Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were higher at midday Tuesday, with London's FTSE 100 up slightly despite oil major BP losing ground as it eyes lower production figures. Meanwhile in the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will move to reassure turbulent markets amid high government borrowing costs as she faces a grilling from MPs later today. The UK chancellor will answer questions in the...

Shares in Ocado (OCDO) gained as much as 10% in early trading after the company said fourth-quarter retail revenue grew by 17.5% to £715.8 million. Ocado retail is a joint venture between Ocado group and Marks & Spencer (MKS). The online grocery retailer was reporting a trading statement for the 13 weeks to 1 December. Ocado said it delivered 'another record-breaking' Christmas with its highes...

Low-cost gym operator GYM Group (GYM) revealed that positive trading momentum has continued into the second half, with full-year profit now expected to be above consensus analyst estimates. Mr Market gave the pre-close trading update a thumbs-up with the shares jumping as much as 10% before settling around 9p or 6.4% higher at 150.8p. Continued business momentum has seen the shares rise 42% ove...

Recent downward momentum in JD Sports Fashion (JD.) continues, with shares in the self-styled 'King of Trainers' tanking on another year-to-January 2025 profit guidance downgrade. This follows slower sales over the Christmas period for the FTSE 100 tracksuits-to-football shirts seller. With weak trading conditions expected to continue, JD Sports Fashion also warned it is 'taking a cautious view...

With its shares trading at 12-month lows, there was little optimism surrounding the 2024 trading statement from housebuilder Persimmon (PSN) but the firm delivered a positive surprise with completions ahead of market expectations and a forecast of pre-tax profit towards the top end of estimates. The stock responded positively tacking on 50p or 5% to £11.06, making it the biggest gainer in the...

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green on Tuesday morning, as housebuilders in the UK enjoyed a boost after giving trading updates. 'Markets' sensitivity to major economic data will likely rise as policy uncertainties mount and appetite weakens,' commented Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'Due today, the US will release its latest PPI numbers, and the headline PPI may have...

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Monday, but above early lows, as bond yields continued to creep up and analysts predicted the end of the US rate cutting cycle. The FTSE 100 index closed down 24.30 points, 0.3%, at 8,224.19. The blue-chip index had fallen as low as 8,192.31. The FTSE 250 ended 15.57 points lower, 0.1%, at 19,718.37, and the AIM All-Share shed 3.99 points, 0.6%, at 709.39. The Cboe...

Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain (ENT) topped the FTSE 100 gainers on Monday (13 January), advancing nearly 5% after the sports betting and gaming company nudged up group full-year profit expectations to the top of end of the guided range. The share price reaction also reflected a sense of relief that Entain was not impacted in the US to the same extent as gambling peer Flutter Entertainment (F...

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt were down at midday Monday, as producer price inflation data from the US, to be out Tuesday, was nearing. In disappointing news for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a survey of UK chief financial officers by consultancy Deloitte found a net 26% felt more pessimistic about their businesses than they did three months ago. However, sentiment is still well above the l...

Airline stocks took a turn for the worse in morning trading on Monday (13 Jan) as Brent crude hit $80 per barrel - a four month high - driven by wider US sanctions on Russian oil and the expected effects on exports to top buyers China and India. Brent crude rose $1.68 or 2.1% per barrel to $81.44 after hitting the highest level since 27 August at $81.49. Analysts at US bank Goldman Sachs (GS:NY...

China's stock market has struggled to gain meaningful momentum so far in 2025 but analysts at Bernstein have identified key themes that they believe will shape the year ahead for some of its most exciting internet stocks. A consumer shift toward services, integration of AI into product ecosystems, and a growing emphasis on monetisation through innovation will drive returns, Bernstein says, with...

Shares in Filtronic (FTC:AIM) rose 7% to an all-time high of 96.5p on 13 January after the communications equipment specialist upgraded guidance for the year to May 2025 once again amid ongoing positive order momentum. In a brief update, the County Durham-based firm announced that order intake for delivery in the current financial year is at 'a higher rate than anticipated' and as a result, res...

Blue chips in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened lower on Monday as UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves failed to lift the mood in the UK with her China trip, amid a modest investment deal. 'Surprise! The US economy added more than [250,000] new nonfarm jobs in December, some [90,000] more than expected, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%,' explained Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'If it's any com...