Stocks in London ended in the green on Friday, as the latest data pointed to slowing US producer price inflation.The FTSE 100 index closed up 15.92 points, or 0.2%, at 8,253.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 71.50 points, or 0.3%, at 20,779.87, while the AIM All-Share closed down 0.68 points, or 0.1% at 733.85.Over the week, the FTSE 100 lost 0.3%, while the FTSE 250 and the AIM All-Share lost 0.7%The Cbo

City-based headhunter Hays (HAS) has had a rough time over the last 12 months, posting four consecutive quarters of negative growth in fee income. Worse still, the rate of decline actually accelerated over that period to stand at minus 17% at the end of June.Therefore, investors and analysts will be looking for less-bad news when the company updates the market on its first-quarter performance (Jul

Investors will be keen to discover if insurer Direct Line Insurance (DLG) has continued its positive start to the year when it reports first-half results on 4 September after a tumultuous 12 months.The business delivered a strong first quarter, with double-digit written premium growth in Motor, Home and Commercial businesses and overall growth of 15% for ongoing operations.Chief executive Adam Win

Miners dragged the FTSE 100 into the red on Tuesday, as stocks in London finished the session lower at the close.The FTSE 100 index closed down 31.41 points, 0.4%, at 8,167.37. The FTSE 250 ended down 47.19 points, 0.2%, at 21,091.49, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.07 points, 0.4%, at 780.17.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 814.73, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 0.5% at 18,388.59, and the Cboe

Stock prices were mixed in London on Friday morning, as investors look ahead to some more US inflation data due out this afternoon.The FTSE 100 index opened up 33.51 points, 0.4%, at 8,256.85. The FTSE 250 was down 14.25 points, 0.1%, at 21,174.66, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.04 points, 0.1%, at 782.57.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 824.03, the Cboe UK 250 was up slightly at 18,438.38, and the

European markets and the pound had a strong day on Thursday, with the afternoon's US inflation reading boosting risk appetite.Markets in New York got off the line slowly, however, amid an apparent rotation out of tech following a bullish run in recent days.The FTSE 100 index closed up 29.83 points, 0.4%, at 8,223.34. The FTSE 250 was surged 261.15 points, 1.3%, at 21,188.91, and the AIM All-Share

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

The FTSE 100 achieved a solid gain and almost hit its best-ever level on Friday, with its mining and oil producing contingent sparing it from declines seen in equities elsewhere.Shares in Frankfurt and New York failed to find their feet as investors fretted over rising tensions and US interest rate worries.The FTSE 100 index ended up 71.78 points, 0.9%, at 7,995.58, closing below the 8,000 point m

Shares in hundreds of UK and US-listed companies have not fully recovered since the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a global stock market crash in February 2020, even though most major market indices are now trading above that level.According to SharePad data, 196 stocks in the FTSE 350 and 149 stocks in the S&P 500 are still trading below the day before markets crashed four years ago (21 February 202

London?s FTSE 100 ended higher on Tuesday, registering its first daily gain since hawkish words from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last week all but ensured there would be no March rate cut from the Federal Reserve.His words echoed around markets on Thursday, and there was a red-hot US jobs report on Friday, the final nail in the coffin for March rate cut hopes. Markets still digested that r

Investors in mobile operator Vodafone (VOD) will be keen to hear at next week?s third-quarter trading update (5 February) whether a deal for its Italian business is in the offing.Swiss operator Swisscom (SCMN:SWX) and French firm Iliad have both expressed an interest, with Iliad valuing Vodafone Italia at a cool ?10.5 billion including debt.This follows news last month of the first successful test

Stocks closed in the green as US producer prices raise investor sentiment despite hopes of early US rate cuts fadingThe FTSE 100 index closed up 48.34 points, 0.6%, at 7,624.93. The FTSE 250 ended up 89.69 points, 0.5%, at 19,197.62, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.34 points, or 0.6%, at 749.06. Over the course of the week the FTSE 100 was down 0.8%, the FTSE 250 lost 0.1% and AIM All-Share fell

Stocks closed lower on Friday in London as investors looked increasingly risk averse amid an expectation that interest rates will stay higher for longer and clashes continue in the Middle East.The FTSE 100 index closed down 45.18 points, or 0.6% at 7,599.60 on Friday but finished the week 1.4% higher.The FTSE 250 ended down 381.47 points, or 2.1%, at 17,454.22 and closed the week down 1.6%.The AIM

The FTSE 100 proved resilient at the open on Friday, while global trading remained generally downbeat on a stubborn US inflation print and disappointing economic data from China.The FTSE 100 index opened up 3.63 points at 7,648.41. The FTSE 250 was down 48.99 points, 0.3%, at 17,786.70, and the AIM All-Share was down just 0.17 of a point at 695.40.The Cboe UK 100 was marginally higher at 764.04, t

European equities came under pressure on Thursday afternoon after a hotter-than-predicted US inflation reading, souring what had been a positive morning for stocks.The FTSE 100 still managed to end in the green, with oil majors leading the way. The FTSE 250 tumbled after the US data, despite hitting a 10-day high earlier in the session.The FTSE 100 index added 24.75 points, 0.3%, at 7,644.78. The

Lower-than-expected growth for the Chinese service sector saw stock prices in London fall on Tuesday, alongside sterling, as investors worried about the health of the world's second-largest economy.The FTSE 100 index closed down 14.83 points, 0.2%, at 7,437.93. The FTSE 250 ended down 32.72 points, 0.2%, at 18,491.42, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.54 of a point, or 0.1%, at 740.05.The Cboe U

Construction equipment rental specialist Ashtead (AHT) has setitself quite a high bar when it comes to its first-quarter earnings report on 5 September.The firm has beaten revenue forecasts in nine out of the last 10 quarters. Moreover, the comparison with the same quarter last year is a tough one as rental revenue was up 26% to just over $2 billion and adjusted pre-tax profit was up 29% to $555 m

Another week, another takeover - this time it is alternative asset manager Gresham House (GHE:AIM), which is being bought by private equity firm Searchlight for £470 million.At £11.05 per share, 63% above the previous closing price and 10% above the all-time high a year ago, the purchase price represents an enterprise value of almost 16 times last year's earnings before interest, tax, depreciati

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Friday, despite a more positive mood this week, with investors believing the end of the Federal Reserve's hiking cycle is in sight.Focus was also on major US banks, with figures from JPMorgan and Wells Fargo impressing, though Citigroup suffered lower revenue.The FTSE 100 index closed down 5.64 points, 0.1%, at 7,434.57. The FTSE 250 ended down 64.90 points, 0.4%, at 1

European equities took a slight pause for breath on Friday, on the back of sizeable gains on Wednesday and Thursday, with eyes now turning to the health of the US corporate sector.Easing US inflation readings lifted the mood earlier this week, but earnings from major US banks are now the next risk event for equities to negotiate. The slew of earnings begins with the likes of JPMorgan Chase & Co, W