UK equities suffered on US exposure as they closed lower on Thursday amid the Bank of England holding interest rates, but warning of 'heightened uncertainty'.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pleaded for patience over his drive to improve living standards, warning it 'will take some time' for people to feel the benefits.Starmer hopes changes to planning rules, reforms to regulations and the use of te

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

Stock prices in Europe were in the green on Thursday morning, in anticipation of an interest rate cut by the European Central Bank.Meanwhile, the Swiss National Bank enacted a chunkier than expected rate cut on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index traded up 15.34 points, 0.2%, at 8,316.96. The FTSE 250 was down just 5.35 points at 20,968.10, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.16 points, 0.3%, at 739.70.The Cbo

The UK stock market has performed robustly over the past year, with several companies standing out significantly. In this article, we will examine the top-performing large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks of 2024, dissected across four different market valuation categories.£5 BILLION+ MARKET CAPAfter a stellar 2023, aeronautical engineer Rolls-Royce (RR.) has once again rallied hard during 2024

Some of the most successful businesses of our time (and all time in fairness) are effective monopolies (or perhaps part of a duopoly or triopoly) with such dominant market positions they are able to enjoy significant pricing power and generate above-average margins and returns on investment.This type of situation can be overturned in two main ways: either competition emerges, attracted by the retu

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

As part of AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign which is focused on helping all women feel empowered to live their best financial lives, we're putting together a series of articles breaking down some of the particular considerations depending on your age.This article is all about your 40s, a decade when people are often considered as entering their peak earning period but also a decade which for many

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

London stocks opened mostly lower on Friday as house prices reach a record high, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer sets out his plan to improve UK growth.Starmer made living standards a key target as he outlined his 'next phase' on Thursday, saying he wanted to see real household disposable income rise by the next election.But in an interview with BBC Breakfast, Starmer said: 'I want people to fee

In next week's Shares, we face the unenviable task of getting out our crystal ball and attempting to work out what will happen with the markets in 2025.This time last year we were doing the same for 2024 and our resulting hit rate is reasonable looking back.We definitely got some things spot on. We flagged a wave of consolidation in the investment trusts space which has certainly materialised and

European equities were higher heading into Tuesday afternoon, boosted by hope that China's top leaders will meet to set out lofty economic aims and discuss stimulus measures for next year. The FTSE 100 index rose 58.76 points, 0.7%, at 8,371.65. The FTSE 250 added 125.89 points, 0.6%, at 20,894.94, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.10 points, 0.3%, at 735.14.The Cboe UK 100 added 0.8% at 840.75, the Cb

Indices in London ended the session in the green on a mixed day for retailers on Black Friday as US equities pushed higher in a shortened trading session.The FTSE 100 index rose 6.08 points, 0.1%, at 8,287.30. The FTSE 250 climbed 8.79 points, at 20,771.57, and the AIM All-Share firmed 1.58 points, 0.2%, at 732.49.For the week, the FTSE 100 rose 0.3%, the FTSE 250 advanced 0.9% and the AIM All-Sha

When you purchase shares, you are not just buying numbers on a screen - you are becoming a part-owner of a business. It's important to remember this fact because, as a part-owner, you have a say in how the business is run and the ability to vote at annual general meetings (AGMs) and extraordinary general meetings (EGMs).AGMs provide a platform for shareholders to engage with the company's manageme

Indices in London closed higher on Monday as the market reacted favourably to President-elect Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the US Treasury, although oil majors suffered amid falling brent prices.AJ Bell's Russ Mould said Bessent is perceived as being a relatively 'conventional and safe pair of hands candidate'.'Importantly, Bessent is seen as being less aggressive on tariffs than some o

Stock prices in Europe opened in the green on Monday as Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, a 'clear nod' to New York equity markets.Bookending the FTSE 100, meanwhile, were two retail names. JD Sports added 3.5%, recovering after slumped 16% on Thursday and losing another 2.1% on Friday. B&Q owner Kingfisher plunged 11% after trimming the top en

After a post-election lull, US stock markets got back to winning ways this week with broad gains, led by the small cap Russell 2000 index and the technology heavy Nasdaq leading the charge.Weekly jobless claims fell 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 213,000, a new six-month low, suggesting a bounce in jobs growth in November from a hurricane and strike impacted October.US existing home sales also reb

Texas-headquartered Dell Technologies (DELL:NYSE) stock has been making strides since the end of the summer and investors will be anticipating a strong end to 2024 as its AI servers business ramps up activity. Next week's quarterly earnings are a potential test of this confidence.Dell is already a key manufacturer in tech infrastructure and that edge is being sharpened by strong demand for next ge

AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign aims to help more women feel good investing. As part of the campaign, we've been pulling together a series of articles considering the particular issues you might be thinking about as you reach different milestones.This article looks at some of the specific issues that you might be thinking about in your sixth decade, and this is one that particularly resonates wit

Three tried and tested market principles were reinforced by the latest update from beleaguered energy services firm Wood Group (WG.).I have followed this business for nearly two decades and it's hard to remember a time when it was in a worse state than it is today.That's backed up by the share price which traded at all-time lows below 50p in response to the company's devastating missive on 7 Novem

Stock jumps 19% close to all-time highUnveils £400 million share buyback planOperating margins jump 500 basis pointsThe accounting software space isn't very exciting and is savagely competitive so the promise of improving profitability from Sage Group (SGE) has understandably got investors fired up. Shares in the business jumped 19%, their biggest one-day rally in eons.The software supplier to sm