Haleon (HLN) 390.9p Market cap: £35.6 billion Geopolitical turbulence and Donald Trump's tariffs mean uncertainties abound for investors, with the outlook for global markets and economies likely to remain unclear for some time to come. Given this backdrop, savvy portfolio builders should increase their exposure to high-quality, cash-generative large-caps whose earnings have a defensive bent....

London's blue chip index closed down again on Friday as Trump threatened a 50% tariff on the EU, accusing the bloc of being 'difficult', but noted that his deal with the UK is progressing well. Also, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'Our negotiated deal with the UK is working out well...I strongly recommend to them, however, that in order to get their Energy Costs down, they stop with...

As tariff fears ease elsewhere, the pharmaceutical sector now finds itself in the crosshairs thanks to an executive order trailed by president Donald Trump on 11 May. The administration apparently mandated a reduction in prescription drug prices of between a third and 80% to give the US 'most favoured nation' pricing. This put global pharma stocks on the back foot, although the vagueness of...

According to the latest Dividend Monitor report from Computershare, which looks after the share registers of 900 companies, total UK corporate dividend payments fell 4.6% or £700 million in the first quarter of this year to £14 billion. The decline was mainly due to lower one-off special dividends and a handful of large cuts from firms such as Burberry (BRBY) and Vodafone (VOD), which halved...

Pharma stocks fall on Trump drug price pledge Measures could cost NHS billions Markets rally on US-China truce On a day when 'risk-on' returned with a vengeance following a 90-day truce on tariffs between the US and China, the usually defensive healthcare sector was already on the back foot. The sector was further whacked by president Trump's proposed executive order on Sunday (11 May) to...

Stock prices in Europe were in the doldrums on Wednesday afternoon, as investors await the next US Federal Reserve decision. The FTSE 100 index traded down 25.85 points, 0.3%, at 8,571.57. It came into Wednesday on a 16-day winning streak, which is under threat of being snapped. The FTSE 250 lost 31.01 points, 0.2%, at 20,321.48, and the AIM All-Share is up 2.21 points, 0.3% at 712.55. The...

Pharmaceutical outfit GSK (GSK) delivered a string of positive trading updates in 2024 and ended the year raising sales guidance for 2025 and nudging up its 2031 sales target to more than £40 billion as well as announcing a £2 billion share buyback, its first in over a decade. At the full year results on 5 February the company said it expects revenue growth of between 3% and 5% while core...

Meningitis vaccine recommended in US 5-in-1 vaccine should increase adoption Extended age group for RSV vaccine GSK (GSK) announced the advisory committee of the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control and prevention) had voted to recommend its 5-in-1 meningococcal vaccine Penmenvy to help protect persons over 10-years of age against different strains of meningitidis. Broad coverage against the...

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt were firmly in the green on Thursday morning, after the US announced it will keep 10% baseline tariffs but pause higher levies. Trump paused new tariffs on most countries but doubled down on China, raising tariffs on the world's second-largest economy to 125%. Meanwhile in the UK, Downing Street said that the UK will 'coolly and calmly' continue its...

The FTSE 100 suffered fresh losses on Wednesday as China hiked tariffs on US goods and market volatility spread to bonds, compounding investor nerves. The FTSE 100 index closed down 231.05 points, 2.9%, at 7,679.48. The FTSE 250 ended 458.51 points lower, 2.5%, at 17,890.64. The AIM All-Share declined 14.65 points, 2.3%, at 627.01. The Cboe UK 100 ended down 2.9% at 764.65, the Cboe UK 250...

Potential cuts to CDC fundingPart of wider cost saving plans1.2 million people living with HIVNews that the US health department is reviewing CDC's (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) HIV prevention division amidst potential funding cuts sent shares in Gilead Sciences (GILD:NASDAQ) down 3% in premarket trading, while GSK (GSK) shares fell 2%.Both companies are big players in the...

Positive clinical trial resultsUS regulator accepts review for new indicationsAsthma affects 26m people in USGSK (GSK) announced positive results from a late-stage clinical trial to test the effectiveness and safety of depemokimab, an antibody used for treating patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps.Twice yearly administration of depemokimab showed clinically meaningful and...

The FTSE 100 index climbed on Wednesday, with shares in GSK boosted after its revenue beat expectations.The Bank of England is expected to enact a 25 basis point rate cut on Thursday, but policymakers face the unenviable balancing act of weighing up a stalling economy with inflation pressure.The expected quarter-point cut by Threadneedle Street would take the bank rate to 4.50%, from 4.75%...

London's FTSE 100 was slightly higher during a more tranquil day for European equities so far on Wednesday, but markets still lacked inspiration as trade war worries linger.The FTSE 100 index rose 12.01 points, 0.1%, at 8,582.78. The FTSE 250 declined 30.17 points, 0.2%, at 20,623.09. It traded off session lows, however. The AIM All-Share rose 0.72 of a point, 0.1%, at 713.09.The Cboe UK 100...

Q4 sales and earnings ahead of consensus2031 sales target increased£2 billion share buybackGSK (GSK) delivered fourth quarter sales and profit ahead of consensus expectations and raised sales guidance for 2025 as well as nudging up its 2031 target to more than £40 billion and announcing a £2 billion share buyback.Unsurprisingly, the market reacted positively with the shares topping the FTSE...

Blue chips in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened lower on Monday as UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves failed to lift the mood in the UK with her China trip, amid a modest investment deal.'Surprise! The US economy added more than [250,000] new nonfarm jobs in December, some [90,000] more than expected, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%,' explained Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'If it's any...

FDA accept review of syringe applicationOver 90 million doses givenApproved expected by 20 June 2025The US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has accepted for review the regulatory application of GSK's (GSK) pre-filled syringe presentation of its shingles prevention drug Shingrix.The new application removes the need for healthcare professionals to reconstitute separate bottles prior to...

US fast track designation for bone cancer treatmentDesignation based on positive dataNo approved therapies exists for diseaseGSK (GSK) announced that the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has granted Breakthrough Designation to its experimental antibody drug conjugate candidate GSK'227 for treating a rare kind of bone cancer.Breakthrough Designation Therapy is aimed at advancing the...

China approval for NuculaThird indication achieved in ChinaNucula has generated £1.3 billion of sales year-to-datePharmaceutical firm GSK (GSK) said it has received approval from the China Medical Products Administration for Nucula, its monoclonal antibody treatment for adults with inadequately controlled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP).It is the third indication to be...

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%...