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

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

The potential appointment of well-known vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jnr to the Trump cabinet in the role of head of the Department of Health and Human Services sent shivers through pharmaceutical companies on 14 November, with shares falling around 7% on average on both sides of the Atlantic.Kennedy has previously cast doubts on the Covid-19 vaccine, describing it as 'the deadliest vaccine ev

Shares in London posted modest gains around midday on Friday despite weaker-than-expected third quarter economic growth figures.In the third quarter, UK GDP edged up 0.1%, missing the 0.2% consensus, and slowing from 0.5% seen between April and June, according to the Office for National Statistics.Industrial production also missed forecasts and the trade deficit widened, although construction outp

Stocks in London slipped at the close on Tuesday, joining the pound, which failed to pack a punch against the dollar amid political uncertainty.The FTSE 100 index slumped 99.42 points, 1.2%, at 8,025.77. The FTSE 250 closed down 295.73 points, 1.4%, at 20,427.80. The AIM All-Share fell 7.07 points, 1.0%, at 730.86.The Cboe UK 100 declined 1.2% at 805.89, the Cboe UK 250 retreated 1.6% at 17,865.50

Fall in third quarter vaccine salesFull year profit reiteratedQ3 dividend of 15p per shareDisappointing vaccine sales took the shine off GSK's (GSK) third quarter update and despite management reiterating full-year sales and profit guidance, the shares sank to the bottom of the FTSE, falling 3.6% to £13.99.The shares languish near one-year lows and sit just 14% above the five-year low, which mean

Stocks in Europe were mostly lower on Wednesday morning, ahead of the UK budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, while Standard Chartered rose after it said it delivered a strong performance.Ahead of the budget, the pound was quoted at $1.3020 early Wednesday, rising from $1.2991 at the London equities close on Tuesday.Brown Brothers Harriman analysts believe the pound faces 'downside ris

Stocks in London ended Tuesday in the red, weighed down by some pre-budget uncertainty, while indices on Wall Street were mixed following US economic data, ahead of earnings from Alphabet.The FTSE 100 index closed down 66.01 points, or 0.8%, at 8,219.61. The FTSE 250 ended down 212.31 points, or 1.0%, at 20,622.79, and the AIM All-Share closed down 5.31 points, or 0.7%, at 715.79.The Cboe UK 100 e

Stocks in London closed lower on Friday, as a car finance probe weighed on the shares of Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Close Brothers.The FTSE 100 index closed down 19.13 points, 0.3%, at 8,248.84. The FTSE 250 ended up 29.36 points, or 0.1%, at 20,819.91, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.02 points, 0.4%, at 722.67.The Cboe UK 100 closed down 0.3% at 826.07 on Friday, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 0

Shares languish ahead of Q3 updateStronger than expected first halfAnalysts trim forecastsShares in GSK (GSK) are down by around a fifth since May 2024 and languish near 12-month lows despite management upgrading sales and profit guidance in the first and second quarters and recently (10 Oct) settling 93% of outstanding Zantac litigation cases.The biopharmaceutical giant cannot seem to shake off t

Stock prices in London were in the green on Wednesday morning after consumer price index inflation in the UK slowed below the 2% target in September, while blue-chip housebuilders rose after data showed that asking rents in the UK hit a new record high.The FTSE 100 index opened up 55.09 points, or 0.7, at 8,304.57. The FTSE 250 was up 63.24 points, or 0.3%, at 20,857.68, and the AIM All-Share was

Stocks in London closed in the red on Thursday, following a mixed bag of economic data from the US, with inflation surprising to the upside while jobless claims came in higher than expected.The FTSE 100 index closed down 6.01 points, 0.1%, at 8,237.73. The FTSE 250 ended 114.01 points lower, 0.6%, at 20,708.37, and the AIM All-Share fell 2.13 points, 0.3%, to 734.53.The Cboe UK 100 ebbed 0.1% to 8

London's blue chips faded after a bright start to trade in the red at midday on Thursday, ahead of US inflation data later in the session.The FTSE 100 had made a positive start, before some pre-US data nerves kicked in.The more tepid trade in Europe came despite equities in China ending the day in the green on supportive measures from the nation's central bank. The Shanghai Composite rose 1.3%, of

GSK agrees $2.2 billion settlementRemoves 93% of outstanding casesStock overhang removedEmbattled pharmaceutical giant GSK (GSK) has agreed to pay up to $2.2 billion (£1.8 billion) to settle lawsuits in the US related to its Zantac heartburn treatment, resolving 80,000 pending cases which represent around 93% of all outstanding cases.The shares jumped 6.5% to £15.52 as investors welcomed the rem

The FTSE 100 opened higher on Thursday, supported by strong gains in GSK, while European peers falteredThe FTSE 100 index traded up 25.77 points, 0.3%, at 8,269.51. The FTSE 250 slipped 12.69 points, 0.1%, at 20,809.69, and the AIM All-Share down just 0.19 of a point at 736.47.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 828.03, the Cboe UK 250 flat at 18,285.44, and the Cboe Small Companies was unmoved at 16,6

Pfizer nets $3.36 billion in share saleHaleon completes £500 million share repurchaseSanofi plans to divest consumer healthcare unitStrong demand from US investors allowed pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE:NYSE) to sell an upscaled 640 million shares in consumer healthcare group Haleon (HLN) at 380p, representing a 3.3% discount to the prior close.Investors focused on the positive implications of

European markets were slightly higher during midday trade on Wednesday, as investors braced for a key US inflation reading.The FTSE 100 index edged up 5.21 points, 0.1%, at 8,211.19. The FTSE 250 was up just 10.14 points at 20,666.28, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.93 points, 0.5%, at 739.93.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 821.80, the Cboe UK 250 up 0.2% to 18,227.15, but the Cboe Small Companies wa

European stocks were higher on Thursday midday, as investors prepare for a US GDP print, while top US White House aide Jake Sullivan met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.The FTSE 100 index was up 24.13 points, or 0.3%, at 8,367.98. The FTSE 250 was up 42.84 points, or 0.2%, at 21,109.71, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.36 points, or 0.3%, at 772.66.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 836.44, the

Stock prices in London opened softly in the green on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of upcoming US GDP data.The FTSE 100 index opened up just 4.00 points at 8,347.85. The FTSE 250 was down 11.24 points, or 0.1%, at 21,055.63, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.74 points, or 0.2%, at 772.04.The Cboe UK 100 was up slightly at 834.44, the Cboe UK 250 was down a little at 18,563.12, and the

Stocks in London ended in the red on Wednesday, as the market eagerly awaited the earnings from chipmaker and AI-play Nvidia.The FTSE 100 index ended down just 1.61 points at 8,343.85. The FTSE 250 declined 95.20 points, or 0.5%, at 21,066.87, and the AIM All-Share closed down 8.88 points, or 1.1%, at 770.30.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 834.14, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.4% at 18,566.65, and the