A mixed close for London equities on Monday highlighted increasing concerns about the UK economy, with businesses bracing for a sharp slowdown and consumer confidence sliding further.The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.11 points, 0.2%, at 8,102.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 31.60 points, 0.2%, at 20,419.09, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.84 points, 0.3%, at 712.44.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 812

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

UK water firms had their gains pulled back by Friday's close following yesterday's Ofwat induced bump, as Trump threatened the EU with tariff's if it failed to address its trading deficit.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,092.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 31.24 points, 0.2%, at 20,430.62, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.1, or 0.73 of a point, at 711.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

Next-generation drug falls shortOver £70 billion wiped off market valueRace is on for launch of oral drugDanish diabetes and obesity drug specialist Novo Nordisk (NOVO-B:CPH) gave investors a nasty surprise on Friday (20 Dec) after revealing its next generation obesity treatment CagriSema fell short of inducing significantly more weight loss than rival Mounjaro made by Eli Lilly (LLY:NYSE), sendi

UK stocks were down at midday in London on Friday as concerns about the state of the economy persisted off the back of sluggish retail sales figures.In Europe, pharmaceuticals heavyweight Novo Nordisk plummeted 18% in Copenhagen after disappointing data for its weight loss drug CagriSema.The product is seen as a rival to Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound obesity treatments. In premarket trading in

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

Specialist business services firm FRP Advisory (FRP:AIM) is one of those businesses which many investors may have heard of but few are sure exactly what it does.Put simply, FRP helps companies through each stage of their development, giving advice on raising capital, managing debt, acquisitions, corporate finance and forensic accounting. It is probably best-known for 'crisis management' where it h

I am 67 and currently have a SIPP worth approximately £500,000. Because the favourable IHT regime is now ending I am now considering whether to reduce the amount in my SIPP and look at alternatives.My understanding is that I can take 25% tax free from my SIPP at any point and then the remaining pot is taxed on withdrawal at marginal rates. We do not need the cash immediately as we have other reso

Few doubt that 2025 will be another huge year for AI, but when looking for interesting investment opportunities, investors can sometimes allow details to obscure the bigger picture. In our view, Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ) remains an outstanding growth business with strong AI levers to pull, currently trading a large discount to other 'Magnificent Seven' stocks.This valuation gap will, we believe, narr

Anyone who has walked past a building site in the UK recently might well have seen Kier (KIE) branding on it. This infrastructure and construction services outfit is actively at work on more than 400 developments across the UK. Having emerged from a difficult period with much stronger foundations, this improvement is not yet reflected in its current valuation, but we think that will change through

Alcoholic drinks outfit Diageo (DGE) has endured a rough period of late, partly thanks to problems of its own making. We think that has put the valuation in a place where, if there are signs the business is getting its act together, the shares can deliver significant upside for investors in 2025.Unless there is evidence of improved performance soon then activist investors could be tempted to join

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

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

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) value credentials continue to shine through. According to fund manager Anna Farmbrough at Ninety One the company has doubled its average price advantage over competitors to 40% since the pandemic.Farmbrough notes that a few years ago there were three pubs in her local area while today there is just a single Wetherspoons, demonstrating its ability to benefit as con

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

Firm cites 'very challenging' tradingUnviable stores set to closeDiscounter to pass final dividendStruggling footwear retailer Shoe Zone (SHOE:AIM) has halved its current-year profit guidance and plans to pass the final dividend for the year ended 28 September 2024 after experiencing 'very challenging trading conditions' since the Budget.Combined with increased costs also stemming from the Budget,

Saba's investment totals £1.5 billionSix of the seven trusts underperformedCompany proposes sacking directorsThe normally-sleepy world of investment trusts received a wake-up call this morning with the publication of a shareholder letter by activist investor Saba Capital Management calling for change at no fewer than seven well-known funds.The firm, which has a history of successfully instigating

Stocks in London were in the green on Wednesday morning, as investors prepare for eurozone inflation data and the US interest rate decision this afternoon.UK consumer price inflation and producer price inflation data came out before the London open.According to the Office for National Statistics, the consumer prices index rose by 2.6% in the 12 months to November, picking up pace on-month from a 2