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

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

A series of recent announcements from Western brands and businesses have revealed how tough they are finding life in China.While some of this is linked to the uneven performance of the world's largest economy, shifting consumer habits and trends are also at play.On 6 August, Holiday Inn owner InterContinental Hotels (IHG) reported business in China had declined 7% in the second quarter after an 2.

Q4 revenue shy of expectationsFull year 2025 outlook loweredNorth America and digital sales disappointNike (NKE:NYSE) continues to look flat footed after warning investors to expect its slowest sales growth since 2010, barring the pandemic. Out of hours trading data shows the stock plunging nearly 14% to around $80, not half 2021's near-$180 dollar peaks. It may be the world's biggest sportswear c

Kainos (KNOS) £10.16Market cap: £1.28 billionWe believe that market sentiment towards Kainos (KNOS) is on the cusp of a reversal, and that creates a buying opportunity for investors. Shares in the Belfast-based digital services expert are now trading at a 30% discount to 12-month highs and are barely half all-time peaks of more than £20.This is largely because of what analysts have called a cyc

Fund outperforms benchmark in 2023Dividend increases by 7% to 7.65pShares sit at 13% discount to NAVMid- and small-cap UK growth investor Mercantile Investment Trust (MRC) outperformed its benchmark in the year to 31 January, delivering a net asset total return of 4.5% and total shareholder returns of 6.1%.The dividend was increased by 7% for the year to 7.65p per share, comfortably covered by rev

Former publishing industry professional John is in his 50s and has been investing for decades, starting at a very early age.John became an investor in his late teens and has started devoting more time to it over the last 20 years. He has always had an interest in markets, even when he was a young boy of seven or eight.A CHILDHOOD INTEREST IN STOCK MARKET SUCCESSES AND FAILURESHe says: ?I read the

Q4 same store sales growth impacted by Middle East conflictFull year profit up 18%Growth guidance reiteratedFast food giant McDonald?s (MCD:NYSE) shares fell 4% in US trading after fourth quarter same store sales growth missed Street estimates due to conflict in the Middle East.The company said Middle Eastern sales were impacted by boycotts after its Israeli licensee offered discounts for soldiers

Investors will be looking forward to tucking into fourth-quarter results from fast-food giant McDonald?s (MCD:NYSE) on 5 February to see whether despite higher interest rates US consumers are still hungry for its value-for-money offering.?It's hard to see McDonald's not winning in any consumer environment,? says Wedbush analyst Nick Setyan, while Andy Barish at Jefferies named the stock a top pick

London?s FTSE 100 extended its win streak to three days on Wednesday, on the back of more favourable inflation data, this time from the UK, possibly bringing forward the tantalising prospect of interest rate cuts.Gains for stocks in London were largely broad-based. Interest rate sensitive sectors such as housebuilding property investment shone. Banks, whose net interest margins were once the benef

Midwich director Fenby adds to his portfolioBodycote non-executive director snaps up 10,000 sharesWise CFO sells over £211,000 sharesStephen Fenby group managing director at Midwich (MIDW:AIM), the global specialist audio visual distributor to the trade market, has bought 50,000 shares at 376p for a total value of £187,885 on 30 October 2023.Following this transaction, Fenby and 'persons closely

Persistent inflation and higher interest rates are squeezing disposable incomes. In this scenario there is logic in investors putting their cash behind companies which make premium products which confer pricing power or sell affordable luxuries which help consumers to socialise or unwind at the end of the working day.One sector that enjoys both these attributes is Beverages, the domain of soft dri

A consumer boycott of Anheuser-Busch Inbev's (BUD:NYSE) Bud Light brand following a backlash over its social media promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney appears to have benefited smaller rival Constellation Brands (STZ:NYSE).Constellation's Modelo Especial Mexican lager brand has reapedthe rewards from the fallout, having leapfrogged Bud Light to become the top-selling US beer brand

Higher prices set to dominate Tesco's first-quarter earnings updateBargain-hunting and promotions means margins could be lowerSupermarket giant Tesco (TSCO) is due to report its results for the period from March to May on 16 June, with analysts expecting higher prices to be the main driver of sales while volumes and average basket sizes are likely to have fallen.This is against a first quarter of

Relief as shares stage recovery rallyQ1 revenues and earnings beat 'The Street'Toned down Q2 growth still sees 11% increase year-on-yearInvestors might well have been nervous ahead of latest earnings from arts and crafts consumer platform Etsy (ETSY:NASDAQ). These were the first quarterly figures since a report (17 Feb) by short seller Citron Research that alleged the company is 'one of the larges

- Shares fall despite sales and earnings beat and raise- Investors see outlook as overly cautious- Company confident baby powder lawsuits near settlementDespite beating analysts' first quarter sales and earnings forecasts and raising full year earnings guidance, healthcare bellwether Johnson & Johnson (J&J:NYSE) saw its shares fall by as much as 3% on lowered medium-term sales guidance for its pha

Whenever there is a poll of the greatest books on the stock market, it is a fair bet that Reminiscences of a Stock Operator by Edwin Lefèvre will feature high on the list.In its centenary year, Shares asks whether the book deserves its reputation and if it offers any useful lessons for investors today.The 'Reminiscences' are the first-hand accounts of a fictional trader called Larry Livings

A turbulent year for markets is brewing amid rising geopolitical tensions, stubbornly high inflation and interest rate hikes by central banks which have precipitated a fresh banking crisis.Given this uncertain backdrop, tilting portfolios towards stocks with defensive characteristics seems an eminently sensible strategy and one overlooked consumer staples name to consider is Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP:

- Stock down nearly 10% on pre-report $142 price- Citron Research claims Etsy one of world's 'largest counterfeiting platforms'- Cybersecurity firm Darktrace recently a short selling attack targetArts and crafts consumer platform Etsy (ETSY:NASDAQ) has come under a short selling attack, accused of flogging hooky goods on a scale that would make Del Boy and Rodders blush.Shares in Brooklyn-based Et