Indices in London ended the session in the green on a mixed day for retailers on Black Friday as US equities pushed higher in a shortened trading session.The FTSE 100 index rose 6.08 points, 0.1%, at 8,287.30. The FTSE 250 climbed 8.79 points, at 20,771.57, and the AIM All-Share firmed 1.58 points, 0.2%, at 732.49.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, the FTSE 250 advanced 0.9% and the AIM All-Sha

London's FTSE 100 was largely flat, though the FTSE 250 made a more sizeable move heading into Friday afternoon, as M&A activity continued.The FTSE 100 index added just 3.66 points to sit at 8,284.88. The FTSE 250 registered a more convincing 31.63 point gain, 0.2%, at 20,794.41, and the AIM All-Share added 1.49 points, 0.2%, at 732.40.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.1% at 832.14, the Cboe UK 250 added 0.3

Bid from Indian group reportedly in worksShareholders supportivePlans to take controlling stakePrivate healthcare provider Spire Healthcare (SPI) jumped 8% after the Economic Times reported that Indian medical group Narayana Hrudayalaya (NH:NSE) is looking to acquire a controlling stake in the FTSE 250 company.Narayana is led by renowned heart surgeon Devi Shetty, whose senior management team have

200p per share offer accepted21.2% uplift on ABC's initial bidTI Fluid valued at £1.04 billionAnother one bites the dust. Automotive fluid storage and delivery specialist TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) looks set to become the latest company to exit the UK stock market.Having spurned earlier bids from ABC Technologies, the car parts supplier has succumbed to the private equity backed group's overtures an

Blue-chips in Europe traded slightly lower in a tepid open on Friday, ahead of eurozone data later and an abbreviated session in New York.The FTSE 100 index fell 8.73 points, 0.1%, at 8,272.49. It is up some 2.0% so far this month.The FTSE 250 rose 32.01 points, 0.2%, at 20,794.79, and the AIM All-Share added 0.94 of a point, 0.1%, at 731.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 831.08, the Cboe UK 250

London indices saw modest gains on Thursday, driven in part by strong performances from food retailers Tesco and Sainsbury's, which rose on analyst upgrades, while trading volumes remained light with US markets closed for Thanksgiving.The FTSE 100 index rose 6.47 points, 0.1%, at 8,281.22. The FTSE 250 climbed 146.81 points, 0.7%, at 20,748.44, and the AIM All-Share eased 0.49 of a point, 0.1%, at

Stocks in London were mixed around midday on Thursday, although a burst of takeover action provided some energy to a quiet trading day due to a public holiday in New York.Renewi said it would be minded to accept a bid from Macquarie, which came back to the negotiating table after walking away more than a year ago. Direct Line rebuffed an Aviva tilt, however. Loungers agreed to a private equity bid

Recent trading 'encouraging'Cost savings at top of guidanceInventory and net debt downHard-pressed footwear company Dr Martens (DOCS) lurched into loss for the half ended 29 September 2024 as higher costs and a slump in wholesale revenue, notably in the US, took a heavy toll on its performance.Yet despite this swing into the red, shares in the boots, shoes and sandals seller rallied 15% to 67p aft

Company agrees takeover by FortressAll-cash 310p offer is 30% premiumStock trades at new all-time highAll-day bar/restaurant operator Loungers (LGRS:AIM) came to the market on the eve of the pandemic in 2019 and now appears to be going back to private equity ownership after agreeing a takeover offer from Fortress Investment at a 30% premium to the last closing price.The shares jumped 28% to a reco

250p offer equals a 60% premiumBoard calls it 'highly opportunistic'Analyst suggests 270p valuationMotor and home insurer Direct Line Insurance (DLG) received its third bid of 2024 with larger UK rival Aviva (AV.) pitching a 250p cash-and-shares after the closing bell last night.Direct Line shares jumped 59p or 37% to 218p, more than reversing their losses year-to-date and leaving them at a six-mo

Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green on Thursday morning, with Direct Line shining on the FTSE 250, as traders in New York sit on the sidelines amid the Thanksgiving holiday.The FTSE 100 index added 17.45 points, 0.2%, at 8,292.20. The FTSE 250 rose 133.28 points, 0.7%, at 20,734.91, and the AIM All-Share added 0.32 of a point at 731.72.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 833.2

We begin proceedings with two takeover approaches, one successful, the other less so, for now at least.First, Swiss bourse operator SIX agreed to buy UK junior marketplace Aquis Exchange (AQX:AIM) for 727p in cash, representing a 120% premium to the previous closing price of 330p.SIX, which operates the Swiss and Spanish stock markets, called the deal 'a compelling strategic opportunity which will

The first Budget from a Labour Government in 14 years continues to stir heated debate and sceptics readily point to the increase in the yield in the UK's 10-year gilt to a one-year high to support their case that chancellor Rachel Reeves is on the wrong track. It does not look great that yields are rising in the wake of August's interest rate cut from the Bank of England, but 10-year government bo

Identifying genuine growth stories is not easy but can be extremely rewarding. Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) may be the ultimate growth stock example now but who was flagging its potential 10 years ago when revenue and profit was just a fraction of what it is today and when the widespread application of AI was still restricted to think pieces in periodicals. Some did catch on early and would have enjoyed e

Fidelity Special Values (FSV) 311.5pMarket cap: £1.01 billionWider than the five and 10-year average of 4%, a near-9% share price discount to NAV (net asset value) at Fidelity Special Values (FSV) presents an attractive entry point into a fund with an impressive long-run record and a contrarian, value-focused investment philosophy that's proven to work.The trust, which recently celebrated its 30

Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (EWI) surprised the market this week when it announced it had developed 'a comprehensive action plan to improve execution' and would return up to £130 million of capital to shareholders next year.'Our vision, to identify and manage a carefully selected portfolio of transformative businesses, has the potential to deliver outsized returns for shareholders,' insi

A global enterprise applications gorilla, Salesforce (CRM:NYSE) has spent 2024 (and 2023) trying to rebuild profit margins after activist investor StarboardValue started kicking up a stink. Net profit margins had sunk to low single digits during the pandemic, which might be understandable, but why were they not recovering, was StarboardValue's reasonable question.It seems to have done the trick, w

When you purchase shares, you are not just buying numbers on a screen - you are becoming a part-owner of a business. It's important to remember this fact because, as a part-owner, you have a say in how the business is run and the ability to vote at annual general meetings (AGMs) and extraordinary general meetings (EGMs).AGMs provide a platform for shareholders to engage with the company's manageme

There is quite a lot for investors to look out for when online package holiday provider On The Beach (OTB) reports full-year results on 3 December.First up will be bookings since the end of its financial year on 30 September. Are people still making holidays a priority despite continuing pressure on household budgets? In the company's pre-close trading update, On The Beach reported record TTV (tot

Associated British Foods (ABF)Price: £21.93Market cap: £16.1 billionAs the proverb says, mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and that has certainly been the case for conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF), which has transformed itself from a single bakery in 1935 to a group of market-leading food and clothing businesses.Best-known for its Primark low-cost fashion stores, which are a featur