Indices in London closed higher on Monday as the market reacted favourably to President-elect Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the US Treasury, although oil majors suffered amid falling brent prices. AJ Bell's Russ Mould said Bessent is perceived as being a relatively 'conventional and safe pair of hands candidate'. 'Importantly, Bessent is seen as being less aggressive on tariffs than s...

Shares in ITV (ITV) were nearly 9% higher at 71p in morning trading as rumours circulated of potential suitors for the free-to-air-broadcaster. According to Sky News, a number of possible bidders for part or all ITV have emerged including a European broadcaster France's Groupe TF1 and CVC Capital Partners (CVC:AMS) - a Jersey-based private equity and investment advisory firm. RedBird Capital-ow...

Stock prices in London softened from earlier highs but market sentiment was still positive heading into Monday afternoon after Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his US Treasury pick. The FTSE 100 index added 15.72 points, 0.2%, at 8,277.80. The FTSE 250 rose 15.80 points, 0.1%, at 20,597.49, and the AIM All-Share rose just 0.31 of a point to 732.51. The Cboe UK 100 was up...

Home improvement giant Kingfisher's (KGF) sales missed guidance for the third quarter, with the retailer suffering a 6.4% revenue plunge in its second largest market, France, prompting the B&Q-to-Screwfix owner to lower the top end of its full year 2025 profit guidance. The DIY group also warned rising national insurance costs on both sides of the channel, combined with a higher finance bill, w...

Cristina Ochoa, non-executive director of high street lender Metro Bank (MTRO), bought 155,723 shares at 90p for a total value of £139,646 on 19 November. Year-to-date the high street lender's shares have risen a stellar 152%. Ochoa's move comes at a tough time for the UK challenger bank after it was fined nearly £17 million earlier this month for failure to monitor potential money laundering...

Stock prices in Europe opened in the green on Monday as Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, a 'clear nod' to New York equity markets. Bookending the FTSE 100, meanwhile, were two retail names. JD Sports added 3.5%, recovering after slumped 16% on Thursday and losing another 2.1% on Friday. B&Q owner Kingfisher plunged 11% after trimming the to...

Equities in London powered higher on Friday, ending the week on a strong note, but sterling fell flat on less-than-stellar UK data. The euro, meanwhile, hurtled closer to dollar parity as eurozone data was similarly tepid. The FTSE 100 index jumped 112.81 points, 1.4%, at 8,262.08. The FTSE 250 climbed 231.77 points, 1.1%, at 20,581.69, and the AIM All-Share gained 6.38 points, 0.8%, at 732.20....

London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts. The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cbo...

In an unscheduled update, fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) said trading since 8 September is tracking ahead of expectations and provided new financial estimates for the half year to 1 December. The news was well received with the shares jumping as much as 15% to a new all-time high of £136.5, taking gains for the year to 37%, comfortably ahead of the mid-cap FTSE 250's 5% advance....

On the day the ONS (Office for National Statistics) announced disappointing retail sales for October as Budget uncertainty sapped spending, DFS Furniture (DFS) defied the doom and gloom with news of robust orders growth into the new financial year. The reassuring update will come as a relief to shareholders, who might have feared another profit warning from the sofa specialist, which lurched in...

After a post-election lull, US stock markets got back to winning ways this week with broad gains, led by the small cap Russell 2000 index and the technology heavy Nasdaq leading the charge. Weekly jobless claims fell 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000, a new six-month low, suggesting a bounce in jobs growth in November from a hurricane and strike impacted October. US existing home sales als...

European equities shrugged off a poor UK retail sales reading, tepid German data and underwhelming purchasing managers' index surveys from the continent to push higher on Friday. Rising global tensions remained a theme, keeping oil prices at lofty territory. The FTSE 100 index added 55.41 points, 0.7%, at 8,204.68. The FTSE 250 rose 120.58 points, 0.6%, at 20,470.50, and the AIM All-Share rose...

Equities in Europe ended higher on Thursday, overcoming some earlier uncertain trade, as comments from a US official calmed some geopolitical worries which kept a lid on investor enthusiasm. Nonetheless, Brent remained above the $73 mark, supporting oil majors. Moscow's ambassador in London said Thursday Britain was 'now directly involved' in Russia's war with Ukraine, following reports Kyiv ha...