UK water firms had their gains pulled back by Friday's close following yesterday's Ofwat induced bump, as Trump threatened the EU with tariff's if it failed to address its trading deficit.The FTSE 100 index closed down 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,092.65. The FTSE 250 ended up 31.24 points, 0.2%, at 20,430.62, and the AIM All-Share closed down 0.1, or 0.73 of a point, at 711.05.The Cboe UK 100 ended d

After the initial buzz around its June 2024 IPO, Raspberry Pi (RPI) seemed to be getting a few raspberries from the market as the shares drifted from their early highs.However, over the last month the stock has advanced more than 40% to trade at record levels.Founded by chief executive Eben Upton in 2012 with the premise of making computing 'more accessible to young people', Raspberry Pi designs a

After what has been a poor year for UK listings, the London Stock Exchange could afford to celebrate this week with the float of French media group Canal+ (CAN) which debuted with a market value of around £2.5 billion.Although the shares were listed in London, and at that value would normally be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250 mid-cap index, they are excluded as the company is still French

The last 10 years have been pretty rough for UK stocks but there could be some signs of life emerging as we head towards 2025.Brexit, Covid and other political and economic shocks as well as a tilt towards 'old economy' stocks and a minimal footprint in technology have combined to undermine the relevance and appeal of the UK market.The resulting underperformance has led to people consistently poin

Ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and calls from incoming US president Donald Trump for NATO members to increase defence spending as a percentage of national income will continue to provide a tailwind for the defence sector.AIM-quoted Cohort (CHRT:AIM) is well positioned to benefit from an increase in defence spending and at the first-half results on 11 December, the group disclosed

Pubs group JD Wetherspoon's (JDW) value credentials continue to shine through. According to fund manager Anna Farmbrough at Ninety One the company has doubled its average price advantage over competitors to 40% since the pandemic.Farmbrough notes that a few years ago there were three pubs in her local area while today there is just a single Wetherspoons, demonstrating its ability to benefit as con

Notable win for London marketFloat to 'unleash potential'Analysts see £5 billion valuationAfter what has been a poor year for UK listings, the London Stock Exchange celebrated this morning with the float of French media group Canal+ (CAN), which debuted with a market value of around £2.5 billion.Although the shares are listed in London, they don't qualify for inclusion in the FTSE 250 index as t

Some of the most successful businesses of our time (and all time in fairness) are effective monopolies (or perhaps part of a duopoly or triopoly) with such dominant market positions they are able to enjoy significant pricing power and generate above-average margins and returns on investment.This type of situation can be overturned in two main ways: either competition emerges, attracted by the retu

Sadly it's been less a case of 'lights, camera, action' and more 'brace for impact' lately for shareholders in Facilities by ADF (ADF:AIM), the firm which provides on-set serviced production facilities to the UK high-end TV and film industry.Floated in 2022 with hopes of bringing a touch of Hollywood glamour to the AIM market, the firm soon found itself under the spotlight as a result of the Holly

Still some way off 2021's 450p IPO (initial public offering) price, Moonpig's (MOON) shares have rallied 63.5% to 248.9p year-to-date amid debt reduction progress and some reassuring trading updates as it puts the unwind of the Covid sales bump in the rear-view mirror.More recently, the stock surged following a well-received capital markets day (16 October), where the online greeting cards-to-gift

200p per share offer accepted21.2% uplift on ABC's initial bidTI Fluid valued at £1.04 billionAnother one bites the dust. Automotive fluid storage and delivery specialist TI Fluid Systems (TIFS) looks set to become the latest company to exit the UK stock market.Having spurned earlier bids from ABC Technologies, the car parts supplier has succumbed to the private equity backed group's overtures an

Blue-chips in Europe traded slightly lower in a tepid open on Friday, ahead of eurozone data later and an abbreviated session in New York.The FTSE 100 index fell 8.73 points, 0.1%, at 8,272.49. It is up some 2.0% so far this month.The FTSE 250 rose 32.01 points, 0.2%, at 20,794.79, and the AIM All-Share added 0.94 of a point, 0.1%, at 731.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 831.08, the Cboe UK 250

Company agrees takeover by FortressAll-cash 310p offer is 30% premiumStock trades at new all-time highAll-day bar/restaurant operator Loungers (LGRS:AIM) came to the market on the eve of the pandemic in 2019 and now appears to be going back to private equity ownership after agreeing a takeover offer from Fortress Investment at a 30% premium to the last closing price.The shares jumped 28% to a reco

We begin proceedings with two takeover approaches, one successful, the other less so, for now at least.First, Swiss bourse operator SIX agreed to buy UK junior marketplace Aquis Exchange (AQX:AIM) for 727p in cash, representing a 120% premium to the previous closing price of 330p.SIX, which operates the Swiss and Spanish stock markets, called the deal 'a compelling strategic opportunity which will

Consumer goods goliath Unilever (ULVR) is pushing ahead with the IPO (initial public offering) of its ice cream unit and plans to slim down rather than spin off its food division, as CEO Hein Schumacher's turnaround strategy continues to gain traction.At the FTSE 100 giant's recent investor event (22 November), the Hellmann's mayonnaise-to-Dove soap maker set out its strategic priorities under Sch

Stock prices in London were just about in the green at midday, outperforming Paris and Frankfurt, where shares succumbed to French budget concerns and worries that the European economy could be next to fall into the cross-hairs of Donald Trump tariffs.The FTSE 100 index added 4.24 points, 0.1%, at 8,262.85 heading into Wednesday afternoon. The FTSE 250 rose 15.49 points, 0.1%, at 20,584.14, and th

A year after fast-fashion sensation Shein was first thought to have filed registration papers for a UK IPO, reports suggest the company is targeting the first quarter of 2025 for a London float that could value the business at £50 billion.Shein's position as a fast-growing retailer expanding across multiple geographies and taking market share from established players ? it is no coincidence that t

International Biotechnology Trust (IBT) 716pMarket cap: £263.2 millionWarren Buffett tells investors to be greedy when others are fearful and take advantage of depressed prices. That in a nutshell is the investment proposition for International Biotechnology Trust (IBT), which sits on an 11% discount to NAV (net asset value).The discount is not quite as extreme as it was when we highlighted the t

Recent changes to the UK's listing rules should lead to a host of new names joining the FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 indices in the new year, generating more interest in the UK stock market and putting more companies on the radar of investors.This matters to investors whether they own UK stocks directly, have exposure via actively-managed funds or simply track certain parts of the market through an excha

ProCook (PROC) 29pMarket cap: £32.7 millionRisk-tolerant investors seeking a compelling recovery play with tasty re-rating potential should consider ProCook (PROC). This direct-to-consumer specialist kitchenware brand is carving out market share gains under management's refreshed strategy to serve up profitable growth.After a tough few years post its 2021 IPO (initial public offering), when the c