The FTSE 100 gave up its early gains on Thursday, drifting off 2 points to 6,569 at midday despite US markets pushing to new highs on a stimulus package and a potential breakthrough regarding a Brexit trade deal. Prime Minister Boris Johnson boosted hopes last night after saying there is ‘every opportunity of a deal’ to be done, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said ...

Shares in outsourced service provider Serco (SRP) climbed as much as 5% to 127p after the firm published an upbeat full-year trading update and announced two new corporate developments in Australia, one of its key markets. For the year to December, Serco is forecasting a 19% rise in revenues to £3.9 billion, driven by a 16% organic increase, and a 35% rise in underlying trading profit to ...

The FTSE 100 continued its gains on Thursday, rising 0.24% to 6,586.78 in early trade after potential breakthroughs regarding a Brexit trade deal and a US stimulus package. Prime Minister Boris Johnson boosted hopes last night after saying there is ‘every opportunity of a deal’ to be done, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said fishing access is the last barrier to an ...

The FTSE 100 ended Monday with a 1.4% gain at 5,654, helped by a weaker pound. The currency fell 0.4% to $1.2904 following slow progress on Brexit talks, the threat of the Bank of England setting negative interest rates on Thursday and the prospect of a contested outcome from the US election. The more UK domestically focused FTSE 250 fell by 0.2% as investors worried about the impact of a new ...

After a slow opening following the announcement of a second national lockdown, UK stocks soared in mid-morning trading on Monday having been buoyed by a weaker pound and slightly improving sentiment. The exporter-heavy FTSE 100 gained 1.16% to 5,642 shortly after 12pm as the pound grappled with the lockdown impact and various other issues, including a lack of progress on Brexit talks, the ...

UK stocks continued their losing run on Monday with pub and restaurant operators among the biggest decliners as Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday effectively placed the UK under house arrest with new restrictions aimed at halting the alarming rise in coronavirus infections. The measures, set be implemented on Thursday, are a little less draconian than those in place over the spring and ...

London’s FTSE 100 finished in positive territory on Friday, even as Brexit talks revealed few signs of a breakthrough and new lockdowns to combat climbing coronavirus cases weighed on sentiment. Prime Minister Boris Johnson caused jitters by stating that talks with the EU are ‘over’ and it is time for Britain to ‘get ready’ for no-deal, though markets were boosted by Pfizer’s plans ...

London’s FTSE 100 rebounded strongly on Friday as a bit of optimism over Brexit returned, with the EU stating it is willing to continue negotiations, although new lockdowns to combat climbing coronavirus cases kept a lid on gains. At 11.40 am, the blue chip benchmark was up 1.28% at 5,907.01. SERCO SOARS ON UPGRADED GUIDANCE The biggest riser was services group Serco (SRP), soaring ...

Shares in outsourcing firm Serco (SRP), which have had a torrid few months after its decision to withhold dividends and its test and trace system came in for widespread criticism, surged 13% to 133.6p as the company released an unscheduled trading update, raising its full year sales and earnings targets. Thanks to strong revenue growth in the third quarter and continued cost control, the firm ...

The FTSE 100 rebounded strongly after yesterday’s major losses as a big fall in the pound helped exporters. As coronavirus cases continue to climb investors rushed to the relative safe haven of the US dollar, helping companies which report in dollars, while the pound also took a hit following reports suggesting Prime Minister Boris Johnson could walk away from talks with the EU over a ...

Surely every investor loves a bargain and in various ways all investors think of themselves as value investors. Sadly, what’s been working for investors since the great financial crisis of 2008 is more akin to quality and growth investing. This strategy focuses on the potential growth and quality of a business and less on valuation. Value managers don’t shun growth, but they focus more on ...

Public sector service companies such as Serco (SRP) have had something of an historic image problem. As governments around the world sought to procure more services for less money, corners were inevitably cut resulting in some high-profile failings. Security firm G4S (GFS) made the headlines in 2012 after it bungled a £238 million government contract to provide security for the London ...

The FTSE 100 continued its decline throughout Thursday morning, falling below the 6,000 mark as investor hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery were dampened by the Bank of England. The central bank said the British economy would not recover its end-2019 size until the end of next year, later than its earlier estimate of a recovery by the second half of 2021. In its policy decision, the ...

Shares in outsourcer Serco (SRP) dropped 11% to 150p despite the firm posting ‘exceptionally strong’ results for the first half and maintaining its full year revenue and earnings targets. It seems investors were disappointed with the board’s decision to prioritise repaying deferred taxes over paying the 2019 dividend and any interim dividend for this year. SOLID PERFORMANCE Revenues ...

UK stock markets fell sharply in opening trading on Thursday after the Bank of England forecast a slower-than-expected rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic, while Glencore’s (GLEN) dividend cut and several heavy hitters going ex-dividend dragged on markets. The benchmark FTSE 100 dropped nearly 1.5% in early trading to 6,018.33 as investors retreated from equities, following a weak end to the ...

Many companies have withdrawn earnings guidance in recent months, leaving investors guessing as to how much money these businesses might be expected to earn. The way share prices have performed in general since March’s market low implies expectations are quite optimistic. We’re now getting the first signs of companies reinstating guidance and this trend could accelerate as we go into the ...

Shares in outsourcer Serco (SRP) surged 16% to 155p after the firm reinstated its full year earnings guidance in an unscheduled trading update. The company brought forward its closed period update ‘as a consequence of the board reviewing the latest management forecasts and determining that it is in a position to reinstate guidance for the 2020 financial year.’ The stock exchange ...

London markets rose for the second day on the bounce on Wednesday as investors continued to see the positives in a post-coronavirus economic recovery. The UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 rallied 0.9% in early trading to 6,299.31, following Tuesday’s biggest gains in a month , thanks to robust US economic data and positive results from a UK drug trial in reducing Covid-19 death rates. Scientists ...

If you’ve recently retired, congratulations. After a lifetime of work, you can finally enjoy the fruits of your labour, including that pension pot which has been building up month after month, year after year, waiting for just this moment. Historically most of us would have used this sum of money to purchase an annuity, offering a guaranteed income through the course of our ...

The FTSE 100 has recorded one of its biggest ever one-day drops after plunging a staggering 9% shortly after the market open on Monday. The UK's benchmark index fell a whopping 600 points to 5,919, after oil plunged an incredible 30%. After Saudi Arabia launched a price war over the weekend, following the collapse of its oil-cutting alliance with Russia, the price of crude has dropped to ...