Equities in London powered higher on Friday, ending the week on a strong note, but sterling fell flat on less-than-stellar UK data. The euro, meanwhile, hurtled closer to dollar parity as eurozone data was similarly tepid. The FTSE 100 index jumped 112.81 points, 1.4%, at 8,262.08. The FTSE 250 climbed 231.77 points, 1.1%, at 20,581.69, and the AIM All-Share gained 6.38 points, 0.8%, at 732.20....

London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts. The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cbo...

In an unscheduled update, fantasy miniatures maker Games Workshop (GAW) said trading since 8 September is tracking ahead of expectations and provided new financial estimates for the half year to 1 December. The news was well received with the shares jumping as much as 15% to a new all-time high of £136.5, taking gains for the year to 37%, comfortably ahead of the mid-cap FTSE 250's 5% advance....

On the day the ONS (Office for National Statistics) announced disappointing retail sales for October as Budget uncertainty sapped spending, DFS Furniture (DFS) defied the doom and gloom with news of robust orders growth into the new financial year. The reassuring update will come as a relief to shareholders, who might have feared another profit warning from the sofa specialist, which lurched in...

After a post-election lull, US stock markets got back to winning ways this week with broad gains, led by the small cap Russell 2000 index and the technology heavy Nasdaq leading the charge. Weekly jobless claims fell 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000, a new six-month low, suggesting a bounce in jobs growth in November from a hurricane and strike impacted October. US existing home sales als...

European equities shrugged off a poor UK retail sales reading, tepid German data and underwhelming purchasing managers' index surveys from the continent to push higher on Friday. Rising global tensions remained a theme, keeping oil prices at lofty territory. The FTSE 100 index added 55.41 points, 0.7%, at 8,204.68. The FTSE 250 rose 120.58 points, 0.6%, at 20,470.50, and the AIM All-Share rose...

Equities in Europe ended higher on Thursday, overcoming some earlier uncertain trade, as comments from a US official calmed some geopolitical worries which kept a lid on investor enthusiasm. Nonetheless, Brent remained above the $73 mark, supporting oil majors. Moscow's ambassador in London said Thursday Britain was 'now directly involved' in Russia's war with Ukraine, following reports Kyiv ha...

Blue-chips in London traded in the green around midday on Thursday, as the escalating conflict in Ukraine pushed oil and gold prices higher. The FTSE 100 index added 25.97 points, 0.3%, at 8,111.04. The FTSE 250 lost 45.77 points, 0.2%, at 20,198.99, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.00 points, 0.3%, at 724.34. The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 815.30, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 17,701.10, and th...

Technology-enabled health, safety, and environmental solutions group Halma (HLMA) topped the FTSE 100 leaderboard with a 9% rise after reporting record first half results which showed revenue breaching £1 billion for the first time. The gain extends 2024's advance to 20%, well ahead of the blue-chip index which is flat on the year. The company commented: 'These results further extend our track...

Trainers-to-tracksuits seller JD Sports Fashion (JD.) now expects year-to-January 2025 pre-tax profits will be at the lower end of its original £955 million to £1.035 billion guidance range, disappointing news that sent the shares tumbling 16% to a two-year low of 95.2p. The global footwear seller had been on course to join UK retail's exclusive £1 billion profit club but the latest update s...

Whichever way you look at it, Nvidia's (NVDA:NASDAQ) Q3 earnings crushed it, surging past forecasts while continuing to demonstrate remarkable growth across its key business segments. 'The numbers speak for themselves', said AJ Bell investment analyst Dan Coatsworth. 'Nvidia has beaten earnings and revenue forecasts for eight consecutive quarters. The scale of the latest beat was decent - earn...

Shares in Jet2 (JET2:AIM) were up nearly 5% to £14.94 in morning trading as the airline and package holidays provider reported record revenue, profit and passenger numbers for the first half year ending 30 September and said it expected the full year to be ahead of market expectations. Winter 2024/2025 on sale seat capacity is currently 14% higher than Winter 2023/2024 at 5.11 million seats. S...

European equities were mostly in the red on Thursday morning amid a threat of higher for longer interest rates, following a lofty UK inflation reading and a caution against turbocharged US easing from a Federal Reserve official. The FTSE 100 index added just 0.40 of a point at 8,085.47. The FTSE 250 lost just 7.21 points at 20,237.55, and the AIM All-Share rose 3.18 points, 0.4%, at 725.52. The...