The week before Christmas was a busy one for the boards of several UK firms as they offloaded shares ahead of the holidays. At defence contractor Chemring (CHG), chief executive Michael Ord and two other directors sold a total of 274,000 shares at 315p each on 18 December raising just shy of £800,000 between them. The shares were all part of previous awards which vested in December 2024 and th...

Stocks in London remained in the red at midday on Monday, trimming a year-to-date gain which already fell short of loftier progress in US stocks. The FTSE 100 index traded down 15.85 points, 0.2%, at 8,133.93. The FTSE 250 was down 62.74 points, 0.3%, at 20,425.91, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.34 of a point at 715.53. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 815.90, the Cboe UK 250 down 0.2% at...

As we enter the final trading days of 2024 and tot up how our personal investments have done over the course of the year, analysts at CMC Markets (CMCX) have been looking at how the 'gurus' such as Warren Buffett have fared ahead of the release of their year-end 13-F filings. For the record, every US-domiciled fund with more than $100 million of assets has to file a 13-F report each quarter as...

Stocks in London were subdued on Monday morning, with only a few of the FTSE 100 opening in the green on the last full day of trading in 2024. The FTSE 100 index opened down 29.94 points, 0.4%, at 8,119.84. The FTSE 250 was down 54.73 points, 0.3%, at 20,433.92, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.90 of a point, 0.1%, at 716.09. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 814.35, the Cboe UK 250 down 0.2% at 1...

London's FTSE 100 ended higher in quiet trade on Friday, though gains were more convincing in mainland Europe, shaking off declines in New York. The FTSE 100 index added 12.79 points, 0.2%, at 8,149.78. The FTSE 250 fell 82.86 points, 0.4%, at 20,488.65, and the AIM All-Share ended down 2.21 points, 0.3%, at 715.19. The Cboe UK 100 ended higher at 816.42, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.5% at 17,930.53,...

London stocks traded mixed on Friday, while market participants digested US jobless claims data suggesting resilience in the American economy and kept one eye on data releases due out in the afternoon. The FTSE 100 index was marginally higher, by 0.040 points, at 8,137.03. The FTSE 250 was down 70.18 points, 0.3%, at 20,501.33, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.22 points at 717.18. The Cboe UK 1...

Share prices in London started lower on Friday after the two-day Christmas break, as investors dissected initial readings on the strength of holiday sales and the weekly reading on US employment. Out on Boxing Day, US seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims were 219,000 in the week that ended this past Saturday, down 1,000 from the previously week's unrevised total of 220,000, the US Departm...

London stocks closed higher on Tuesday's shortened trading day, buoyed by gains in the retail and mining sectors, while Windward surged 42% following a takeover bid from FTV VIII LP. The FTSE 100 index closed up 34.27 points, 0.4%, at 8,136.99. The FTSE 250 ended up 152.42 points, 0.8%, at 20,571.51, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.96 points, 0.7%, at 717.40. The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at...

Many have sounded the death knell for the UK high street, notably during the Covid crisis as retail trends shifted towards online shopping. Yet, the high street has endured amid the consumer's persistent demand for physical retail. And despite many high street stocks successfully adapting to this evolving retail market, valuations remain depressed, presenting a value opportunity for some UK fun...

Stocks in London opened in the green on Tuesday morning but not everyone is feeling the Christmas spirit, with Vistry issuing a profit warning. The FTSE 100 index opened up 21.00 points, 0.3%, at 8,123.72. The FTSE 250 was up 57.64 points, 0.3%, at 20,476.73, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.11 points, 0.4%, at 715.55. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 815.18, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 17,932.6...

A mixed close for London equities on Monday highlighted increasing concerns about the UK economy, with businesses bracing for a sharp slowdown and consumer confidence sliding further. The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.11 points, 0.2%, at 8,102.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 31.60 points, 0.2%, at 20,419.09, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.84 points, 0.3%, at 712.44. The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% a...

The FTSE 100 in London edged into the green on Monday at midday despite a downcast morning of economic data announcements. In London, the FTSE 100 index was up 10.02 points, 0.1%, at 8,095.11. The FTSE 250 was down 49.10 points, 0.2%, at 20,401.59, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.87 of a point, 0.1%, at 711.47. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 812.51, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.3% at 17,888.41, an...

Microchip industry sales are set to rise by 15% in 2025, believes Bank of America, hitting $725 billion. No prizes for guessing that Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) is a predicted winner. 'We see 2025 as a year of two different trends. In the first half, AI investments and Nvidia Blackwell deployments driven by US cloud customers sustain momentum in AI semis,' analysts led by Vivek Arya wrote in a note. B...