The wildfires which seemingly came out of nowhere and have devastated large communities in the Los Angeles area, destroying more than ten thousand properties, are reckoned to have caused total damage approaching $250 billion according to forecasting service Accuweather.That would be equal to around 4% of California's annual GDP and would make this one of the costliest natural disasters in US histo

At the start of 2024, I speculated that interest rate cuts could lead to takeovers involving bigger companies than the type of deals seen in 2023. While the rate-cut journey still remains in its infancy for the UK and other key geographies, the predicted wave of large-cap takeovers is firmly in motion. It's a reminder there is value on the UK market in droves.There have been bids or expressions of

Luxury goods brand Burberry (BRBY) has ended its 15-year sojourn in the FTSE 100.The relegation comes after dramatic share price falls for the company in 2024. EasyJet (EZJ), which had been on course to suffer the same fate, looks to have saved itself with a recent rally (confirmation of the outcome of the reshuffle was due after market close on 4 September).In May this year, EasyJet investors bec

Whenever there is a discussion about ?quality? UK industrial stocks, the name Spectris (SXS) is often thrown into the ring although we suspect many investors, while being familiar with the company in a general sense, have little idea what it actually does.Looking on Stockopedia, the company has a 99th percentile quality ranking, which backs up its reputation, but it is classified as a large-cap te

Quarterly review due in weeks Four likely winners and losersA further three stocks could drop outWe may only be half-way through the third quarter, but already it looks as though there will be quite a few changes to the benchmark FTSE 100 index when the topic comes up for review next month.Promotion to, and demotion from, the index can have a big effect on the share prices of the firms concerned a

Each year, natural disasters around the world destroy assets worth hundreds of billions of dollars.According to German reinsurance giant Munich Re (MUV2:ETR), losses incurred from natural disasters amounted to $270 billion last year with less than half that figure covered by insurance.For insurers, it is essential to have in-depth knowledge of risks and how they are developing in order to be able

Most investors will remember 2022 as being one of the toughest years for stock markets around the world in a long time. However, plenty of stocks have delivered positive returns.In this feature we look at the best performing London-listed stocks spread across four different parts of the market, covering small, medium and large sized companies.£5 billion+ market capIreland has been one of the stan

US markets posted their biggest one-day gain in two years yesterday with the S&P 500 index surging 5.5% and the technology heavy Nasdaq rising a whopping 7.4% after consumer price inflation for October came in lower than expected.Despite many months of higher-than-expected inflation, investors have been fixated on anticipating a Fed 'pivot' and yesterday's inflation print could give the US central

- Hurricane losses seen at $135 million- Insurance rates continue to increase- Firm promises faster growth next yearInsurer Hiscox (HSX) was the top riser in the FTSE 250 mid-cap index after it revealed smaller-than-expected losses from recent natural disasters and promised an 'acceleration of growth' in 2023.Shares in the Bermuda-based firm climbed 5.5% to 948p, although they still sit well below

Less than a month after Hurricane Ian, a large and highly destructive Category Four Atlantic storm which devastated large parts of Florida, estimates of its impact are rising rapidly.Initial forecasts put the cost of the storm at between $20 billion and $30 billion, but once the full extent of the damage to Fort Myers was appraised estimates soared to between $50 billion and $65 billion.The Financ

- Investment loss impacts first half results- Combined ratio improves to 91.3%- Rate increases in reinsurance, retail and London marketShares in insurance group Hiscox (HSX) slumped 7% following the announcement of disappointing first half 2022 results that were impacted by unrealised losses on the bond portfolio.Hiscox reported a headline first half 2022 pre-tax loss of $107 million, dragged down

Despite posting a strong finish to 2021 and forecasting strong trading this spring and summer, theatre operator Cineworld (CINE) is still the most-shorted UK stock according to daily data from the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority).Short sellers are also targeting other companies which are dependent on discretionary spending such as retailers.LIGHTS OUT?Sifting through the FCA data its is clear pro

Food-to-go retailer Greggs (GRG) has filed a £100 million legal claim against Swiss insurance giant Zurich for losses it incurred while its stores were closed during the pandemic.The company argues it is due the money as compensation for 'business interruption' under the terms of its insurance agreement. The claim is significant as if successful it could open the floodgates for other firms to cla

The UK's benchmark index recovered earlier losses but stayed in the red at the close despite US markets defying pre-market futures for a flat day.The FTSE 100 finished Tuesday at 7,274.81, off 0.19% on the day with iron ore pricing weakness pulling the mining sector and blue-chip index lower. Antofagasta's (ANTO) 5.5% slide led the sector loser board with the likes of BHP (BHP), Rio Tinto (RIO), G

The FTSE 100 extended losses in early afternoon trading following the release of Eurozone manufacturing data that showed a reverse to an eight-month low in October, as supply chain issues continued to cause problems for businesses.The final reading of the IHS Markit Eurozone Manufacturing PMI dipped to 58.3 in October, from the initial estimate of 58.5 and down from 58.6 in September. This marked

UK stocks took a step back on Tuesday after the FTSE 100 began the week at a new year-high. For the next two days investor attention is likely to be on the pace of interest rate hikes, with the US Federal Reserve meeting tomorrow evening and the Bank of England meeting on Thursday lunchtime.Overnight there were record highs in the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100, despite further evidence of supp

This is the final part of our three-part series on the FTSE 250. Read our introduction here and catch up on the growth versus value debate in part two here.In this last part of our mini-series on the FTSE 250 we take a look at some of the higher quality stocks that inhabit the UK's mid-cap universe. We will discuss some of the companies that demonstrate real financial strength and balance sheet he

UK stocks closed higher for the third consecutive session on Tuesday as corporate earnings continued to buoy confidence in the economic recovery.In the US shares in Chinese Amazon equivalent Alibaba dropped 2% after missing quarterly revenue expectations.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.3% to 7,106 points while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 0.4% to 23,290 points.BP BU

UK stocks held onto gains at midday Tuesday, buoyed by corporate earnings while index heavyweight BP (BP.) topped the FTSE 100 leader board after hinting at a substantial return of capital to shareholders.At 12pm, the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.4% to 7,108 points while the FTSE 250 mid-cap index gained 0.5% at 23,315 points.BP BUYBACK PLEASESOil giant BP reported an increase in seco

UK stocks built on Monday's gains as corporate earnings continued to please investors, with index heavyweight BP (BP.) surging after hinting at a substantial return of capital to shareholders.Asian markets were shaken overnight by worries of further Chinese government intervention in the private sector, this time involving the gaming industry. Shares in TenCent slumped as much as 10% at one point