Stock prices were mostly higher at midday on Wednesday as markets prepared for possible rate cuts in Europe and Canada, with a boost for Smith & Nephew but a slump for B&M European despite strong earnings.The FTSE 100 was up 24.43 points, 0.3%, at 8,256.47. The FTSE 250 was down 13.88 points, 0.1%, at 20,704.11, and the AIM All-Share was up 3.53 points, 0.4%, at 801.73.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3%

Group profitability weighted to first halfShares down more than 5% year-to-dateInterim results will be released on 25 JulyShares in Centrica (CNA) were down more than 5% to 135p in morning trading despite the utilities firm saying trading so far this year had been 'in line' with expectations against a backdrop of a more 'normalised' external environment.Investors might have been spooked by the uti

Stock prices in London opened higher on Wednesday, beating Asian peers which trended lower over night, and following a flatter session in the US.The FTSE 100 index opened up 34.20 points, 0.4%, at 8,347.87. The FTSE 250 was up 30.83 points, 0.2%, at 20,443.91, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.94 points, 0.3%, at 778.36.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 833.39, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 17,713.33,

Stock prices in London were higher on Thursday morning on news the UK has officially entered a mild recession, raising Bank of England interest rate cut hope.The economic figures could also carry political significance, as the UK prime minister faces a pair of by-election tests.On the corporate front, results from British Gas owner Centrica impressed. Among mid-caps Genus plunged on a China warnin

Investors in British Gas owner Centrica (CNA) will be watching closely to see if it can hit forecasts against a normalised energy price backdrop when it reports full year results on 15 February.Analysts are forecasting earnings per share for the full year ending 31 December of 30.5p.In July 2023, the firm reported first half revenue up 60% to £16.5 billion due to higher energy prices. The company

The Schroder Recovery Fund (B3VVG60) aims to generate capital gains superior to the FTSE All-Share Total Return Index, net of fees, over a three- to five-year horizon by investing in 'UK companies which have suffered a severe setback in either share price or profitability'.The fund was launched back in 1970 and has stood the test of time, beating its target return over one, three and 10 years and

Shares in British Gas owner Centrica (CNA) have risen by150% in value since October 2022. Those gains increase to 420% if you go back to April 2020.'Centrica's share price recovery since Covid lows has been meteoric, as the company successfully navigated volatile market conditions, culminating in increased buybacks and dividend growth,' says Berenberg analyst Marc Ip Tat Kuen.While impressive, the

Value-focused trust delivered 3.4% NAV total returnMarks & Spencer among best-performersCar maker Stellantis is a new purchaseValue-oriented investment trust Temple Bar (TMPL) outperformed the FTSE All-Share index in the half ended 30 June 2023 as strong share price performances from the likes of Marks & Spencer (MKS), EasyJet (EZJ) and Standard Chartered (STAN) more than offset disappointing show

Stock prices in London rose in the morning on Thursday, as investors eye a key interest rate decision from the European Central Bank, just a day after the US central bank lifted its rates.The FTSE 100 index was up 16.29 points, 0.2%, at 7,693.18. The FTSE 250 was up 144.87 points, 0.8%, at 19,331.41, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.87 points, 0.4%, at 769.02.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 767.45, t

British Gas arm reports record profitBoosted by lifting of energy price capDividend up by a third and buyback extendedThe latest first-half results from British Gas owner Centrica (CNA) have received a warm welcome from investors but may get a frostier reception elsewhere as households continue to struggle with their energy bills.The company posted a pre-tax profit of £6.4 billion, as opposed to

Markets in Europe received a double boost on Tuesday, with an easing of US inflation and hope for stimulus measures in China lifted stocks.Inflation in the UK is running hotter than the Bank of England would like, however. The spotlight was back on Threadneedle Street on Tuesday after UK jobs data and as Governor Andrew Bailey speaks in front of a House of Lords committee.Among individual shares,

Profit to be at top end of expectationsBoosted by regulatory changes which allow its British Gas operation to reclaim losses for selling at capped pricesShares up 50% over last 12 monthsUtilities firm Centrica (CNA) is guiding for 2023 profit to be at the top end of expectations after the group's one-time problem child, retail division British Gas, enjoyed strong performance.In an update ahead of

Utility services supplier Telecom Plus (TEP), which trades as Utility Warehouse, has seen its share price plunge nearly 30% since the start of December.There have been unhelpful headlines for the industry around Centrica (CNA) owned British Gas using bailiffs to fit pre-payment meters and an ill-advised expenses-paid trip to the Maldives for Utility Warehouse partners was crass.However there is a

This week's case study involves Chris, who is in his early 50s and has been investing 'seriously' for the last 20 years or so.Chris takes what you might call a 'classic' approach to investing, with a large core of dividend-paying stocks in his SIPP (self-invested personal pension), which he lets compound by re-investing his dividends, and a clutch of more racy stocks in his ISA (individual savings

Finally, everyone is talking about UK stocks. The spotlight is back on the country after the UK's FTSE 100 was one of the few major indices globally to record positive returns in 2022 and this year it has broken through the 8,000 level and hit a new record high. Hopefully, this will lead to the return of foreign investors who have shunned the UK since the Brexit vote in 2016.Investors can either b

Using data from Stockopedia, Shares has searched for the companies with the best earnings upgrades for this year and next over the last month.We also noted their performance over the same period to see how much the upgrades had lifted the share prices, and the evidence is clear: all else being equal, upgrades tend to lead to outperformance.Top of this month's list is 'challenger' gas, electricity

Royal Mail continues to be disrupted by strike action amid an escalating dispute over work, pay and conditions. With no end to the dispute in sight, it is possible that the parent company's dividend could become a political issue.The firm, which is owned by International Distributions Services (IDS), last month blamed strikes and falling parcel volumes as it swung to a loss of £127 million for th

Most investors will remember 2022 as being one of the toughest years for stock markets around the world in a long time. However, plenty of stocks have delivered positive returns.In this feature we look at the best performing London-listed stocks spread across four different parts of the market, covering small, medium and large sized companies.£5 billion+ market capIreland has been one of the stan

- 2022 earnings to be a top end of expectations- £250 million buyback unveiled- Shares up 20% over last monthEnergy firm Centrica (CNA) will have done nothing to quieten talk of windfall taxes as it guided for profit at the top end of expectations and unveiled a £250 million share buyback.The unscheduled trading update was received warmly by investors with the shares up 7.7% to 83.5p and extendi

In a bid to calm financial markets the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt has rowed back (17 October) virtually all the proposed tax cuts in the mini budget while the cap on energy bills will now only last until April 2023 rather than for two years.Long-dated UK gilt prices surged 5% higher as yields dropped from 4.8% on 14 October to 4.4% while the 10-year yield fell by 0.4% to 3.9%.Despite the fall in y