Stocks in London were higher at midday on Wednesday, boosted by retailers ahead of a US consumer price inflation reading.Amongst individual stocks, Tesco led the charge, after unveiling a £1 billion share buyback programme. Other retailers also got a boost on the back of the results.The FTSE 100 index was up 47.65 points, 0.6%, at 7,982.44. The FTSE 250 was up 171.65 points, 0.9%, at 19,935.00, a

Shares down 77% over past yearNet revenue down 2.1% to £873.2 millionFirst share buyback completed in MarchShares in S4 Capital (SFOR) were down nearly 12% to 39p in morning trading despite full year results from the digital media group meeting downgraded expectations.Headed up by former WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell, S4 Capital reported a 2.1% fall in net revenue to £873.2 million for the year en

Investors looking for continued sales momentumConsensus earnings estimates have been revised upLooking for signs of improving marginsInvestors will be interested to see if sales momentum has continued into the final quarter at global medical technology company Smith & Nephew (SN.) when it reports next week (27 Feb).Running into the Q4 and full-year numbers the shares have started to outperform the

It was a generally positive Thursday for London and European stocks, as markets reacted to the latest European Central Bank and US Federal Reserve meetings.The FTSE 100 index closed up 21.98 points, 0.3%, at 7,684.49. The FTSE 250 ended up 144.53 points, 0.8%, at 19,263.50, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.06 of a point at 749.96.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 769.77, the Cboe UK 250 closed u

Stock prices had a downbeat Wednesday in London, with investors hoping for greater clarity from this evening?s Federal Open Market Committee meeting.The FTSE 100 index closed down 56.70 points, 0.7%, at 7,662.51. The FTSE 250 ended up 9.34 points at 19,118.97, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.03 points, or 0.4%, at 750.02.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.7% at 767.16, the Cboe UK 250 closed up margin

When Martin Sorrell completed his acrimonious exit in 2018 from the business he had built up over decades he had a point to prove.His S4 Capital (SFOR) vehicle was supposed to leave his former charge in the shade by adopting a similar buy-and-build model to that employed at WPP (WPP).The latter started life as wire shopping-basket manufacturer Wire and Plastic Products before Sorrell and co-founde

£250 million investment into data and technologyTargeting a further £175 million gross savingsShares up 5% year-to-dateShares in WPP (WPP) were up nearly 3% to 802p in morning trading as the advertising giant upgraded its medium-term targets due to cost cutting and structural savings. The structural savings - announced at a capital markets day in London - will deliver annualised net cost savings

Stock prices in London opened in the green on Tuesday, as new data showed UK grocery price inflation in January slowed to the lowest level since May 2022.The FTSE 100 index opened up 36.35 points, 0.5%, at 7,669.09. The FTSE 250 was up 67.77 points, 0.4%, at 19,378.93, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.40 points, 0.2%, at 751.68.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.5% at 765.99, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.4% at 16

A big increase in the average takeover premium in 2023 highlights how parts of the UK stock market continue to be undervalued. The average bid premium for UK stocks in 2023 was 51% against 37% in 2022 and 43% in 2021, according to analysis by AJ Bell.Most London-listed takeovers last year involved small-cap firms. Buyers were a mixture of private equity firms or industry players looking to buy riv

The completion of YouGov?s (YOU:AIM) ?315 million purchase of the consumer panel services of GfK (9 January) is a potential gamechanger for the business.Analysts at Berenberg estimate the deal - which was first announced in July 2023 - will contribute £60 million of revenue and £12 million of adjusted EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) in the remainder of the current financial year running

Stocks in London were down at the close on Tuesday, amid disappointing manufacturing data from both the US and the UK.The FTSE 100 index closed down 11.72 points, 0.2%, at 7,721.52. The FTSE 250 ended down 177.83 points, 0.9%, at 19,511.80, and the AIM All-Share closed down 1.77 points, or 0.2%, at 761.55.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.3% at 770.31, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.2% at 16,966.88, and

London?s FTSE 100 made a tepid start to 2024, with underwhelming manufacturing data from the UK and eurozone doing little to lift sentiment.Equities in New York are called to open lower ahead of a key week for the US interest rate outlook. The latest Federal Reserve meeting minutes are released on Wednesday, before the official US jobs report on Friday.The FTSE 100 index was down 29.34 points, 0.4

Stocks in London mostly advanced on Tuesday as the New Year got underway, with investors digesting the latest manufacturing PMIs from major economies.The FTSE 100 index opened up 21.88, 0.3%, at 7,755.12. The FTSE 250 was down 12.20 points, 0.1%, at 19,677.43, and the AIM All-Share was 1.76 points, 0.2%, at 765.08.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 774.07, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.1% at 17,184.40, and

Tentative signs of sustainable margin improvement and market share gains, combined with the tailwind provided by continued recovery in elective procedures, should provide medical products company Smith & Nephew (SN.) with positive momentum heading into 2024.The shares are trading close to 10-year lows, and from a valuation perspective have rarely offered better value relative to the UK market and

AdobeIt may look like odd timing to back Adobe (ADBE:NASDAQ) just after lukewarm guidance, but we think this is a great opportunity.The creative digital software firm called for fiscal 2024 earnings per share of $17.60 to $18 on $21.3 billion to $21.5 billion revenue, a little light compared with the consensus of $18 and $21.7 billion revenue respectively.The shares plunged 7%, which seemed harsh

Third quarter net revenue down 15.4%No share buybacks or dividends until 2024Continued client caution in the tech sectorShares in Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital (SFOR) fell over 18% to 54p in morning trading as the advertising group issued its third profit warning and cut its full year guidance.The first profit warning was in July this year the second in September following 'slower than expected trad

Given the hundreds of stock market announcements issued every day by UK-listed companies, it's very easy to narrow your focus either to just the shares you own or the big household names in order to keep track of what's going on. However, smaller companies can often be the 'canaries in the coal mine' of trouble ahead because changes in the economy tend to impact them much quicker than they do big

Third-quarter revenue up 7.7%Full-year growth forecast increasedNew finance chief appointedMedical products-maker Smith & Nephew (SN.) was one of the top gainers in the FTSE 100 on Thursday, up 5% after delivering strong third-quarter growth and raising its full-year outlook.Underlying revenue for the three months to 30 September grew 7.7% to $1.4 billion driven by broad-based growth across the fi

Meta shares fall over 4% to $299.53Google Cloud disappoints Wall Street analystsWPP third quarter revenue falls 1.8% to £3.5 billionFacebook-owner Meta Platforms (META:NASDAQ) reported a 23% increase in revenue for the quarter ended 30 September to $34.2 billion compared to $27.7 billion in the same year ago period, however it warned of softer advertising spend in the fourth quarter due to macro

Stocks in London fell at Thursday's market open, with trading downbeat ahead of the European Central Bank's interest rate decision and US economic growth data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 50.64 points, 0.7%, at 7,363.70. The FTSE 250 was down 72.15 points, 0.4%, at 16,798.56, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.76 points, 0.3%, at 672.06.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.7% at 734.72, the Cboe UK 250 was