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

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

Stock prices in London opened higher on Monday morning, ahead of the US presidential election on Tuesday and the Bank of England's interest rate decision on Thursday.'Markets are seemingly scaling back some Trump trades,' commented ING analysts, 'and we suspect the next two days can see some abnormal swings in USD crosses due to tighter volatility conditions ahead of a closely contested and highly

Burberry (BRBY) 719pLoss to date: 44.3%It's never easy confronting a big loss, but we have to admit we were too early in calling the turn at mono-brand fashion firm Burberry (BRBY).We said at the time there was risk involved given the company had issued two profit warnings, which tend not to be isolated events, but we felt with the shares having halved in the 12 months to February there wasn't muc

Shares in luxury goods group Burberry (BRBY) slumped more than 15% to 747p, their lowest level in more than a decade, after the firm warned it could make a first-half operating loss if weakness in its core markets persisted.In its first-quarter trading update covering the three months to the end of June, the company said its performance had been disappointing due to a luxury market which is provin

As the share price uptrend shows, investors are regaining an appetite for US-listed Kraft Heinz, the branded food and beverage behemoth where legendary investor Warren Buffett holds considerable sway.Yet the $46.3 billion cap remains modestly valued for a global consumer staples giant due to worries over debt levels and the post-pandemic earnings outlook. Next debt is forecast to be $25.56 billion

London shares show sharp losses in early trade on Wednesday as investors fret over upcoming inflation figures in the US and the Federal Reserve's policy meeting minutes, due later today. Much like here in the UK, consumer prices in the US are being squeezed hard with limited real growth, signals which may have policymakers thinking twice about upping the interest rate ante too soon.The FTSE 10 ind

New leadership, a new asset and a concerted effort to finally tell investors about its strategy are reasons to look at Kalimantan Gold (KLG:AIM) at 1.2p, soon to be renamed Asiamet Resources.The company has historically failed to engage with investors and suffered at the hands of strategic partners who controlled the pace of newsflow. Now that has finally changed, we see stronger prospects for the

Eagle Eye (EYE:AIM) 165pAIM is littered with strugglers chasing the mobile commerce dream but Eagle Eye is off to a decent start. SMS marketing and vouchers space has potential, but this is also high-risk territory.Earthport (EPO:AIM) 45.25pNew management is key to ending years of failure and cash calls. Making rapid progress to promised global platform for medium-sized cross-border payments goal.

Don't get carried away by momentum at insurance broker and financial adviser Jelf (JLF:AIM). Celebrating its tenth year on AIM, its shares are up 52% year-to-date and the Chipping Sodbury-based outfit has just unveiled record full-year results and a £10 million deal to buy Beaumonts Insurance. We believe all the goods news is now in the price and reckon the shares will struggle to go much furthe

A sharp decline for Japan's economy and poor data from China and Germany leave investors cautious in early trade on Monday, with UK stocks starting the week on the back foot. London's FTSE 100 index is trading nearly 0.6% off at 6,698 early on after closing out last week at 6,742.84, its highest finish since 21 November.Stock broker Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) and retailer Marks & Spencer (MKS) are

Year-to-date, Food Producers occupies a lowly twenty-ninth spot in the FTSE All-Share sector rankings. Rising investor appetite for risk leaves the makers and suppliers of one of life's key essentials comparatively relatively out of favour. While food remains a non-discretionary item of expenditure, food producers are finding the going tough as consumer spending remains under pressure and frugal s

Fast moving consumer goods powerhouse Unilever (ULVR) has taken a backwards step after a second quarter (Q2) sales miss, the shares down 1.9% to £26.66. Yet investment behind its brands and enviable pricing power is helping the PG Tips tea-to-Hellmann's mayonnaise maker navigate slowing emerging markets and sluggish developed economies with aplomb.The £34.9 billion cap foods-to-personal care pro

One of the endless fascinations of the financial markets is whether you should go with or against the consensus and follow the crowd or try to get ahead of it. Some of you may have heard of the famous Jelly Bean study from MIT, which has been published by many reputable sources including the New York Times and the BBC. For those of you who are not familiar, here is a brief summary:'Give a jar full

The declaration of maiden dividends can have a significant impact on a company's share price. It is one of the strongest signals the business is in great shape and financially healthy while management has confidence in future trading.After a thorough analysis of the market and the minefield of broker research, Shares believes a select band of firms are poised to impress this year with their first

'Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my revolver,' quipped Hermann Goering. The former head of the Luftwaffe was referring to the performing arts and made no bones of his ignorance. But investors overlook the importance of the vexed issue of culture in a corporate sense at their peril, particularly as so much of this intangible but vital element of a firm's success comes from the very to