After nearly 25 years of ups and downs on the stock market, compound semiconductor wafer supplier IQE (IQE:AIM) is at a real low point.The shares are trading at their lowest level in more than 15 years, after the company announced it would look to raise £15 million from its largest shareholder Lombard Odier as it carries out a strategic review from which one of the options is putting its Taiwan o

Blue chips in London made a solid start to trading on Tuesday, reflecting gains elsewhere in Europe, boosted by well received updates from HSBC and Pearson. The FTSE 100 index opened up 23.39 points, 0.3%, at 8,309.01. The FTSE 250 was down 70.22 points, 0.3%, at 20,764.88, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.96 of a point, 0.1%, at 720.14.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 832.16, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0

Blue chips traded lower at midday on Tuesday, pegged back by falls in several index heavyweights, in a mixed day for stocks in London.The FTSE 100 index traded down 43.48 points, 0.5%, at 8,227.36. The FTSE 250 was up 32.47 points, 0.2%, at 20,683.35, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.69 of a point, 0.1%, at 746.04.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 823.76, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.4% at 18,228.80, and

Low-cost gym operator Gym Group (GYM) looks to be in good shape ahead of its first-half results, due to be released 11 September.In a pre-close statement on 10 July the company raised its full-year profit expectations to the top end of market forecasts after continued positive trading.Company-compiled analysts forecasts for EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation) les

In this third part of our investor survey, we asked some of the UK?s leading fund managers which sectors or stocks they thought were the most promising for 2024.The responses were as varied as they were thought-provoking, with only a couple of managers singling out technology stocks.As before we would like to thank all those who took part for sharing their views, and we hope readers enjoy them. WH

Automotive engineer Dowlais (DWL) is poised to announce its maiden results as a public company after its spin-off from industrial turnaround specialist Melrose (MRO) in April 2023.Shareholders will be hoping the first-half numbers on 12 September help provide a boost after a bumpy start to life on the market as an individual entity, the shares falling around 25% from their 143.5ppeak.Five years on

- Stock wiped out two months of progress in a day- Believes it can triple revenues over next five years- Analyst tells clients to 'buy more' in noteShares in IQE (IQE:AIM) took a pounding in early trading on 16 January 2023 after admitting that it sees demand from existing clients slowing in the first half of this year as the clients destock current inventory.The compound wafer supplier to the sem

The sell-off in technology stocks since the September 2021 peak as the markets rotate out of growth and into value picks has given DIY investors plenty to chew over.Many UK tech companies have seen valuations hammered, with share prices falling by up to 40% with no meaningful change to earnings, said Canaccord Genuity analysts in a note to clients on Tuesday (1 February 2022).This, Canaccord belie

UK shares closed higher on Wednesday, spurred on by US economic data which showed personal spending rose more than expected and weekly US jobless claims were the lowest since 1969, signaling continued strength in the economy.The latest minutes from the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meeting, are due after the market close.At the close the FTSE 100 index of leading shares was up 0.3% at 7,

UK shares gave back early gains as markets braced for a torrent of US economic data due to be released later today and ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow when US markets will stay closed.As well as the weekly jobless numbers, investors will receive updates on the core latest inflation data, durable goods orders, and personal consumption trends, providing further evidence of economic streng

Analysts have taken a sharp knife to forecasts for compound wafer maker IQE (IQE:AIM) after it slashed revenue and earnings guidance. The chip components supplier projected a 40% fall in annual core profit on Wednesday as the Cardiff-based firm's smartphone-making clients place fewer orders due to supply chain issues.The warning from IQE, which makes semiconductor wafers for chips used in Apple pr

UK shares continued to climb on Wednesday with the FTSE 100 rising 0.5% back above the 7,300 level thanks to buying of oil majors and mining stocks.Meanwhile, investors were awaiting the release of minutes from the US Federal Reserve's latest Open Market Committee meeting, due after the market close, for clues as to the pace of interest rate hikes after recent strong inflation and jobs data.Sterli

Just as investors were looking the other way, with Chinese shares tumbling on fears of a major default in the property sector and US shares wobbling ahead of a crucial Federal Reserve meeting this week, the global chip crisis has reared its head once again.A combination of weak demand and enforced factory shutdowns during the pandemic, followed by a faster-than-expected global recovery and soaring

There is a well-worn phrase that 'a week is a long time in politics'. In market terms, a week can feel even longer and can sometimes signal a shift from one trend to another.A fortnight ago when we introduced the idea of watching the number of stocks making new highs as a barometer of the health of the market, the FTSE All-Share was just below its all-time high and everything seemed to be going sw

The heavyweight sextet of Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix are not the only names that matter in the broad technology sector. Granted, Amazon and Apple are among the 20 best performers in America's benchmark S&P 500 index so far this year, but so are several other tech or tech-related firms, notably silicon chip makers Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices.This is a marked cont

Compound semiconductor technology firm IQE (IQE:AIM) said it expected to return to profit in the second half of the year, despite a decline in demand from a worldwide slump in smartphone sales.For first half to 30 June 2020, revenue was expected to be 'at least' £85m, up more than 27% on a year ago. This will mean a return to profit, albeit modest, with IQE guiding for a low single digit adjusted

The news from Apple that the coronavirus will hit sales of its iPhone should not have come as a surprise but has nonetheless provided a jolt to investors who had seemed quite relaxed about the outbreak.There may now be increased attention on the impact on other firms. The management teams of companies with Chinese exposure, either through their manufacturing function or customer base, will face in

Markets opened slightly firmer on Monday with the FTSE 100 index 5 points or 0.06% higher at 7,307, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 was 76 points or 0.4% to the good, buoyed by gains in general retailers.Investors in semiconductor wafer designer IQE (IQE:AIM) were feeling pain today after the Cardiff based company reported a 'mid-single digit' operating loss and warned on annual revenue for a second ti

Although there were few nuggets of corporate news as the third quarter drew to a close, the FTSE 100 index of leading stocks continued to climb towards a two-month high adding another 0.1% to 7,331.Support came mainly from the Banks, with HSBC (HSBA) gaining 0.5% to 627p, Barclays (BARC) gaining 0.3% to 151p and Lloyds (LLOY) also adding 0.3% to 55p.Weighing on the index were the Oils, with BP (BP

UK stocks move higher on Tuesday with the FTSE 100 index up 0.6% to 7,561 as the market waits for confirmation that Boris Johnson has won the race to become the leader of the Tory party and the next Prime Minister.Sectors on the move are construction, healthcare equipment, industrials, metals, mining and technology.In company news, Lloyds (LLOY) has agreed to settle its long-running dispute with S