Stock prices in Europe lacked direction at Tuesday midday, while analysts still believe the Monetary Policy Committee in the UK will opt for an interest rate cut next month, despite solid wage growth. 'The FTSE 100 was subject to choppy trading following [US President] Trump's inauguration,' AJ Bell's Russ Mould said. 'Having jumped at the market open, the UK index quickly pulled back as invest...

Shares in FTSE 250 infrastructure group Kier (KIE) gained after their recent setback as the company revealed it had 'traded well' in the six months to December and was launching a small buyback programme. The stock price gained 7p or 5% to 145p, continuing its rebound from the 130p level of a week ago. GOOD VISIBILITY While it didn't give any details on its first-half revenue, the firm said its...

Pubs group Marston's (MARS) reported exceptionally strong festive trading with like-for-like sales growth of 11.1% between 22 December and 4 January and said it is well positioned to deliver full-year pre-tax profit in line with consensus analyst expectations. The shares dropped 1.4p or 3.3% to 40.9p, reflecting some profit-taking after a strong run which has seen the shares outperform peers an...

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were higher on Tuesday morning, while the newest ONS data showed that UK earnings growth outpaced inflation. Meanwhile, UK unemployment rate rose above analysts' forecast to 4.4% for November, according to the Office for National Statistics. Average earnings rose by 5.6% including and excluding bonuses, outpacing inflation. Wage growth excluding bonus...

Both sterling and London's blue chip index were up at Monday's close amid reports indicating a potential delay in Donald Trump's tariff policy. The FTSE 100 index rose 15.32 points, 0.2%, at 8,520.54. It had earlier reached a new intra-day high of 8,548.59. The FTSE 250 ended 110.68 points lower, 0.5%, at 20,486.74, and the AIM All-Share shed 0.78 of a point, 0.1%, at 718.29. The Cboe UK 100 en...

Shares in Reach (RCH) soared 25% to 90p in early morning trading as the newspaper publisher said it expects to deliver results ahead of current market expectations for the full year. Back in October 2024 the publisher said it was confident in delivering full-year guidance due to further digital growth. Digital revenue increased by 2.5% in the third quarter, but print revenue fell 3.9%, includin...

Stock prices in London were mostly in the red at midday on Monday, as Pod Point shares dived as it lamented an ongoing weakness in the private new car segment of the electric vehicle market. 'Markets are beating to the drum of Donald Trump on the day of his return to the White House,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. 'Markets are eagerly awaiting Trump's first batch of executive orders as this w...

AstraZeneca (AZN) said the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has approved its cancer treatment Datroway to treat adult patients with breast cancer where surgery is not possible or where the cancer has spread through the body, who have already received standard of care chemotherapy. The shares slipped 15p or 0.2% to £109.2 and have fallen 18% over the last five months following a probe by C...

Shares in Sanderson Design (SDG:AIM) sank 16% to a two-year low of 45.5p after the luxury interior furnishings firm disappointed the market with a second profit warning in eight months, after the hoped-for improvement in trading on which previously downgraded guidance was based failed to materialise. The wallpapers, fabrics and paints manufacturer behind the Sanderson, Morris & Co and Clarke &...

Stocks in London opened mixed but the blue chip FTSE 100 was in the green early Monday, with Pershing Square up as it announced it will pay dividends for every quarter of 2025. Financial markets are closed in the US on Monday to mark Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and as president-elect Donald Trump prepares to officially take office. The FTSE 100 index opened up 16.47 points, 0.2%, at 8,521.69....

London stocks ended higher on Friday, and the FTSE 100 index rose to a new peak as the pound traded lower after tepid UK data. The FTSE 100 index jumped 113.32 points, 1.4%, at 8,505.22. It had earlier reached a new intra-day high of 8,533.43. The FTSE 250 ended 69.72 points higher, 0.3%, at 20,597.42, and the AIM All-Share advanced 1.76 points, 0.3%, at 719.07. For the week, the FTSE 100 added...

The FTSE 100 reached a new all-time high on Friday, with stocks comfortably in the green at midday, after sound fourth quarter growth data from China, which beat the consensus. The FTSE 100 index was up 99.25 points, 1.2%, at 8,491.24. It had earlier reached a new intra-day high of 8,496.42. The FTSE 250 was 36.40 points higher, 0.2%, at 20,564.10, and the AIM All-Share advanced 1.87 points, 0....

Shares in M&C Saatchi (SAA) were up 6% to 189p in early trading as the advertising agency said it expects full year 2024 like-for-like net revenue growth of circa 3.5% with reported net revenue of £243 million. The company said trading in the second half of the year 'maintained first half momentum' supported by its diverse balanced portfolio and strong growth in in Issues, Media and the UAE (U...