The US market lost its recent momentum in a big way this past week as shares collapsed on the 18 December with the S&P 500 enduring its worst day since 2001.The trigger for the sell-off was a hawkish tone from the US Federal Reserve even as it announced its latest interest rate cut.With officials signaling growing concern over the threat posed by inflation, the market moved quickly to reset bets o

Airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) is an example of why treating your customers well is not just a good ethical position to adopt but also makes excellent business sense.The company recently won European Airline of the Year and scores highly on review platforms TripAdvisor and Trustpilot and its excellence in this area, including during Covid when it stood out compared with seve

Blue-chips in London traded in the green around midday on Thursday, as the escalating conflict in Ukraine pushed oil and gold prices higher.The FTSE 100 index added 25.97 points, 0.3%, at 8,111.04. The FTSE 250 lost 45.77 points, 0.2%, at 20,198.99, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.00 points, 0.3%, at 724.34.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.3% at 815.30, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.2% at 17,701.10, and the Cbo

Revenue up 15% to £5.08 billionWinter 2024/2025 on sale seat capacity 14% higherShares up 31% over the past yearShares in Jet2 (JET2:AIM) were up nearly 5% to £14.94 in morning trading as the airline and package holidays provider reported record revenue, profit and passenger numbers for the first half year ending 30 September and said it expected the full year to be ahead of market expectations.

European equities were mostly in the red on Thursday morning amid a threat of higher for longer interest rates, following a lofty UK inflation reading and a caution against turbocharged US easing from a Federal Reserve official.The FTSE 100 index added just 0.40 of a point at 8,085.47. The FTSE 250 lost just 7.21 points at 20,237.55, and the AIM All-Share rose 3.18 points, 0.4%, at 725.52.The Cboe

There is a lot to be said for being boring, especially when markets are volatile, and no firm quite captures that essence like FTSE 100 specialist distribution group Diploma (DPLM), whose shares have already sailed serenely to half a dozen all-time highs so far this year.Diploma operates a decentralised model with three divisions: Controls, which supplies components including specialised wiring, S

Stock prices in London were mixed at midday Wednesday, amid cautious optimism from the UK housebuilding sector, as eyes are set on upcoming US consumer price inflation data.'US inflation figures will be closely watched this afternoon, with expectations for the cost of living to have edged higher,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould. 'The consensus is for the annual rate of inflation to move from 2.4%

Equities in London ended lower on Friday, with miners and other China-exposed stocks hurting the FTSE 100, though a reassuring update from the British Airways parent lifted travel shares.Broker cuts hurt Greggs and Mitchells & Butler, while investors fretted for Vistry again after the housebuilder warned on profit.The FTSE 100 index fell 68.35 points, 0.8%, at 8,072.39, fading 1.3% this week. The

Shares ended mixed in London on Wednesday as the UK government delivered its long-awaited tax plan, which though a 'difficult choice,' was largely in line with investor expectations.The FTSE 100 index closed down 59.98 points, or 0.7%, at 8,159.63. The FTSE 250 ended up 71.33 points, or 0.4%, at 20,694.12, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.0%, or 28.82 points, at 744.61.The Cboe UK 100 ended down

Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more sizeabl

Jet2 founder Meeson sells five million sharesMajor Costain shareholder sells upWeir director snaps up £60,277 sharesPhilip Meeson, founder and largest shareholder of airline and package holidays provider Jet2 (JET2:AIM) has sold five million shares to a limited number of institutional investors on 11 September, representing approximately 2.3% of the issued ordinary share capital in the company.Th

Summer 2024 on sale seat capacity up 12.4%Booked-to-date holiday customers up 8%Shares up 41% over the past yearShares in Jet2 (JET2:AIM) flew 1.6% higher to £14.78 as the market responded positively to the airline and package holidays provider's strong late booking momentum in July and August which helped lift on sale seat capacity for summer 2024 to 17.17 million seats, up 12.4% from last summe

Entain (ENT) 630.4pMarket Cap: £4.13 billionInvesting in the gambling sector may not be everybody's cup of tea but we believe embattled sports betting and gambling firm Entain (ENT) has become so unloved and neglected that the upside potential now comfortably outweighs the downside risks. With several activist investors on the share register pushing for change, rumours of private equity interes

Aeronautical engineer Rolls-Royce (RR.) is not going to be caught up in a new crisis after airline Cathay Pacific (0293:HKG) found a fault with the engines used 'on its fleet of Airbus (AIR:EPA) A350 jets.This was the prevailing mood among investors and analysts as the dust settled on a late afternoon trading session on 2 September following reports that a Rolls-Royce component failure led Cathay

Investors will be keen to discover if insurer Direct Line Insurance (DLG) has continued its positive start to the year when it reports first-half results on 4 September after a tumultuous 12 months.The business delivered a strong first quarter, with double-digit written premium growth in Motor, Home and Commercial businesses and overall growth of 15% for ongoing operations.Chief executive Adam Win

Dividend resumedTotal revenue €14.72 billionIAG shares up 8% year-to-dateShares in International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) rose over 6% in morning trading to 169p as the British Airways owner said strong demand for travel helped lift its results in the six months to 30 June 2024.Total revenue increased 8% to €14.72 billion compared to €13.58 billion in the same year ago period.

The FTSE 100 closed in the red on Thursday, but outperformed its European peers, after the Bank of England cut interest rates for the first time in over four years.The FTSE 100 index closed down 84.62 points, 1.0%, at 8,283.36. The FTSE 250 ended down 141.48 points, 0.7%, at 21,459.23, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.94 points, 0.5%, at 783.08.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 1.0% at 826.39, the Cbo

Markets in London edged higher on Thursday around midday, after news that the Bank of England has cut interest rates for the first time in over four years.Against the dollar, the pound slipped to $1.2768 early on Thursday afternoon in London, from $1.2844 at the London equities close on Wednesday. Sterling traded as low as $1.2755 earlier on Thursday, its weakest level in around a month.The FTSE 1

Shares in embattled Ladbrokes and Coral owner Entain (ENT) plunged by almost a tenth on Monday (29 July), plumbing new four-year lows after the gambling giant's US joint-venture partner BetMGM said it expected to deploy 'greater than expected' marketing in iGaming the back half of the year.This means the business, currently the third-largest US gambling company by revenue, is now expected to post

First-half losses increaseKeeps full-year turnover target€150 million share buybackShares in Just Eat Takeaway.com (JET) were off to a flying start in morning trading gaining 10% from a multi-year low to £10.04 despite the food delivery business posting a slight dip in first-half sales and a bigger loss.Investors were encouraged instead by the firm sticking to its full-year turnover target a