Indices in London closed higher on Monday as the market reacted favourably to President-elect Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the US Treasury, although oil majors suffered amid falling brent prices.AJ Bell's Russ Mould said Bessent is perceived as being a relatively 'conventional and safe pair of hands candidate'.'Importantly, Bessent is seen as being less aggressive on tariffs than some o

Stock prices in London softened from earlier highs but market sentiment was still positive heading into Monday afternoon after Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his US Treasury pick.The FTSE 100 index added 15.72 points, 0.2%, at 8,277.80. The FTSE 250 rose 15.80 points, 0.1%, at 20,597.49, and the AIM All-Share rose just 0.31 of a point to 732.51.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2%

Equities in London powered higher on Friday, ending the week on a strong note, but sterling fell flat on less-than-stellar UK data.The euro, meanwhile, hurtled closer to dollar parity as eurozone data was similarly tepid.The FTSE 100 index jumped 112.81 points, 1.4%, at 8,262.08. The FTSE 250 climbed 231.77 points, 1.1%, at 20,581.69, and the AIM All-Share gained 6.38 points, 0.8%, at 732.20.For t

London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cboe Sma

An increasingly tense geopolitical backdrop knocked European stocks on Tuesday, while the pound continued to struggle ahead of Wednesday's UK inflation print.The FTSE 100 index ended down 10.30 points, 0.1%, at 8,099.02. The FTSE 250 rose 32.21 points, 0.2%, at 20,427.62, and the AIM All-Share faded 3.32 points, 0.5%, at 724.23.The Cboe UK 100 ended flat at 814.55, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.1% to 17,

Stocks in London struggled for direction at the close on Wednesday, following a CPI print from the US, and amid general uncertainty in Europe.The FTSE 100 index rose 4.56 points, 0.1%, at 8,030.33. The FTSE 250 closed down 68.59 points, 0.3%, at 20,359.21. The AIM All-Share fell 1.57 points, 0.2%, at 729.29.The Cboe UK 100 climbed 0.2% at 807.56, the Cboe UK 250 retreated 0.4% at 17,791.49 and the

Stocks closed higher in London on Monday, with the FTSE 100 snapping out of a four-day losing streak following a boost from UK high street banks.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.80 points, 0.7%, at 8,125.19. The FTSE 250 closed up 203.57 points, 1.0%, at 20,721.49. The AIM All-Share gained 3.57 points, 0.5%, at 737.93.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.7% at 815.50, the Cboe UK 250 advanced 1.1% at 18,160.09 but th

Stock prices in London were down at midday on Friday, as attention shifted back to Trump's victory in the US presidential election, following yesterday's rate cuts.China said on Friday lawmakers had agreed to raise the local government debt ceiling by $840 billion, opening up new funds for its ailing economy.However, 'what has been announced so far doesn't seem to be moving the needle and the risk

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

The FTSE 100 joined European peers in the red on Wednesday, while the US hit new highs following Donald Trump's win in the presidential election.The FTSE 100 index closed down 5.71 points, or 0.1%, at 8,166.68. It had earlier hit an intra-day high of 8,301.78.The FTSE 250 ended up 76.66 points, 0.4%, at 20,446.70, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.75 points, 0.3%, at 739.04.The Cboe UK 100 ended slight

The FTSE 100 made a tepid start to the week on Monday, ending just about in the green and falling below earlier highs, as caution prevailed ahead of the US presidential election.The FTSE 100 index closed up 7.09 points, or 0.1%, at 8,184.24. The FTSE 250 ended down 18.45 points, or 0.1%, at 20,461.29, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.63 points, 0.5%, at 735.37.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 8

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

A dividend is quite simply a portion of a company's earnings distributed to its investors.In the UK most companies pay two ordinary dividends per year, one at the half-way stage (the interim or first-half dividend) and one at the end of the year (the final dividend). Some UK firms pay quarterly dividends.Sometimes, companies will decide to pay a special dividend on a one-off basis if their earning

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

Hollywood Bowl directors sell 300,000 sharesBarclays director sells shares after new highMidwich director buys 150,000 sharesMelanie Dickinson, chief people officer at tenpin bowling and mini-golf centre operator, Hollywood Bowl (BOWL) has sold 150,000 shares at 331p for a total value of £497,505 on 24 October.Dickinson now has 290,276 shares after the sale. Matthew Hart, chief marketing and tech

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

The FTSE 100 managed to eke out minor gains on Thursday, ending four straight days of losses, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed fiscal changes are to come in next week's budget.The FTSE 100 index closed up 10.74 points, or 0.1%, at 8,269.382. The FTSE 250 ended down 39.38 points, or 0.2%, at 20,790.55, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.44 points, 0.5%, at 725.69.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.2% at

Stocks in Europe were on the up heading into Thursday afternoon, shaking off some underwhelming UK data, with corporate earnings from some FTSE 100 heavyweights helping to lift the mood.The FTSE 100 index traded up 45.94 points, 0.6%, at 8,304.58. The FTSE 250 was up 37.81 points, or 0.2%, at 20,867.74, and the AIM All-Share added 0.80 of a point, 0.1%, at 729.93.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 831

Income and profit top expectationsFull-year income target increasedShares hit highest level since 2017Investors in Barclays (BARC) were treated to a triple helping of good news this morning as the bank beat estimates with its third-quarter results, raised its full-year net interest guidance slightly and its shares touched a new multi-year high.As of mid-morning, the shares were up 9.5p or 4% to 24

The FTSE 100 made a bright start on Thursday, looking to break a four-day losing run, supported by well received earnings.The advance in London follows weak trading on Wall Street, where pre-US election and interest rate nerves hit stocks.The FTSE 100 index traded up 55.66 points, 0.7%, at 8,314.30. The FTSE 250 was up 25.76 points, or 0.1%, at 20,855.69, and the AIM All-Share added 1.40 points, 0