Australian miner launches deal worth proposed $38.8 billionAnglo has huge copper assets crucial to buyoutCopper prices at two-year highs as renewable energy demand risesFTSE 100 mining group Anglo American (AAL) has huge iron ore, platinum, coal and, through its? controlling stake in dealer De Beers, diamonds, but make no mistake, BHP?s (BHP) interest in the business is a big bet on copper.Copper

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

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

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Abby Glennie and Amanda Yeaman, managers of abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth TrustThe long-awaited turnaround in smaller companies is unlikely to happen just because shares are lowly-valuedHowever, an improving economic and interest rate backdrop could spark renewed interest in the sectorM&A activity is also providing support for the smaller companies sectorInvest

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE For roughly 80 years, rapid industrial production growth defined the U.S. economy. Starting in the early 2000s, however, the U.S. industrial production machine began a two-decade stagnation. But things are changing. Deglobalization and re-shoring are gaining momentum, and developed economies want to strengthen their supply chains. To mitigate economic and geopolitic

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE The mining sector is not homogenous. On the BlackRock World Mining Trust, we believe this year its fortunes may be particularly disparate, as a range of factors weigh on individual commodities and regions. As we see it, there are three key factors that will determine the performance of mining companies for the remainder of 2024: geopolitics, global growth and infras

European stocks were in the red on Thursday midday, after hope for Summer interest rate cuts diminished following hotter-than-expected US consumer price inflation.Investors are also eyeing the latest interest rate decision from the European Central Bank and hopes for some clues about the trajectory of rates in a press conference which will follow.The FTSE 100 index was down 18.46 points, 0.2%, at

Mitie (MTO) 105pMarket cap: £1.4 billionFounded in 1987, Mitie Group (MTO) is the UK?s largest facilities management company looking after two and a half million assets for more than 3,000 customers.The firm takes care of buildings from banks to retailers, schools, hospitals and critical government sites, as well as the people who work in them, helping make them safer, more efficient and greener.

The cruise industry is enjoying an unprecedented boom with around 35.7 million passengers expected to book a trip this year, up from 31.5 million in 2023 and 6% more than the number of passengers who set sail in 2019 according to the CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).Going on a cruise holiday is slowly become a more popular alternative then jumping on a plane or a high-speed train to E

Surveys point to steady growthBuyer confidence improvingConstruction sector expandingIn a further sign of returning confidence in the housing market, the latest survey from the Halifax ? part of Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) ? shows annual prices continuing to rise despite relatively subdued activity.The news wasn?t quite enough to support the shares of the leading developers such as Barratt Develop

US stock markets took a turn for the worse after Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari threw a cat among the pigeons by introducing the possibility of zero rate cuts this year.?If we continue to see inflation moving sideways, then that would make me question whether we need to do those rate cuts at all?, Kashkari told journalists. ?There's a lot of momentum in the economy right now.?That was evi

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATUREThe remainder of 2024 looks set to be volatile, with geopolitical tensions and a major election in the US likely to create noise. The energy sector is always vulnerable to short-term shifts in sentiment and changing views on the outlook for global growth, but the long-term trends are strong, as demand expands and supply remains constrained. Capital at risk. The value

Stock prices in London closed higher on Thursday following higher-than-expected US initial jobless claims.The FTSE 100 index closed up 38.45 points, 0.5%, at 7,975.89. The FTSE 250 ended up 119.55 points, 0.6%, at 19,873.19, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.50 of a point at 742.58.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 796.99, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.7% at 17,294.15, and the Cboe Small Companies en

City of London most bought second month in a rowNvidia tops stock buys againRenewables trust UK Greencoat Wind sparks interestInvestors across the AJ Bell platform have been piling into artificial intelligence (AI) 'darling' Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and oil giant Shell (SHEL) before the end of the tax year.FTSE 100 aero-engine maker Rolls Royce (RR.) also makes appearance in the top five of most bough

While the relentless advances in Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ), Bitcoin and US equities continue to grab most of the headlines (and that is not forgetting new all-time highs for headline stock indices in France, Germany, Taiwan, Australia and Japan), one asset is outstripping them all so far in 2024 ? and that is cocoa. Futures prices for the commodity have melted up by almost 150% this year alone, to a ne

Shares in Good Energy (GOOD:AIM) fell more than 20% despite reporting an ostensibly positive set of full year results on 26 March.Revenue for the renewable electricity and energy services provider increased by 2.4% to £254.7 million for the year ending 31 December 2023 ?driven by the high commodity cost and cost of sale environment? at the start of last year.The company also received praise from

Stock prices in London were mostly in the green at the close on Wednesday, helped by economic data from the US amid ongoing discussions about the interest rate cut trajectory.The FTSE 100 index closed up 2.35 points at 7,937.44. The FTSE 250 ended up 39.75 points, 0.2%, at 19,753.64, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.32 of a point at 742.08.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 793.01, the Cboe UK

1. Semiconductors in focus: The semiconductor sector, as represented by the Philadelphia semiconductor index, posted a 10% gain in February. This reflected renewed optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) chips and their associated applications. Asian chipmakers, which are responsible for manufacturing most of these chips, posted similarly strong gains in the month. This blistering pace o

Against a backdrop of rising high-end mixer market competition, a cost-of-living crisis and inflationary pressures, Fevertree Drinks? (FEVR:AIM) shares have fallen almost 50% over five years. So the premium carbonated mixers supplier needs to stir up renewed confidence in its global growth and margin expansion prospects when it delivers annual results on 26 March. News of a strong start to 2024 wo

Currys (CURY) 60.1pMarket cap: £681.3 millionBuy electricals retailer Currys (CURY) following the washing machines-to-smartphones purveyor?s second full-year profit upgrade within three months (18 March). Currys? latest positive earnings revision demonstrates that self-help measures under CEO Alex Baldock?s stewardship are starting to pay off.And given its UK and Nordics market leadership, the FT