Medical products maker Smith & Nephew (SN.) topped the FTSE leader board with the shares jumping 7% to £10.5 after activist investor Cevian Capital disclosed a 5% stake, making it the second largest shareholder in the group. The shares are down around 13% over the last 12-months compared with a 7% gain in the FTSE 100 index as the knee and hip replacement specialist has struggled to improve pe...

The FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 were in the green on Thursday morning, with Brits heading to polling stations to vote in the general election. Based on surveys leading up to election day, it looks like Labour will win a majority, ousting the Tory's after nearly a decade and a half in power. Across the channel, French voters went to the polls for the first round of the legislative election on Sunday,...

European stocks closed higher in confident trade on Wednesday, with the mood supported by cooler US data aiding interest rate cut hopes, and belief that the French election outcome could be more favourable than first feared. French voters went to the polls for the first round of the legislative election on Sunday, and they return to them this week. In the UK, there was a boost for the Labour Pa...

Stock prices in London were higher at Wednesday midday ahead of the UK general election on Thursday, with the opposition Labour party expect to win a comfortable majority. Also keeping stocks in the green was positive inflation news from US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, ahead of an Independence Day holiday, starting locally at 1400 EDT today. Speaking on Tuesday, Powell said the US centr...

It hasn't been a vintage year for the UK stock market, but there are signs investors are coming back attracted by the cheap valuations on offer compared with the US as well as decent earnings prospects for UK companies. The FTSE 350 index is up 5.5% year-to-date, with the FTSE 100 large-cap benchmark up 5.6% just shading it from the FTSE 250 which is up 4% year-to-date. TANKS AND BANKS THE WINN...

Shares in Paramount Global (PARA:NASDAQ) gained 7% yesterday and added a further 3% to $19.32 in after-hours trading after the US media firm said it had resumed merger talks with Californian-based TV and film production company Skydance Media. In June, talks between the two were called off after both parties failed to reach agreement on the terms of the deal. Heavy selling in Paramount on big s...

French drug maker Sanofi (SAN:EPA) has received European regulatory approval for Dupixent, its asthma and skin drug to treat patients with chronic lung disease. Dupixent is the first-ever targeted therapy for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), known as 'smoker's cough' since it mainly affects cigarette smokers. COPD restricts airflow and affects over 35 million people in Europe and n...

Topps Tiles' (TPT) shares slid 4.2% to a 52-week low of 39p after the UK's leading tile specialist reported a 9.7% plunge in third quarter like-for-like sales as 'challenging' market conditions persisted. The share price reaction might have been harsher had Topps not stressed that sales stabilised through the quarter, with spending from trade customers remaining more resilient than from hard-pr...

Stock prices were in the green on Wednesday morning amid optimism that the Federal Reserve in the US might cut interest rates in the future. In the UK, it is the day before election day. Polls have seen Keir Starmer's Labour party take the lead as the Conservatives slip. The FTSE 100 index opened up 42.55 points, 0.5%, at 8,163.75. The FTSE 250 was up 99.58 points, 0.5%, at 20,294.05, and the A...

Stocks in London ended in the red on Tuesday, as cautious sentiment prevailed following hot eurozone inflation figures. The FTSE 100 index ended down 45.56 points, 0.6%, at 8,121.20. The FTSE 250 fell 27.61 points, 0.1%, at 20,194.47, while the AIM All-Share slipped 0.81 of a point at 764.37. The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.7% to 808.01, the Cboe UK 250 declined 0.5% to 17575.03, and the Cboe Small Comp...

European stocks were under pressure on Tuesday, while US equities are set to open lower, after eurozone inflation data veered towards being unfavourable, as core price pressure remains robust. The data may have given European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde some food for thought. Lagarde, and her Federal Reserve counterpart Jerome Powell, speak at a conference in Sintra, Portugal later...

Shares in Craneware (CRW:AIM) were up over 2% to £23.65 in morning trading as the Edinburgh-based healthcare software company announced a tie-up with tech giant Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ). Craneware provides software solutions that help hospitals and other healthcare providers discover and optimise assets to improve clinical outcomes and financial performance. WHAT WILL THE TIE-UP ACHIEVE? The ti...