Back in February, business information and data analytics firm Relx (REL) reported a strong set of full-year results and investors will be hoping for more of the same when it posts its first-quarter earnings on 24 April. The shares are up 12% over the past year, hitting a 52-week high of £42.05 on 13 February, and have fared relatively well during the recent bout of global stock market...

London's blue chip index was up milder than its peers in Paris and Frankfurt at Monday midday, as UK service sector growth for December was softer than anticipated.As well as Monday's composite and services PMI readings, the first full trading week of 2025 has various jobs data releases from the US culminating in Friday's nonfarm payrolls.More than half of UK companies plan to raise prices by...

Fourth year of underperformanceConsumer brand exposure reducedTrain optimistic for better future returnsVeteran fund manager Nick Train, manager of the well-followed Finsbury Growth & Income Trust (FGT), insisted he is more enthused by the company's prospects than at 'any time this century', despite the company reporting a fourth consecutive year of underperformance versus the...

Warren Buffett is often thought of as a value investor, yet what he actually looks for is companies with 'economic moats' or a sustainable competitive advantage over their competitors.'When you have a wonderful business, it's like having an economic castle, but the nature of capitalism is people want to come in and take your castle, so what you need is a castle with some durable competitive...

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...

European share prices started lower on Tuesday, after a positive close in New York led into a mixed performance for Asian stock markets.On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.5% on Monday, the S&P 500 up 0.3%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.4%.Positive bank earnings gave the market a boost, and US investors also took confidence from a further indication from the US Federal...

A feature of the recent recovery in stock markets has been the leadership role played by large-caps. This represents a reversal of a longer-term trend, particularly in the UK, of medium-sized businesses setting the pace.As the charts show, year-to-date the FTSE 250 has lagged behind the FTSE 100 while in the US the Russell 2000 (made up of the 2000 smallest companies in the broad-based Russell...

Experian and Imperial Brands pushed the FTSE 100 to an all-time high on Wednesday morning, with London stocks up at midday ahead of this afternoon?s US consumer price reading.The FTSE 100 index was up 21.63 points, 0.3%, at 8,449.76. The FTSE 100 hit a new record of 8,474.41 earlier.The FTSE 250 was up 86.51 points, 0.4%, at 20,705.03, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.28 of a point at 790.01.The...

Full year tops expectations2025 organic growth of 6% to 8% on expanded marginDividend increased by 7%Global data services specialist Experian (EXPN) notched-up a new high and led the FTSE gainers after revealing full year revenue growth at the top end of expectations and a strong outlook.The shares jumped 7% to £37.75 taking gains over the last 12-months to 35%, handsomely outperforming the...

This feature explores spin-offs or de-mergers, looking at the rationale for them and how they have performed, and asks if they can be a promising hunting ground for investors.One of the UK?s largest recent spin-offs was GSK?s (GSK) demerger of its consumer healthcare division in 2022.GSK reportedly rebuffed a £50 billion offer from personal goods giant Unilever (ULVR) to buy the division,...

By his own admission, Nick Train, manager of Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT), isn?t one for nostalgia, whether that is reflecting on past glories or the ?melancholy fact? as he puts it that the popular investment trust has underperformed the FTSE All-Share index for the last three years.Moving into 2024, the trust has again lagged the benchmark with a share price return of -1.9% in January...

Shares in global data services specialist Experian (EXPN) are on a roll after the firm reported another strong set of results lifted by strong global demand.In November, the group reported a 5% increase in revenue on an organic basis to $3.42 billion for the six months ending 30 September 2023 driven by demand at both its B2B (business-to-business) and consumer divisions.It also announced its...

Experian COO sells over £7 million worth of sharesYouGov directors? cash in on robust performanceChemring CEO sells just over 192,000 sharesAfter a 33% rally since the end of October 2023, is Experian?s (EXPN) chief operating officer (COO) Craig Boundy simply skimming some profit from his stake, or is this something more meaningful?The executive of the global data company sold 226,166 shares...

Third quarter revenue growth ?top end?2024 organic revenue guidance increasedLatin America the standout performerGlobal information services group Experian (EXPN) delivered solid third-quarter revenue growth of 9%, towards the top end of its forecast range.On an organic basis in constant currencies, revenue was 6% higher compared with a year ago. Investors welcomed the positive update, sending...

London?s FTSE 100 extended its win streak to three days on Wednesday, on the back of more favourable inflation data, this time from the UK, possibly bringing forward the tantalising prospect of interest rate cuts.Gains for stocks in London were largely broad-based. Interest rate sensitive sectors such as housebuilding property investment shone. Banks, whose net interest margins were once the...

London?s FTSE 100, which only registered a more underwhelming gain compared to continental peers after a US inflation slowdown on Tuesday, was back in form on Wednesday after similarly favourable data from the UK.Retail and property led the way, as an easing of inflation pressure in the UK has lifted hopes that the Bank of England has enacted its last rate hike and will not need to keep bank...

48% rise in pre-tax profitShares gain over 5% The future is bright says analystShares in global data services specialist Experian (EXPN) were up more than 5% this morning to £28.23, making them the biggest gainers on the blue-chip FTSE 100 index, after the company said its first-half performance was in line with guidance. The information services group reported a 5% increase in revenue...

If there is one thing investors can agree on, it is that the UK stock market is cheap.How cheap depends on who you ask, but the strategy team at Morgan Stanley believe the FTSE 100 is trading at a 35% discount to the MSCI World Index on a PE (price to earnings) basis.If inflation pressures continue to ease and the economy shows further signs of cooling, there is a fair chance the Bank of...

S4 Capital chief operating officer offloads nearly £3 million sharesExperian directors go on a spending spreeWood Group director buys after share price fallThe chief operating officer (COO) of London-based digital advertising agency S4 Capital (SFOR) has offloaded nearly £3 million worth of shares in the company. Christopher Martin sold 2,087,984 shares at 134p for a total value of £2.8...

Shares fall to lowest since March on cautious outlookModest margin accretion expectedSecond interim dividend up 6%Global data services specialist Experian (EXPN) was one of the biggest losers in the FTSE 100 on Wednesday, falling 5% to £26.18 after reporting lower than expected full year organic revenue growth and cautious 2024 guidance.The shares have lost nearly 20% since February on...