To date, a small, exclusive club of UK retailers have exceeded £1 billion in annual profits, a high street elite that includes Tesco (TSCO), Marks & Spencer (MKS) and Kingfisher (KGF). Some may view this £1 billion figure as merely symbolic, but breaching this barrier is no mean feat and demonstrates a retailer has a lasting place in consumers' affections and the scale to win in a competitive ma

Three tried and tested market principles were reinforced by the latest update from beleaguered energy services firm Wood Group (WG.).I have followed this business for nearly two decades and it's hard to remember a time when it was in a worse state than it is today.That's backed up by the share price which traded at all-time lows below 50p in response to the company's devastating missive on 7 Novem

The potential appointment of well-known vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jnr to the Trump cabinet in the role of head of the Department of Health and Human Services sent shivers through pharmaceutical companies on 14 November, with shares falling around 7% on average on both sides of the Atlantic.Kennedy has previously cast doubts on the Covid-19 vaccine, describing it as 'the deadliest vaccine ev

International Biotechnology Trust (IBT) 716pMarket cap: £263.2 millionWarren Buffett tells investors to be greedy when others are fearful and take advantage of depressed prices. That in a nutshell is the investment proposition for International Biotechnology Trust (IBT), which sits on an 11% discount to NAV (net asset value).The discount is not quite as extreme as it was when we highlighted the t

Stocks in London edged lower on Friday, while equities in New York dropped in early trade following some hawkish comments from the chair of the US Federal Reserve.The FTSE 100 index lost 7.58 points, 0.1%, at 8,063.61. The FTSE 250 declined 46.17 points, 0.2%, at 20,476.64, and the AIM All-Share gave back 2.24 points, 0.3%, at 727.14.For the week, the FTSE 100 slipped 0.1%, the FTSE 250 declined 0

Shares in London posted modest gains around midday on Friday despite weaker-than-expected third quarter economic growth figures.In the third quarter, UK GDP edged up 0.1%, missing the 0.2% consensus, and slowing from 0.5% seen between April and June, according to the Office for National Statistics.Industrial production also missed forecasts and the trade deficit widened, although construction outp

The US stock market is the biggest in the world and the listing domain of globally-renowned companies including Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ), Nvidia (NVDA:NASDAQ) and Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ), which makes the market an extremely attractive proposition for UK-based investors. The US equity market's sheer size means it is highly liquid and offers investors greater scope for diversification than other regional ma

Markets closed lower in London on Thursday as analysts warned the UK budget set out by Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Wednesday may have 'materially changed the inflationary path,' making a Bank of England rate cut unlikely.The FTSE 100 index closed down 49.53 points, or 0.6%, at 8,110.10. The FTSE 250 ended down 305.16 points, or 1.5%, at 20,388.96, and the AIM All-Share closed down 1.0%, or 7.42 po

European stocks were down heading into Thursday afternoon, as post-budget trade in the UK was characterised by stretching bond yields and largely weaker equities.The prospect of higher for longer UK interest rates as a result supported lenders, but hit retail and housebuilding shares.US stocks are called to open lower, in the aftermath of earnings from Meta and Microsoft, and ahead of US data in t

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

Stock prices in London were mixed just before the UK budget announcement by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, with the FTSE 100 lower and the FTSE 250 and AIM All-Share registering a minor gain.The FTSE 100 index traded down 42.68 points, 0.5%, at 8,176.93. The FTSE 250 was up just 3.96 points at 20,626.75, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.98 of a point, 0.1%, at 716.77.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.6% at 818.

Like-for-like quarterly sales downAll main categories disappointChina the main cause of weaknessParis-based LVMH (MC:EPA), the luxury group which includes fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Kenzo, Givenchy, Christian Dior and Bulgari, not to mention champagne brands Moet Hennessy and Veuve Clicquot, stunned the market with third-quarter revenue which missed estimates due to a slowdown in demand

Stock prices in London were in the red on Monday midday, ahead of a slew of inflationary prints coming this week, including consumer prices from the UK on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index was down 7.70 points, or 0.1%, at 8,245.95. The FTSE 250 was down 55.44 points, or 0.3%, at 20,709.49, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.74 points, or 0.1%, at 733.11.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 825.83, the Cboe

Stock prices rose on Monday morning in London despite reports of new restrictions on the UK gambling sector and disappointing data from China, ahead of US consumer inflation expectations.The FTSE 100 index opened up 5.62 points, or 0.1%, at 8,259.69. The FTSE 250 was up 8.14 points at 20,772.98, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.78 points, or 0.1%, at 734.63.The Cboe UK 100 was down slightly at 826.7

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

Stocks in London closed lower on Tuesday, as miners and financials slipped after a stimulus-driven rally in China ran out of steam.The FTSE 100 index closed down 113.01 points, 1.4%, to 8,190.61. The FTSE 250 ended down 222.01 points, 1.1%, at 20,631.20, and the AIM All-Share closed down 3.54 points, 0.5%, at 735.07.The Cboe UK 100 fell 1.3% to 820.18, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.0% at 18,108.31

Stocks in Europe were in the red on Tuesday midday, with FTSE 100 housebuilder Vistry shares diving amid a profit warning, while China's stimulus was perceived as too soft.The FTSE 100 index was down 97.08 points, 1.2%, at 8,206.54. The FTSE 250 was down 198.23 points, 1.0%, at 20,654.98, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.81 points, 0.5%, at 735.00.The Cboe UK 100 was down 1.1% at 821.97, the Cboe

European shares went into reverse early Tuesday, as the lack of new stimulus in China disappointed the market, while the story in London was Vistry, which slumped by a third after a profit warning.'Having persuaded a sceptical audience that it was managing the transition from mainstream to partnership housebuilder, and outperformed the sector by over 30% in the last twelve months, Vistry now has t

Stocks in London slipped into the red by the close on Thursday, as worries about escalations in the Middle East conflict sapped risk appetite.London's FTSE 100 was spared the steeper falls seen by its European equivalents, however. This was thanks to some dovish comments from the Bank of England, strong results from Tesco, and the index's general defensive positioning.The FTSE 100 index closed dow

Dovish remarks from Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey helped to boost the FTSE 100's housebuilders on Thursday at midday, while grocers rose following a strong interim showing from Tesco.The FTSE 100 index was up 21.96, 0.3%, at 8,312.82. The FTSE 250 was down 18.71 points, 0.1%, at 20,765.07, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.26 of a point at 734.04.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 831.77, the