Stock prices in London opened mix on Thursday, ahead of a UK construction reading that is expected to show a decelerated fall in activity for February, while investors await US trade data.The FTSE 100 index opened down 19.42 points, 0.2%, at 8,736.42. The FTSE 250 was up 65.74 points, 0.3%, at 20,193.47, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.26 points, 0.5%, at 693.74.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 875

European stocks were mixed on Wednesday, as the FTSE 100 eased slightly despite a boost for miners from higher metal prices and hints some sectors may be left out of US tariffs.The FTSE 100 index ended down 3.16 points at 8,755.84. The FTSE 250 climbed 177.23 points, 0.9%, at 20,127.73, and the AIM All-Share gained 3.61 points, 0.5%, at 690.48.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.3% at 877.63, the Cboe UK 2

BAE Systems shares climb 15%European stocks sharply higherUK and France discuss Ukraine dealThe European defence sector enjoyed its biggest one-day rally since 2020 after the Trump administration refused to offer any security guarantees, leading investors to bet on European governments ramping up their defence spending.Shares in BAE Systems (BA.) jumped 210p or 15% to £16.15, pulling with them sh

Nexus Infrastructure (NEXS:AIM) 134pMarket cap: £12.9 millionMicro-caps rarely feature as Great Ideas in Shares, but we have made an exception for civil engineering and infrastructure specialist Nexus Infrastructure (NEXS:AIM) which looks to be on the cusp of a change in fortunes.It is only fair to point out that micro-caps tend to be more volatile, are less liquid to trade and have a wider sprea

Blue chip indices in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened higher on Wednesday morning, despite Hikma Pharmaceuticals falling on the FTSE 100.The FTSE 100 index opened up 57.40 points, 0.7%, at 8,726.07. The FTSE 250 was up 172.77 points, 0.8%, at 20,621.05, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.76 points, 0.5%, at 711.82.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.7% at 873.03, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.0% at 17,972.11, and t

MJ Gleeson (GLE)Price: 495pMarket cap: £280 millionWe originally tipped MJ Gleeson (GLE) at 438p back in May 2023, which wasn't quite the low but was in time to catch the run all the way up to 650p last October.Today, the shares may not be quite as cheap as they were two years ago, but the outlook is clearly a lot better, not just for Gleeson but for the whole housebuilding sector. SOLID FOUNDATI

With more than half a century of unbroken dividend hikes under its belt, Brunner (BUT) aims to provide long-term growth in capital and dividends by investing in global and UK equities with an 'all-weather' approach designed to adapt to different market conditions.To achieve this resilience, co-managers Julian Bishop and Christian Schneider of Allianz Global Investors focus on structurally-growing,

Travel platform Airbnb (ABNB:NASDAQ) saw its shares jump more than 14% on 14 February, the biggest one day jump since its IPO (initial public offering) in 2020.The source of the excitement was not just that fourth quarter earnings came in ahead of Wall Street estimates, but the hosting firm's announcement of expansion plans, stemming from improvements in its technology platform.CEO Brian Chesky sa

Winter load factor down 2.2%Margins to come under pressureCEO 'satisfied' with early Summer 2025 bookingsAirline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) assured investors that despite continued late bookings and competitive pricing, profits for the year to 31 March 2025 should be 8% to 10% higher.So why did the shares drop 10% to £14.10 in early dealings on 19 February?The catalyst was the

2024 results meet forecastsDividend and buyback in line2025 outlook implies upgradesDespite rallying overnight in Hong Kong, shares in Asia-focused banking giant HSBC (HSBA) were slightly lower at the London open as investors took on board in-line annual results, a hike in the dividend and another buyback, but seemed to miss the increase in 2025 guidance.Having gained 14% since the start of 2025 a

Q4 earnings beat Street estimatesStrong demand in China and BrazilPlans to create the Amazon of travelShort-term lettings platform Airbnb (ABNB:NASDAQ) jumped more than 14% on Friday (14 Feb) to $161.2, the biggest one day move in the shares since listing on Nasdaq in 2020, after the company reported better than expected fourth quarter earnings and announced bold expansion plans.The gain took the

Shares down 70% over the past yearExpects negative free cash flow in 2025Deloitte review into firm continuesShares in John Wood Group (WG.) plummeted 30% in early morning trading as the Scottish-based oil and gas engineering and services firm reported weaker-than-expected trading in the fourth quarter.John Wood said it has taken actions to mitigate fourth quarter weakness by cancelling executive a

Stock prices in London and Frankfurt opened in the red on Friday, as investors prepare for eurozone economic data and digest another tariff plan from the US president.In London, NatWest faced some selling pressure despite better-than-expected results. Hermes boosted Paris, keeping the CAC 40 in the green.The FTSE 100 index fell 30.67 points, 0.4%, at 8,734.05. The FTSE 250 added just 2.35 points a

London's FTSE 100 traded lower around midday on Thursday, as poorly received earnings weighed, missing out on a Ukraine peace hope-led rally elsewhere in Europe.The FTSE 100 index traded down 58.01 points, 0.7%, at 8,749.43. The FTSE 250 was down 16.97 points, 0.1%, at 20,863.53, and the AIM All-Share fell 0.71 of a point, 0.1%, at 722.68.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.6% at 876.73, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0

London's FTSE 100 was lower early Thursday, hurt by the likes of BAT, Barclays, Unilever and oil majors, but European peers confidently moved higher on hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal.Barclays fell despite reporting improved earnings. Unilever announced listing plans for its ice cream unit, meanwhile.The FTSE 100 index traded down 45.80 points, 0.5%, at 8,761.64. The FTSE 250 was up 42.78 poi

Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba could have been forgiven for a degree of trepidation before his recent visit to the White House. Tariffs would have a major impact on Japan given how reliant its economy is on exports.Therefore, beyond a mild warning from president Donald Trump that Japan could face the T word if it didn't get its trade deficit with America down to zero, Ishiba will have left

Hargreaves Services (HSP:AIM) 620pMarket cap: £200 millionIt's always a test of our conviction if we can recommend a stock just as the shares are touching a 12-month high, but in the case of environmental services, property and materials group Hargreaves Services (HSP:AIM), its shares are trading at a 10-year high.In our defence, we did flag the company a year ago at 475p in our 'Five small-cap s

Whisper it, but Walmart (WMT:NYSE) may be about to have its global retail crown swiped off its head by online giant Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ). Walmart has been the top shopping dog since blowing past Sears more than 30 years ago, but its status as worldwide number one (in revenue terms) could be tested when the $827 billion retailer posts fourth quarter 2024 results on 20 February.Amazon confirmed a 10

London stocks were mixed on Tuesday prior to the FTSE 100 closing near a record-high, after Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated that the US central bank is in 'no hurry' to lower interest rates.The FTSE 100 index closed up 9.59 points, 0.1%, at 8,777.39. It had earlier hit a new all-time high of 8,789.58.The FTSE 250 ended down 66.56 points, 0.3%, at 20,919.72, and the AIM All-Share closed down jus

European, UK and US central banks started cutting interest rates in June, August and September 2024, respectively, yet beady-eyed investors will have noticed that 10-year bond yields are higher today than they were then.The move higher in yields reflects increasing investor nervousness over high government budget deficits, sticky inflation and uncertainty caused by US trade tariffs.Those concerns