Three tried and tested market principles were reinforced by the latest update from beleaguered energy services firm Wood Group (WG.).I have followed this business for nearly two decades and it's hard to remember a time when it was in a worse state than it is today.That's backed up by the share price which traded at all-time lows below 50p in response to the company's devastating missive on 7 Novem

If it seems as though each week brings news of yet another takeover offer for a UK firm, the actual figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) are quite mind-boggling.Aside from the number of listed companies being bought, either by 'inward' investors or domestic buyers, hundreds of privately-owned firms are being snapped up every quarter.If you are in a position where a company you own

The US stock market is the biggest in the world and the listing domain of globally-renowned companies including Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ), Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ), which makes the market an extremely attractive proposition for UK-based investors. The US equity market's sheer size means it is highly liquid and offers investors greater scope for diversification than other regional ma

Stock prices in Europe were generally lower on Friday morning, after optimism from rate cuts in the US and UK wore off, as China unveiled a huge support package under which it will raise the local government debt ceiling.China's top lawmakers have approved a proposal to increase the debt ceiling for local governments by $840 billion, state media said as a key meeting wrapped up in Beijing.Meanwhil

Outlook revised downNew car market remains toughFears over ruling on car financing commissionsThe UK's largest automotive platform Auto Trader (AUTO) revised down its dealership listing volumes outlook and now expects full year average revenue per retailer to fall, sending the shares down 7% to the bottom of the FTSE 100 index.The shares have reversed nearly 12% since the beginning of October on c

Consolidation is a growing theme across the investment trust sector against a backdrop of stubbornly-wide NAV (net asset value) discounts and increasing pressure on sub-scale funds.2024 is already a record year for M&A (mergers and acquisitions) in a sector which has just seen the eleventh such deal announced, the value-oriented Invesco Asia Trust (IAT) planning to combine with Asia Dragon Trust (

Tesco (TSCO) 347.2pMarket cap: £23.75 billionWe believe leading food retailer Tesco (TSCO) is a great risk/return investment opportunity, comprising unappreciated defensive qualities at a time of increased economic uncertainty.As we explain later in the article, Tesco has the potential to deliver substantial returns to shareholders based on its capital allocation policy of returning cash via shar

Recent changes to the UK's listing rules should lead to a host of new names joining the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices in the new year, generating more interest in the UK stock market and putting more companies on the radar of investors.This matters to investors whether they own UK stocks directly, have exposure via actively-managed funds or simply track certain parts of the market through an excha

Profits up 17.2%Tasty growth in foodInternational sales down 10.3%Marks & Spencer (MKS) reported a forecast-beating jump in half-year profits as the retail bellwether's turnaround continues to gain traction, sending shares in the FTSE 100 company up 8% to a five-year high of 414p.With its dependable food and revitalised clothing and home divisions both gobbling up market share and Marks & Spencer'

Beazley and Lancashire shares rallyLancashire to pay a special dividendConduit Holdings shares drop 10%Given the succession of devastating storms which hit the US this autumn, investors in insurers covering catastrophe loss had every right to be nervous when it came to reporting season.In the event, two of the biggest UK-listed property and casualty insurers - Beazley (BEZ) and Lancashire Holdings

Expects Scottish Widows legacy costs of £8 billionInstitutional clients losses of circa £2 billionYear-to-date Schroders shares fall 24%Schroders (SDR) shares fell over 12% to 319p in morning trading despite the fund management group reporting record total AUM (assets under management) of £777.4 billion for the nine months to 30 September.There were positive net flows in the fund management gro

Budget day upgradeQ3 full price sales up 7.6%Annual profit guidance hiked to £1 billionRetail star turn Next (NXT) has raised its year-to-January 2025 profit guidance for the third time in three months after this year's early arrival of cold weather boosted its third quarter sales.Shares in the FTSE 100 company ticked up 1.5% to £102 as the fashion giant upgraded its full-year pre-tax profit gui

Stocks in Europe were mostly lower on Wednesday morning, ahead of the UK budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, while Standard Chartered rose after it said it delivered a strong performance.Ahead of the budget, the pound was quoted at $1.3020 early Wednesday, rising from $1.2991 at the London equities close on Tuesday.Brown Brothers Harriman analysts believe the pound faces 'downside ris

Stocks in London recovered to close Monday in the green, as all eyes look to the UK budget to come on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 36.78 points, or 0.5%, at 8,285.62. The FTSE 250 ended up 15.19 points, or 0.1%, at 20,835.10, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.2%, or 1.57 points, at 721.10.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 830.25, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.3% at 18,385.28, and the Cboe

Stocks in London trended lower on Monday, as oil majors retreated due to easing fears about Middle Eastern conflict, and car finance providers slumped further.The FTSE 100 index traded down 20.47 points, 0.3%, at 8,228.18. The FTSE 250 was 42.07 points lower, or 0.2%, at 20,778.66, and the AIM All-Share shed 3.15 points, 0.4%, at 719.52.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 823.83, the Cboe UK 250 fell

Stocks in London closed lower on Friday, as a car finance probe weighed on the shares of Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Close Brothers.The FTSE 100 index closed down 19.13 points, 0.3%, at 8,248.84. The FTSE 250 ended up 29.36 points, or 0.1%, at 20,819.91, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.02 points, 0.4%, at 722.67.The Cboe UK 100 closed down 0.3% at 826.07 on Friday, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 0

Stock prices were mixed in London at Friday midday as investors digested better than expected UK retail sales data, and a deceleration in China's economic growth.The FTSE 100 index was down 20.69 points, or 0.3%, at 8,364.44. The FTSE 250 was up 52.59 points, or 0.3%, at 21,153.51, and the AIM All-Share was flat at 742.40.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 837.57, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 18,7

Stock prices in London opened mostly lower on Friday morning as China posted its slowest growth in a year and a half, while UK retail sales performed better than expected last month.The FTSE 100 index opened down 28.63 points, or 0.3%, at 8,356.50. The FTSE 250 was down 37.28 points, or 0.2%, at 21,063.64, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.39 points, or 0.2%, at 743.78.London's FTSE 100 had hit a fiv

£300 million sale to Crane NXTDeal transforms De La Rue balance sheetShares rally to two-year highDe La Rue's (DLAR) shares rallied 15.5% to a two-year high of 108.5p after the Bank of England banknote printer announced a deal to sell its authentication division to US-based industrial technology company Crane NXT for £300 million.Set to complete in the first half of 2025, the disposal will help

Here's a sentence you won't read very often: the annuity market witnessed a significant boom in the last tax year. Data from the FCA shows annuity sales rose by almost 40% in 2023/24, marking a sharp reversal in fortunes. Ever since pension freedoms were introduced in 2015, annuities have been shunned in favour of more flexible ways of drawing a pension.But rising interest rates have led to a sur