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, and the

Stocks in London opened in the red on Monday amid unwelcome domestic GDP and consumer sentiment releases, and in good news for Direct Line Insurance as Aviva finalises its cash offer.British shoppers expect a 'January spending squeeze' according to the British Retail Consortium.The personal financial situation index remained in negative territory, though steady, at minus 3 points. However, the ind

UK water firms had their gains pulled back by Friday's close following yesterday's Ofwat induced bump, as Trump threatened the EU with tariff's if it failed to address its trading deficit.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,092.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 31.24 points, 0.2%, at 20,430.62, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.1, or 0.73 of a point, at 711.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

UK stocks were down at midday in London on Friday as concerns about the state of the economy persisted off the back of sluggish retail sales figures.In Europe, pharmaceuticals heavyweight Novo Nordisk plummeted 18% in Copenhagen after disappointing data for its weight loss drug CagriSema.The product is seen as a rival to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound obesity treatments. In premarket trading in

Second quarter better than feared Sales down in North America, ChinaTurnaround more marathon than sprintFollowing an initial bounce in after-hours trading on Wall Street stoked by better-than-feared second-quarter results (19 December), Nike's (NKE:NYSE) shares stumbled to trade roughly flat on the realisation the sportswear firm's turnaround will take longer than expected.There was also disappoin

Stocks in London opened in the red on Friday morning, ahead of the US personal consumption expenditures release and Frasers founder Mike Ashley making a bid for boohoo leadership.UK retail sales volumes rose by 0.2% month-on-month in November, the Office for National Statistics said, improving from a 0.7% fall in October but falling short of the FXStreet-cited market consensus of 0.5% growth. On a

UK equities suffered on US exposure as they closed lower on Thursday amid the Bank of England holding interest rates, but warning of 'heightened uncertainty'.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pleaded for patience over his drive to improve living standards, warning it 'will take some time' for people to feel the benefits.Starmer hopes changes to planning rules, reforms to regulations and the use of te

UK indices remained in the red at midday on Thursday but with water companies bucking the trend following UK regulator Ofwat green lighting a substantial industry investment package.Interest rate calls on either side of the Atlantic dominated events with the Bank of England leaving rates unchanged, after a 'hawkish' cut by the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday.The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee vot

Analysts expect £78.5 billion in payouts£56.5 billion of buybacks this yearFTSE 100 up over 7% in 2024The latest AJ Bell Dividend Dashboard report shows FTSE 100 constituents are on course to pay £78.5 billion in ordinary dividends this year.That figure is almost flat on 2023 and well below the all-time high of £85.2 billion recorded in 2018, although analysts are penciling in a 6.5% increase

17% premium to undisturbed share priceIntelligent Ultrasound has struggled to growSimulation Business is 'particularly attractive'Yet another unloved UK company has agreed to a takeover by an overseas buyer, further deleting the ranks of firms listed on the London stock market.The latest name to throw in the towel is Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG:AIM), an ultrasound AI software and simulation minnow

2024 targets confirmedCash-flow forecast raised2025 outlook 'resilient'On an off-day for markets, with the FTSE 100 and the All-Share down 1%, facilities management group Serco (SRP) was a rare bright spot following its year-end trading update.The shares gained 8p or 6% to 147p, erasing much of their losses over the last month and indeed year-to-date. SOLID 2024 PERFORMANCEThe group, which

Stocks in London opened lower on Thursday morning following the US Federal Reserve's rate cut yesterday, as investors prepare for the Bank of England's decision this afternoon.The Fed announced another 25 basis point cut as expected, but hinted that that it will be slowing down next year in contrast with its 'jumbo' 50bp cut in September.'The market reaction was very aggressive, of course,' said S

The last 10 years have been pretty rough for UK stocks but there could be some signs of life emerging as we head towards 2025.Brexit, Covid and other political and economic shocks as well as a tilt towards 'old economy' stocks and a minimal footprint in technology have combined to undermine the relevance and appeal of the UK market.The resulting underperformance has led to people consistently poin

Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn inves

1. Tariffs: President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he will impose new tariffs on three of America's leading trading partners. He plans to sign an executive order placing 25% tariffs on goods imported from Canada and Mexico on day one of his presidency, with an additional 10% on goods from China. This is on top of earlier plans for 60% tariffs on China and 10%-20% on all other imports to the Un

Specialist business services firm FRP Advisory (FRP:AIM) is one of those businesses which many investors may have heard of but few are sure exactly what it does.Put simply, FRP helps companies through each stage of their development, giving advice on raising capital, managing debt, acquisitions, corporate finance and forensic accounting. It is probably best-known for 'crisis management' where it h

I am 67 and currently have a SIPP worth approximately £500,000. Because the favourable IHT regime is now ending I am now considering whether to reduce the amount in my SIPP and look at alternatives.My understanding is that I can take 25% tax free from my SIPP at any point and then the remaining pot is taxed on withdrawal at marginal rates. We do not need the cash immediately as we have other reso

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

The Nasdaq Composite index closed at a record high in mid-December as tech continued to drive returns ahead of the last Federal Reserve policy meeting of the year.Having recently smashed through the 20,000 mark, the index closed at 20,173.89 on 16 December, boosted by sharp jumps for Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) and chipmaker Broadcom (AVGO:NASDAQ).The Nasdaq 100 also closed at an all-time high 22,096.66.B

What a mixed year this has turned out to be for Shares' best ideas for 2024.That our one star turn stock was an annuities and lifetime mortgage specialist, even if it was 'screamingly cheap at its current price', as we originally noted, and the supposedly exciting tech growth picks have been dull-to-dismal, might make you hark back to school days studies of Christopher Hill's The World Turned Upsi