Stocks in London closed mostly higher on Monday, as analysts say expectations of a 50 basis point rate cut from the US Federal Reserve have grown since last week.The FTSE 100 index rose 5.35 points, or 0.1%, at 8,278.44. The FTSE 250 ended up 34.22 points, 0.2%, at 20,929.59, but the AIM All-Share eased 1.50 points, or 0.2%, at 743.73.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.1% to 827.78, the Cboe UK 250 fell sligh

Stock prices in London suffered at midday on Monday, while the pound rose against the dollar as traders await central bank decisions from the US, the Bank of England and Japan this week.The FTSE 100 index was down 12.25 points, or 0.2%, at 8,260.84. The FTSE 250 was down 11.24 points, or 0.1%, at 20,884.28, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.70 points, or 0.2%, at 743.53.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1

Stocks in London made a subdued start on Monday, ahead of a busy week of central bank meetings, as weak data from China soured the mood.The FTSE 100 index added just 3.29 points at 8,276.34. The FTSE 250 fell just 7.54 points at 20,887.83, and the AIM All-Share fell 1.16 points, 0.2%, at 744.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 827.83, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.1% to 18,402.85, and the Cboe Small Compan

Stocks in London ended the week in the green, as the possibility of a 50-basis point cut from the Federal Reserve was increasingly priced in by the markets.The FTSE 100 index rose 32.12 points, or 0.4%, at 8,273.09. The FTSE 250 ended up 199.60 points, 1.0%, at 20,895.37, and the AIM All-Share firmed 3.87 points, or 0.5%, at 745.23.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 1.1%, the FTSE 250 climbed 2.0% an

Equities were higher during midday trade on Friday, as mining stocks continued to climb, tracking the strength of gold amid a pull-back of the dollar.The FTSE 100 index climbed 19.03 points, 0.2%, at 8,260.00. The FTSE 250 was up 138.55 points, 0.7%, at 20,834.33, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.61 points, 0.4%, at 743.97.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 826.32, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.7% to 18,356.40,

Stocks opened higher in Europe on Friday, as investors shift their attention to rate decisions by the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England next week, after a cut by the European Central Bank on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index added 16.61 points, 0.2%, at 8,257.58. The FTSE 250 was up 83.91 points, 0.4%, at 20,779.68, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.33 points, 0.3%, at 743.69.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2%

Stocks in London headed higher on Thursday, in line with the positive mood seen across global equity markets following the interest rate cut from the European Central Bank.The FTSE 100 index rose 47.03 points, or 0.6%, at 8,240.97. The FTSE 250 ended up 158.52 points, 0.8%, at 20,695.77, and the AIM All-Share firmed 3.27 points, or 0.4%, at 741.36.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.5% to 823.99, the Cboe UK 2

Stock prices in London rose on Thursday afternoon ahead of the European Central Bank's decision, after New York trade overnight was boosted by tech shares.The FTSE 100 index climbed 63.71 points, 0.8%, at 8,257.65. The FTSE 250 was up 233.47 points, 1.1%, at 20,770.72, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.91 points, 0.4%, at 741.00.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 826.13, the Cboe UK 250 rose 1.0% to 18,266

Stock prices in European were firmly in the green on Thursday morning, as investors await an interest rate decision by the European Central Bank early in the afternoon.Though the FTSE 100 struggled on Wednesday, a US consumer price inflation reading was eventually well-received in New York. Tech shares soared, helping to turn sentiment in global equities positive on Thursday morning.The FTSE 100 i

Over the last couple of weeks, the economic data from the US, the UK and the eurozone has painted a picture of a global economy which is slowing, but not alarmingly so, allowing stock markets to recover from their August swoon but not enough for them to make new highs.Now, we are about to get the central bankers' view of where each of these economies is and the big question investors are asking th

US August non-farm payrolls were hotly anticipated for several reasons, not least because Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told investors he was more concerned about the health of the labour market than accelerating inflation at his Jackson Hole symposium speech on 23 August.July's big miss, which showed 114,000 jobs created versus 190,000 expected by economists, set the scene for a 'make or br

As an exercise in expectations management, the Labour government's trailing of its October Budget has been impressive.Rhetoric around what people should come to expect at the end of next month has been gloomier than a wet Tuesday in February. In our Personal Finance section this week Laith Khalaf explores whether material limits could be placed on pensions tax relief, for instance.As Panmure Liber

Recent years have been dire for shareholders in long-duration assets, with rising interest rates driving a de-rating of high-yielding alternatives trusts including infrastructure and real estate-focused funds to deep NAV (net asset value) discounts.But there is now potential for significant re-ratings across this space as central bank rates decline and the competition from cash and government bond

Centamin (CEY) 149pGain to date: 52.5%Market cap: £1.72 billionBack in February we tipped Jersey-domiciled gold miner Centamin (CEY) both as a growth story and as a way to play the rising price of the precious metal, which at the time was trading just above $2,000 per ounce.As well as exposure to the gold price, the FTSE 250 firm offered operational gains from its three-year investment programme

At the start of 2024, I speculated that interest rate cuts could lead to takeovers involving bigger companies than the type of deals seen in 2023. While the rate-cut journey still remains in its infancy for the UK and other key geographies, the predicted wave of large-cap takeovers is firmly in motion. It's a reminder there is value on the UK market in droves.There have been bids or expressions of

Smiths News (SNWS) 57pMarket Cap: £142.2 millionSuccessful investing comes down to what you get in the future for what you lay out today. How does doubling your money in around eight years sound, with the possibility of doing even better?In a nutshell, that is the investment case for the UK's leading newspaper and magazine distributor Smiths News (SNWS) which has been delivering print across Engl

Stocks in London pulled back by Wednesday afternoon, after stubborn US core inflation figures all but extinguished hopes of a 50 basis point rate cut from the Federal Reserve.The FTSE 100 index fell 12.04 points, or 0.2%, at 8,193.94. The FTSE 250 ended down 118.89 points, 0.6%, at 20,537.25, and the AIM All-Share eased 5.77 points, or 0.8%, at 738.09.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.3% to 819.82, the Cboe

European markets were slightly higher during midday trade on Wednesday, as investors braced for a key US inflation reading.The FTSE 100 index edged up 5.21 points, 0.1%, at 8,211.19. The FTSE 250 was up just 10.14 points at 20,666.28, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.93 points, 0.5%, at 739.93.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 821.80, the Cboe UK 250 up 0.2% to 18,227.15, but the Cboe Small Companies wa

Stocks in London made steady progress in early exchanges on Wednesday, although Rentokil slumped, ahead of key US inflation figures later.The data is released at 1330 BST. Data is expected to show the rate of annual US consumer price inflation faded to 2.6% in August, from 2.9% in July.The first US presidential debate between candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump took place late Tuesday. Dutch

London's FTSE 100 index fell on Tuesday, amid share price falls for some of its largest constituents, including AstraZeneca, BP and Shell.The FTSE 100 index fell 64.86 points, or 0.8%, at 8,205.98. The FTSE 250 ended flat at 20,656.14, and the AIM All-Share eased 2.87 points, or 0.4%, at 743.86.5.The Cboe UK 100 slid 0.6% to 821.91, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.1% at 18,185.65, and the Cboe Small Compan