Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt jumped on Thursday morning, as the US Federal Reserve signalled interest rate cuts for 2024.Still to come on Thursday, the Bank of England and European Central Bank will announce their own interest rate decisions.The FTSE 100 index opened up 155.54 points, 2.1%, at 7,703.98. The FTSE 250 was up 598.88 points, 3.2%, at 19,294.64, and the AIM All-Share was

Jefferies cuts stocks to 'hold' or 'sell'Analysts see 'recession' in officesMorgan Stanley takes a more positive viewShares in four of the UK's biggest property companies fell after analysts at investment bank Jefferies cut their recommendations on the basis office rents in the capital are headed for recession.British Land (BLND) shares eased 1.9% to 320p, Derwent London (DLN) shares were 1.6% low

Ninety One team buys towards lows of the yearSegro chairman buys more stock after updateInvestors in London and Cape Town asset management firm Ninety One (N91) might want to take a leaf out of management's book given the top team's talent for buying on weakness.Marathon Trust, a vehicle associated with Ninety One chief executive Hendrik Du Toit, finance director Kim McFarland and several other di

Inflation rises at slowest pace this yearBonds and interest-rate sensitive stocks chased higherBank rates still set to go up next monthShares in downtrodden housebuilders and property companies were chased higher after the latest inflation data for June came in below expectations, raising hopes the Bank of England might slow the pace of interest rate increases.Leading the FTSE 100 higher were Pers

If you could buy a selection of the best-quality UK real estate investment trusts all under one roof rather than individually, it would save a lot of time and effort. You can, thanks to the open-ended VT Gravis UK Listed Property Fund (BK8VW75).While property has been out of favour recently, weaker valuations means you can get exposure at a cheaper price.The fund is owned and run by Gravis Capital

- Rent roll increasing on positive demand trends- Property valuations leveling out- Sector bouncing off recent lowsIndustrial warehouse owner and operator Segro (SGRO) published a pleasing trading update for the year to date and promised to deliver 'further compound growth in earnings and dividends during 2023 and beyond'.The shares, which have been bumping along at post-pandemic lows, jumped to t

The pandemic saw thousands take their first baby steps into the world of investing, including Manav, 20 years old at the time. With many salaries protected by employers and the government, and precious few ways to spend money, putting savings to work in investment markets for the long term made sense during the healthcare crisis.Manav, now an accountant and currently studying for his ACCA exams, w

- Energy stocks win while consumer and housing stocks suffer- Index finishes barely changed from 2021- Earnings and dividends give reasons for optimism in 2023Despite a year which has seen armed conflict in Europe for the first time since 1945, and a concerted campaign by central banks around the world to raise interest rates to choke off inflation, the FTSE 100 index has somehow ended 2022 almost

Every chief executive talks about creating shareholder value, but which ones walk the walk?While the investment trust industry can count on 27 managers with at least 20 years under their belt at the same firm, there are very few FTSE 100 chief executives with that kind of track record.The most obvious is Simon Wolfson (pictured), who has headed Leicestershire-based high street retailer Next (NXT)

If you'd been keeping an eye on news from the UK commercial property market, you might be forgiven for thinking the sector was a complete basket case.Bankrupt retailers have left gaping holes on the high street, while office occupancy has been decimated by the pandemic.Meanwhile many open-ended commercial property funds suspended trading for over a year, with some ultimately shutting their doors p

The news last month that distribution firm Clipper Logistics (CLG) had agreed a £965 million takeover offer from US-based rival GXO Logistics has propelled the normally staid world of third-party logistics into the limelight.Crucially, the deal is predicated on revenue synergies, derived from moves like cross-selling and having complementary geographic locations, rather than cost cutting. This re

Last year was highly successful for industrial and logistics property firm Segro (SGRO), with a sharp uplift in the value of its portfolio together with active asset management and gains on developments combining to generate a 40% increase in NAV (net asset value), from 814p to £11.37 per share, lifting the stock as much as 6% to £13.55 in early trading.Analysts at Numis, who had forecast NAV at

For most people, the attraction of investing in real estate investments trusts, or REITs for short, is that they offer a stable and consistent stream of income.They are also a good way of getting exposure to real assets which in theory should behave differently to stocks and bonds, and provide some diversity in a portfolio.The permanent capital structure and closed-end nature of investment trusts

UK stocks eked out small but unconvincing gains on Wednesday as investors weighed the impact of rising Covid-19 cases and the threat of an interest rate rise against ongoing economic recovery.Despite UK consumer prices for September climbing less than expected inflation remains well above the Bank of England's 2% target rate.At the close the FTSE index of leading shares was 5 points higher at 7,22

Leading UK stocks were trading largely flat in early afternoon on Wednesday after Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng ruled out a fresh lockdown amid fears over rising Covid-19 infections.UK consumer prices for September climbed 3.1% against expectations of a 3.2% rise, briefly easing fears of an early rate rise, although inflation remains well above the Bank of England's 2% target rate.Yet UK stoc

UK stocks edged lower on Wednesday in line with most European markets despite another positive session in the US overnight and a slightly better than expected domestic inflation print.UK consumer prices for September climbed 3.1% against expectations of a 3.2% rise, briefly easing fears of an early rate rise, although inflation still remains well above the Bank of England's 2% target rate.Both the

UK shares retreated from positive territory on Monday afternoon, pulled down by weak US markets while oil prices spiked higher.At the London close the US S&P 500 index of leading shares was down 1.4% while the technology focused Nasdaq 100 index was 2.3% lower.Meanwhile Brent crude prices shot up 2.6% to $81.20 per barrel, marking new three-year highs.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading sto

UK shares traded slightly higher at midday on Monday as gains in oil and mining shares were offset by weakness in financials. At 12pm, the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks was up 0.2% to 7,040 points. Brent crude prices were trading 0.4% higher at $79.50 per barrel, close to last week's three-year high.COMPANY NEWSThe auction for supermarket group Morrisons (MRW) ended with CD&R pipping Fortress t

UK stocks started the week cautiously, in spite of a raft of earnings upgrades, after another weak session in Asia where stocks in China and Japan were down 2% and 1% respectively as the Evergrande saga rumbled on.In energy markets, the focus was on the meeting of OPEC+ oil producers for any decision on whether to increase crude production, after a sharp rally in oil and gas prices this year. Bren

Despite initial enthusiasm over 'Freedom Day' on Monday and buying of retail, hospitality and travel and leisure stocks, the FTSE turned south on Friday afternoon as concerns re-emerged over the strength of the US economy.US markets compounded Thursday's losses, with the S&P500 index and the Nasdaq both down around 0.3% despite strong retail sales data for June.Oil remained weak, with Brent crude