Grocery sales in lineArgos sales disappointNo change to forecastsThe UK's second-largest supermarket chain Sainsbury's (SBRY) delivered a first-quarter trading statement which was pretty much in line with expectations in terms of grocery sales and maintained its full-year profit and cash-flow forecasts.However, a slowdown in total like-for-like sales growth and the resulting lack of an upgrade saw

London's FTSE 100 made a decent start to the final trading day of the quarter, and cooler-than-expected US data could offer it impetus for further gains.The blue-chip benchmark in Paris struggled, however, as pre-election nerves kicked in.The US data is released at 1330 BST. The core personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge is expected to have faded to 2.6% in May, from 2.8% in April, acc

Equities in London made a slow start on Thursday, but peers in Europe traded more confidently, with market focus on upcoming US data and political developments either side of the English Channel, and across the Atlantic.In London, a US blow for GSK hurt its shares. Miners also struggled in early dealings. Elsewhere, there was a guidance boost for outsourcer Serco, Watches of Switzerland reported i

The freeze on income tax thresholds is dragging millions more people into higher rates of tax, as their wages rise but the tax thresholds don't increase alongside them. The OBR estimates that by 2028-29 the deep freeze on tax thresholds will see almost four million extra taxpayers, 2.7 million more moved to the higher rate of income tax, and another 600,000 paying the additional rate. As a result

It can seem daunting to know where to start when making a first investment which may deter some people from starting at all. This would be a mistake because the sooner a start is made, the longer an investment is allowed to mature and provide capital gains and dividends.Waiting just a few years can reduce the potential saving pot over the long term. For example, assuming an investment of £100 a m

Rockwood Strategic (RKW) 267.5pGain to date: 42.7%We highlighted the investment merits of Rockwood Strategic (RKW) at 187.5p in November 2023, arguing the value-focused trust was a way to gain differentiated exposure to a small cap asset class with exciting re-rating scope. We explained how manager Richard Staveley's tried-and-tested strategy identifies undervalued stocks where the company will b

1. India: Prime minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the largest number of seats in the Indian election, albeit with a smaller number compared to the 2019 vote. Investors are looking to July's budget for signals on the new government's priorities. Recent data indicate an improving fiscal position, with scope for a reduction in the fiscal year 2025 budget deficit from the Febru

If, like many people, you have moved jobs over the years and accumulated two or more occupational pensions, now is a good time to think about bringing them all under one roof.As well as allowing you to work out how much is in your pension pots and where they are invested, by consolidating them into a single pot you can manage them more easily.In this article we'll show you how to go about this pro

Stock prices in London closed lower on Wednesday, as European markets brace themselves for political instability in the run-up to UK and French elections.The CAC 40 in Paris took the biggest hit on Wednesday, ahead of the snap election in France on Sunday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 22.46 points, 0.3%, at 8,225.33. The FTSE 250 ended down 65.33 points, 0.3%, at 20,298.10, and the AIM All-Share

European equities opened higher on Wednesday, after US tech shares, including chipmaker and artificial intelligence titan Nvidia, returned to form overnight.In London, investors had a host of corporate updates to sink into, including bullish earnings from pandemic winners AO World and ProCook. A merger agreement between Witan Investment Trust and Alliance Trust also grabbed some of the spotlight.T

Stocks in Europe closed higher on Monday, with market participants waiting for signs that inflationary pressures are starting to lessen.In the UK, Prudential shares were in fashion, after it started its $2 billion share buyback. Elsewhere in London SIG shares closed lower, after it slashed its profit guidance.The FTSE 100 index closed up 43.83 points, 0.5%, at 8,281.55. The FTSE 250 ended up 120.2

Initial $700 million tranche starts immediatelyCapital return larger than expectedDividend policy unchangedShares in Asian focused insurer Prudential (PRU) jumped more than 6% to 749.6 on Monday, topping the FTSE leaderboard after the firm announced a $2 billion return of capital via a share buyback.The buyback is expected to be completed no later than mid-2026 with the first $700 million tranche

Stocks in Europe were in the green at midday on Monday, although markets were feeling some nerves around elections in the UK, the US and France.The FTSE 100 index traded 33.76 points higher, 0.4%, at 8,271.48. The FTSE 250 was up 74.04 points, 0.4%, at 20,516.39, though the AIM All-Share fell just 0.34 of a point to 772.23.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.4% to 822.88, the Cboe UK 250 climbed 0.6% to 17,872

Bulls predict more Wall Street records will fall$5 trillion market cap implies $200 share priceAnalysts consistently under-estimated Nvidia's growth potentialUber bulls sees Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) hitting a $5 trillion valuation next year fuelled by an AI (artificial intelligence) rally that has far further to run. So says Louis Navellier, chief investment officer at Navellier & Associates, the anal

Equities in London traded mixed at the start of the week, with some US tech sector nerves hurting sentiment, with eyes turning to elections in the UK and France as polling day edges ever closer.The FTSE 100 index traded 7.66 points higher, 0.1%, at 8,245.38. The FTSE 250 was down 50.12 points, 0.3%, at 20,392.23, though the AIM All-Share fell 0.41 of a point, 0.1%, at 772.16.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0

Stock prices in London closed in the red on Friday, after investors were left to mull over mixed local economic data which painted a conflicting picture of the economy.The FTSE 100 index closed down 34.74 points, 0.4%, at 8,237.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 56.37 points, 0.3%, at 20,442.35, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.19 of a point at 772.57.Over the last five days, the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 2

Stocks fell at midday in London on Friday after new data showed that growth in service sector activity was decelerating.The FTSE 100 index traded 63.83 points lower, 0.8%, at 8,209.15. The FTSE 250 was down 104.78 points, 0.5%, at 20,393.94, although the AIM All-Share was up 0.40 of a point, 0.1%, at 772.78.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.7% to 817.26, the Cboe UK 250 declined 0.5% at 17,755.99, and the Cb

Offers at £12 and £12.50 rejectedRobinsons maker's shares surge on bid excitementCarlsberg 'considering its position'Soft drinks business Britvic (BVIC) was the FTSE 250's biggest gainer on Friday, with shares in the Fruit Shoot-to-J2O maker fizzing 11% higher to £11.29 on news it has rebuffed two takeover approaches from Carlsberg (CARL-B:CPH).The Danish brewer sweetened its original £12 per

Stock prices in London closed mostly higher on Thursday a day after inflation cooled to the Bank of England's target, with European markets also rising.The FTSE 100 index closed up 67.35 points, 0.8%, at 8,272.46. The FTSE 250 ended up 117.67 points, 0.6%, at 20,498.72, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.12 points, 0.7%, at 772.38.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.8% at 822.72, the Cboe UK 250 closed up

Stocks in London climbed after the Bank of England left interest rates unchanged with some officials stating the decision was 'finely balanced,' hinting rate cuts may come.The pound struggled, however. Sterling was quoted at $1.2684 early Thursday afternoon, down from $1.2723 at the London equities close Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index traded 33.04 points higher, 0.4%, at 8,238.15. The FTSE 250 was u