and from private equity buy-out firms in 2021.Something we have noticed is that, where private equity is concerned, rather than looking for companies which are on their knees and in desperate need of turning round, buyers seem to prefer companies which have already begun the turnaround process and therefore require

Shares in UK behavioural network security business Darktrace (DARK) jumped more than 40% on their stock market debut after cutting the starting valuation.The shares were priced at 250p for a £1.7 billion London listing, but the stock rallied in early trading to hit 355p, well above the 220p to 280p range set by its brokers when its roadshow began on 26 April 2021.The strong start to stock market

Shares in online musical instruments retailer Gear4Music (G4M:AIM) struck a positive note on Thursday, gaining 4% to 875p, a new all-time high, after saying it expected full-year results to be ahead of recently upgraded market expectations.FURTHER UPGRADES TO COMEFor the quarter to the end of December total revenues grew 30% to £52 million, with European and rest of the world sales jumping an imp

As the share price uptrend shows, investors are regaining an appetite for US-listed Kraft Heinz, the branded food and beverage behemoth where legendary investor Warren Buffett holds considerable sway.Yet the $46.3 billion cap remains modestly valued for a global consumer staples giant due to worries over debt levels and the post-pandemic earnings outlook. Next debt is forecast to be $25.56 billion

UK stocks opened on the front foot on Thursday, the first day of the final quarter of the year, with the FTSE 100 gaining 0.8% to 5,195 points early on.This was despite comments from the chief medical officer Chris Whitty yesterday that hospitalisations and deaths are showing a clear spike amid a rise in new Covid-19 cases.Trading in Asia was relatively quiet with slightly lower prices in China an

UK stocks closed slightly lower on Monday, despite positive Covid-19 vaccine news over the weekend from AstraZeneca (AZN) and Pfizer.At 16:30, the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.1%, at 6,032.Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said on Sunday that the US company's Covid-19 vaccine could be distributed to Americans before the end of the year.AstraZeneca, meanwhile, announced it had resumed Bri

UK stocks drifted lower during the morning session on Monday, despite positive Covid-19 vaccine news over the weekend from AstraZeneca (AZN) and Pfizer.At midday the benchmark FTSE 100 index was down 0.21%, at 6,027.Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla said on Sunday that the US company's Covid-19 vaccine could be distributed to Americans before the end of the year.Meanwhile AstraZeneca announced

In its latest report on 14 July the UK's Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said the country is on track for the largest decline in gross domestic product (GDP) for 300 years with a 2020 contraction of 12.7%. GDP is a measure of the total value of goods and services in the economy.It says lower output and rising costs will push national debt as a proportion of GDP above 100% and is expected to