London's blue chip index opened slightly lower on Monday, ahead of UK mortgage approvals data, after the Office for National Statistics reported that the UK economy grew as expected in the first quarter. The FTSE 100 index opened down 9.40 points, 0.1%, at 8,789.51. The FTSE 250 was down 38.68 points, 0.2%, at 21,677.28, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.52 points, 0.1%, at 769.85. The Cboe UK...

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher on Friday morning, with oil majors giving some ground as the oil price eased following US President Donald Trump's announcement to consider his options for two weeks regarding the conflict between Israel and Iran. The Office for National Statistics said borrowing surged to £17.7 billion last month, the second highest figure on record for May, surpassed only...

Oil prices are back at levels last seen in January thanks to escalating tensions between Iran and Israel. This is an unpredictable and fast-moving situation which could have implications for the performance of the FTSE 100, inflation and much more besides. Prior to the exchange of missiles between the two countries, oil was trading at multi-year lows thanks to concerns over global demand as...

Stocks finished mostly lower on Friday in London, while oil prices surged upwards, after Israel launched dozens of air strikes against Iran's nuclear programme and Iran promised a 'bitter and painful' response. Elsewhere, easing concerns about the US economy caused the Michigan consumer sentiment index reading to improve significantly. The FTSE 100 index closed down 34.29 points, 0.4%, at...

London's FTSE 100 perked up on Friday and found its best level since 'liberation day', as the tariff de-escalation between the US and China continues to boost investor risk appetite. The FTSE 100 index rose 50.81 points, 0.6%, at 8,684.56. It had earlier hit its best level since late-March. The FTSE 250 rose 127.50 points, 0.6%, at 20,972.26, and the AIM All-Share added 1.96 points, 0.3%, at...

If speculation about a BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) merger were a bowl of rice it would surely give you a monster bout of food poisoning given the number of times it has been reheated. But BP has rarely looked so vulnerable, so it's not a huge surprise to see rumours of Shell swooping in gather a head of steam. That vulnerability and a diminished valuation are one of the key reasons to think a...

Q1 earnings top forecasts 14 quarters of at least $3 billion in buybacks But net debt ticks higher Shell (SHEL) and BP (BP.) are both finding life difficult at the moment due to slumping commodity prices, a weak outlook for oil markets and the uncertainties stoked by the US Administration's trade tariffs. Shares in the former bounced 3.5% to £25.15 in early dealings on 2 May after the energy...

Stock prices in London were in the green on Tuesday morning, despite Associated British Foods and BP shares falling after reporting profit dives. Also, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer congratulated Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney on his election win. 'The UK and Canada are the closest of allies, partners and friends,' Starmer said in a statement. 'Our partnership is based on shared...

Together, BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) accounted for more than 10% of the FTSE 100 index at the end of the first quarter, meaning their fortunes matter to anyone with exposure to the UK market through a tracker fund. Both firms are finding life difficult thanks to slumping commodity prices, although BP gave investors a rare bit of good news on 14 April as it unveiled a major oil discovery at its...

Oil prices moving against energy giant Weaker gas trading Debt pile growing Shares in BP (BP.) cheapened 2.6% to 333p in early dealings on 11 April after the energy giant braced investors for a 'weak' first quarter gas marketing and trading result and warned of an uptick in net debt, heaping further pressure on the oil major's management. Ahead of the results on 29 April, BP said debt at the...

In December, Luxembourg's financial regulator the CSSF announced new rules around tax exemption and portfolio transparency for European active ETFs (exchange-traded funds). Along with Ireland, Luxembourg is one of the main domiciles for exchange-traded funds and since its rule change there have been a flurry of new products coming to market. Here we explain what an active ETF is, how it works,...

Defensives hold up in sell-offNew appetite for growth stocksBanks unable to shake off lossesAs the dust settles from the three-day 'Liberation Day'-inspired sell-off, the list of winners and losers makes for interesting reading.Not everything which held up during the market meltdown is being sold off, and not everything which racked up big losses is rebounding, unlike in previous recoveries,...

FTSE 100 down more than 3% at 7,763.65 Defensive and utilities stocks hold steady Entain and Taylor Wimpey 'winners' UK housebuilder Taylor Wimpey (TW.) and gambling firm Entain (ENT) bucked the trend by falling less than the blue-chip FTSE 100 index. Taylor Wimpey and other housebuilders were perhaps anticipating the possibility of the Bank of England cutting interest rates this year as a...

Bad weather in Australia hits LNG Oil and gas prices under pressureShell failing to fire on all cylindersThe impact of Donald Trump's new tariffs on energy prices and a cut to LNG (liquefied natural gas) volumes and natural gas production guidance conspired to send shares in Shell (SHEL) sharply lower on 7 April.The FTSE 100 energy giant pinned the blame for the LNG output downgrade on the...

Stock markets across Europe endured another bruising day on Friday, with the FTSE 100 tumbling as investors fled riskier assets following China's retaliation to sweeping US tariffs.Trump on Wednesday announced his 'Liberation Day' by imposing levies on imports from around the world. The baseline was 10%, but certain trading partners received larger tariffs, including 34% duties against...

Helge Lund to step downSuccession process underwayCEO Auchincloss feeling the heatBP (BP.) shares cheapened 2.9% to 389p in early dealings after the oil major said chair Helge Lund will step down 'in due course', news that arrived just weeks after the FTSE 100 group announced a pivot away from green energy.London-headquartered BP has kick-started a succession process to select a new chair to...

Investors are getting conflicting signals when it comes to the future direction of oil prices, and this week's fall to three-month lows off the back of crude producers' cartel OPEC+'s decision to boost output is unlikely to be the end of the story.The introduction of tariffs on neighbouring countries by the Trump administration could stoke inflation, which would typically be reflected in...

Part of being a successful leader of a public company is managing expectations ? setting achievable targets which you can tick off and, by doing so, build credibility with the market.The under-pressure boss of oil and gas outfit BP (BP.) Murray Auchincloss will have been aware he needed to make a splash during a big strategy event on 26 February but telling the Financial Times he wants to get...

Hotter-than expected UK inflation for January, with headline CPI up 3% year-on-year versus the 2.8% expected, combined with a volatile geopolitical backdrop, means investors should be seeking ways to protect their income.Shares has long championed the unique advantage investment trusts have when it comes to paying regular and progressive dividends, since these funds are able to hold back up to...

London stocks closed in the green on Wednesday, boosted by gains in the banking sector, despite investors' disappointment as BP announced a reduced buyback programme.The FTSE 100 index closed up 62.79 points, 0.7%, at 8,731.46. The FTSE 250 ended up 147.62 points, 0.7%, at 20,595.90, while the AIM All-Share closed up 3.44 points, 0.5%, at 711.50.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.9% at 874.86, the...