Stock prices in London were lower at midday Tuesday, after data showed the UK unemployment rate fell unexpectedly, and ahead of a key inflationary print from the US in the afternoon.The FTSE 100 index was down 20.74 points, or 0.3%, at 8,189.67. The FTSE 250 was down 1.46 points at 20,675.73, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.68 points, or 0.1%, at 766.31.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 817.33, th

A warning by JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon that the US is headed for recession added to rising pile of reasons to sell shares on Tuesday, while closer to home, the Bank of England was forced to widen its intervention in a volatile UK government bond market.The FTSE 100 index was down 67.05 points, or 1.0%, to 6,892.26 midday Tuesday. The FTSE 250 lost 159.05 points, or 0.9%, to 16,966.24 and the AIM A

Online musical instruments and equipment retailer Gear4music (G4M:AIM) drummed up a forecast-beating 154% jump in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to £19.8 million for the year to March 2021 thanks to margin and efficiency improvements and 'exceptional' demand during lockdown.While the York-headquartered firm still sees profitability below last year's record l

One theme which continues to exercise financial markets is whether inflation is primed to make a comeback and - if so - what this could mean for asset allocation and portfolio strategies.The five-year forward inflation expectation in the US now stands at 2.11%, its highest level since December 2018, and financial markets are beginning to react: bond yields are ticking higher, bitcoin is going bana

Despite the UK lurching back into an economically destructive lockdown, London's FTSE 100 clawed back earlier losses to close 0.61% higher at 6,612.25 points on Tuesday.The blue chip benchmark's resilience reflected hopes for a swift vaccine rollout as well as a boost to sentiment from chancellor Rishi Sunak's £4.6 billion relief package for the UK retail and hospitality sectors.Shares in Royal D

This month marks two decades since the introduction of the euro, when 12 European nations cast aside their own currencies to unite under a single coin.As the euro launched in 1999, investors saw spreads between core nations such as Germany and France tighten with those of peripheral members such as Greece and Portugal.Ian Ormiston, manager of the Merian Europe ex UK Smaller Companies (BRTNQ88) fun

Shares in Eden Research (EDEN:AIM) ripen 4.2% to 12.5p at the open as the breakthrough biopesticides play announces new distribution agreements with commercial partner Sipcam, an Italian multinational specialising in making and marketing agrochemicals.Covering additional territories, these new agreements demonstrate further fruitful progress with Eden's first product, Mevalone, and importantly, on

The sustainability debate has long since leapt out of the activist tree-hugging camp and onto the political agenda. Investors now face choices that go far beyond the simplistic 'don't buy guns and cigarette firms'. Sustainability is now in the mainstream.This investing philosophy has attracted some big names in recent years, such as the launch last year by Bill and Melinda Gates of a $2bn green en

Under-the-radar Eden Research (EDEN:AIM), whose backers include Livingbridge UK Micro Cap Fund (GB00BV9FYS80) and Artemis Alpha Trust (ATS), looks an attractive proposition.A provider of breakthrough 'natural microencapsulation technologies' and agrochemicals, the AIM company is shifting from a development to a lucrative commercialisation phase, with strong growth set to continue in 2018 driven by

'Most investors' results will be determined more by how many losers they have, and how bad they are, than by the greatness of their winners.'Readers would do well to heed the wise words of the legendary Howard Marks, co-chairman of US-based Oaktree Capital Management.Indeed, the recent global equity markets sell-off has served to remind investors that equities can go down as well as up.Analysing t

Disruption is everywhere. Changes to established industries and employment dynamics are shaking to their foundations almost every aspect of life.Customers are constantly looking for cheaper, faster and better services, and providers like Amazon, Netflix, WhatsApp, Uber, Airbnb, and many others, are among the companies with a solution.The transition is happening in so many places; from transport to

We believe large pharmaceutical stocks are starting to look interesting again. Evolving drug pipelines, the approval of new treatments and greater confidence in future earnings growth all suggest investors should take another look at the sector.We're coming out of a tough few years for drug companies, rocked by political intervention with price cap threats and many firms losing patent protection o

The election of president Trump may have been a setback for environmentalists and those keen on good corporate governance, but these sorts of social issues are not going to go away and for a company to succeed it has to be able to navigate them.Those that fail to do so can suffer enormous harm, with recent examples including the reputational damage done to Sports Direct (SPD) following revelations

The US presidential election on 8 November 2016 matters to UK investors. It could have a significant impact on the value of stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities.Economic strength - as influenced by the president's policies - will also drive interest rates in the US. They are, in turn, highly influential on interest rates elsewhere in the world.We believe a Trump victory would trigger a short-

EdenTree fund manager Philip Harris hailed ITV (ITV) as a classic 'growth compounder' after half-year results published today prompted a near-10% share price surge at the broadcaster.Shares in ITV are among the biggest movers in London, up 9.4% at 202p, as investors cheered strong interim results and fast management action to deal with the implications of the UK's vote to leave the EU.ITV is looki

Investors must be hoping they'll soon wake up from the nightmare that is Snoozebox (ZZZ:AIM), the portable accommodation provider that offered so much hope yet has completely failed to deliver.Shares in the £4.8 million cap crash 31% to 1.1p on news its chief executive Lorcán Ó Murchú has resigned. Three years ago the stock traded at 73p.The board has been conducting a review

Income drawdown is becoming an increasingly popular option for people entering retirement and who want to take control of their savings and choose how they're invested. Deciding how much income to take and where to invest your money is a complex task that requires a lot of careful planning.What is income drawdown?Income drawdown is a flexible way of taking money out of your pension to live on in r

Niche drug-maker Shire (SHP) recovers 5.1% to £41.27 after Monday?s 8.2% drop on confirmation it is splashing out £22.2 billion in cash and shares to buy US outfit Baxalta (BXLT:NYSE).The $45.57 a share agreement is a 37.5% premium to Baxalta?s share price on the day before the initial offer was made on 4 August.Although the deal strengthens the FTSE 100 member?s position in the rare disease sec

UK shares barely budge in early trade on Tuesday, failing to make up much of yesterday's lower close, with a string of firming oil and mining, financials and property stocks. This after a mixed Wall Street and Asia overnight, as Europe ekes out mild gains.The benchmark FTSE 100 index nudges barely a point higher 6,035, although investors may turn more positive through the session as they digest hi

UK shares extend gains made on Tuesday in early deals Wednesday, with midcaps rallying to heights not seen since August, and blue-chips risers led by a string of pharma stocks. Wall Street was up overnight, while Asia was mixed, but most of the main European markets follow Lodon's lead higher.The FTSE 100 index rises around 20 points, or 0.3%, higher to 6,416, while the FTSE 250 index makes a 64 p