Retirement can be a liberating experience as finishing work gives you the freedom to enjoy life, learn new skills and embrace a wide range of hobbies. This can come at a cost as individuals may need to have saved hard through their working lives to ensure they have adequate savings and enough income to fund their desired lifestyle in older age. James from Sussex knows all about this ...

UK markets have started the day higher with the benchmark FTSE 100 up 0.5% to 7,350.4, bouncing back after yesterday’s blockbuster announcement from Google that it is barring Chinese smartphone marker Huawei from updates to its Android operating system. On Tuesday UK investors seem more willing to put ongoing Brexit uncertainty to one side as they concentrate on corporate news, led by a ...

UK water industry stocks are rallying in early trade on Thursday after the three UK listed firms – Severn Trent (SVT), United Utilities (UU.) and Pennon (PNN) – see their business plans win watchdog approval. That sends sector share prices rallying having removed a hefty unknown for investors, led by the 1.5% rise at United Utilities to 832p, the UK’s largest water company. The ...

Water is an essential resource for life – no one can live without it. Beyond its basic functions of sustaining life, water is also a precious commodity. Its supply is limited and global challenges such as population growth, urbanisation and climate change are putting existing water resources under increased stress. The global issue of water access is a two-fold problem: safe drinking water is ...

UK stocks give up yesterday’s gains with the FTSE 100 down 47 points or 0.7% to 7,003 as Engineering, Mining, Oil Services and Utilities stocks weigh on the market. The Centrica (CNA) trading update reads well with cash-flow in line, the dividend maintained and cost savings above the £200m target set out at the half year stage. However tucked away at the end is a note that changes to the ...

There’s a major business shake-up underway at Rolls-Royce (RR.) as the FTSE 100 aero-engineer confirms that it will cut 4,600 jobs as part of a plan to simplify its business and save £400m a year by the end of 2020. Those hoped-for streamlined costs go down well with investors, sending the stock more than 3% higher in early trade on Thursday to 854p, topping the FTSE 100 leader ...

A relatively tempered response from North Korea to US president Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned summit helped restore a measure of calm to the markets with the FTSE 100 rising 0.4% to 7,749.70. The biggest faller on the index is postal firm Royal Mail (RMG), down 4.2% to 522.6p, as investment bank Berenberg cuts its recommendation from ‘hold’ to ‘sell’ with a 460p price ...

UK water companies are trading close to four-year share price lows even after a mini rally since February, with the sector dogged by political and regulatory threats. There are few reasons why this bleak performance may reverse convincingly any time soon, according to analysts at investment bank UBS. The UK water sub-set is down between 7% and 10% year-to-date. It has fallen by nearly ...

The gambling industry once again hits the headlines following new reports that the government might slash the maximum stake on fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) to just £2. This story has run and run but it is having a massive impact on bookmaker stocks in early trade on Tuesday, with shares in William Hill (WMH) plunging 11% on the news to 300.5p, valuing the bookie at £2.56bn. William ...

UK utility services stocks dominate the list of FTSE 100 risers in early afternoon trading on Wednesday. Water suppliers United Utilities (UU.) and Severn Trent (SVT) would be topping the Footsie leader board were it not for the shock swoop for pharmaceuticals company Shire (SHP). The pair have seen their respective share prices jump 4.6% and 3.3% today, big moves for these predictable if dull ...

Ethical and sustainable investing used to be thought of as a charitable endeavour that places principles before profits, but there is growing evidence to suggest it can lead to better long-term returns. There are now around 200 funds in the UK that claim to invest sustainably, putting much more choice at investors’ fingertips. You need to dig deep to ensure the fund meets your criteria ...

The spotlight has returned to waste management group Biffa (BIFF) after yet another director sold shares in the company. Six directors in the business sold nearly £3m stock in late November and early December, including the chief executive and chief financial officer. It has now been disclosed that Jeff Anderson, managing director of Biffa’s Industrial & Commercial division, sold ...

UK water suppliers could face significant earnings and dividend pressure as industry watchdog Ofwat plays hardball on operating costs and debt financing. The regulator has published its early findings for the next five year price review period, which runs from 2019. The methodology of allowed cost of capital, equity and debt returns that suppliers can earn from their regulated water supply ...

Calamity strikes newspaper group Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) on Thursday, which slumps into the red. Pubs groups are a mixed bag, and there’s a profit warning from energy services firm Lamprell (LAM). But a nasty set of full year results by the Daily Mail newspaper publisher stands out. Shares in the company crashing more than 20% to 550p, by far the biggest faller on the FTSE All ...

The FTSE 100 opens 17 points lower at 7,369.17, weighed down by weakness among utility and mining stocks. United Utilities (UU.) is the biggest faller among FTSE 100 stocks, down 3.4% to 806.25p. Severn Trent (SVT) drops 2% to £21.01. Media group Sky (SKY) is top riser on the FTSE 100 thanks to reports that two US companies want to buy 21st Century Fox’s interest in the ...

Talk of tariff price caps and lots of industry uncertainty may make an energy supplier an odd pick for investors right now. Yet we believe there are good reasons why Telecom Plus (TEP) is uniquely placed to prosper in the coming months. Trading as the Utility Warehouse, the company is Britain’s biggest independent energy supplier (not one of the big six), supplying gas and electricity to ...

In the third part of a three-part series looking at the best performers from the 19 super sectors which make up the London market we look at the last six super sector stars. You can read parts one and two here. The data from SharePad is taken from 5 October and covers the previous 12 months. We have concentrated exclusively on shares with market values of £100m or more. Real Estate ...

In a world where many investors are obsessed with chasing fast growth stocks or quality companies with large cash flows, it can be easy to forget some of the less glamorous businesses despite many of them being very attractive investments. We’d certainly categorise waste management group Biffa (BIFF) in the latter category. Now looks like a superb time to buy the shares, as we ...

London’s FTSE 100 opens 19.8 points higher at 7,516 with the FTSE 250 marked up 65.2 points to 19,978, although trading is inevitably overshadowed by last night’s terror attack in Manchester. Home emergency cover and repair specialist Homeserve (HSV) trades 12.7% higher at 791p on better than expected full year results. These show strong momentum across the group and a record performance in ...

‘Uncertain’ is a benevolent description of the outlook for 2017. Unknowns range from how Donald Trump may govern in the US to the result of Brexit negotiations. Against this backdrop, trusts with international dimensions and impressive, inflation-beating dividend track records should be on shopping lists. One exemplar is Scottish Investment Trust (SCIN), trading at an 8.2% discount to net ...