George Sartorel, non-executive director at life insurance giant Prudential (PRU), bought 8,000 shares at 725p for a total value of £58,000 on 8 July. Sartorel's move comes after the company announced a $2 billion share buyback programme on 24 June due to be completed no later than mid-2026. Prudential shares have lost nearly 30% of their value over the past year and Sartorel's move could be vi...

European stocks opened lower on Monday morning, after Donald Trump was hit in the ear in an attempted assassination attempt on Saturday in Pennsylvania. The FTSE 100 index opened down 40.49 points, 0.5%, at 8,212.42. The FTSE 250 was down 88.87 points, 0.4%, at 21,114.02, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.71 points, 0.2%, at 784.46. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.5% at 819.66, the Cboe UK 250 was do...

Equities in Europe rose on Friday, with the growing conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut rates soon lifting the mood, and not even hotter US data and some mixed bank earnings denting enthusiasm. The FTSE 100 index rose 29.57 points, 0.4%, at 8,252.91. The FTSE 250 added 13.98 points, 0.1%, at 21,202.89, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.64 points, 0.6%, at 786.17. The FTSE 100 made a we...

Major indices in Europe were in the green around midday Friday, as investors await producer price inflation data coming from the US. The FTSE 100 index was up 19.98 points, 0.2%, at 8,243.32. The FTSE 250 was down 31.65 points, 0.2%, at 21,157.26, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.60 points, 0.3%, at 784.13. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 822.37, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1% at 18,423.27, and the...

British semiconductor company Graphcore may have been sold to Japan's Softbank (9984:TYO) at a fraction of its peak value, but the deal has allowed investment trusts Chrysalis Investments (CHRY) and Schroder British Opportunities (SBO) to realise some cash and report uplifts in NAV (net asset value). Graphcore, which also features in the portfolios of Edinburgh Worldwide (EWI) and Schiehallion...

The past week saw intensified talk about President Biden's bid to stand against Trump in November's White House race after more befuddled rhetoric from the current Commander in Chief. But President Biden also reiterated his intention to run against Trump in the 2024 elections, dismissing calls for him to pull out amid growing concerns over his mental state after calling Ukrainian leader Zelensk...

Stock prices were mixed in London on Friday morning, as investors look ahead to some more US inflation data due out this afternoon. The FTSE 100 index opened up 33.51 points, 0.4%, at 8,256.85. The FTSE 250 was down 14.25 points, 0.1%, at 21,174.66, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.04 points, 0.1%, at 782.57. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 824.03, the Cboe UK 250 was up slightly at 18,438.38, and...

European markets and the pound had a strong day on Thursday, with the afternoon's US inflation reading boosting risk appetite. Markets in New York got off the line slowly, however, amid an apparent rotation out of tech following a bullish run in recent days. The FTSE 100 index closed up 29.83 points, 0.4%, at 8,223.34. The FTSE 250 was surged 261.15 points, 1.3%, at 21,188.91, and the AIM All-S...

Stock prices were mixed on Thursday midday in London, while water companies rose after Ofwat decided to raise tap water price caps for customers in England and Wales. The FTSE 100 index was up 20.09 points, 0.3%, at 8,213.60. The FTSE 250 was down 5.06 points at 20,922.70, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.69 points, 0.5%, at 776.54. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 818.70, the Cboe UK 250 was flat...

Shares in Jet2 (JET2:AIM) were up over 1% in morning trading at £13.08 as the airline and package holidays provider reported a 43% jump in pre-tax profit to £529.5 million for the year ending 31 March 2024. Total revenue was up 24% to £6.25 billion compared to £5.03 billion last year. The airline and package holidays provider attributed the gain to the popularity of their holiday products w...

Sometimes it is better to travel than arrive and that seems to be the case for online review platform Trustpilot (TRST) after the shares sank almost 7% despite the firm notching up 19% growth in first-half bookings to $118 million. The shares have been on a tear this year gaining 58% making them one of the best performers in the mid-cap FTSE 250 index. Over the last 12 months the shares top the...

Having lagged the market all this year, water utilities were the star turn following an announcement from the regulator Ofwat that the firms could raise their bills over the next five years. In the FTSE 100, Severn Trent (SVT) gained 66p or 2.5% to £26.85 and United Utilities (UU.) added 25p or 2.3% to £10.91 taking both stocks into positive territory for the year, albeit marginally. In the F...