London's FTSE 100 started 2025 strong, boosted by retailers on Christmas cheer and gains in miners, despite weak manufacturing data and a falling pound.The FTSE 100 index ended up 87.07 points, 1.1%, at 8,260.09. The FTSE 250 rose 17.62 points, 0.1%, at 20,640.23. The AIM All-Share jumped 4.07 points, 0.6%, at 723.70.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 1.1% at 827.66, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.2% at 18,028.35,

London's FTSE 100 was in the green at midday on Thursday, as climbing oil and gold prices offset declines for banking and airline firms on the first day of trading in 2025.The FTSE 100 index traded up 9.94 points, 0.1%, at 8,182.96. The FTSE 250 was down 78.07 points, 0.4%, at 20,544.54, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.45 points, 0.3%, at 722.08.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 820.39, the Cboe UK 25

Confidential settlement reachedChrysalis gets 'non-material sum'FCA investigation still ongoingShares in Revolution Beauty (REVB:AIM) soared 16% to 16p after the unloved cosmetics company agreed a settlement with disgruntled former shareholder Chrysalis Investments (CHRY).Investment trust Chrysalis had previously threatened legal action against Revolution Beauty, alleging the makeup-to-skincare pr

London's FTSE 100 made a solid start to 2025, shaking off underwhelming trade in Asia.The FTSE 100 index opened up 17.71 points, 0.2%, at 8,190.73. The FTSE 250 was up just 9.30 points, at 20,631.91, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.11 points, 0.3%, at 721.74.The FTSE 100 added 5.7% over the course of last year.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 821.34, the Cboe UK 250 was 0.1% higher at 18,078.53, and

Wealth managers least likedBank of Georgia gets full houseReal estate popular among analystsHumans generally feel more comfortable in groups which partly explains why stock prices often move in broad trends: knowing other investors and analysts have come to the same conclusion about a company breeds confidence in the investment case, whether or not it turns out to be correct.A rarer breed of inves

London stocks traded mixed on Friday, while market participants digested US jobless claims data suggesting resilience in the American economy and kept one eye on data releases due out in the afternoon.The FTSE 100 index was marginally higher, by 0.040 points, at 8,137.03. The FTSE 250 was down 70.18 points, 0.3%, at 20,501.33, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.22 points at 717.18.The Cboe UK 100 wa

Stocks in London opened in the red on Monday amid unwelcome domestic GDP and consumer sentiment releases, and in good news for Direct Line Insurance as Aviva finalises its cash offer.British shoppers expect a 'January spending squeeze' according to the British Retail Consortium.The personal financial situation index remained in negative territory, though steady, at minus 3 points. However, the ind

Ocado still the number one shortRetailers in general unlovedEnergy services stocks drilledShort-selling, or borrowing shares to sell in the hope of buying them back at a lower price, is not something most retail investors have the nerve or the skill-set to pull off as it requires a certain mindset and a willingness to tolerate heavy losses on occasion until your bets come right.For the pros, howev

Stocks in London opened in the red on Friday morning, ahead of the US personal consumption expenditures release and Frasers founder Mike Ashley making a bid for boohoo leadership.UK retail sales volumes rose by 0.2% month-on-month in November, the Office for National Statistics said, improving from a 0.7% fall in October but falling short of the FXStreet-cited market consensus of 0.5% growth. On a

Analysts expect £78.5 billion in payouts£56.5 billion of buybacks this yearFTSE 100 up over 7% in 2024The latest AJ Bell Dividend Dashboard report shows FTSE 100 constituents are on course to pay £78.5 billion in ordinary dividends this year.That figure is almost flat on 2023 and well below the all-time high of £85.2 billion recorded in 2018, although analysts are penciling in a 6.5% increase

Next year should prove a sweet one for Treatt (TET) and its shareholders. The extracts-to-ingredients supplier has the recipe for long-term growth and many of the hallmarks of a high-quality company including an unwavering focus on innovation, strong cash generation and double-digit returns on both equity and capital employed.Well-placed to profit as its end-markets recover from an unhelpful spell

The last 10 years have been pretty rough for UK stocks but there could be some signs of life emerging as we head towards 2025.Brexit, Covid and other political and economic shocks as well as a tilt towards 'old economy' stocks and a minimal footprint in technology have combined to undermine the relevance and appeal of the UK market.The resulting underperformance has led to people consistently poin

Premium mixer drinks company Fevertree Drinks (FEVR:AIM) has had a torrid time of late with the shares down 38% from the highs in the spring of 2024 and down two-thirds from the all-time high in December 2021.On a longer-term basis, the shares are still up 440% since listing on the AIM market in 2014, equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 15% a year.Recent poor performance is down to a dr

In the first part of a three-part series featuring opinions and ideas from some of the UK's leading fund managers, we asked which stocks have surprised them the most over the course of the 2024 and why.While it was hard to avoid the influence of AI (artificial intelligence) on portfolios, the breadth of responses was surprising and goes to show how skilled stock-pickers can turn up gems in parts o

European stocks were mixed at midday on Tuesday, as new UK unemployment data was unchanged signalling weak job creation.Investors will be eagerly anticipating the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England rate calls this week. The Fed appears very likely to announce its latest cut, while the BoE is expected to keep rates unchanged.The UK Office for National Statistics reported that unemployment in th

Stock prices in London closed lower on Monday, as Canal+ shares slumped on their first day of London trading and Entain fell as it faces an Australian investigation.The FTSE 100 index closed down 38.28 points, 0.5%, at 8,262.05. The FTSE 250 ended 76.12 points lower, 0.4%, at 20,813.03, and the AIM All-Share gave back 3.87 points, 0.5%, at 729.49.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 828.87, the Cboe

European stocks were down at midday in London, as new economic data from China showed continued sluggish domestic consumption.China's retail sales growth weakened last month, official data showed on Monday, missing forecasts as demand remains muted in the world's number two economy. Retail sales expanded 3% year-on-year in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from a 4.8% rise

Second-quarter results (19 December) from Nike [NKE:NYSE) will give Wall Street analysts a first opportunity to hear from new CEO Elliott Hill, tasked with turning round the world's biggest sportswear company's fortunes.Shares in the struggling sneakers-to-soccer balls titan, which recently withdrew full year 2025 guidance amidst a major restructuring, have shed a third of their value in the past

It's ingrained in us as investors that the best way to get superior, risk-adjusted long-term returns is to distance ourselves from the crowd and seek out value.That approach has always needed courage and patience, and 2024 has proved to be a particularly fierce test of this discipline for the simple reason that what worked last year worked well again this year.It did so because the consensus macro

Softer than expected Q3Gross margins to remain stableGrowth slows ahead of ChristmasSpanish clothing retailer Inditex (ITX:BME) has transformed itself from a humble textile maker into a global fashion titan with a reputation for being on-trend and quick to market and can usually be relied upon to meet or beat forecasts.But the Madrid-listed shares were under pressure on 11 December, falling 5% to