Stock prices in London were in the green at Wednesday midday, amid data showing consumer price inflation ebbed to the 2% target in May, ahead of the Bank of England's next interest rate decision due Thursday.The FTSE 100 index was up 4.76 points, or 0.1%, at 8,195.96. The FTSE 250 was up 38.44 points, or 0.2%, at 20,448.68, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.75 points, or 0.2%, at 780.07.The Cboe UK 1

Copper is already one of the most important materials underpinning human civilisation, and the energy transition is only likely to see demand for the industrial metal build in the years to come.Limits and pressures on supply and this growing demand profile are already seeing copper prices mount a charge and recent M&A activity ? with BHP's (BHP) unsuccessful (for now) attempt to take over Anglo Am

If we took a straw poll of readers and asked which country has the world's biggest sovereign wealth fund, the chances are Saudi Arabia and Singapore would come high up the list if not at the top.In fact, the largest is Norway's Government Pension Fund Global which has a value of more than $1.6 trillion.When the country discovered large offshore oil fields at the end of the 1960s, the government de

Markets were gripped on Monday by concerns over how Israel might respond to Iran?s recent drone strike, with commodity prices falling.The FTSE 100 index closed down 30.05 points, 0.4%, at 7,965.53. The FTSE 250 ended down 22.35 points, 0.1%, at 19,698.89, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.63 points, 0.7%, at 750.28.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 795.31, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.1% at 17

London?s FTSE 100, the outperformer on Friday as investors fretted over a possible escalation in the Middle East, was the laggard on Monday in the wake of Iran?s strikes on Israel over the weekend, as the blue-chip index?s oil majors tracked crude prices lower.Large-cap benchmarks in Frankfurt and Paris, which fell on Friday, were on the up on Monday. Stocks in New York tumbled at the end of last

Stocks in London were higher on midday Friday with miners, housebuilders and oil majors rising amid news that the UK is exiting a mild and short recession.The FTSE 100 index was up 96.05 points, 1.2%, at 8,019.85. The FTSE 250 was up 125.41 points, 0.6%, at 19,912.28, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.87 points, 0.4%, at 761.70.The Cboe UK 100 was up 1.3% at 802.07, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.6% at 17,

With geopolitical tensions rising, the price of Brent Crude could top $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia?s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 suggests former White House advisor Bob McNally in an interview with Bloomberg.Brent Crude has rallied more than a quarter since December 2023 and almost touched $92 per barrel last Friday (5 April) raising fears of a commodity-led rebound in inflation.T

Stocks in London were higher at midday on Wednesday, boosted by retailers ahead of a US consumer price inflation reading.Amongst individual stocks, Tesco led the charge, after unveiling a £1 billion share buyback programme. Other retailers also got a boost on the back of the results.The FTSE 100 index was up 47.65 points, 0.6%, at 7,982.44. The FTSE 250 was up 171.65 points, 0.9%, at 19,935.00, a

Oil and gas output upTrading division strongBrent crude back at $90Shares in energy producer BP (BP.) rose 1.8% to a new six-month high of 519p after the firm raised its guidance for upstream production and Brent crude prices extended their recent rally. POSITIVE ON BALANCEBP?s first-quarter guidance was mixed but on balance the market looked to the positives including a stronger upstream p

1. Semiconductors in focus: The semiconductor sector, as represented by the Philadelphia semiconductor index, posted a 10% gain in February. This reflected renewed optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) chips and their associated applications. Asian chipmakers, which are responsible for manufacturing most of these chips, posted similarly strong gains in the month. This blistering pace o

Stocks in London were predominantly in the red at Monday?s open, as investors look for signs of cuts to national insurance ahead of the UK Spring budget on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index opened down 15.31 points, 0.2%, at 7,667.19. The FTSE 250 was down 39.07 points, 0.2%, at 19,315.31, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.16 points, 0.2%, at 742.47.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 768.30, the Cboe UK 250

The pound recovered on Tuesday after the Bank of England?s Andrew Bailey discussed possible interest rate cuts, but stock prices still closed down in London.The FTSE 100 index closed down 9.29 points, 0.1%, at 7,719.21. The FTSE 250 ended down 107.27 points, 0.6%, at 19,109.63, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.28 points, 0.4%, at 753.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 772.61, the Cboe UK 250

Stock prices in London declined on Tuesday morning, with trading remaining muted following a public holiday in the US on Monday, though banking stocks were a bright spot for the FTSE 100.The FTSE 100 index opened down 7.57 points, 0.1%, at 7,720.93. The FTSE 250 was down 51.49 points, 0.3%, at 19,165.41, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.89 points, 0.3%, at 754.44.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 7

Stock prices in Europe fell on Tuesday morning, with the mood in equities nervy ahead of a US consumer price inflation print in the afternoon and after a UK unemployment reading earlier in the morning.The UK data supported the pound, but hit equities, as it strengthened the case for the Bank of England to keep rates higher for longer.The FTSE 100 index traded 11.92 points lower, 0.2%, at 7,561.77.

Stock prices in London were mixed at the start of Monday afternoon, with the FTSE 100 down, as shares in some of its larger constituents struggled at the start of the week.The FTSE 100 index fell 11.34 points, 0.2%, at 7,561.24. The FTSE 250 is up 74.94 points, 0.4%, at 19,137.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.39 points, 0.2%, at 748.80.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.1% to 755.81, the Cboe UK 250 climbed

The FTSE 100 opened lower on Wednesday, although headlines were dominated by the UK property sector.Housebuilder Barratt offered to buy FTSE 250 rival Redrow in a takeover deal, which values Redrow at £2.5 billion, while both cut dividends amid lower first half profit and revenue. Meanwhile, UK house prices rose for the fourth consecutive month, according to fresh data.The FTSE 100 index opened d

It may have started off as an acronym to describe the main emerging markets in the early noughties but Brazil, Russia, India and China have co-opted the term to create an alliance over the last decade or so bringing South Africa into the fold.This BRICS alliance just added new members to the fold in the form of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.But looking at the perform

European equities struggled to find their groove on Tuesday, as the FTSE 100 finds gains hard to come by in a tricky January so far, while stocks in New York are set for a tepid return to trading.The FTSE 100 index was down 36.20 points, 0.5%, at 7,558.71. It has fallen over 2% since the start of the year. Heading into Tuesday, it had 10 days of trading in the new year. It rose in just three of th

The recent action in oil prices could be painting a false picture. Several key markers look negative for demand yet, for now, tensions in the Middle East and the perceived threat to supplies from the region are preventing a big sell-off in crude.When the war in Gaza first started there were doomsday predictions of prices in excess of $150 per barrel if the strategic Strait of Hormuz supply route w

London?s blue-chips recovered early losses to close in the green, despite falling oil stocks, but there was caution in the air ahead of US inflation figures later this week.The FTSE 100 index closed up 4.58 points, 0.1%, at 7,694.19. The FTSE 250 ended up 183.41 points, 1.0%, at 19,393.80, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.42 of a point, or 0.1%, at 750.82.The Cboe UK 100 ended down marginally a