London's FTSE 100 moved higher in early trade on Wednesday, boosted by some strong corporate updates, while the dollar marched on as a tempering of US interest rate cut zeal continued.The FTSE 100 index traded up 13.14 points, 0.2%, at 8,319.68. The FTSE 250 was up 26.44 points, or 0.1%, at 20,976.09, and the AIM All-Share added 0.61 of a point, 0.1%, at 734.77.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 832.8

At the end of last year the market was pricing in 1.7% worth of US rate cuts for 2024 but here we are in late August and the Federal Reserve is yet to pull the trigger, largely due to stickier-than-expected inflation.However, after a series of false dawns, we may finally be approaching the point where the Fed acts, with a rate cut widely expected on 18 September. The debate largely centres on whet

London?s FTSE 100 pushed higher on Thursday, leaving peers on the continent and beyond in its wake, on share price rises for heavyweights AstraZeneca, Barclays and Unilever, as well as M&A impetus for Anglo American.Trade was underwhelming elsewhere, however, as equities struggled following a red-hot US inflation reading, which was coupled with numbers showing a slowdown in growth.The FTSE 100 ind

Swiss luxury watch maker buys BuchererUK retailer insists deal won't impact salesInsiders say deal could be 'earth-shattering'Shares in luxury retailer Watches of Switzerland (WOSG) fell by 27% to 499p, a record one-day move and one which brings share price losses for the year to more than 40%.The catalyst for the sell-off was news overnight that Swiss luxury watch-maker Rolex had agreed to buy it

Higher prices set to dominate Tesco's first-quarter earnings updateBargain-hunting and promotions means margins could be lowerSupermarket giant Tesco (TSCO) is due to report its results for the period from March to May on 16 June, with analysts expecting higher prices to be the main driver of sales while volumes and average basket sizes are likely to have fallen.This is against a first quarter of

Share prices were slightly lower but sterling was steady early Wednesday, ahead of the UK government budget at midday and another US inflation reading about the same time.Nonetheless, a strong day for European and US stocks on Tuesday, and Asian counterparts on Wednesday, suggests some serenity has followed the agitation caused by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the US, analysts at Lloyds B

London stock prices were mostly lower early Tuesday, after a UK unemployment report showed continued inflationary pressure from a lack of workers, making further interest rate hikes more likely.The FTSE 100 index opened up 4.04 points, 0.1%, at 7,389.21. The mid-cap FTSE 250 was down 55.92 points, or 0.3%, at 19,566.33, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.86 points, 0.2%, at 849.69.The Cboe UK 100 wa

The transformation of medical technology company ConvaTec (CTEC) has reached an inflection point which should drive market-beating sales growth and improve profitability.The shares look attractive against good earnings potential while scope for the stock to trade on a higher multiple of earnings (known as a 're-rating') provides extra attractions. This could be driven by a modest improvement in op

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman, who forged his reputation as a vocal corporate agitator, now plans to work mainly behind the scenes with management and adopt a 'quieter approach' to force through change.Having delivered three years of strong double digit returns, the famed US hedge fund manager has informed investors that as corporate America already knows who he is, there is no need for Pershin

Cordiant Global Infrastructure (CORD) 106.6pGain to date: 1.5%Original entry point: Buy at 105p, 13 May 2021In its latest update specialist investor in mid-market data-centres, mobile communications, and fibre optic networks Cordiant Global Infrastructure (CORD) confirmed it has no exposure to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.The £352 million acquisition of Polish of multi-asset digital infrastructure

Under Donald Trump, geopolitics was focused on US-China trade ties and pacifying North Korea and Russia.President Biden is a different animal. He has the reputation of being less interventionist as the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan demonstrated.The subtle change to soft power and more diplomacy may have been a contributory factor in the timing of Putin's move on Ukraine.The invasion of Ukr

Cordiant Digital Infrastructure (CORD) 108pGain to date: 2.9%Original entry point: Buy at 105p on 13 May 2021Investor and digital specialist in mid-market data centres, mobile communications, broadcast towers, and fibre optic networks, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure (CORD) delivered a total shareholder return of 9.5% in the first half to 30 September 2021.The trust finished the period with a net

Some share prices can seem immune from market turbulence, as has been the case for Netflix recently. While major indices like the FTSE 100, S&P 500, Nasdaq, Eurostoxx 50 and Hang Seng have struggled since the start of September, the streaming TV and movies giant has defied gravity.Over the past month the stock has outstripped the Nasdaq Composite's (the US tech market where it is listed) single-di

Volex (VLX:AIM) 412pGain to date: 10.8%Original entry point: Buy at 372p, 24 June 2021Power cords and cable assembly group Volex (VLX:AIM) is off to a decent start since we added it to our Great Ideas portfolio in late June.The latest catalyst for the shares has been the $16.4 million acquisition of US electronic solutions manufacturer Irvine Electronics.We flagged M&A as a key plank in the Volex'

We think power cords and cable assembly company Volex (VLX:AIM) can achieve double digit growth driven by a proven acquisition strategy and increasing demand for EVs (electric vehicles) and data centres.Cables and power cords might sound like a dull business, but they are essential kit for many industries, from consumer electronics and medical imaging equipment, to fast growing data centres and EV

Cordiant Digital Infrastructure (CORD) is looking to capitalise on the surging growth in data consumption and traffic which it claims will provide an economic tailwind for the next decade or more.By focusing on the mid-market, the investment trust believes it can execute a 'buy-and-build' strategy by acquiring assets at a significant discount to the large cap listed companies.The manager's thesis

The first three months of 2021 have been the busiest quarter for initial public offerings (IPOs) for a decade, and the trend shows no sign of slowing this quarter, which is good news for retail investors looking for hot new ideas.According to analysts at Liberum, £5.9 billion was raised by companies coming to market for the first time in the first quarter, and despite the car-crash that marked th

When Moonpig (MOON) listed on the London stock market earlier this month it used a plethora of buzzwords to describe itself. It called itself a 'platform', talked about its 'proprietary technology and apps' and said it leaned heavily on 'data science'.This may seem curious for a business that basically sells an extensive range of greeting cards. As one analyst told Shares, it's a consumer of tech

Investor appetite for all things digital and technology related has started to become apparent as a new breed of investment trust has launched on the London market.The UK's first digital infrastructure investment trust, Cordiant Digital Infrastructure (CORD), floated this week after raising £370 million, smashing its initial target of £300 million.Hoping to follow in its footsteps is another tru

Cordiant Digital Infrastructure, the UK's first digital infrastructure investment trust, has raised £370 million in an initial public offering (IPO) against an initial target of £300 million.The trust, under the tickers 'CORD' and 'CSRD', will start trading tomorrow on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.Cordiant Digital issued 370 million shares at a price of 100p per share for the pla