An insight into the extent to which environmental issues have faced push-back in 2023 is the performance of lithium.The raw element, a key component in batteries for EVs (electric vehicles), has plunged in value in 2023. It's an opaque market but most sources suggest prices have dropped by at least three quarters and are down nearly 80% from their peak in November 2022.Understandably this has had

In 2022 there was a 'white gold' rush as lithium prices soared thanks to huge Chinese demand. The chemical element is a key component in the manufacture of batteries for electric vehicles and the storage of energy generated by renewable sources. China is at the forefront of battery production.Many analysts are forecasting a decline in lithium prices, but several executives have told Shares they ar

The big turning point for US stocks over the past week came with the comments of US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on 30 November.Although he warned the fight against inflation was not over and rates would remain higher for longer, he also signalled the pace of rate hikes would slow at its upcoming meeting on 14 December. This stoked gains for US stocks.Wall Street largely consolidated those

While a 75 basis point increase in interest rates from the US Federal Reserve had been widely anticipated by the markets, the harsh rhetoric from its chair Jerome Powell had not.Powell left investors in no doubt of the Fed's commitment to battling inflation and that hopes of a pivot away from rate hikes were, once again, premature.This helped put Wall Street under pressure and nipped October's mod

Cancer treatments are dominating the headlines after at least £10bn was wiped off AstraZeneca (AZN) following its failed MYSTIC lung cancer trial on 27 July.AstraZeneca could not prove the combination of durvalumab and tremelimumab immunotherapies was more effective at stopping the progression of lung cancer compared to chemotherapy.Cancer can be treated in various ways, but one of the biggest br

A big breakthrough in cancer treatment could be on the cards as the FDA's advisory committee backs the tumour investigation therapy CTL019, developed by Novartis. This is superb news for the UK's Oxford BioMedica (OXB), whose pin-prick blood test technology is a key part of the process.Getting the advisory committee's thumbs-up makes it much more likely to get full FDA clinical approval, which exp

The FTSE 100 is largely flat at 7,363 in early trade on Thursday as Associated British Foods (ABF) talks up prospects after a better-than-expected performance at Primark. That sends the stock shooting to the top of the Footsie leader board, up nearly 5% to £30.65. The discount fashion chain is clearly doing better than many on UK high streets, as Shares reveals in today's cover story.Going the ot

Investors are getting understandably excited about a potentially massive breakthrough in the treatment of leukaemia. A new treatment called CTL019 is edging closer to regulatory approvals with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CTL019 has been developed by Novartis, with Oxford University spin-out Oxford BioMedica (OXB) manufacturing a key component of the treatment.CTL019 works by replaci

Gene therapy company Oxford BioMedica (OXB) could be on the cusp of receiving a lucrative flow of money over many years, potentially worth up to $65m to $75m annually in the medium term.Novartis is expected to submit its CTL019 therapy for regulatory approval by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) very soon; a decision could be made later this year.Oxford BioMedica has been the sole manufactur