Blue-chips in London traded in the green around midday on Thursday, as the escalating conflict in Ukraine pushed oil and gold prices higher.The FTSE 100 index added 25.97 points, 0.3%, at 8,111.04. The FTSE 250 lost 45.77 points, 0.2%, at 20,198.99, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.00 points, 0.3%, at 724.34.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 815.30, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 17,701.10, and the Cbo

Trading environment 'volatile'Weak Q3 growthBillion pound club admission may have to waitTrainers-to-tracksuits seller JD Sports Fashion (JD.) now expects year-to-January 2025 pre-tax profits will be at the lower end of its original £955 million to £1.035 billion guidance range, disappointing news that sent the shares tumbling 16% to a two-year low of 95.2p.The global footwear seller had been on

European equities were mostly in the red on Thursday morning amid a threat of higher for longer interest rates, following a lofty UK inflation reading and a caution against turbocharged US easing from a Federal Reserve official.The FTSE 100 index added just 0.40 of a point at 8,085.47. The FTSE 250 lost just 7.21 points at 20,237.55, and the AIM All-Share rose 3.18 points, 0.4%, at 725.52.The Cboe

To date, a small, exclusive club of UK retailers have exceeded £1 billion in annual profits, a high street elite that includes Tesco (TSCO), Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Kingfisher (KGF). Some may view this £1 billion figure as merely symbolic, but breaching this barrier is no mean feat and demonstrates a retailer has a lasting place in consumers' affections and the scale to win in a competitive ma

Cerillion (CER:AIM) £18.90Gain to date: 19.8%Genuine growth stocks may be hard to come by on the UK market but Cerillion (CER:AIM) is a rare gem which qualifies. Forecast-beating full year results had analysts gushing, with Canaccord Genuity talking up the stock's chances of more than doubling. The broker observing 'more market share gains likely; we see a path to £38 on four to five-year view'.

It's been a prosperous time to have invested in the markets. Each one of the major share indices around the world has delivered a positive total return over the past 12 months, factoring in share price performance and dividends.At the top end, the US has returned 32.5% as measured by the S&P 500 index; Japan's Nikkei 225 index has returned 15.3%; and even 'unloved' UK has lined investors' pockets

Stocks in London were mixed at Wednesday midday, as investors digested a hotter-than-expected consumer price growth reading in the UK, while focus across the Atlantic turns to Nvidia's earnings.The FTSE 100 index climbed just 3.66 points at 8,102.68. The FTSE 250 fell 59.75 points, 0.3%, at 20,367.87, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.04 points, 0.1%, at 725.27.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 814.74, the

European equities traded higher on Wednesday morning, as stocks in London shrugged off a hotter-than-forecast UK inflation reading for now.Sage shone on the FTSE 100, while Severn Trent also impressed.The FTSE 100 index climbed 23.61 points, 0.3%, at 8,122.63. The FTSE 250 edged up 22.23 points, 0.1%, at 20,449.85, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.56 points, 0.4%, at 726.79.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.

The FTSE 100 closed in the green on Thursday, following positive updates from some of London's large-cap constituents. The FTSE 100 index rose 40.86 points, 0.5%, at 8,071.19. The FTSE 250 closed up 163.80 points, 0.8%, at 20,522.81. The AIM All-Share advanced 0.09 of a point to 729.38.The Cboe UK 100 climbed 0.5% at 811.74, the Cboe UK 250 climbed 0.9% at 17,950.10 and the Cboe Small Companies fe

Surprisingly, one of the most talked-about US stocks of 2024 has nothing to do with AI (artificial intelligence), chips, gold or cryptocurrencies.It is a small tele-health company based in San Francisco called Hims & Hers Health (HIMS:NYSE), which provides prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as personal care products through its online platform.When we say small, its market cap is

Markets generally dislike uncertainty, so on the one hand traders were pleased the US presidential race turned out to be a more one-sided affair than the polls had predicted.On the other hand, while equities hit new highs on Trump's reputation for backing 'growth' and doing away with regulation, treasury prices fell and yields continued to rise as forecasts for deficit spending and inflation incre

In this column a few weeks back I flagged Bitcoin and gold as potential barometers of Donald Trump's chances in the election.As it turned out, Bitcoin was the better marker and has continued to soar since he prevailed hitting record highs close to $90,000 while gold has been hamstrung by a surging dollar.Investors will have their own take on the merits of cryptocurrencies, and this author would le

Stocks in London struggled for direction at the close on Wednesday, following a CPI print from the US, and amid general uncertainty in Europe.The FTSE 100 index rose 4.56 points, 0.1%, at 8,030.33. The FTSE 250 closed down 68.59 points, 0.3%, at 20,359.21. The AIM All-Share fell 1.57 points, 0.2%, at 729.29.The Cboe UK 100 climbed 0.2% at 807.56, the Cboe UK 250 retreated 0.4% at 17,791.49 and the

Frasers stake is a 'conflict of interest'Board representation calls rejectedKamani has 'no intention' of making offerStruggling online fashion group Boohoo (BOO:AIM) has accused Mike Ashley's Frasers (FRAS) of using its stake in the Debenhams-to-Karen Millen owner and other retailers to promote its own 'commercial self-interest'.The defiant comments came as Boohoo hit back at Frasers' demands for

Stock prices in Europe were mixed on Thursday morning ahead of interest rate decisions by the Bank of England and the Federal Reserve, as investors digest Donald Trump's incoming second presidential term.'The BoE is expected to cut rates by 25bp today,' noted Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'The markets price in two more rate cuts by the end of next year and gives a 35% chance for a third one... [

There was a certain degree of investor bemusement last month when shares in US electricity generation company Constellation Energy (CEG:NASDAQ) soared on news technology giant Microsoft (MSFT:NASDAQ) had signed a 20-year power purchase agreement.This was no ordinary deal, however, as it paves the way for the restart of Three Mile Island 1 ? not the reactor which famously melted down in 1979, but a

The polls had forecast a knife-edge election but as it turned out Donald Trump won a convincing victory in the US presidential election and has completed a stunning political comeback to return to the White House.The clarity in itself was welcomed by financial markets who had feared a protracted affair with both parties potentially taking some time to concede defeat.Trump's vocal support for crypt

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced an astonishing £40 billion of tax rises in her maiden budget, and yet, despite that, there will be relief in some quarters that things didn't turn out worse.Capital gains tax is one of the areas where the Reeves' raid was not as bad as feared, as there had been speculation she would bring capital gains tax rates into line with income tax, with the top rate risin

Stock prices Europe rose on Wednesday morning as Donald Trump was set for a second term as US president, as a slew of European purchasing managers indices came in.Donald Trump has claimed victory in the US election, with traders ramping up bets on fresh tax cuts, tariffs, and rising inflation.While polls had shown the race on a knife edge, the Republican fared far better than his Democratic oppone

Cash pile hits $325 billionApple stake reduced to $70 billionShare buybacks haltedInvestment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-N:NYSE) revealed it has added to its mountain of cash and further sold down its Apple (APPL:NASDAQ) stake in the third quarter.Traditionally the Omaha, Nebraska-based company, headed by legendary investor Warren Buffett, releases results on a Saturday to give investors