Bloomsbury (BMY) 700pMarket cap: £571 million Publishing group Bloomsbury (BMY) is a pandemic winner which has kept on winning since Covid.Lockdown saw people rediscover their love of reading, and the company has tapped into and exploited through successful marketing some popular trends in fiction which have helped drive a big increase in returns.That has meant Bloomsbury's return on capital empl

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

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

Stock prices in London were mixed at midday Wednesday, amid cautious optimism from the UK housebuilding sector, as eyes are set on upcoming US consumer price inflation data.'US inflation figures will be closely watched this afternoon, with expectations for the cost of living to have edged higher,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. 'The consensus is for the annual rate of inflation to move from 2.4%

The FTSE 100 in London opened higher on Friday, eating into some of its post-UK budget weakness, while the pound gained some lost ground.Eyes turn state side later, with US jobs data to come, before the Federal Reserve decision next week, and a presidential election on Tuesday.Closer to home, Reckitt shares jumped on a favourable US legal ruling on infant formula. Airlines struggled as oil prices

A central bank interest rate cutting cycle is well underway, the Federal Reserve having slashed US rates by 50 basis points and further cuts expected from the Bank of England following August's 25 basis point reduction. Falling rates mean lower rates on cash and bonds, so this seems like a sensible time for investors searching for long-term income and capital growth to review their portfolios.Help

London's blue chip index was in the green while its European peers were in the red, following better-than-expected consumer price index inflation data, with on-year CPI falling below the 2% target in September.The FTSE 100 index was up 46.02 points, or 0.6%, at 8,295.30. The FTSE 250 was up 95.54 points, or 0.5%, at 20,889.98, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.34 points, or 0.2%, at 735.20.The Cboe U

Stocks in London closed in the red on Thursday, following a mixed bag of economic data from the US, with inflation surprising to the upside while jobless claims came in higher than expected.The FTSE 100 index closed down 6.01 points, 0.1%, at 8,237.73. The FTSE 250 ended 114.01 points lower, 0.6%, at 20,708.37, and the AIM All-Share fell 2.13 points, 0.3%, to 734.53.The Cboe UK 100 ebbed 0.1% to 8

Like-for-like sales up 4.7%Sales up 19.2% in first halfOn schedule to open 35 sites for the yearLoungers' (LGRS:AIM) unique all-day cafe/bar restaurants format continued to outperform the wider hospitality market with like-for-like sales growing 4.7% for the 24 weeks to 6 October compared with the same period in 2023.The news was warmly received as the shares gained 4p or 1.5% to 270p, taking the

Trading ahead of forecastsHalf-year seen up on 2023Full-year profit top end of rangeFood producer Cranswick (CWK) has once again seen trading top expectations due to strong demand leading it to raise its half-year and full-year earnings guidance.The shares leapt 280p or 6% to £49.95 taking them not only to the top of the FTSE 250 leader board but to an all-time high. ONWARDS AND UPWARDSCra

Tesco's (TSCO) shares have ticked up 35% over the past year, so Britain's biggest grocer by some stretch will need to deliver good news with first half results (3 October) to sustain its upwards stock price momentum. Steered by CEO Ken Murphy, Tesco is expected to update investors on another period of robust trading with further share gains in an ultra-competitive UK & Ireland market, where arch-r

With just over a month to go until the US presidential elections, Shares takes stock of where the two candidates stand in the polls and what the implications of a Democrat or Republican victory would mean for investors.There is no question the televised debate earlier this month was negative for Donald Trump, to the extent he refused to schedule a re-match.Yet, despite his poor performance, voting

Once peerless, there's an argument that Alphabet (GOOGL:NASDAQ) is now facing its own 'Hobson's choice'. On the one hand, it is being threatened by enormous potential disruption as competitors like OpenAI and its SearchGPT chase share of its valuable search market, forcing it to throw billions of dollars at AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure to stay ahead.On the other, there's a nightmari

It's said there are only two certainties in life ? death and taxes ? and as it stands the world is steadily getting older, with not enough births or young people coming through to offset the increasing ranks of the middle-aged and old-aged.Moreover, according to the United Nations' latest World Populations Prospects study which came out earlier this year, the global population is likely to peak th

European stocks were higher on Friday morning, with mid-cap housebuilder Bellway on the rise, as data from the US on Thursday offered some relief for investors.A below-expected US nonfarm payrolls report for July on Friday last week set off a global sell-off in markets, but the weekly initial jobless claims report on Thursday provided reassurance.In the week ending August 3, the advance figure for

Sales at McDonald's (MCD:NYSE) fell for the first time in three years in the second quarter as the fast-food giant fell victim to consumers cutting back on eating out.For the three months to the end of 30 June, McDonald's reported a 1% fall in global comparable sales as diners choked at the high cost of its burgers, fries and soft drinks.In the US, same-store sales fell by 0.7% as value meals fail

First-half losses increaseKeeps full-year turnover target€150 million share buybackShares in Just Eat Takeaway.com (JET) were off to a flying start in morning trading gaining 10% from a multi-year low to £10.04 despite the food delivery business posting a slight dip in first-half sales and a bigger loss.Investors were encouraged instead by the firm sticking to its full-year turnover target a

Stocks in Europe traded higher on Wednesday morning amid a slew of corporate earnings and a rise in oil prices, after the Bank of Japan raised its main interest rate and before the Federal Reserve's decision later.The FTSE 100 index shot up 93.67 points, or 1.1%, at 8,368.08 on Wednesday morning. But the FTSE 250 rose 194.53 points, 0.9%, at 21,627.04, while the AIM All-Share added 3.72 points, 0.

Given that the American consumer is buckling under the strain of sticky inflation and high interest rates, Procter & Gamble's (PG:NYSE) organic sales growth performance and forward guidance will be closely monitored when the consumer products powerhouse posts fourth quarter earnings (30 July).Analysts will be hanging on management's every word pertaining to currency headwinds, input cost pressures

The FTSE 100 finished lower at the close on Wednesday, as tech earnings weighed on equities across the pond, despite figures showing a strong result for UK business activity in July.The FTSE 100 index closed down 13.68 points, 0.2%, at 8,153.69. The FTSE 250 ended down 140.65 points, 0.7%, at 20,950.84, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.53 points, 0.5%, at 776.64.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1%