Stocks in London ended the week in the green, as the possibility of a 50-basis point cut from the Federal Reserve was increasingly priced in by the markets.The FTSE 100 index rose 32.12 points, or 0.4%, at 8,273.09. The FTSE 250 ended up 199.60 points, 1.0%, at 20,895.37, and the AIM All-Share firmed 3.87 points, or 0.5%, at 745.23.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 1.1%, the FTSE 250 climbed 2.0% an

Jet2 founder Meeson sells five million sharesMajor Costain shareholder sells upWeir director snaps up £60,277 sharesPhilip Meeson, founder and largest shareholder of airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) has sold five million shares to a limited number of institutional investors on 11 September, representing approximately 2.3% of the issued ordinary share capital in the company.Th

Equities were higher during midday trade on Friday, as mining stocks continued to climb, tracking the strength of gold amid a pull-back of the dollar.The FTSE 100 index climbed 19.03 points, 0.2%, at 8,260.00. The FTSE 250 was up 138.55 points, 0.7%, at 20,834.33, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.61 points, 0.4%, at 743.97.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 826.32, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.7% to 18,356.40,

Stock prices in London rose on Thursday afternoon ahead of the European Central Bank's decision, after New York trade overnight was boosted by tech shares.The FTSE 100 index climbed 63.71 points, 0.8%, at 8,257.65. The FTSE 250 was up 233.47 points, 1.1%, at 20,770.72, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.91 points, 0.4%, at 741.00.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 826.13, the Cboe UK 250 rose 1.0% to 18,266

Recent trading exceeds forecastsProfit seen well above targetAnalyst cites turnaround successCyber security and software firm NCC Group (NCC) surprised the market with a positive half year trading update and an increase to its financial outlook.The shares climbed 15p or 10% to a new year-high of 167p, closing the yawning gap in the price after the firm downgraded forecasts 18 months ago due to wea

Stock prices in European were firmly in the green on Thursday morning, as investors await an interest rate decision by the European Central Bank early in the afternoon.Though the FTSE 100 struggled on Wednesday, a US consumer price inflation reading was eventually well-received in New York. Tech shares soared, helping to turn sentiment in global equities positive on Thursday morning.The FTSE 100 i

Among the various IPOs (initial public offerings) of the last few years, building materials distributor Lords Group Trading (LORD:AIM) seemed one of the more promising, but unfortunately the damage inflicted on the residential property market by 2022's mini-budget and subsequent regulatory changes have undermined the firm's business. In the six months to the end of June the group posted a 6% drop

Shares in business call services provider Gamma Communications (GAMA:AIM) soared to a new 12-month high of £16.60 this week, giving the company a market valuation of more than £1.5 billion, following a first-half update which hit all the right notes. Revenue and operating profit rose by double digits, helped by positive underlying growth and a solid contribution from acquisitions, and the firm r

At the start of 2024, I speculated that interest rate cuts could lead to takeovers involving bigger companies than the type of deals seen in 2023. While the rate-cut journey still remains in its infancy for the UK and other key geographies, the predicted wave of large-cap takeovers is firmly in motion. It's a reminder there is value on the UK market in droves.There have been bids or expressions of

Smiths News (SNWS) 57pMarket Cap: £142.2 millionSuccessful investing comes down to what you get in the future for what you lay out today. How does doubling your money in around eight years sound, with the possibility of doing even better?In a nutshell, that is the investment case for the UK's leading newspaper and magazine distributor Smiths News (SNWS) which has been delivering print across Engl

A study by think tank New Financial has revealed UK funds have a significantly lower absolute and relative allocation to domestic listed and unlisted stocks than almost any of their global peers.The report, by William Wright and James Thornhill, concludes UK pension funds could increase their allocation to the UK market by 50% to 100% and still be comfortably in line with both their international

As we write AI (artificial intelligence) chip champion Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) has fallen more than 16% since reporting second quarter numbers. That's the equivalent of losing an entire Proctor & Gamble (PG:NYSE) or two AstraZeneca's (AZN), the UK's largest listed company.To lose one AstraZeneca might be considered unfortunate, losing two is downright incompetence.Quips aside, more than $400 billion

Recent years have been dire for shareholders in long-duration assets, with rising interest rates driving a de-rating of high-yielding alternatives trusts including infrastructure and real estate-focused funds to deep NAV (net asset value) discounts.But there is now potential for significant re-ratings across this space as central bank rates decline and the competition from cash and government bond

Diversified food multinational General Mills (GIS:NYSE), which makes and markets breakfast cereals Cheerios and Lucky Charms, has a well-deserved reputation as a resilient total return stock. The company reinvests its reliable cash flows behind its brands whilst returning cash to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.Shares in the meal, snack and baking mix supplier have rebounded strongly s

Centamin (CEY) 149pGain to date: 52.5%Market cap: £1.72 billionBack in February we tipped Jersey-domiciled gold miner Centamin (CEY) both as a growth story and as a way to play the rising price of the precious metal, which at the time was trading just above $2,000 per ounce.As well as exposure to the gold price, the FTSE 250 firm offered operational gains from its three-year investment programme

A report published in 2023 by BNP Paribas showed that 70% of investors surveyed expected to increase their focus on thematic investing over the following three years. Clearly this is an area which is moving into the mainstream at pace but what exactly is thematic investing and how should investors think about getting involved?In this article we'll look to provide a broad-brush definition of themat

US money market funds raked in their biggest haul of the year in the month of August, some $127 billion, taking total cash assets to a record $6.26 trillion according to data from the Investment Company Institute.To put that into perspective the total value of all publicly traded US stocks is $56.5 trillion based on the Wilshire 5,000 Total Market index. That means money market funds hold cash equ

I am a director of my own limited company. Currently I take a salary up to my personal allowance, and receive the rest of my remuneration as dividends.I have heard that through carry forward I can pay in an employer's pension contribution up to £180,000 gross. But that this may be limited by the company's anticipated profits in the tax year, if they are going to be less than £180,000.Could you c

Strong trading over peak seasonFull-year revenue in line£50 million share buybackGlobal travel retailer WH Smith (SMWH) said strong UK travel demand over the peak summer season had left the group in a strong position, prompting management to announce a surprise £50 million share buyback.Investors welcomed the update and share buyback, sending shares in the FTSE 250 company up almost 14% to a new

Berenberg sees upside to new 270p targetStock up nearly 40% since Shares said buyStrong growth underpinning market optimismWith more and more of us buying stuff online, it's no wonder that we are increasingly reaching out to fellow consumers for their seal of approval (or gripes) about products and services, and that's great news for reviews business Trustpilot (TRST).The platform now hosts more t