Stocks in London declined at midday on Wednesday after a busy morning of earnings, ahead of a key interest rate decision from the US in the evening.The FTSE 100 index was down 42.35 points, 0.6%, at 7,649.45. The FTSE 250 was down 52.76 points, 0.3%, at 19,097.12, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.23 of a points at 765.77.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.6% at 762.99, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 16,

Despite gloomy data on Friday indicating difficult months ahead for UK consumers and the continued uncertainty of the conflict in Ukraine, the FTSE 100 posted tentative gains in the week.The FTSE 100 index closed up 15.97 points, or 0.2%, at 7,483.35, registering a gain for the week overall of 1.1%.The FTSE 250 ended up 63.02 points, or 0.3%, at 20,956.21, down 0.9% for the week-to-date. The AIM a

Shares in biotherapeutics and reagents company Avacta (AVCT:AIM) surged 22% to 189p on Tuesday after clinical trials for its rapid Covid-19 antigen test showed excellent progress.The UK and EU studies used patient samples with known viral loads confirmed by PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which is considered the gold standard of Covid-19 virus testing.Avacta's rapid lateral flow antigen test

Shares in diagnostics company Omega Diagnostics (ODX:AIM) advanced 3.5% to 64.2p on Tuesday after its partner Abingdon Health (ABDX:AIM) provided an update on the government's Rapid Test Consortium (RTC).Abingdon's shares, which listed on the AIM market on 15 December at 92p, were unchanged at 95p.SELF-ADMINISTERED ANTIBODY TEST The UK-RTC was formed in April to develop and manufacture a COVID-19

Advertising giant WPP (WPP) is one of a handful of genuine global market leaders on the London Stock Exchange.The £21.5bn cap is the world's largest advertising agency. Investment bank Credit Suisse reckons it has a 30% market share among the top six in its industry and a 14% share in the industry as a whole. Although that is very impressive, investors have experienced a fairly rocky ride of late

The FTSE 100 opens modestly higher at 7,040.6 buoyed by further sterling weakness and deal making in the tobacco sector.Cigarette manufacturer British American Tobacco (BATS) gains 2.3% to £49.13 as it announces a $47bn offer to buy the 57.8% of US peer Reynolds American (RAI:NYSE) it does not already own. The news accompanies an otherwise robust third quarter trading update, showing good growth

Staffer RTC's big winMicro cap recruiter RTC (RTC:AIM) soared 68% after winning a staffing contract with Network Rail (25 Feb). The £10 million cap was also named 'key strategic partner' with the public sector body for the period 2014-2019. The deal has an order book value of £80-100 million says boss Andy Pendlebury. (WC)Housing market dipsHouse prices have declined for the first time in five m

London's FTSE 100 is lifted 21.4 points higher to 6,968 in early deals on Monday, boosted by China's decision to cut interest rates over the weekend as well as stronger-than-forecast manufacturing data for February from the world's second biggest economy.Among the main risers is troubled African oil explorer Afren (AFR), which leaps 17.4% to 10.1p as it secures breathing space on debt repayments.

Global positioning system (GPS) tracking technology microcap Starcom (STAR:AIM) has the scope to more than double in six-to-nine months, with the downside capped by a dismally low rating. New products and reseller partners could help catapult the share price from 18.75p to 40p and perhaps higher still.The Israeli £13 million cap joined Aim in February, when it raised £2.7 million with bold plans