Stock prices in London opened mixed on Wednesday, as UK consumer price inflation ebbed, but not by how much economists were expecting, prompting investors to rethink their Bank of England interest rate expectations.The reading followed numbers showing UK wage growth was loftier than expected in the three months to February. Sterling traded higher early Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened just 1.54

Stocks in London were higher at midday on Wednesday, boosted by retailers ahead of a US consumer price inflation reading.Amongst individual stocks, Tesco led the charge, after unveiling a £1 billion share buyback programme. Other retailers also got a boost on the back of the results.The FTSE 100 index was up 47.65 points, 0.6%, at 7,982.44. The FTSE 250 was up 171.65 points, 0.9%, at 19,935.00, a

One of the chocolate industry?s seasonal peaks, Easter is upon us with eggs from the world?s major brands adorning retailer?s shelves.Chocolates are tough for consumers to resist at this time of year, but is this an opportune time to put money to work with purveyors of one of the world?s most popular little luxuries?SWEET CONSUMER CATEGORYAccording to MarkNtel Advisors, the global chocolate market

Stock markets have been making new all-time highs in the US, Europe and Japan and investors are asking whether they are witnessing a new global bull market for stocks which began in November 2023.Momentum is a powerful factor in stock markets. Prices tend to trend in the same direction which mean buying winners and selling losers can be a profitable strategy.It is not only about price but also ear

Maiden dividend of 50 cents per share declared$50 billion share buyback programmeFourth quarter revenue up 25% to $40.1 billionFacebook-owner Meta Platforms (META:NASDAQ) must surely be crowned the ?comeback kid? out of the ?Magnificent Seven?.The US tech giant not only announced its maiden dividend but also a 25% year-on-year increase in fourth quarter revenue to $40.1 billion and a 16% rise in s

Stock prices in London reacted to dimming optimism of future US interest rate cuts, falling as the week?s developments countered upbeat sentiment at the end of 2023 of loosening monetary policy.?Global market moves in the first week of the year appear to have been driven by investors becoming more cautious about the timing of the first Fed rate cut and about the total amount of policy easing for 2

A rating outlook downgrade for China by agency Moody?s triggered a difficult start to the day for the FTSE 100, with the influential mining sector on the decline during early dealings.Also heaping pressure on the index early Tuesday, lender Barclays fell, while stronger half-year numbers from equipment rental Ashtead were not enough to send that stock higher, with shares still reeling from last mo

London?s FTSE 100 made a muted start to the day on Thursday, while the euro came under some pressure following another batch of tamer inflation data from the continent, this time in France.Inflation remains the theme of the day going forward, with a wider eurozone consumer price index reading to come. There is also the latest US personal consumption expenditures data. The core PCE reading is the F

Retail investors hoping to make big gains from investing in Arm (ARM:NASDAQ) have stomached the first setback from the company since its return to the stock market two months ago.The UK chip architecture designer Arm, which listed ADRs (American Depository Receipts) on US exchange Nasdaq at $51 in September amid heavy fanfare, was red-faced after having to reel back expectations for the three mont

Blue-chip shares in Europe were on the up on Monday afternoon, with market sentiment boosted by a strong session in New York at the end of last week.Gains could be short-lived, however, if a US inflation reading comes in hot on Tuesday. Equity markets are already reeling from hawkish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.The FTSE 100 index traded 39.90 points, 0.5%, higher at 7,400.45.

Crude oil could cost over $150 a barrel if conflict in the Middle East intensifies, according to the World Bank's recent warning. Brent crude (which we'll use as the benchmark through this feature) last hit those sorts of elevated levels in the summer of 2008, when per barrel prices went close to $147. That was just before irresponsible bank lending blew a massive hole in the global economy, trigg

European equities struggled to find their groove on Wednesday, with investors fretting over the US interest rate outlook after hawkish words from policymakers.Eyes turn to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and what he has to say about the US interest rate outlook.Closer to home, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey ruled out any cuts to the benchmark bank rate any time soon.The star of the sho

IP sold to China-based fast-fashion giantPotential for Frasers-Shein partnershipASOS in Topshop sale talksMike Ashley-controlled Frasers (FRAS) has sold its Missguided brand to China-based fast-fashion giant Shein just over a year after buying the UK fast-fashion label out of administration.Financial details were not disclosed, but Frasers insisted the deal has already sparked 'exciting discussion

Stock prices in London rose on Monday morning, ahead of meetings of central banks from Japan, the US and the UK, as investors weighed up developments in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.The FTSE 100 index opened up 50.75 points, 0.7%, at 7,342.03. The FTSE 250 was up 139.01 points, 0.8%, at 17,005.24, and the AIM All-Share was up 5.10 points, 0.8%, at 679.56.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 7

Microsoft gains advantage in latest quarterly resultsAlphabet slumps more than 6% after-hours, Microsoft up nearly 4%Growth has held up for big tech despite rate hikesNever mind the Champions League, for investors the big match came overnight with Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) gaining a narrowing win over rival Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) in AI cloud computing stakes. Both big tech firms announced forecast-

Conflict in the Middle East has had an inevitable knock-on effect to investor sentiment but other than a surge in crude prices there seems, so far, to be no lasting impact on markets in general with the S&P 500 shedding just over 2% over the past week.However, with US Treasury yields almost at 5% and real yields close to 2.5%, risk aversion was the order of the day leading to selling of basic mate

Full year results meet expectationsSigns customers no longer de-stockingWell placed for growth after investmentShares in manufacturer and supplier of natural extracts and ingredients to the beverage, flavour and fragrances industries Treatt (TET) pepped up 12% to 475p after the company said it was seeing early signs of a reversal of customer de-stocking.The shares are down around 15% over the last

Stock prices in London were higher on Tuesday morning amid news that grocery price inflation in the UK had cooled, and following dovish comments from two senior Federal Reserve officials on Monday.The FTSE 100 index opened up 65.88 points, or 0.9%, at 7,558.09. The FTSE 250 was up 216.55 points, or 1.2%, at 17,788.71, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.69 points, or 0.5%, at 691.52.The Cboe UK 100 was

The FTSE 100 outperformed European peers heading into Wednesday afternoon, with the interest rate sensitive house building sector shining after investors reeled in the Bank of England expectations after a cooler-than-expected UK inflation reading.A hike on Thursday was largely seen as a foregone conclusion prior to the data, but the surprising slowdown in UK inflation means the decision is on some

The FTSE 100 was higher at midday on Tuesday, despite worries that still-hot pay growth figures in the UK would mean the Bank of England will press on another hike to interest rates next week.The FTSE 100 index was up 41.82 points, 0.6%, at 7,538.69. The FTSE 250 was up 0.27 of a point at 18,522.71, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.65 of a point, 0.1%, at 741.70.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 750.