Pubs group Mitchells & Butlers (MAB) smashed first half sales and profit forecasts and said the full year was likely to be at the top end of expectations, sending shares in the All-Bar-One and Toby carvery operator to the top of the FTSE mid-cap leaderboard, gaining as much as 14% to 303p. Over the last year the shares are up 44%, comfortably ahead of the FTSE 250 return of 7% driven by continu...

Shares in Marks & Spencer (MKS) topped the FTSE 100 leader board on Wednesday, rallying 9.1% to a five-year high of 298.6p after the retail giant's full-year results breezed past consensus estimates, prompting Shore Capital to proclaim that 'M&S is back baby!'. Chief executive Stuart Machin's turnaround plan is clearly paying off and both divisions have positive momentum, Marks & Spencer's Food...

It has been something of a wild ride for investors in fire safety specialist Marlowe (MRL:AIM) over the past six months or so, but today they can celebrate after the firm announced it would return a significant part of the proceeds from the sale of some of its software and service assets. The shares, which collapsed more than 30% last December from 500p to 310p, have gradually clawed their way...

Stocks in London largely fell at the open on Wednesday, as a stronger than expected inflation reading damped hope of a June interest rate cut by the Bank of England, but boosted sterling. The FTSE 100 index opened down 37.88 points, 0.5%, at 8,378.57. The FTSE 250 was down 66.19 points, 0.3%, at 20,717.18. The AIM All-Share barely budged, inching up just 0.1 of a point at 807.19. The Cboe UK 10...

Stocks in London closed lower on Tuesday, as investor nerves around Bank of England interest rates dominated the market, before the next UK inflation print. The FTSE 100 index closed down 7.75 points, 0.1%, at 8,416.45. The FTSE 250 ended down 89.96 points, 0.4%, at 20,783.37, and the AIM All-Share closed down 2.85 points, 0.4%, at 807.09. The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 840.04, the Cboe UK...

Investors in London showed caution heading into the afternoon on Tuesday, while the pound was supported by the International Monetary Fund upping its economic forecast for the UK. The FTSE 100 index traded down 33.15 points, 0.4%, at 8,391.05. The FTSE 250 was down 83.38 points, 0.4%, at 20,789.95. The AIM All-Share fell 1.84 points, 0.2%, at 808.10. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 837.74, the...

AstraZeneca (AZN) has revealed a new target to grow revenue by 75% from the $45.8 billion generated in 2023 to $80 billion by 2030, driven by 'significant' growth in its existing portfolio of medicines and by launching 20 new medicines by the end of the decade. The company will also focus on efficient execution and drive operating leverage to achieve a mid-thirties core operating margin by 2026...

Singapore-based electrical engineer XP Power (XPP) has firmly rejected a cheeky buyout, and quite right too. The offer, made by precision power kit peer Advanced Energy Industries, is pitched at £19.50 per share, the latest in a run of offers made privately to XP Power management having got the ball rolling with a £17 per share proposal made more than six months ago. The latest offer values X...

Shares in Dowlais (DWL) were down over 6% to 72p in morning trading as the automotive products group released a trading update for the four months to 30 April 2024 ahead of its AGM (annual general meeting) later today. The group reported adjusted revenue of £1.7 billion in the period, a year-on-year fall of 1.9%, adding the year had started 'broadly in line' with expectations but cautioned 's...

Home improvement retailer Kingfisher (KGF) pleased investors by maintaining its full-year outlook even after seeing slightly soggy sales in the three months to the end of April. The shares gave up 0.6p or 0.2% to 263.5p, a slightly better performance than the FTSE 100 which took a breather having opened 0.25% lower. POSITIVE UK SALES Group first-quarter sales hit £3.3 billion, an increase of 0...

European equities started Tuesday in a muted fashion, following unconvincing trade from Asia. The FTSE 100 index opened down 29.22 points, 0.4%, at 8,394.98. The FTSE 250 was down 86.45 points, 0.4%, at 20,786.88. The AIM All-Share fell 2.67 points, 0.3%, at 807.27. The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 837.69, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.3%, trading at 18,205.44, and the Cboe Small Companies was lar...

Investors in London showed confidence on Monday, with stocks closing up on hopes on interest rate cuts being around the corner. The FTSE 100 index closed up 3.94 points at 8,424.20. The FTSE 250 ended up 123.43 points, 0.6%, at 20,873.33, and the AIM All-Share closed up 15.92 points, 2.0%, at 809.94. The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 840.87, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.6% at 18,250.48, and the C...

Private equity groups continue to pick-off some of the UK's best assets with news over the weekend that Sweden's EQT is in advanced talks with Keywords Studios (KWS:AIM) to buy the video games services company for £25.50 in cash. The potential offer equates to a 73% premium to Friday's (17 May) closing price and comes after the board rejected four previous unsolicited proposals in recent month...