Investors in London continued to show confidence, as stocks at the open on Tuesday added to Monday?s gains, boosted by the prospect of interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index opened up 33.06 points, 0.4%, at 8,056.93. The FTSE 250 was up 54.48 points, 0.3%, at 19,653.87, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.14 points, 0.3%, at 751.32.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 804.24, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 17

If you had £10,000 to invest in a single fund, which would you choose ? one of the most popular with retail investors for more than a decade, or a relative new kid on the block with a similar asset allocation approach?In a manner of speaking, it is what billionaire City grandee Michael Spencer challenged formidable money man and Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) founder Terry Smith at the end of 2023, t

Can investors expect slumping stocks to bounce back? The obvious answer to this question is, it depends which stocks, and why they slumped. Share prices fall for many reasons. Some remain unloved, cast aside by equity markets like sodden paper bags. Others recover, fixing perceived problems and re-emerging from the equities' emergency room.Digging around the debris of past disasters is what so-cal

Retailer Marks & Spencer (MKS) is the gift that keeps on giving. Its share price is up 162% since October 2022, dividends are back after a four-year absence, and analysts keep finding reasons to upgrade earnings forecasts. In fact, the analyst consensus earnings estimate has increased 11 times this year, according to Stockopedia data.Earnings growth is a key driver for share price growth so it mak

The FTSE 100 ended lower on Monday, as investors kept a wary eye on continuing tensions in the Middle East, as well as the surging yield on the 10-year US Treasury note.The FTSE 100 index closed down 27.31 points, 0.4%, at 7,374.83. The FTSE 250 ended up 26.26 points, 0.2%, at 17,058.99, and the AIM All-Share closed down 2.52 points, or 0.4%, at 680.41.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.4% at 736.03, th

European stocks were lower heading into Monday afternoon, starting the week off in a tepid fashion as concerns around tensions in the Middle East and rising US bond yields hurting equities hurting.The yield on the US 10-year government bond topped 5.00% for the first time since the height of the subprime mortgage crisis in 2007.The FTSE 100 index was down 45.56 points, 0.6%, at 7,356.58. The FTSE

Restaurant Group sells underperforming leisure divisionNominal price of £1 plus cash contribution of £7.5 millionProposed sale accelerates margin accretion and debt reduction plansShares in Wagamama owner Restaurant Group (RTN) jumped a further 7% to 50.6p on Monday, taking gains over the last five trading sessions to over 16% after the company agreed to sell its leisure division to private equi

London's FTSE 100 was hurt by China-exposed stocks, amid growth worries about the world's second-largest economy, while travel shares also failed to reach dizzying heights.Ocado's stock did, however, boosted by a favourable legal ruling. The 'Barbenheimer' box office event lifted cinema chains, meanwhile.On the foreign exchange front, the dollar gained on the euro and pound ahead of a US purchasin

Ten Entertainment continues to deliver sales growthUp 46% on pre-Covid levels on a like-for-like basisShares up 3.6%, with peer Hollywood Bowl up 2.4%A robust update from bowling alley operator Ten Entertainment (TEG) drew a positive response from the market and also helped lift shares in its rival Hollywood Bowl (BOWL).In a trading statement covering the six-month period to 2 July Ten, which oper

Revolution Beauty surges 57% after suspension liftedSpat with major shareholder Boohoo intensifiesBoohoo accused of attempting boardroom coupThere's nothing beautiful about the spat between online fast fashion retailer Boohoo (BOO:AIM) and make-up supplier Revolution Beauty (REVB:AIM), in fact it has turned downright ugly.Revolution Beauty's top shareholder wants the company to call a general meet

If most of us are asked to name a bank with large exposure to Asia, the likelihood is the first name that comes to mind is HSBC (HSBA) rather than its smaller rival Standard Chartered (STAN).In fairness, having been established in Hong Kong and Shanghai more than 150 years ago to help finance the burgeoning trade between the island, the mainland and Japan, the 'grande dame' of Asian banking HSBC i

Stocks were largely in the green in London on Friday as markets look to the Bank of England after a week of interest rate decisions from central banks.The FTSE 100 index closed up 14.46 points, or 0.2% at 7,642.72 - ending the week 1.1% higher.The FTSE 250 ended marginally lower, down just 8.52 points at 19,030.89. The index ended the week 0.3% lower. The AIM All-Share closed up 1.03 points, or 0.

European equities headed into Friday afternoon in the green, ending what could have been a difficult for stock markets on the up.Facing hawkish words from the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank, as well as the expectation that the Bank of England will hike again, it would not have been surprising to see equities struggle this week.However, shares have defied the odds and pushed higher once

Robust UK performance in face of cost-of-living pressuresEncouraging outlook statementStrong outturn from CanadaValue-for-money ten-pin bowling and mini-golf operator Hollywood Bowl (BOWL) delivered record sales for the half to 31 March 2023 and issued an encouraging outlook statement that sent shares in the Hemel Hempstead-based business 1% higher to 262.5p.Hollywood Bowl expressed confidence tha

Despite obvious concerns about a depressed consumer, eye wateringly high energy bills and increased labour costs there are more than a few verdant green shoots springing up on UK high streets and retail parks. A whole host of names, household and less well-known, have announced expansion plans as some businesses continue their post-Covid rebound.From Starbucks (SBUX:NASDAQ), Greggs (GRG) and Marks

London shares were lower at midday on Monday, with the UK domestic-focused FTSE 250 index underperforming the FTSE 100, after a positive surprise from data on the UK economy was not enough to remove concern about a coming recession.'October's bounce back was expected, and the fact the growth was a little more enthusiastic than economists had anticipated is welcome. But this is just an aside. The s

Condensed and ready-to-serve soups, cookies and potato chips may not excite investors as much as cloud computing, electric vehicles or the hottest new fashion brands, but shares in storied US processed foods-to-snacks company Campbell Soup (CPB:NYSE) are up 20% year-to-date amid ravenous appetite for the dependable earnings delivered by consumer staples.Historically, this $15.8 billion cap has out

UK equities have had a healthy bounce in the past month with the FTSE 100 index advancing 7.6% and the FTSE 250 rallying 16% since 12 October.The reasons for the sudden about-turn are two-fold - the normalisation of UK government bond yields after they spiked following the political upheaval of the summer and disastrous mini-Budget in September, and generally better-than-expected corporate earning

-Full-year profit guidance lowered by 2%-New €1 billion efficiency programme announced-Shares drop 6% despite resilient first half Shares in mobile phone operator Vodafone (VOD) fell 6% to 98p on Tuesday after the company lowered full-year profit guidance to the bottom of its prior range amid 'challenging' macroeconomic conditions.The company said higher energy costs and broader inflation had

The trouble with fairy tales is they always come to an end; what investors can't know is if Steve Rowe's magic will last once the clock strikes midnight on the day of his departure.Marks & Spencer's (MKS) outgoing CEO managed to deliver what many doubted was doable, he turned around the fortunes of the retail giant, dragged it kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but not without a few batt