European stocks traded higher at midday Tuesday, with FTSE 250-listed construction firm Morgan Sindall among the winners as it noted an acceleration in trading momentum.The FTSE 100 index was up 58.37 points, 0.7%, at 8,696.29. The FTSE 250 was up 134.42 points, 0.7%, at 20,056.85, and the AIM All-Share was up 6.30 points, 0.9%, at 695.45.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.6% higher at 869.80, the Cboe UK...

Shares in Artisanal Spirits (ART:AIM) have dropped 50% over the past six months, and at 47p languish the best part of 60% below their June 2021 initial public offering (IPO) issue price of 112p. The latest dram of weakness was stirred by a profit warning (8 December) from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society owner.Edinburgh-based Artisanal cautioned both sales and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before...

Spun-out from Hong Kong's JS Global Lifestyle (1691:HKG), household appliance innovator SharkNinja (SN:NYSE) is an interesting addition to the public markets and the shares surged on their New York Stock Exchange debut (31 July) in an early feeding frenzy.But SharkNinja's shares then sank below the initial public offering (IPO) price amid concerns over the company's significant China exposure...

The consumer health spin-out from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ:NYSE), Kenvue (KVUE:NYSE) enjoyed a positive stock market debut on 4 May, with shares in the company surging 22% to $26.90 in a move valuing the business at about $50 billion.Behind iconic brands rooted in science including Listerine mouthwash, Tylenol painkillers and Band-Aid adhesive bandages, Kenvue raised $3.8 billion at $22 a share...

- Online cards seller reiterates 2023 guidance- Record UK Mother's Day delivered- Confident of revenue growth return in 2024Given headwinds from postal strikes, the post-pandemic return to in-store shopping and a cost-of-living squeeze, investors had feared another guidance cut from Moonpig (MOON), one of the retail sector's most-shorted stocks.However, shares in the online greetings cards and...

- Maternity wear brand to go private in £15.3 million takeover- Share price has collapsed on a string of profit warnings- Mayfair Equity Partners sees better future for Seraphine away from stock marketBombed-out shares in Seraphine (BUMP) surged almost 200% higher to 29.1p after the posh maternity-to-nursing wear brand recommended a £15.3 million takeover offer from its biggest shareholder,...

- Orders impacted by Royal Mail strikes- Greetings cards platform downgrades sales forecast- Moonpig insists growth opportunity 'remains vast'Shares in Moonpig (MOON) were the FTSE 250's biggest fallers, plunging 17.6% to 124.6p as the online greetings cards-to-gifts platform reported a drop in first half profits and pruned its full year sales forecast after September and October orders were...

- Bathroom retailer returns to growth- Reports 'strong start' to 2023- Declares maiden ordinary dividend and an additional special paymentWhile they remain 70% below 2021's 262p initial public offering (IPO) price, shares in Victorian Plumbing (VIC:AIM) perked up 3.1% to 70.1p after the online taps, toilets, baths and basins seller's results for the year ended 30 September beat downgraded...

Amid all the current turmoil the US economy, thanks in part to its relative energy independence, could fare better than its G7 counterparts.Often when people look to invest in the US they focus on the mega-caps but it's actually the domestic-oriented small caps which look particularly well placed.A new era of deglobalisation, inflation and rising interest rates is leading to a domestic focus...

'Recent market falls have given us the opportunity to buy some great companies at sensible prices,' says Simon Edelsten, co-manager for investment trust Mid Wynd International (MWY) and the open-ended Artemis Global Select (B568S20) fund.'If you look at some of our buys this year you might say we've adopted an eyes and ears approach to investing,' continues the Atermis money manager, who...

The retail sector has had a dire 2022, heavily sold off on fears earnings will disappoint as households curb spending due to rising UK inflation and the energy price crisis.Earnings expectations have been cut and investors have priced in a recession already, which means bargain hunters may take the view retailers are now oversold, particularly as prime minister Liz Truss' energy price...

China-focused Welkin China Private Equity plans to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the London Stock Exchange's (LSEG) main market and is targeting a fundraise of up to $300 million.It will be the first London-listed investment company focused on Chinese private equity and will target an annualised net asset value (NAV) total return of 'at least 15%' over the long term.The trust will...

The market regards hedge fund Brevan Howard as one of the leading global macro absolute return investment managers.Absolute return specialists aim to deliver a positive return to investors regardless of whether markets are rising or falling. They often own a mix of bonds and stocks as well as other asset classes and sometimes look to benefit from the value of assets falling as well as rising...

- Diurnal agrees takeover at 144% premium - Major shareholders support the deal- Deal expected to complete in Q4Hormone-deficiency drug specialist Diurnal (DNK:AIM) has agreed an all-cash takeover from US-based neuroscience biopharmaceutical company Neurocrine, valuing the company at £48.3 million or 27.5p per share.This represents a 144% premium to the prior closing price and a 151% premium...

Shares in Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG:NYSE) sizzled on Wall Street after the fast casual restaurants star turn served up forecast-beating second quarter earnings (26 July), with profit growth driven by price hikes.Though sales in the quarter to 30 June were weaker than expected as inflation squeezed low-income consumers, Chipotle's capacity to raise prices from a low base is enabling the chain...

- Ready meals play downgrades guidance yet again- Sales are slowing and customer acquisition costs are rising- Shares down almost 95% from IPO priceShares in direct-to-consumer ready meals play Parsley Box (MEAL:AIM) plunged 30% to 12.25p after the group downgraded full year sales guidance by 16% to £19 million amid a continued slowdown in orders and rising customer acquisition...

- Iconic footwear brand hails 'strong' retail recovery- Price increases implemented- Wholesale order book continues to growShares in Dr. Martens (DOCS) roses 1.5% to 244p as the iconic footwear brand confidently reiterated guidance. Optimism stems from the company's strong first quarter sales, as the shoe seller's post-pandemic recovery continues.In a reassuring trading update, the North...

- Kitchenware seller sees no growth this year- Dishes out massive downgrade- Like-for-likes weaker across all channelsShares in ProCook (PROC) plunged 37.2% to 49p after the direct-to-consumer kitchenware specialist warned profits will fall short of expectations on flat sales in the current year with retail footfall weak and cash-strapped consumers reining in spending.The sharp slump left...

- Oxford Nanopore up 5.9% on sequencing tech selection- Shares down 40% amid growth stock sell-off- CEO confident of enabling even more discoveriesShares in Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) rallied 5.9% to 269.5p on the news the DNA sequencing company's technology has been selected for the 1000 Genomes Project, led by University of Washington and Seattle Children's Hospital.The Oxford...

Are you looking for the next big thing? Rather than risk all your money on a single stock, intellectual property investor IP Group (IPO) will give you exposure to a portfolio of promising companies, each with a bright idea and the potential to make big money in the future.Not everything will be a success in its portfolio, but it only needs a handful of winners each year to make shareholders...