Stock prices in London opened mix on Thursday, ahead of a UK construction reading that is expected to show a decelerated fall in activity for February, while investors await US trade data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 19.42 points, 0.2%, at 8,736.42. The FTSE 250 was up 65.74 points, 0.3%, at 20,193.47, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.26 points, 0.5%, at 693.74.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 875

ME International (MEGP) 197.8Gain to date: 23.8% We highlighted instant-service equipment maker ME International (MEGP) as a compelling investment opportunity a year ago.The company, formerly known as Photo-Me International, operates a unique business which generates strong cash flow and high returns on capital.The firm primarily installs and operates photo booths and laundry machines in high foot

Just over five years ago the stock market began to react in earnest to news of the Covid pandemic.The sell-off was short and sharp, with a modest recovery from the lows in the spring followed by sharper gains in November 2020 after AstraZeneca (AZN) made a vaccine breakthrough.However, a large number of UK stocks are still trading below the levels they were at by the close of trading on 21 Februar

UK engineering business Spirax (SPX) is expected to deliver mid-single digit organic revenue growth for 2024 when it announces results on 11 March.As a reminder, the company (once known as Spirax-Sarco Engineering) is a FTSE 100 constituent focused on steam, thermal electric and niche pumping solutions, across a wide range of end-markets. After a period in the doldrums which has seen the shares dr

Part of being a successful leader of a public company is managing expectations ? setting achievable targets which you can tick off and, by doing so, build credibility with the market.The under-pressure boss of oil and gas outfit BP (BP.) Murray Auchincloss will have been aware he needed to make a splash during a big strategy event on 26 February but telling the Financial Times he wants to get the

Investors are getting conflicting signals when it comes to the future direction of oil prices, and this week's fall to three-month lows off the back of crude producers' cartel OPEC+'s decision to boost output is unlikely to be the end of the story.The introduction of tariffs on neighbouring countries by the Trump administration could stoke inflation, which would typically be reflected in higher en

Shares in Rolls-Royce (RR.) surged to a new 52-week high of 792p (3 March) as the aero-engine maker continued to impress investors with its post-pandemic turnaround.Under the helm of chief executive Tufan Erginbilgic, who was appointed in January 2023, the company has made a steady recovery and recently report stronger-than-forecast full year results.On 27 February, the Derby-headquartered company

Nike (NKE:NYSE) $79.43Market cap: $117.5 billionPatient investors seeking a high-quality, progressive dividend-paying company with one of the globe's most iconic brands should buy Nike (NKE:NYSE), the lately-unloved sportswear giant trading at a discount to its own history with the shares down 20% over one year and 10% over five.Despite its recent struggles, Shares believes this is an opportune m

Investing in tech stocks has been making money for ordinary investors for years. Since the internet emerged in the early 1990s, the broadly drawn tech space has consistently delivered market-beating growth in revenues and profits and dominated share price returns.It is no coincidence that aside from Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B:NYSE), all of the trillion-dollar companies (currently s

Elon Musk and Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) optimists in the analyst community appear to be pinning hopes on AI, robotaxis and robotics to reverse the negative mood surrounding the stock in recent months.Since peaking at an all-time high close to $480 in mid-December 2024, shares in the electric car firm have lost more than 40% of their value, a plunge that has wiped more than half a trillion dollars off th

TR Property (TRY) 350pMarket cap: £955 millionThere seems no doubt valuations in the European commercial property sector have stopped falling and in some cases have been rising in recent months, but the recovery is uneven with demand for higher-quality assets outstripping that for lesser-quality ones.However, allocating part of your portfolio to property by stock picking or even choosing a REIT (

March will be a busy month for creative software supplier Adobe (ADBE:NASDAQ), with fiscal 2025 Q1 earnings after the market close on 12 March, followed by what could be a crucial investors day less than a week later, on 18 March.This will be a vital opportunity to give investors a welcome dose of optimism after a testing few months, the stock down 20% since early December 2024.Adobe's strategic f

A quirk of the system means that families can pay £36,000 into a tax-free account for their child in one year ? far exceeding the usual £9,000 annual Junior ISA limit. A clash between how the rules differ between Child Trust Funds and Junior ISAs, plus the generous £9,000 annual allowance per child, means that parents can exploit the loophole to save a huge amount of money in 12 months, or les

The outlook looks far from rosy for structural steel group Severfield (SFR) after it delivered another profit warning (3 March) sending its shares down 44% to 26.5p.In a trading update for the full year ending 29 March, the company said market conditions showed no signs of improvement since it last reported in November and some clients had canceled or delayed projects.The company is known for work

No investment style works year in, year out and even Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA:NYSE) has fallow spells in its history. Indeed, the so-called Sage of Omaha freely acknowledges this in his latest Letter to Shareholders, when he notes: 'During the 2019-23 period, I have used the words "mistake" or "error" 16 times in my letters to you.'Such humility is commendable, especially as some

I have read some press reports about the Government getting rid of cash ISAs. I have an old one of these which I took out a few years ago, but I would like to take out a new one with a fixed interest rate. I want to do this before the end of the tax year in case something happens.I also have an investment ISA that I have been paying about £3,000 into for the last five years.Am I able to take out

Three recent interventions by the Trump administration are having a major impact on financial markets.First, plans for a cryptocurrency strategic reserve were announced, helping to light a fire under Bitcoin and other digital assets.Those gains were soon erased however when, against hopes of a last-minute reprieve, 25% tariffs were introduced on Canada and Mexico along with a 10% levy on Chinese g

With Saba Capital having turned the spotlight on a handful of underperforming investment trusts, there is now a wave of activity as other trusts look for ways to reduce the persistent discount to NAV (net asset value) which has dogged the asset class.Some have introduced 'discount control' mechanisms, others have launched share buybacks, and some have announced they will hold a 'continuation vote'

European stocks were mixed on Wednesday, as the FTSE 100 eased slightly despite a boost for miners from higher metal prices and hints some sectors may be left out of US tariffs.The FTSE 100 index ended down 3.16 points at 8,755.84. The FTSE 250 climbed 177.23 points, 0.9%, at 20,127.73, and the AIM All-Share gained 3.61 points, 0.5%, at 690.48.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 877.63, the Cboe UK 2

Stock prices in Europe were mostly higher on Wednesday midday, with higher-risk and economically sensitive sectors benefiting from a risk-on sentiment among investors.'European and Asian markets were on the front foot on Wednesday amid hopes that Donald Trump might partially wind back tariffs if deals could be struck with Canada and Mexico,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. 'Investors are looking f