UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn inves

Indices in London closed higher on Monday as the market reacted favourably to President-elect Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the US Treasury, although oil majors suffered amid falling brent prices.AJ Bell's Russ Mould said Bessent is perceived as being a relatively 'conventional and safe pair of hands candidate'.'Importantly, Bessent is seen as being less aggressive on tariffs than some o

Market speculation ITV might demergeITV has made no commentYear-to-date ITV shares have gained 11%Shares in ITV (ITV) were nearly 9% higher at 71p in morning trading as rumours circulated of potential suitors for the free-to-air-broadcaster.According to Sky News, a number of possible bidders for part or all ITV have emerged including a European broadcaster France's Groupe TF1 and CVC Capital Partn

Stock prices in London softened from earlier highs but market sentiment was still positive heading into Monday afternoon after Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as his US Treasury pick.The FTSE 100 index added 15.72 points, 0.2%, at 8,277.80. The FTSE 250 rose 15.80 points, 0.1%, at 20,597.49, and the AIM All-Share rose just 0.31 of a point to 732.51.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2%

Stock prices in Europe opened in the green on Monday as Donald Trump picked hedge fund manager Scott Bessent as the next US Treasury secretary, a 'clear nod' to New York equity markets.Bookending the FTSE 100, meanwhile, were two retail names. JD Sports added 3.5%, recovering after slumped 16% on Thursday and losing another 2.1% on Friday. B&Q owner Kingfisher plunged 11% after trimming the top en

Group revenue down 8% to £2.7 billionTotal ITV Studios revenue down 20% to £1.21 billionAdditional £20 million net cost savings in 2024Shares in ITV (ITV) fell more than 8% to 66p in morning trading as the free-to-air broadcaster said group revenue fell 8% at £2.7 billion in the nine months to 30 September.Total ITV Studios revenue was down 20% to £1.21 billion impacted by the expected phasin

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

Shares in N Brown (BWNG:AIM) have enjoyed a bounce since early summer, taking year-to-date gains to the best part of 60% as investors applaud progress against CEO Steve Johnson's multi-year transformation plan.The turnaround of the Manchester-headquartered online clothing and homewares seller is all the more impressive considering a soft trading backdrop and 2024's unseasonal weather.N Brown whose

On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market exp

Strong first-half returnsInterim dividend up 20%Portfolio still undervaluedValue-focused investment trust Temple Bar (TMPL) continued its run of outperformance in the six months to 30 June with an NAV (net asset value) total return of 13.1% against a 7.4% return for the FTSE All-Share index.The share price total return was 11% following a widening of the discount to NAV to 7.5% from 5.6% at the en

There is a phrase in business ? 'shrink to greatness' ? meaning companies selling or demerging assets and focusing on what they do best.You might call it streamlining, others might say it is an admission that the previous strategy did not work and the company was too bloated.This trend is firmly in motion across the UK stock market with nine companies in the FTSE 100 either in the middle of shrink

Future (FUTR) £10.42Market cap: £1.17 billionDespite some recent economic jitters, we think the current valuation at media group Future (FUTR) undervalues the company's strengths as it gets stuck into its GAS (growth acceleration strategy).Based on consensus forecasts for 2025 the company trades on a price to earnings ratio of just 7.7 times. The current strategy hopes to deliver mid-single digi

In another sign of the UK market's recent rehabilitation, French media giant Vivendi (VIV:EPA) has announced it will list its Canal+ TV and film operation in London as part of a broader break-up of the business.The move may raise some eyebrows given the lack of any obvious ties between Canal+ and these shores. With the departure of Sky, its main listed counterparts will be ITV (ITV) and its cousin

European equities nursed heavy losses at the open on Thursday, as investors weighed a mixed bag of earnings and hefty losses in US markets.Still, the FTSE 100 index traded down 60.56 points, or 0.7%, at 8,093.13. The FTSE 250 was down 201.65 points, 1.0%, at 20,749.19, while the AIM All-Share fell 5.35 points, 0.7%, at 771.29.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.7% at 807.72, the Cboe UK 250 dropped 1.1% to

In the space of a decade there has been a dramatic shift from people watching linear TV to streaming shows through various platforms. In the US 99% of households pay for at least one streaming service with Netflix (NFLX:NASDAQ), Amazon's (AMZN:NASDAQ) Prime Video and Apple's (AAPL:NASDAQ) Apple TV being the most popular.Streaming has become part of peoples' everyday lives. According to US lifestyl

The UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament is likely to be one of the most-watched events of the year, on a par with the Olympic Games later this summer.According to broadcaster ITV (ITV), more than 10 million viewers tuned in to watch the opening match between Scotland and Germany, the highest peak audience of any opening to a major football tournament in a decade.The BBC reported the England vs Serb

Shares in ITV (ITV) have advanced nearly 30% over the past six months as the free-to-air broadcaster has found success with its on-demand streaming service ITVX.Total streaming hours were up 16% in the first quarter and digital advertising revenues grew by 14%.The company said ITVX's monthly active users 'continue to grow in line with expectations' and it remains on track to deliver at least £750

Group revenue down 7%Studios revenue down 16%Shares up 20% this yearShares in ITV (ITV) gained nearly 2% in morning trading despite the free-to-air broadcaster reporting a 7% fall in total revenue to £887 million for the three months to 31 March 2024.A ?sore point? for the free-to-air broadcaster came from ITV Studios which reported a 16% fall in total revenue to £382 million in the first quarte

London?s FTSE 100 extended its winning streak to four days on Wednesday, while the pound fell below the $1.25 mark before Thursday?s Bank of England decision.The FTSE 100 index closed up 40.38 points, 0.5%, at 8,354.05, once again a record close. The FTSE 250 ended up 78.91 points, 0.4%, at 20,491.99, and the AIM All-Share closed up 3.41 points, 0.4%, at 779.83.The Cboe UK 100 rose 0.4% at 833.82,