With investors biding time until Friday's US Federal Reserve preferred inflation gauge, shares in London mostly fell on Thursday.Thursday also marks a week until the UK heads to the polls. Two opinion polls published in the past 24 hours see Labour taking the lead, with Conservatives taking second place and Reform coming in third.Amongst individual stocks, DS Smith shot up, but failed to take the

Stocks in London headed lower going into Thursday afternoon, with investors adopting a 'cautious' approach ahead of Friday's US inflation data.The FTSE 100 index traded 23.26 points lower, 0.3%, at 8,202.07. The FTSE 250 fell just 7.08 points at 20,291.02, while the AIM All-Share fell 3.08 points, 0.4%, at 762.84.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.3% to 815.91, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.1% at 17,654.85, and the

Moonpig Plus subscriptions surpass expectationsGroup remains strongly cash generativeShares up 31% over past yearShares in Moonpig (MOON) were up nearly 9% to 173p in morning trading after the online greeting cards-to-gifting platform reported a 5% rise in adjusted pre-tax profit to £58.2 million for the year ended 30 April 2024.The company delivered revenue growth of 6.6% to £341.1 million 'dri

Stock prices in London opened largely in the green on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 registering a solid gain before an expected Bank of England rate hold in the early afternoon.There was a slew of M&A updates in early UK corporate news, adding some excitement before Threadneedle Street takes centre-stage.The FTSE 100 index traded 22.16 points higher, 0.3%, at 8,227.27. The FTSE 250 was up 65.85 poin

While there was no surprise last week in terms of the Federal Reserve's position on interest rates, there was a positive development in the shape of US inflation which came in surprisingly softer than expected.May's CPI reading showed inflation slowed to 3.3%, below April's reading and below the consensus forecast of 3.4%, sending US shares up on the week.Grocery prices were flat month-on-month, w

Organic customer growth of 14.1%Full year dividend up 3p to 83pShares up 19% over the past yearShares in Telecom Plus (TEP) were up over 2% to £19.20 in morning trading as the multi-utility supplier reported an adjusted pre-tax profit of £116.9 million, up 21.5% for the full year ending 31 March 2024, slightly above market expectations.The company said it continued to perform strongly against th

'Quality investing' is the style pursued by the world's most famous investor Warren Buffett and Terry Smith, arguably the best-known British fund manager who runs the five-star Morningstar-rated Fundsmith Equity (B41YBW7) and consistently favours quality firms. Quality investing has generated strong long-run returns for its practitioners, including Buffett, but how do the leading fund managers off

There are many reasons why people start investing ? to get better returns on their cash, to meet long-term investment goals, to save for a deposit on a house purchase or for retirement.Whatever your investment goals you can generate wealth from investing in shares, investment trusts, ETFs and funds. In this article we will explain how to turn that aspiration into reality in this step-by-step guide

How much pocket money you should pay your children is a common dilemma among parents, but new data shows how much the nation is paying its kids.The Natwest Rooster Money report shows how people using its pocket money app manage the payments and how much they pay their kids. And children have felt the effects of the cost of living crisis, with their average pocket money reducing by £5.20 a year ov

The long-awaited investor day at AstraZeneca (AZN) on 21 May delivered a punchy increase in the pharmaceutical giant's long term growth ambitions inviting further analysts upgrades to revenue and profit forecasts.After achieving its prior target of generating in excess of $45 billion of revenue by 2023 set a decade ago, management is aiming for more than $80 billion in annual revenue by 2030 and a

It is 10 years since the board of AstraZeneca (AZN) rejected a cash and share takeover proposal from US rival Pfizer (PFE:NYSE) worth £53.50 per share on the grounds the price did not reflect the true value of the business.Since rejecting the offer, AstraZeneca's shares have appreciated three-fold while Pfizer's shares are trading 5% below where they were trading a decade ago.Credit must be given

Given the depressed valuation of the UK stock market ? and the even more depressed valuation of UK commercial property ? it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a fund to seize on the opportunities on offer.Enter Special Opportunities REIT, a new internally-managed real estate investment trust aimed at capitalising on the abundance of value in the UK commercial property sector 'at

$350 million sale completes transformationCash proceeds to be returned via buybacksResilient results deliveredTate & Lyle (TATE) was in demand with investors on Thursday, shares sweetening up 5.2% to 712.5p after the company completed its strategic shift towards a speciality food and beverage business with the $350 million (£279 million) sale of its remaining 49.7% stake in Primient to KPS Capita

New target to achieve $80 billion revenue by 2030Core operating margin in mid-thirties percentageUpward earnings revisions expectedAstraZeneca (AZN) has revealed a new target to grow revenue by 75% from the $45.8 billion generated in 2023 to $80 billion by 2030, driven by 'significant' growth in its existing portfolio of medicines and by launching 20 new medicines by the end of the decade.The comp

The cost of going to university has ballooned, and it means the average graduate leaves university with around £50,000 worth of debt. That's a large sum to pay off, and the way the student loan system has changed means that many people will have this debt for 40 years before it's wiped out.The debt doesn't work like typical debt, as you only repay it once you earn more than a set threshold ? mean

Equities on both sides of the Atlantic registered record highs on Wednesday, as a slowdown in US inflation prompted stocks to move higher as Federal Reserve interest rate cut hopes strengthened.Aside from the US data, there was a slew of M&A developments threatening to steal some of the spotlight in London. The owner of the Royal Mail backed a possible bid, while Wood Group said no to a suitor aga

The pilgrimage to Omaha for Berkshire Hathaway?s (BRK-B:NYSE) annual shareholder meeting had a tinge of poignancy this year following the passing of Warren Buffett?s long-term business partner and vice-chair Charlie Munger in November 2023.In memory of the ?abominable no-man?, as Buffett sometimes referred to Munger, the book stands at the meeting which would normally offer several investment book

London?s FTSE 100 registered a bullish start to the holiday shortened week on Tuesday, with US interest rate optimism sending equities into the green.Financial markets in London were closed on Monday for the May Day bank holiday.Missing out on the confident trade were budget carriers, as the likes of easyJet and Wizz Air fell after a summer pricing warning from peer Ryanair.The FTSE 100 index clos

Pre-market data shows 3% share price decline on the cardsRecovering from ?major inventory correction?Dividend up 18% despite lower salesTalk of a chips industry recovery looks a little premature based on what Microchip Technology (MCHP:NASDAQ) laid before investors overnight. Pre-market data has the stock down more than 3% to around $91 after the company issued fiscal first quarter 2025 guidance b

Lots of companies are willing to pay out money if you introduce a friend to their services. Whether it?s mobile phones, bank accounts, broadband, investment accounts or insurance, there is often a deal where if you introduce a friend you make a bit of money for your troubles ? and often the friend gets an incentive too.Let?s take a look at some of the top deals that can boost your finances ? and h