Stock prices in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the green on Tuesday morning, as housebuilders in the UK enjoyed a boost after giving trading updates.'Markets' sensitivity to major economic data will likely rise as policy uncertainties mount and appetite weakens,' commented Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'Due today, the US will release its latest PPI numbers, and the headline PPI may have ris

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Monday, but above early lows, as bond yields continued to creep up and analysts predicted the end of the US rate cutting cycle.The FTSE 100 index closed down 24.30 points, 0.3%, at 8,224.19. The blue-chip index had fallen as low as 8,192.31.The FTSE 250 ended 15.57 points lower, 0.1%, at 19,718.37, and the AIM All-Share shed 3.99 points, 0.6%, at 709.39.The Cboe UK 100

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt were down at midday Monday, as producer price inflation data from the US, to be out Tuesday, was nearing.In disappointing news for Chancellor Rachel Reeves, a survey of UK chief financial officers by consultancy Deloitte found a net 26% felt more pessimistic about their businesses than they did three months ago. However, sentiment is still well above the lows

Brent crude hits $80 per barrelIAG shares down 3% to 304pEasyJet shares down 2% to 495pAirline stocks took a turn for the worse in morning trading on Monday (13 Jan) as Brent crude hit $80 per barrel ? a four month high ? driven by wider US sanctions on Russian oil and the expected effects on exports to top buyers China and India.Brent crude rose $1.68 or 2.1% per barrel to $81.44 after hitting th

Key UK indices closed in the red on Friday as UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves remains under pressure following increased government borrowing costs.The FTSE 100 index closed down 71.20 points, 0.9%, at 8,248.49. The FTSE 250 ended down 271.20 points, 1.4%, at 19,733.94, and the AIM All-Share closed down 6.48 points, 0.9%, at 713.48.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.7% at 826.80, the Cboe UK 250 closed down

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt made a slow start to the day on Friday morning, while FTSE 100-listed grocer Sainsbury's fell despite celebrating a bumper Christmas period.The FTSE 100 index opened down just 0.55 of a point at 8,319.14. The FTSE 250 was up just 9.28 points at 20,014.42, and the AIM All-Share lost only 0.23 of a point to sit at 719.76.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 833.21, th

London's blue chip index edged upwards on Wednesday as BAE Systems rose amid pressure from Donald Trump on NATO to increase defence spending, but rising bond yields caused volatility elsewhere.The FTSE 100 index ended up 5.75 points, 0.1%, at 8,251.03. The FTSE 250 tumbled 398.13 points, 2.0%, at 19,952.24. The AIM All-Share fell 5.17 points, 0.7%, at 720.11.The Cboe UK 100 closed up slightly at 8

Bad run of sports results impact US profitFull year US profit lowered by a thirdLong term guidance intactOnline sports betting and iGaming group Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) said a run of customer friendly results in the NFL (National Football League) during November and December will impact full year US profit by around a third.The shares fell 3% after hours in the US while the UK shares dropped

Apple and AMEX lift BerkshireFisher's tech holdings pay offAs we enter the final trading days of 2024 and tot up how our personal investments have done over the course of the year, analysts at CMC Markets (CMCX) have been looking at how the 'gurus' such as Warren Buffett have fared ahead of the release of their year-end 13-F filings.For the record, every US-domiciled fund with more than $100 milli

UK water firms had their gains pulled back by Friday's close following yesterday's Ofwat induced bump, as Trump threatened the EU with tariff's if it failed to address its trading deficit.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,092.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 31.24 points, 0.2%, at 20,430.62, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.1, or 0.73 of a point, at 711.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

UK stocks were down at midday in London on Friday as concerns about the state of the economy persisted off the back of sluggish retail sales figures.In Europe, pharmaceuticals heavyweight Novo Nordisk plummeted 18% in Copenhagen after disappointing data for its weight loss drug CagriSema.The product is seen as a rival to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound obesity treatments. In premarket trading in

UK equities suffered on US exposure as they closed lower on Thursday amid the Bank of England holding interest rates, but warning of 'heightened uncertainty'.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pleaded for patience over his drive to improve living standards, warning it 'will take some time' for people to feel the benefits.Starmer hopes changes to planning rules, reforms to regulations and the use of te

UK indices remained in the red at midday on Thursday but with water companies bucking the trend following UK regulator Ofwat green lighting a substantial industry investment package.Interest rate calls on either side of the Atlantic dominated events with the Bank of England leaving rates unchanged, after a 'hawkish' cut by the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday.The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee vot

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and calls from incoming US president Donald Trump for NATO members to increase defence spending as a percentage of national income will continue to provide a tailwind for the defence sector.AIM-quoted Cohort (CHRT:AIM) is well positioned to benefit from an increase in defence spending and at the first-half results on 11 December, the group disclosed

Anyone who has walked past a building site in the UK recently might well have seen Kier (KIE) branding on it. This infrastructure and construction services outfit is actively at work on more than 400 developments across the UK. Having emerged from a difficult period with much stronger foundations, this improvement is not yet reflected in its current valuation, but we think that will change through

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) value credentials continue to shine through. According to fund manager Anna Farmbrough at Ninety One the company has doubled its average price advantage over competitors to 40% since the pandemic.Farmbrough notes that a few years ago there were three pubs in her local area while today there is just a single Wetherspoons, demonstrating its ability to benefit as con

Airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) is an example of why treating your customers well is not just a good ethical position to adopt but also makes excellent business sense.The company recently won European Airline of the Year and scores highly on review platforms TripAdvisor and Trustpilot and its excellence in this area, including during Covid when it stood out compared with seve

Record revenue and profitNew year started positivelyLong runway of growthThe UK and Canada's largest tenpin bowling operator Hollywood Bowl (BOWL) reported record revenue and profit for the year to 30 September despite tough prior year comparatives and said the new financial year had started positively.Despite the positive progress investors were not bowled over and took the opportunity to take so

Pre-tax profit jumps over 50%Firm cites higher-margin ordersOutstanding long-term returnsPrecision engineering firm Goodwin (GDWN) was the standout performer by a country mile on a grey day for the UK market, posting a strong increase in six-month earnings and orders.The shares, which were up 12% year-to-date head of today's report, jumped as much as £12.40 or 18% to £80 before settling up £7.7

Contract fee income stallsNo signs of improvementFY25 pre-tax forecast slashedSpecialist recruitment firm SThree (STEM) posted a downbeat full-year trading update and warned challenging trading conditions would persist through the current financial year.The shares dropped as much as 140p or 39% to 221p before recovering to stand down 88p or 24% at 273p by mid-morning. SUBSTANTIAL CUT TO GUI