London's FTSE 100 advanced 30 points to 7,618 on Monday with European stocks ticking modestly higher following a lacklustre end to last week.Weekend press reports suggesting a growing number of Bank of England policymakers are considering voting for an interest rate cut to try and stimulate the economy put a dent in banks such as Lloyds (LLOY), down 0.9% to 59.8p, and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS),

London's high-flying FTSE 100 firms 4.6 points to 7,735.4 with a helping hand from banking and utility stocks, though it is retailers that are the main focus for investors on Monday.Online grocer Ocado (OCDO) ripens up 10.2% to 455.3p after inking another major international deal, just a few months after joining forces with Groupe Casino in France. Ocado's latest agreement to power an overseas sup

Fancy doubling your money in a year by investing in an exciting stock? Sounds great, doesn't it? It's harder than you think, but certainly not impossible.Over the past 12 months, robotic process automation specialist Blue Prism (PRSM:AIM) is up by 439%; online musical equipment retailer Gear4Music (GFM:AIM) has increased by 341%; and computer games service group Keywords Studios (KWS:AIM) is tradi

West African palm oil producer DekelOil (DKL:AIM) is in demand after reporting 36.6% sales growth for the first quarter to 31 March.Sales prices for crude palm oil (CPO) and palm kernel oil (PKO) are significantly higher year-on-year too, news which sends shares in the micro-cap counter spinning 6% higher to 13.38p.DekelOil is the 100% owner and operator of the low cost Ayenouan palm oil project i

Palm oil prices are around two-year highs at $722 a tonne as output in Malaysia, a key market for the commodity, declined 2% in October.Shares in UK-quoted producers Dekeloil (DKL:AIM) and REA Holdings (RE.) have both been boosted by the news while MP Evans (MPE) saw a takeover offer from Kuala Lumpur Kepong increased to 740p a share on 15 November.Both that offer and a previous 640p bid have been

A premium-priced bid for Indonesian palm oil producer M.P. Evans (MPE:AIM) offers a positive read-across for smaller peer DekelOil (DKL:AIM), the operator and 86% owner of a profitable palm oil project in Cote d'Ivoire.M.P. Evans has received majority shareholder support to reject (26 Oct) the £360m offer from Kuala Lumpur Kepong on the grounds it undervalues the company's unique position and fut

The market is off to a quiet start ahead of George Osborne's Budget announcement at lunchtime. The FTSE nudges ahead 24 points to 6,163.The biggest corporate news is the recommended all-share merger between London Stock Exchange (LSE) and Deutsche Borse. It is called a merger of equals but LSE shareholders will only hold 45.6% of the combined business and the two parties haven't yet agreed a new n

Moving into profit can be a powerful share price catalyst. In 2015, investors were well-rewarded for owning some of these types of stocks as they 'moved into the black'.Fast-growing high-end tonic water producer Fevertree (FEVR:AIM) gained 246% in 2015 after registering a profit in its first year as a public company. And commercial gas pipeline engineer Fulcrum (FCRM:AIM), which swung back into pr

London equities continue to lever themselves off recent lows as traders eye value buys, also liking a small overnight rise in the price of crude and responding to positive US and Asia sessions. The FTSE 100 index rally strongly in early trade on Friday, leaping 115 points to 5,888, a near-2% gain.The oil and gas sector is in demand as oil rallies to go back above $30 per barrel with Royal Dutch Sh

UK stocks sharply decline in early trade on Tuesday morning as import/export data from Chinese spooks investors that the squeeze on the global economy is not easing off. This after lower sessions on Wall Street and across Asia overnight as OPEC on Monday decided not to limit crude oil production.The FTSE 100 index sags 43 points, or 0.68%, to 6,180, while main indexes across Europe are also under

Earnings growth excites and country risk has reduced at DekelOil (DKL:AIM), operator and 51%-owner of a palm oil project in Cote d'Ivoire. Share price weakness presents a buying opportunity, as a dramatic increase in crude palm oil (CPO) production should drive a material profits breakthrough this year.DekelOil has developed a state-of-the-art palm oil mill in Ivory Coast, an attractive location f

It used to be believed that investing with a conscience could only come at the expense of your profit performance. Being good capped your returns. Arguably, this is still the prevailing view of most investors yet the winds of change are blowing through stock markets, good investing is increasingly transferring from the 'do-gooder set' to the mainstream, and there's statistical data that claims it

London shares stumble marginally lower in early trade on Monday with little news driven direction coming from corporates. Wall Street ended last week in positive territory and Europe's main markets have started the new week on a firmer footing, but the FTSE 100 index slips around 10 points to 6,389, with midcaps and smaller companies also dipping a fraction lower.Broadcaster UTV Media (UTV) is up

Dubbed 'micro caps' by investors, the London stock market's smallest quoted company fry can be binary bets, as likely to 'turn turtle' as morph into a 'ten-bagger', the latter the holy grail of growth company investing. Yet despite their inherent risks, micro caps should form at least a portion of a well-diversified portfolio, since they offer potential for rapid-paced growth and abundant share pr

UK stocks make modest gains in early trade on Monday with investors agreeing with Bank of England policymakers' view that interest rates must rise 'relatively soon.' China is also again in focus after reports on industrial production and retail sales.The FTSE 100 index rises around 35 points, or 0.6%, to 6,152, matching similar gains across Europe's major markets. Midcaps and Small Cap indexes are

London shares stage a stellar bounce back in early trade on Tuesday as bargain hunters scoop up discounted stocks after Monday's rough 6% blue-chips sell-off. The FTSE 100 rallies back over the 6,000 mark, up 135 points, or about 1.6%, to 6,036, matching gains seen across Europe's major indexes despite another hefty US sell-off overnight.Miners lead on Tuesday, with BHP Billiton (BLT) and Glencore

Taking its cue from weak Asian markets overnight the FTSE 100 is under renewed pressure this morning - down 33.40 points to 6516.90.China's Shenzhen CSI 300 index sheds 6.2% overnight, leading to another big sell-off at Fidelity China Special Situations (FCSS). Headed up by fund manager Dale Nicholls, the investment trust slides 4.9% to 128p. Its largest investment is China media, entertainment an

Dunelm bags top retail manHomewares leader Dunelm's (DNLM) appointment (26 Jun) of retail grandee John Browett as CEO, with Will Adderley to revert to his former role as deputy chairman, looks an exciting move. The former Dixons Retail and Tesco.com boss and Apple (AAPL:NDQ) high-flyer's tech know-how will help further the cushions-to-quilts purveyor's digital push. (JC)Shale shock for IGasUK shal

A growing global population needs feeding, and the stock market is home to a slew of firms plugged into this trend. Among them are the quoted plantation companies, sitting within the Food Producers sector, whose agricultural assets can have great strategic value for bigger plantations players. Profits can grow sharply, though patience is required while estates are developed and crops cultivated, a

UK stocks edge higher in early trade on Friday ahead of what is likely to be another quiet session.The FTSE 100 nudges close to the 7,000 mark, up around 26 points, or 0.4%, at 6,999 early on with corporate updates from a number of blue chips being warmly-received by investors.Investors like the taste of Coca-Cola HBC (CCH), the soft drinks colossus clipping 3% ahead to £14.59 on a reassuring fir