A de facto invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces has ramped up market volatility and sent oil prices to the cusp of $100 per barrel and safe-haven gold to within touching distance of $1,900 an ounce, at the time of writing (22 Feb).Hopes of a de-escalation are looking increasing forlorn as Vladimir Putin orders troops into Ukrainian regions held by separatist rebels which have been backed by...

In quiet trading ahead of new year, UK shares inched into positive territory and looked likely to finish 2021 on a high note with the FTSE 100 booking mid double- digit gains for the year.Investors will be watching for further signs of economic strength in the US when weekly jobless data is released later today, setting the tone for increased tightening of US monetary policy.At midday the FTSE...

Corporate news was thin on the ground on Thursday as UK shares moved in a narrow range in thin trading.In the US the benchmark S&P 500 index and the Dow Jones Industrials closed at record highs as Omicron fears abated despite rising infections.In Asia, trading was mixed with China's SE Composite gaining 0.6% while Japan's Nikkei 225 index was down 0.4%.Shares in Chinese real estate developer...

There aren't too many firms which have delivered a 10-fold increase in first-half revenues to €72.4 million and a 13-fold increase in gross profits to €60.3 million in 2020, all from organic sources. This makes diagnostics firm Novacyt (NCYT:AIM) pretty unique.But the excitement has arguably only just begun with the latest contract win (29 Sep) to supply the Department for Health and...

UK biotechnology shares have provided some of the best returns in the market over the last six months, driven by a plethora of regulatory news about new products aimed at tackling coronavirus.Shareholders are rightly asking whether the strong share price performances have gone too far in relation to the fundamentals, or maybe in some cases have further to run. We will now talk through the...

The coronavirus outbreak is providing a 'boon' for tiny, dual-listed Paris based firm Novacyt (NCYT:AIM) which has developed a novel test for the virus.The shares, up a staggering 220% since 29 January, added another 18% today to 48p, as it updated the market on current developments.CE-MARK AND FDA APPROVALSince launch on 31 January, the company has received orders for 33,000 tests and...

London shares remains under pressure in early trade on Tuesday as investor continue to fret over concerns in China, where the central bank of the world's second largest economy slashed the renminbi overnight to try to bolster a slowing economy. The People's Bank of China cut the daily fixed rate to the dollar by 1.9% to 6,228, the most on record.In the UK the benchmark FTSE 100 index dips...

UK stocks open on Wednesday showing decent gains for the blue-chips and wider market but midcaps drag on a mixture of corporate news. The FTSE 100rallies around 35 points, or 0.5%, to 6,868 early on, rising for the fifth consecutive session. The index has not closed above this mark since 4 June. But the FTSE 250 fades, drifting a modest 0.1% to 17,978.Supermarket stocks lead the Footsie...

Early gains on London markets fade fast as shares hit the skids in morning trade on Wednesday, pulling the rug from under record highs for UK blue-chips as Tesco's (TSCO) record losses drag. The FTSE 100, which touched a high of 7,092.34 early on, falls 40-odd points, or 0.6%, to 7,021, with midcaps sliding similarly to 17,632.Yet shares in the UK's grocery titan Tesco actually rise 2.65p...