The benefits of a stocks and shares ISA are best measured over the long term. Investors should look to get rich slowly through the power of compounding.Compounding describes the process whereby investment returns themselves generate future gains. The value of an investment can increase exponentially because growth is earned on both the initial sum of money plus the accumulated wealth.Imagine...

Shares in blue chip indices in London and Paris traded mostly higher on Monday morning, as investors await flash UK purchasing managers' index data to be out shortly.The FTSE 100 index opened up 48.13 points, 0.6%, at 8,693.31. The FTSE 250 was up 103.68 points, 0.6%, at 20,022.05, and the AIM All-Share was trading up 2.90 points, 0.4%, at 692.02.The Cboe UK 100 was 0.4% higher at 869.01, the...

Stock prices in Europe were in the red at Tuesday midday, with airline stocks hit badly in particular, as European countries intend to boost their militaries amid a US freeze on aid for Ukraine.'Investors were desperately hoping that Trump would delay tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China at the eleventh hour, yet the US president has stuck to his guns and brought them into power,' commented AJ...

Revenue and profit up 6.6% and 13%Medium-term margin target of 18.5%New £350 million share buybackBusiness assurance, testing, inspection and certification services group Intertek (ITRK) topped the FTSE gainers, rising as much as 7% to a new three-year high of £55.35, after raising its medium-term operating margin target and announcing a £350 million share buyback.The share price gain takes...

Intertek (ITRK) £52.30Market cap: £8.5 billionApparently, prior to its ultimately unconsummated tie-up talks with SGS (SGSN:SWX), France's Bureau Veritas'(BVI:EPA) first choice was to look at UK-listed peer Intertek (ITRK). In our view investors should take heed of this signal from an industry player and snap up shares in the FTSE 100 constituent.Like its Swiss and French counterparts,...

Stock prices in the UK fell Friday morning after retail sales came in below forecasts after a rainy April.The FTSE 100 index opened down 53.88 points, 0.7%, at 8,285.35. The FTSE 250 was down 95.18 points, 0.5%, at 20,536.12, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.37 points, 0.3%, at 802.65.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.7% at 826.62, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.6% at 17,972.38, and the Cboe Small...

Like-for-like sales growth 7.1% highest in 10-yearsHas been growing sustainably over the past decadeConfident in achieving 17.5% marginGlobal testing and quality assurance specialist Intertek (ITRK) topped the FTSE 100 gainers after posting its highest annual like-for-like sales growth in a decade and giving a positive outlook.The shares jumped around 7% to a new 12-month high taking gains...

Underlying sales growth up 7.3% in first 10-monthsFull year results expected to meet expectationsRecent acquisitions performing wellGlobal quality assurance provider Intertek (ITRK) said it was on track to meet market expectations for the year after delivering 7.3% underlying sales growth in the first 10-months.The company confirmed it expects to deliver mid-single digit like for like revenue...

Hostelworld CEO divests £370,000 in shares to settle tax liabilitiesIntertek CEO also sellingBillington NED offloads £1 million sharesThe CEO of hostel booking platform Hostelworld (HSW) Gary Morrison has sold 306,882 shares at 121p for a total value of £371,327 on 31 May to cover 'tax liabilities'.Over the past six months Hostelworld's shares have risen over 21% to 125p benefiting from the...

Noted fund manager Terry Smith says one of his biggest mistakes is not to have invested in Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ) and Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ) on the day of launching his Fundsmith Equity Fund (B41YBW7) in 2010. While both stocks now feature in his portfolio, he only invested in Apple in late 2022 and Amazon a year earlier.In an exclusive interview, Smith says there was a turning point with Apple...

- 15.5% year-to-date revenue growth, FX adds 6.5%- China disruption pressures margins- Positive outlook helps lift sharesTesting and assurance services specialist Intertek (ITRK) said revenues for the 10 months to 31 October increased 15.5% driven by strong like-for-like growth of 5.2% and a foreign exchange translation benefit of 6.5% thanks to the strong dollar.At constant currencies,...

In his twelfth annual letter to shareholders in the Fundsmith Equity Fund (B41YBW7), Terry Smith has put the boot into Unilever (ULVR), the consumer goods goliath that was one of the fund's worst five performers in 2021.Smith, the analyst turned investment chief turned fund management guru, said the Marmite-to-Magnum ice cream maker 'seems to be labouring under the weight of a management which...

A strong third quarter performance from testing and certification firm Intertek (ITRK) helped lift the shares 5.7% to £54.52.Today's rise follows a period of underperformance for the shares which are down 3.8% over the last 12 months against a gain of 14.1% for the FTSE All-Share.The company which is the largest tester of consumer products globally, operating 1,000 labs in 100 countries, said...

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...

The FTSE 100 traded 0.3% lower at 7,128.39 points on Thursday as investors grappled with Covid concerns as well as fears of a tapering of support for the global economy ahead of the Jackson Hole summit of central bankers.The high-flying FTSE 250 was flat at 23,979.4 points, with the market's second-liners pausing for breath after their stunning recent run.CORPORATE NEWSIn corporate news,...

Equity markets retreated across Europe and parts of Asia on Thursday as investors remained cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve's annual get-together on Friday where all eyes will be on guidance for when economic stimulus will be tapered. The ongoing spread of Covid infections also continues to act as a dark cloud for investors.The FTSE 100 index fell 0.7% to 7,102, Germany's Dax dropped...

UK stocks finished the month flat despite a strong corporate earnings season as concerns over Chinese regulation of technology stocks and disappointing US results weighed on sentiment.Overnight, Asian stocks sank as fears re-surfaced that Beijing could extend its intervention to more parts of the Chinese economy, while in the US shares in e-commerce giant Amazon.com fell 7% after the company...

UK stocks traded lower at lunchtime on Friday after continued weak trading in Asia and as e-commerce giant Amazon missed quarterly sales forecasts for the first time since 2018, sending its shares down 7% in after-hours trading.Japan's Nikkei 225 index sank 1.8% while China's SE Composite gave up 0.4% as concerns increased over the tighter regulation of Chinese companies.Brent Crude prices...

UK stocks opened lower on Friday after continued weak trading in Asia and as e-commerce giant Amazon missed quarterly sales forecasts for the first time since 2018, sending its shares down 7% in after-hours trading.Japan's Nikkei 225 index sank 1.8% while China's SE Composite gave up 0.4%.Brent Crude prices fell 0.5% to $73.2 per barrel and Gold was flat at $1,829 per ounce.At 9am the FTE 100...

London's FTSE 100 rallied for the second successive day following Monday's correction, climbing on hopes that central banks might maintain support for the global economy for longer given rising Covid infections as well as a number of positive corporate updates.By the close, the blue chip benchmark finished 1.7% higher at 6,998.28 points, its recovery from a tough start to the week supported by...