The FTSE 100 started the week on the front foot, seemingly unfazed by President Joe Biden's decision to bow out of the re-election race, although the travel sector stalled after a Ryanair warning.The FTSE 100 index traded up 30.98 points, or 0.4%, at 8,186.70. The FTSE 250 was up 55.40 points, 0.3%, at 21,123.08, while the AIM All-Share was up just 0.29 of a point at 784.42.The Cboe UK 100 was up

European markets ended in the red on Friday, after the fallout from a global IT outage sapped risk appetite.The FTSE 100 index ended down 49.17 points, 0.6%, at 8,155.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 166.48 points, or 0.8%, at 21,067.68, and the AIM All-Share fell 3.54 points, 0.5%, at 784.13.For the week, the FTSE 100 fell 1.2%, the FTSE 250 shed 0.6% and the AIM gave back 0.3%.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

So far, China's Year of the Dragon hasn't brought investors a great deal of prosperity with the Shanghai Shenzhen CSI 300 index of Chinese shares up by less than 3% against a 15% gain for the FTSE World Index.Recent data also suggests the economy is slowing with second-quarter GDP (gross domestic product) only rising by 4.7%, its slowest pace for five quarters and well below economists' forecasts

They say a week is a long time in politics, but even a day can be a long time in the markets as we found out on Tuesday.After last week's lower-than-expected June US inflation print, traders loaded up on bets the Federal Reserve would start lowing interest rates to the point where a 25 basis point or 0.25% cut in September was fully priced-in by Friday's close.When, on Monday, Fed chair Jerome Pow

London's FTSE 100 index dropped on Monday, as poor Chinese economic data weighed on mining stocks, and shares in luxury fashion house Burberry tumbled.The FTSE 100 index ended down 69.95 points, 0.9%, at 8,182.96. The FTSE 250 closed down 13.37 points, 0.1%, at 21,189.52, and the AIM All-Share edged down 0.69 of a point, 0.1%, at 785.48.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.9% at 816.46, the Cboe UK 250 fe

Stock prices in Europe were in the red midday Monday, after markets reacted relatively calmly to the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.The FTSE 100 index in London was dragged down by Burberry, after it announced a profit warning.The FTSE 100 index was down 15.32 points, 0.2%, at 8,237.59. The FTSE 250 was down 11.00 points, 0.1%, at 21,191.89, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.72 of a point,

European stocks opened lower on Monday morning, after Donald Trump was hit in the ear in an attempted assassination attempt on Saturday in Pennsylvania.The FTSE 100 index opened down 40.49 points, 0.5%, at 8,212.42. The FTSE 250 was down 88.87 points, 0.4%, at 21,114.02, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.71 points, 0.2%, at 784.46.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.5% at 819.66, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.

Markets in Europe showed signs of recovery on Wednesday at around midday, with investors pleased that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell kept hopes of a rate cut for this year alive.Speaking in Congress, Powell told lawmakers on the Senate Banking Committee that the most recent readings 'have shown some modest further progress' since the first quarter of the year.Investors are now looking ahead t

London's blue chip index outperformed its European counterparts on Wednesday morning, as investors eagerly await another testimony from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.The FTSE 100 index opened up 16.62 points, 0.2%, at 8,156.43. The FTSE 250 was up 50.64 points, 0.3%, at 20,695.66, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.15 points, 0.2%, at 773.09.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 813.09, the Cboe UK 250

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE James Thom, Investment Manager, abrdn New India Investment Trust plcAn unexpected election result saw Modi's BJP lose its majority.The result has created volatility but is unlikely to derail the economic growth trajectory in India.India still has a significant pathway of growth.Indian stock markets have regained some equilibrium after the shock of the General Electi

Stocks in London closed a mixed bag on Monday, as elections took top billing in a data-heavy day for Europe and the US.The FTSE 100 index ended up slightly at 8,166.76. The FTSE 250 fell 63.95 points, 0.3%, at 20,222.08, while the AIM All-Share climbed 0.80 points, 0.1%, to 765.18.The Cboe UK 100 rose marginally to 813.97, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.2% to 17,654.04, and the Cboe Small Companies closed

Some end of quarter nerves meant the FTSE 100 returned solid gains by the closing bell on Friday, despite a cooler US inflation reading spurring on stocks in New York.The FTSE 100 index ended 15.56 points lower, 0.2%, at 8,164.12. The FTSE 250 fell 45.77 points, 0.2%, at 20,286.03, while the AIM All-Share fell just 0.09 to 764.38.For the week, the FTSE 100 lost 0.9%, the FTSE 250 fell 0.8% and the

Blue chips were in demand at midday on Friday, ahead of a US inflation print later in the session, which is expected to show a softening of the core personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge.The FTSE 100 index traded 46.01 points higher, 0.6%, at 8,225.69. The FTSE 250 rose 50.55 points, 0.3%, at 20,382.352, while the AIM All-Share climbed 1.52 points, 0.2%, at 765.99.The Cboe UK 100 rose

London's FTSE 100 made a decent start to the final trading day of the quarter, and cooler-than-expected US data could offer it impetus for further gains.The blue-chip benchmark in Paris struggled, however, as pre-election nerves kicked in.The US data is released at 1330 BST. The core personal consumption expenditures inflation gauge is expected to have faded to 2.6% in May, from 2.8% in April, acc

With investors biding time until Friday's US Federal Reserve preferred inflation gauge, shares in London mostly fell on Thursday.Thursday also marks a week until the UK heads to the polls. Two opinion polls published in the past 24 hours see Labour taking the lead, with Conservatives taking second place and Reform coming in third.Amongst individual stocks, DS Smith shot up, but failed to take the

For all of its current challenges, China's economy is still the second largest in the world, trailing that of only America. According to data from the International Monetary Fund, Chinese GDP had from $1.2 trillion in 2000 to almost $18 trillion in 2023 (and thus as big as Germany, Japan, India, the UK and Brazil combined). That is a compound annual growth rate of 12.4%.Yet for all of this phenome

Stock prices in London closed lower on Wednesday, as European markets brace themselves for political instability in the run-up to UK and French elections.The CAC 40 in Paris took the biggest hit on Wednesday, ahead of the snap election in France on Sunday.The FTSE 100 index closed down 22.46 points, 0.3%, at 8,225.33. The FTSE 250 ended down 65.33 points, 0.3%, at 20,298.10, and the AIM All-Share

European markets reacted badly to president Emmanuel Macron's call for a snap French election after far-right parties made major gains in the European elections held over the weekend.Macron's decision on Sunday to suspend parliament and force an election next month was triggered by the far-right RN (Rassemblement National) securing 31.4% of the vote in the European parliament vote compared with 14

A disappointing economic performance as it exited zero-Covid policies, a property crash in 2023 and ongoing geopolitical tensions with the US over Taiwan have caused some investors to lose faith in investing in China in the last couple of years.In terms of ETFs, this has meant investors turning their attention to emerging market funds which specifically exclude the world's second-largest economy f

THIS IS AN ADVERTISING FEATURE Imran Sattar, Portfolio Manager of Edinburgh Investment TrustWe like to diversify the Edinburgh Investment Trust within the 40 to 50 holdings in the portfolio by both companies and economic exposure. The portfolio currently is well diversified across stocks and sectors with a range of different economic characteristics.The most significant positions in the portfoli