Americas hit by weak seasonal salesSome big customers in difficultyOther customers delaying ordersIt was a dark day for shareholders in celebration products maker IG Design (IGR:AIM) after the firm warned full-year earnings would be 'significantly below' current market forecasts due to problems in its Americas division.The shares lost 86p or more than 60% to 56p, wiping out £80 million of market

There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the FTSE 3

UK stocks closed on a positive note with the FTSE 100 index ending 1.3% higher at 7,470 points and the FTSE 250 Index firming 1% to 21,873 points at the bell.Brent crude futures hit $90 per barrel for the time since 2014, fueling concerns over inflationary pressures and the need to further raise UK interest rates. Goldman Sachs recently increased its oil price forecast to $100 per barrel.However,

The major UK equity markets continued to build on earlier gains at lunchtime trading on Wednesday.Travel stocks were in demand following the government's confirmation that Covid testing will be dropped for double jabbed travellers arriving in England.At lunchtime the blue chip FTSE 100 equity index was 1.76% higher at 7501.16 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 firmed 1.5% to 21,976.03.All eyes will be focus

Leading UK shares have shrugged-off concerns currently upsetting Wall Street as expectations grow that the Federal Reserve will act more swiftly than previously predicted to try and tame rampant inflation. At the same time, tensions between Ukraine and Russia continue to grow, adding another volatile factor into the mix.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 is close on 1.5% ahead at 7,479.13, not far fro

London's FTSE 100 finished Tuesday's trading session 0.76% higher at a fresh 20-month high of 7,277.62 points as UK investors reacted to strong corporate results and a recent decline in Covid cases boosted travel and services sector stocks.Meanwhile, US and European markets rose as excitement around the technology sector grew ahead of earnings from the likes of Microsoft, Google-owner Alphabet and

London's FTSE 100 gained 0.6% to trade at 7,267.11 at midday, a new post-pandemic high as investors reacted to a record close on Wall Street overnight and strong corporate results.Equity markets have adopted a more optimistic tone with the Dow Jones Industrial and S&P 500 closing at record highs on Monday.The NASDAQ composite index also performed strongly driven by gains in PayPal and Tesla.WHITBR

Shares in IG Design (IGR:AIM) slumped 30% to 306p after the consumer gift packaging company warned full year earnings will be 'significantly below' current market expectations as rising costs and supply chain disruption bite.Ominously, the greetings cards, Christmas crackers and creative play products maker also cautioned cost and supply chain headwinds are likely to continue into the second half

FTSE 100 closed higher on Tuesday with little to spark much interest on the economic or news front as traders await the Jackson Hole event later this week.The UK's index of leading shares finished up around 16 points, or 0.24%, to stand at 7,125.78. The more UK-focused FTSE 250 added 145 points, or 0.61%, at 23,886.01.On Wall Street, the Dow Jones added over 46 points, the S&P 500 was up around se

Major UK stocks had lost their earlier gains by lunchtime with limited growth exposure seeing the benchmark FTSE 100 miss out on a wider embracing of risk assets.At 12.30pm, the FTSE 100 index was down 0.23% at 7,092.41 points, although mid-caps did better, the FTSE 250 gaining 0.44% at 23,843.98.Oil prices pushed higher continuing Monday's sharp rebound with the full approval of the Pfizer/BioNTe

The world's largest consumer gift packaging business, IG Design (IGR:AIM), has enjoyed a 'good' start to its new financial year to July 2021 with like-for-like sales up an impressive 25% in the opening four months.IG Design's orderbook for the year remains ahead of the prior year, underpinning a full year sales outlook 'ahead of expectations'.And yet the shares cheapened 1% to 517p as the company

UK stocks nudged higher in early trading on Tuesday as firmer commodity prices boosted mining and oil plays.By 8.40 am, the FTSE 100 index was up 0.2% at 7,121.2 points, while the FTSE 250 traded 0.4% to the good at 23,836.5 points.Major movers included mining titan BHP (BHP), which added 1.3% to £23.37, as well as oil giant BP (BP.), bid up 0.8% to 297.3p.Investor sentiment was boosted by a stro

The FTSE 100 index finished the day firmly lower on Monday as sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic was hit by weak Chinese data and mounting geopolitical concerns, sparked by the Taliban's swift resurgence in Afghanistan.The UK's benchmark closed 0.9% down at 7,153, off the session peak of 7,218 but off lows of 7,117.Unsurprisingly, commodity giants were among the big losers. Evraz (EVR) fell a

London's leading stocks stayed under pressure at lunchtime with investors showing concerns about an apparent economic slowdown in China following the release of disappointing data. Mounting geopolitical concerns, sparked by the Taliban's swift resurgence in Afghanistan, only added to the market's worries.US indices are also anticipated to fall. The Dow Jones is expected to open 99 points lower at

London's FTSE 100 fell in early trading on Monday following the release of disappointing Chinese economic data and amid mounting geopolitical concerns sparked by the Taliban's swift resurgence in Afghanistan.Asian stocks fell overnight after China released disappointing retail sales and industrial production data, amid a surge in Delta coronavirus cases there and elsewhere in the world.The blue ch

The decision by online trading company IG Group (IGG) to increase the margin it requires for trading in over 1,000 small-cap stocks to 100% sparked fears small cap-stocks could crash as some investors were forced to dump holdings they can no longer afford to finance.The main advantage of spread betting is the financial leverage that it provides, whereby clients can open and run positions with arou

UK stocks reversed their morning gains as markets worldwide wobbled after US legislators warned that a bi-partisan deal over up to $1,900 billion of government stimulus may take longer than expected.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 56 points or 0.8% at 6,639 as weakness in travel and financial stocks offset gains in retailers and utilities.Gold prices slipped 0.2% to $1,8

UK stocks gave up their early gains on Monday as a pick-up in merger and acquisition activity was offset by increasing worries over the new strain of the virus.By midday the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was down 20 points or 0.3% to 6,674 as weakness in travel and financial stocks offset gains in retailers and miners.Gold prices slipped 0.2% to $1,851 an ounce and Brent Crude gained 0.5% to $5

UK stocks opened ahead on Monday buoyed by mergers and acquisition activity but increasing worries over the new strain of the virus kept enthusiasm muted.Trading in Asia was positive with Japan's Nikkei 225 up 0.7% and China's SE Composite up 0.5%. Gold prices slipped 0.2% to $1,851 an ounce and Brent Crude gained 0.5% to $57.5 a barrel.The pound was 0.2% higher at $1.37. At 08:40 the FTSE 100 of

UK stocks tailed-off late on Monday as speculation increased that Prime Minister Boris Johnson would intensify lockdown restrictions during an evening address to the nation.That capped gains during an otherwise rampant reopening from the New Year holiday as Covid vaccine optimism pushed Brexit concerns to the margins.At the close, the benchmark FTSE 100 had come back from earlier near-3% gains to