Facilities management group Mitie (MTO) delivered a pleasing first-quarter trading update showing double-digit revenue growth and a solid order book thanks to new contract wins. The shares eased 1.7p or 1.4% to 121p, having notched up gains of 25% year-to-date, as the overall market got off to a soggy start. BIG WINS WITH BIG CLIENTS For the three months to the end of June, Mitie recorded reven...

Shares in Compass Group (CPG) climbed 4.6% to £22.92 in early dealings after the catering giant upped its full year sales and profit guidance for the second time this year. The upgrade followed a forecast-beating third-quarter performance from the Chertsey-based food service star turn, which has emerged from the pandemic in a stronger position with enhanced growth opportunities and more loyal...

Stocks in London made a soggy start on Tuesday, with miners dragging the blue-chip FTSE 100 lower, although Compass bucked the weaker trend. The FTSE 100 index traded down 30.93 points, or 0.4%, at 8,167.85. The FTSE 250 was down 25.12 points, 0.1%, at 21,113.56, while the AIM All-Share was down 1.55 points, 0.2%, at 781.69. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 815.65, the Cboe UK 250 was 0.2% lowe...

Stock prices in London closed predominantly higher on Monday, joining European peers in a relatively upbeat finish, following news that US President Joe Biden will not stand for re-election. Amongst individual stocks, airlines slid after Ryanair's warning. Rentokil led the FTSE 100 higher, though, after former BT boss eyed a bid to take over the pest control firm. The FTSE 100 index closed up 4...

Pest control and hygiene giant Rentokil Initial (RTO) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Monday, with shares in the 'royal rat-catcher' scurrying 10% higher to 492.6p following weekend reports it is a bid target for private equity. According to The Times, former BT (BT.A) CEO Philip Jansen is in secret talks with private equity groups over a plan that would see him become executive chair of th...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Brazil is the largest economy in Latin America[1]. It comprises 60% of the MSCI Latin America index,[2] and has four of the region's five largest companies. It is the highest weighting in...

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Marketing material. A lot has been said about the concentration in the US markets, but investors in European markets have also been focused on a handful of companies. These 'Granolas' may be more diversified than the technology-focused Magnificent Seven - and not as expensive - but the focus on them suggests investors remain nervous about branching out. However,...

Markets in Europe shook off nerves on Monday, following Joe Biden leaving the US presidential race. The FTSE 100 index was up 62.43 points, or 0.8%, at 8,218.22. The FTSE 250 was up 108.13 points, or 0.5%, at 21,175.81, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.93 of a point, or 0.1%, at 785.06. The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.0% at 820.39, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.8% at 18,494.63, but the Cboe Small Companies w...

Dr Gerry Murphy, chairman of Burberry (BRBY), bought 20,000 shares in the luxury goods group at 725p for a total value of £145,000 on 16 July. Murphy's move followed another poor update from the heritage trench coats-to-cashmere scarves seller, which suspended its dividend, and said chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd would step down with immediate effect. Year-to-date Burberry shares have fallen...

US quarterly earnings will hit top gear this week and investors should be watching closely. Will big tech corporate results put a stopper in the recent stock price declines that have cooled this year's US markets rally? The S&P 500's technology sector has dropped nearly 6% in just over a week as growing expectations of interest rate cuts and a second Donald Trump presidency draw money away from...

The FTSE 100 started the week on the front foot, seemingly unfazed by President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the re-election race, although the travel sector stalled after a Ryanair warning. The FTSE 100 index traded up 30.98 points, or 0.4%, at 8,186.70. The FTSE 250 was up 55.40 points, 0.3%, at 21,123.08, while the AIM All-Share was up just 0.29 of a point at 784.42. The Cboe UK 100 wa...

European markets ended in the red on Friday, after the fallout from a global IT outage sapped risk appetite. The FTSE 100 index ended down 49.17 points, 0.6%, at 8,155.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 166.48 points, or 0.8%, at 21,067.68, and the AIM All-Share fell 3.54 points, 0.5%, at 784.13. For the week, the FTSE 100 fell 1.2%, the FTSE 250 shed 0.6% and the AIM gave back 0.3%. The Cboe UK 100 e...