Is there going to be a tech market crash? If so, you definitely didn't hear it here first. Bearish commentators have been forecasting a correction in technology stock prices for almost as long as the current bull run has galloped onwards, and upwards. The bears certainly have reasons to be wary. The valuations of the Magnificent Seven are high, and so missing elevated growth expectations can see t

Stocks in London close higher on Thursday, close to a new record, boosted by a rate cut at the Bank of England and strong results from AstraZeneca.BoE Governor Andrew Bailey believes the central bank will be able to cut rates further, but policymakers will need to decide meeting-by-meeting 'how far and how fast' bank rate can be trimmed.Speaking following the BoE's decision to cut bank rate by 25

Sales and earnings to top forecastsNuclear business better than hopedMarine contracts also impressCivil and defence contractor Babcock International (BAB) cheered investors with the revelation revenues and underlying operating profit for the year to the end of March would 'exceed the top end of the range of analyst expectations'.The shares jumped 54p, or 10%, to a new five-year high of 596p, takin

Stock prices in Europe opened in the green on Thursday, ahead of an expected interest rate cut by the Bank of England, with weekly US jobless claims figures also on the horizon.The FTSE 100 index added 67.85 points, 0.8%, at 8,691.14. The FTSE 250 rose 99.21 points, 0.5%, at 20,862.09. The AIM All-Share rose 1.51 points, 0.2%, at 717.17.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.9% at 870.14, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0

The UK market has a long tradition of collective investing in smaller companies, which means there is a wide range of funds and trusts available to investors looking for broad exposure rather than to pick individual stocks themselves.There are two dozen trusts listed on the Association of Investment Companies website, with a combined market cap of around £6 billion, while the Investment Associati

Next week sees the start of the UK fourth-quarter reporting season proper, with the big banks kicking off proceedings as usual.First up is Barclays (BARC), which has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently with its online payments system seeming to have failed miserably around the end of the tax year just as its chief executive is reckoned to be in line for a whopping salary increase.T

Kenvue (KVUE:NYSE) $24.30Market cap: $46.6 billionInvestors looking to add a resilient company with healthy global growth potential to portfolios should consider Kenvue (KVUE:NYSE). The $46.6 billion cap stands behind a variety of self-care, beauty and essential health products. Formerly Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ:NYSE) consumer healthcare division, Kenvue was spun out as a standalone in 2023 via a

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

Whether you love or hate cryptocurrencies, you cannot deny the spectacular performance. Since Donald Trump's White House race victory (5 November) Bitcoin has surged 35% to an all-time $94,795 high. Since the start of 2024 it has more than doubled. Ethereum and Elon Musk pet crypto Dogecoin, are up 33% and 300% respectively this year.If you own crypto assets, or are considering doing so, it's valu

Stock prices in London were mixed at midday Wednesday, amid cautious optimism from the UK housebuilding sector, as eyes are set on upcoming US consumer price inflation data.'US inflation figures will be closely watched this afternoon, with expectations for the cost of living to have edged higher,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. 'The consensus is for the annual rate of inflation to move from 2.4%

Revenue and profit top estimatesGlobal instability driving demandShares spike to four-year highDefence contractor Babcock International (BAB) posted a stronger-than-expected set of interim results with 'continued momentum across the group' and confirmed it would hit its full-year targets.The shares initially marched 95p or 19% higher to 594p, their best level in four years, before settling back at

US indices hit more new highs this week after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the race to become the next US president.As well as tech stocks, which rallied on the belief a Trump administration would be less likely to impose strict regulations on the sector, energy companies and financial stocks registered strong gains.Trump's mantra of 'drill baby, drill' implies he favours increasing US

Stocks in London climbed higher at the close on Friday, while the pound rebounded, amid renewed hopes of faster rate cuts in the US following a jobs report.The FTSE 100 index closed up 67.05 points, or 0.8%, at 8,177.15. The FTSE 250 ended up 90.78 points, or 0.5%, at 20,479.74, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.90 points, 0.3%, at 739.00.For the week, the FTSE 100 was down 0.9%, the FTSE 250 was

Shares up 9% to £51.08Reckitt's baby formula business Mead Johnson clearedMead Johnson bought by Reckitt in 2017Shares in Reckitt Benckiser (RKT) skyrocketed on Friday morning after its US baby formula business Mead Johnson was cleared of liability in a US trial linking the consumer goods group's premature-baby formula Enfamil to bowel disease.A state court in St Louis, Missouri on 31 October rej

London's FTSE 100 rallied on Friday, as budget nerves calmed, with investors hoping US nonfarm payrolls will not throw a spanner in the works at the end of an eventful week.The FTSE 100 index traded up 66.55 points, 0.8%, at 8,176.65. The FTSE 250 was up 49.99 points, 0.3%, at 20,438.95, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.38 points, 0.2%, at 738.48.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 820.05, the Cboe UK 25

The FTSE 100 in London opened higher on Friday, eating into some of its post-UK budget weakness, while the pound gained some lost ground.Eyes turn state side later, with US jobs data to come, before the Federal Reserve decision next week, and a presidential election on Tuesday.Closer to home, Reckitt shares jumped on a favourable US legal ruling on infant formula. Airlines struggled as oil prices

Q3 like-for-likes down 0.5%Robust performance from health brandsOperational separation on trackReckitt Benckiser's (RKT) shares bounced up 3.3% to £49.20, extending their recent rally off of five-year lows, after the consumer goods goliath's third quarter sales beat subdued expectations.An organic sales decline of 0.5% proved better than the 1.8% drop called for by consensus, as a beat from the h

London's FTSE 100 moved higher in early trade on Wednesday, boosted by some strong corporate updates, while the dollar marched on as a tempering of US interest rate cut zeal continued.The FTSE 100 index traded up 13.14 points, 0.2%, at 8,319.68. The FTSE 250 was up 26.44 points, or 0.1%, at 20,976.09, and the AIM All-Share added 0.61 of a point, 0.1%, at 734.77.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 832.8

On 24 September, the PBOC (People's Bank of China) unveiled a major stimulus package to support economic growth, promote the expansion of consumption and investment and throw a lifeline to struggling industries and sectors.The central bank also announced a 800-billion-yuan ($114 billion) lending pool to help fund managers, insurers and brokers buy more stocks and initiate share buybacks.China's st

AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign was launched three years ago with the aim of helping women navigate the massive gender investment gap.This is the first in a series of articles looking at the particular challenges women face at different stages in their financial lives.You might think that by the time you reach your 70s most of your life's financial decisions are behind you, but actually this deca