Next year should prove a sweet one for Treatt (TET) and its shareholders. The extracts-to-ingredients supplier has the recipe for long-term growth and many of the hallmarks of a high-quality company including an unwavering focus on innovation, strong cash generation and double-digit returns on both equity and capital employed.Well-placed to profit as its end-markets recover from an unhelpful spell

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

In terms of an early Christmas present, the UK market received its very own 'secret Santa' gift last month with the first net inflow into funds invested in UK stocks since April 2021.According to data from consultants Calastone, fund flows turned positive in November after record outflows in October and a negative run lasting 41 consecutive months.Admittedly, the £317 million of net buying was a

Stocks in London were mixed after opening higher on Wednesday, as UK inflation data increased the chances of the Bank of England holding rates steady tomorrow.The FTSE 100 index closed up just 3.91 points at 8,199.11. The FTSE 250 ended 59.13 points higher, 0.3%, at 20,601.99, and the AIM All-Share gave back 2.62 points, 0.4%, at 719.42.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 822.61, the Cboe UK 250 ro

Stocks in Europe were mostly higher at midday Wednesday, with UK inflation reaching an eight-month high but not forcing 'shares in interest rate-sensitive sectors' to retreat.In UK and European news, the UK consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the year to November, picking up pace from a 2.3% rise in year to October and in line with FXStreet-cited market consensus. The closely watched CPI service

Firm cites 'very challenging' tradingUnviable stores set to closeDiscounter to pass final dividendStruggling footwear retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) has halved its current-year profit guidance and plans to pass the final dividend for the year ended 28 September 2024 after experiencing 'very challenging trading conditions' since the Budget.Combined with increased costs also stemming from the Budget,

Stocks in London were in the green on Wednesday morning, as investors prepare for eurozone inflation data and the US interest rate decision this afternoon.UK consumer price inflation and producer price inflation data came out before the London open.According to the Office for National Statistics, the consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the 12 months to November, picking up pace on-month from a 2

Ashtead CEO buys 4,000 sharesTen Lifestyle chief operating officer sells £270,000 worth of stockDSW Capital CEO snaps up 508,700 sharesThe CEO of equipment rental firm Ashtead (AHT), Brendan Horgan, has bought 4,000 shares at £53.20 for a total value of £212,800 on 12 December.Horgan's move comes after the company announced it was planning to move its primary listing to the US over the next 12-

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

Dividends are a key component of successful investing whether taken as an income to support retirement or reinvested to compound future total returns.With interest rates set to fall as inflation is gradually brought back under control dividend yields will become more competitive as a source of income compared with income from cash and bonds.In this article we scour the FTSE 350 for the companies w

It's ingrained in us as investors that the best way to get superior, risk-adjusted long-term returns is to distance ourselves from the crowd and seek out value.That approach has always needed courage and patience, and 2024 has proved to be a particularly fierce test of this discipline for the simple reason that what worked last year worked well again this year.It did so because the consensus macro

Lots of parents and grandparents default to cash when saving for their children or grandchildren, but most have a very long time until they will give the money to the children, meaning investing can be a great option. If we look at someone saving £1,000 a year from birth of the child until the age of 18, they'd hand them almost £8,000 more if they invested the money and earned 5% return a year a

As part of AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign which is focused on helping all women feel empowered to live their best financial lives, we're putting together a series of articles breaking down some of the particular considerations depending on your age.This article is all about your 40s, a decade when people are often considered as entering their peak earning period but also a decade which for many

The FTSE 100 closed up on Monday, boosted by blue-chip oil firms responding positively to the ousting of long-standing Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad.The FTSE 100 index closed up 43.47 points, 0.5%, at 8,352.08. The FTSE 250 ended down 9.73 points at 21,049.27, and the AIM All-Share closed up 2.63 points, 0.4%, at 740.85.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 838.25, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.1% at 18,5

London's FTSE 100 traded in the green around midday on Monday amid fresh optimism for a growth boost for the world's second-largest economy.The FTSE 100 index traded up 33.66 points, 0.4%, at 8,342.27. The FTSE 250 was down 35.97 points, 0.2%, at 21,023.03, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.82 points, 0.3%, at 740.04.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.4% higher at 837.61, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.1% at 18,523.0

European stocks opened in the green at the start of the week, boosted by an announcement from China's top leadership which aims to aid the Asian nation's shaky economy.The FTSE 100 index traded up 26.17 points, 0.3%, at 8,334.78. The FTSE 250 was up 36.75 points, 0.2%, at 21,095.75, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.55 points, 0.4%, at 740.77.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.4% higher at 837.24, the Cboe UK 250

US markets made new highs this week with the technology heavy Nasdaq Composite index leading the charge, posting nearly a 3% gain while the small cap Russell 2000 index lagged, falling nearly 2%.Federal reserve chair Jerome Powell gave markets as spur after saying the economy was stronger than expected which means the central bank is not in a rush to lower interest rates.On the data front the US s

The FTSE 100 index closed up on Thursday, with AstraZeneca shares rising on US FDA approval of its Imfinzi treatment.Also on Thursday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised a 'relentless focus on delivering for working people' ahead of a major speech setting out targets to measure progress on his government's plans.AJ Bell's Danni Hewson noted: 'The prime minister today said that households will

Spare a thought for Laszlo Hanyecz. You may not have heard of him, but in 2010 he spent 10,000 Bitcoins on two pizzas, in one of the first ever 'real world' crypto transactions. The market value of those Bitcoins is now $950 million. Hanyecz is pretty stoic about it, but deep down he must know that no amount of melted cheese can make up for the vast fortune he might have had. Hanyecz, a computer p

Sadly it's been less a case of 'lights, camera, action' and more 'brace for impact' lately for shareholders in Facilities by ADF (ADF:AIM), the firm which provides on-set serviced production facilities to the UK high-end TV and film industry.Floated in 2022 with hopes of bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the AIM market, the firm soon found itself under the spotlight as a result of the Holly