London?s FTSE 100 hit another record high on Friday, rounding off a strong week with another gain, despite a robust US inflation reading threatening to spoil the party.The FTSE 100 index added 60.97 points, 0.8%, at 8,139.83. It is its best closing level ever, and it earlier hit a record intraday high of 8,146.75.The FTSE 250 was up 222.18 points, 1.1%, at 19,824.16, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.1

London?s blue-chips remained in demand, pushing to new highs, with investors hoping US inflation data later does not derail the optimistic mood.In the FTSE 100, ConvaTec was an outlier, after Peel Hunt downgraded the firm?s investment rating. On the other side of the index was NatWest, with a set of well received results.The FTSE 100 index was up 35.73 points, 0.4%, at 8,114.59. The FTSE 250 was u

Shares in Ocado (OCDO) have fallen by 20% over the past month as the online grocer continues with its fractious relationship with joint venture partner Marks & Spencer (MKS).Despite reporting average orders per week of 414,000, an 8.4% increase compared with the first quarter of 2023, and a 10.6% rise in revenue for Ocado Retail for the 13 weeks to 3 March, trouble is brewing for the online grocer

Over the past six months United Airlines (UAL:NASDAQ) shares have gained over 45% as the US airline managed to shrug off negative news concerning delayed deliveries and canceled flights related to safety issues at aircraft maker Boeing (BA:NYSE).On the day of its first quarter results (16 April) United Airlines shares gained nearly 20% at one point hitting the $50 mark as the US airline upgraded g

I?m going to be 50 next year, and so far, I have saved about £18,000 in a workplace pension. I have been automatically enrolled since 2016.My question is should I stick with it and get a SIPP pension as well? Or should I just put more in the workplace one until retirement?I hadn?t really thought about a pension until I hit 50.FranRachel Vahey, AJ Bell Head of Public Policy, says:Generally, for th

Popular investment vehicle Alliance Trust (ATST) has announced a modest but meaningful shake-up of its portfolio.The FTSE 250 constituent invests in global equities across a range of industries and sectors through a ?manager of managers? approach. Following an overhaul in 2017, the trust gives investors relatively low-cost exposure (with an ongoing charge of 0.62%) to 10 leading fund managers sele

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

Xtrackers IE Physical Gold ETC Securities (XGDU) $35.61Assets: £2.43 billionIt may have beaten a hasty retreat from recent record highs as concerns about an escalating conflict in the Middle East have eased but gold prices are still forecast in many quarters to make further gains from here.For investors concerned about geopolitical and economic risk, as inflation shows signs of being more entrenc

It must be maddening for analysts that every time they?ve put forecasts for Darktrace (DARK) into the market, they?re forced to tear them up and start again. It happened for the third time already this year earlier this month (11 April), in the wake of a surprisingly strong third fiscal quarter update (to 31 March) that the company predicts will mean an extra $2.4 million of ARR, or annual recurri

Dr. Martens (DOCS) 72.1pLoss to date: 21.6%In mid-December 2023 we said the knock-down share price of iconic footwear brand Dr. Martens (DOCS) was too tempting to resist despite the company delivering four profit warnings.Our rationale was simple ? either the self-inflicted operational issues would be fixed by the current management or the business would be taken over by an opportunistic predator

The world?s second largest economy and most dominant emerging market remains China and to get a window into the prospects for growth investors often look to PMI (purchasing managers? index) data.One influential reading is the Caixin/S&P Global China General Manufacturing PMI. Manufacturing accounts for a big chunk of Chinese GDP and PMI surveys are used globally as a leading indicator of economic

Gaming Realms (GMR:AIM) 31.6pMarket cap: £93.4 millionFor the uninitiated, Gaming Realms (GMR:AIM) is a leading business-to-business licensor and distributor of games to the regulated gaming market.The company owns the IP (intellectual property) to the Slingo brand, one of the most popular formats of games played online.As the name suggests the format is a mash-up of slots and bingo. The game in

1. China?Signs of a rebound: Purchasing manager indexes in China rebounded in March, with the Caixin/S&P Global index reaching its highest level in over a year. Drivers of the rebound included rising raw material purchases and inventories. Chinese industrial companies may be restocking ahead of the government?s planned 20% increase in special bond issuance this year to $680 billion. The increase i

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

This feature explores spin-offs or de-mergers, looking at the rationale for them and how they have performed, and asks if they can be a promising hunting ground for investors.One of the UK?s largest recent spin-offs was GSK?s (GSK) demerger of its consumer healthcare division in 2022.GSK reportedly rebuffed a £50 billion offer from personal goods giant Unilever (ULVR) to buy the division, named H

The week started with positive UK economic news as the April Rightmove (RMV) house price survey showed asking prices rising at 1.7% on last year, their biggest jump in 12 months, driven by more top-end properties coming to market.The average price of homes put up for sale reached £372,324, less than £600 short of the record level registered last May, as a revival of activity in the market prompt

The FTSE 100 hit an all-time high on Tuesday, before returning some gains after somewhat hawkish words from a UK monetary policymaker.The FTSE 100 index closed up 20.94 points, 0.2%, at 8,044.81. The FTSE 250 shot up 200.33 points, 1.0%, at 19,799.72, and the AIM All-Share ended up 5.69 points, 0.8%, at 754.87.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.2% at 803.32, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.9% to 17,156.66, and the

Deal priced at 21% premiumPurchase is earnings-accretiveUS now 40% of group revenueJD Sports Fashion (JD.) was one of the top gainers in the FTSE, gaining 7% to 126.1p as investors sensed a win-win outcome following the acquisition of US rival Hibbett (HIBB:NASDAQ) for $1.1 billion (£899 million) in cash.The proposed transaction values Hibbett at $87.5 per share, equating to a 21% premium to its

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.Latin American economies welcomed 2024 with new economic vigour. They have shaken off a legacy of economic mismanagement, and now look set to play a new role in the global economy. The region?s e

London?s FTSE 100 achieved a record close on Monday, as sabre-rattling in the Middle East began to die down, while the pound struggled on renewed hope that the Bank of England is taming UK inflation.Among individual shares, there was some M&A impetus for Tyman and Hipgnosis Songs Fund. A bullish broker note lifted some UK high street and grocer stalwarts, though model train maker Hornby went off t