The divergence in fortunes between large listed commercial property companies and some of the smaller players was thrown into relief today with the announcement by British Land (BLND) it had raised capital for a large retail acquisition on the same day two small REITs (real estate investment trusts) revealed they were packing their bags. Shares in British Land were steady at 435p after it raise...

The UK's biggest grocery chain Tesco (TSCO) raised its full-year 2025 earnings guidance after delivering better-than-expected volume growth and a near-10% uplift in profit for the half ended 24 August. Chief executive Ken Murphy insisted his charge is 'in good shape' ahead of Christmas and Britain's biggest retailer demonstrated confidence in its festive prospects by bumping up the interim divi...

Stock prices in London were mixed on Thursday morning after Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey hinted at a more aggressive path for interest rate cuts, while also showing concern over the situation in the Middle East. Escalating tensions between Iran, Israel and militant Lebanese group Hezbollah continue to affect commodity prices. In an interview with the Guardian, Bailey said he was watch...

Stocks in London ended mixed on Wednesday, but the FTSE 100 held on to finish in the green, despite oil prices tailing off and trade in mainland Europe being slightly less convincing. The FTSE 100 index ended up 14.21 points, 0.2%, at 8,290.86. The FTSE 250 closed 130.92 points lower, 0.6%, at 20,783.78, and the AIM All-Share shed 2.50 points, 0.3%, at 734.30. The Cboe UK 100 ended 0.1% higher...

Stock prices in London were mostly lower but the FTSE 100 was held up by rising oil prices following Iran's attack on Israel, as investors await US unemployment data. The FTSE 100 index was up 6.31 points, or 0.1%, at 8,282.58. The FTSE 250 was down 147.04 points, or 0.7%, at 20,767.66, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.58 points, or 0.4%, at 734.22. The Cboe UK 100 was up slightly at 828.88, th...

Shares in Musicmagpie (MMAG:AIM) gained 49% to 8p in morning trading after the refurbished electronics seller received a £10 million takeover offer from electrical retailer AO World (AO.). Musicmagpie shareholders will receive 9.07p per share in cash - a 58% premium to the closing price of 5.75p per share on 1 October. AO said its proposed acquisition of Musicmagpie will 'enhance its consumer...

IPOs (initial public offerings) have been thin on the ground in 2024, so it is encouraging to see GenAI (GNIP:AIM) successfully list its shares today at 39p, giving the generative artificial intelligence analytic services company a market capitalisation of £6.83 million. In early trading the shares were trading close to their placing price. The flotation marks the fourth spin-out from incubato...

Despite dashing in with record first-half results which demonstrated demand for tracksuits and trainers remains robust, shares in JD Sports Fashion (JD.) cheapened 5.4% to 141.5p as investors fretted over poor news from its biggest brand partner Nike (NKE:NYSE) overnight. Currency headwinds from a stronger pound, expected to drag consensus estimates lower, also weighed on the stock. While Nike'...

London's FTSE 100 was in the green on Wednesday morning while the FTSE 250 was down a notch, as the market was cautious of repercussions of further conflict in the Middle East. The FTSE 100 index opened up 28.91 points, or 0.3%, at 8,305.56. The FTSE 250 was down just 0.13 points at 20,914.57, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.60 points, or 0.1%, at 737.40. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 831.60, t...

The defensive lean to London's FTSE 100 index served it well on Tuesday, as tensions mounted in the Middle East amid reports that Iran is planning an imminent missile attack on Israel. The FTSE 100 index ended up 39.70 points, 0.5%, at 8,276.65. The FTSE 250 closed 112.46 lower, 0.5%, at 20,940.73, and the AIM All-Share shed 3.63 points, 0.5%, at 736.80. The Cboe UK 100 ended 0.5% higher at 828...

Stocks in London were higher at midday Tuesday, as the UK manufacturing sector continued to outperform its peers in France and Germany. The FTSE 100 index was up 26.97 points, or 0.3%, at 8,264.19. The FTSE 250 was up 18.02 points, or 0.1%, at 21,071.21, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.48 points, or 0.1%, at 739.95. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 827.69, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 18,539.6...

Shares in Greggs (GRG) were down more than 3% to £30.07 as investors expressed mild dissatisfaction with the UK bakery chain's third-quarter trading update. Reporting a 10.6% rise in total sales for the 13 weeks to 28 September, and 12.7% year-to-date, the company expects its full year outcome to be in line with previous expectations, acknowledging ongoing economic uncertainty. Like-for-like s...

Strong demand from US investors allowed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE:NYSE) to sell an upscaled 640 million shares in consumer healthcare group Haleon (HLN) at 380p, representing a 3.3% discount to the prior close. Investors focused on the positive implications of a reduced share overhang and marked the shares down by only 1.2p or 0.3% to 391.7p, leaving the stock up 21% for the year, ahead...