Promising UK data pushed the pound back above the $1.24 mark on Friday, putting pressure on the FTSE 100 and ensuring London's blue-chip index failed to replicate the more confident trade seen in mainland Europe.The FTSE 100 index was down 29.04 points, 0.3%, at 8,536.16. The FTSE 250 was up 56.83 points, 0.3%, at 20,577.22, and the AIM All-Share was down 2.45 points, 0.3%, at 718.41.The Cboe UK 1

Q3 sales better-than-fearedTurnaround strategy showing promiseFull-year 2025 guidance upgradedBritish luxury fashion house Burberry (BRBY) topped the FTSE 250 on 24 January, its shares rallying 16% to £12.41 after the footwear-to-leather accessories designer delivered a far better-than-feared drop in third quarter sales.This performance stoked optimism that new chief executive Joshua Schulman's '

Rail infrastructure division disappointsDelays to National Rail spending blamedAnalysts cut full-year forecasts by 9%In an unscheduled trading update ahead of its AGM on Monday 27 January, infrastructure and engineering services group Renew Holdings (RNWH:AIM) revealed full-year trading would be below expectations due to 'challenges' in its rail division.The shares, which have been steady performe

The week may have started quietly with markets closed for Martin Luther King Day on Monday (20 Jan) and the inauguration of President Trump, but the calm didn't last.Stocks took off with gains across the board, with all the main indices up around 3% and the S&P 500 notching up a new all-time high.Markets were buoyed by Trump's measured approach to trade tariffs and became positively ecstatic when

Company warns on revenue shortfallFootball franchise weaknessDragon Age 50% below expectationsElectronic Arts (EA:NASDAQ) plummeted 15% in after-hours trading after the video game publisher slashed full year bookings guidance due to a surprise slowdown its EA Sports FC franchise in the fiscal third quarter.If the drop holds, the shares are expected to open at around $120, wiping nearly $4 billion

Stock prices in London were mostly lower at midday on Thursday, ahead of US jobless figures, while the European Central Bank's next rate call due next Thursday is getting closer.'The FTSE 100's strong start to 2025 is starting to lose some momentum,' commented AJ Bell's Russ Mould, adding: 'In London, retailers were on the back foot with some recent measures of UK consumer confidence suggesting th

UK like-for-likes down in Christmas quarter'Cautious' shopper, mild weather blamedGrocery brands growing overseasFoods-to-fashion giant Associated British Foods (ABF) delivered a disappointing first quarter trading update with weak UK sales at Primark driving a sales growth guidance reduction for the retail jewel in the conglomerate's crown.Analysts downgraded their group profit forecasts on news

There was no cause for celebration last week when gift card and wrapping paper maker IG Design (IGR:AIM) warned its full-year results would be 'significantly below' market forecasts due to problems with its Americas division.On the day (17 January), the shares crashed 83p or 58% and they continue to move lower due to third-quarter trading which was negatively impacted by 'challenging retail condit

AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign is designed to help every woman feel good investing, whatever their age.We've put together a series of articles which breaks down some of the financial pressures you are likely to face as you step into the different decades of your life and provide you with some tools to help you navigate that journey.This article focuses in on your 30s, and thinking back, for me,

The market is alive with chatter about a mega-merger in the mining space after the revelation of a failed coupling between Rio Tinto (RIO) and Glencore (GLEN). That's understandable for several reasons, but recent history shows flirtations between corporate giants often go unconsummated.Having covered the oil and gas sector for nearly 20 years, I have seen the topic of a combination between

In just the first 20 days of 2025 the FTSE 100 index of blue-chip stocks has equaled its gains for the entirety of 2024, in the process closing at an all-time high of 8,505 points on 17 January.A better-than-expected inflation report for December together with weaker-than-expected retail sales for the same month appeared to open the door to faster Bank of England rate cuts, pushing the index to it

As we predicted a fortnight ago, US banks enjoyed strong revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2024 helped by elevated levels of trading in stocks and bonds as well as higher investment banking fees as companies took advantage of low borrowing costs and buoyant stock markets to raise fresh capital.Given the sharp rise in the KBW Nasdaq Bank index over the last year, and gains of around 50% for b

Vistry Group (VTY) 588pMarket cap: £1.95 billionWe have held off from recommending any of the housebuilders over the last year as despite plenty of attractive valuations it was clear the whole sector was in a downgrade cycle.That cycle now seems to be over, for Vistry (VTY) at least. The company was forced to warn on profits three times in quick succession last quarter, including one announcement

Quantum computing has been setting the investment world on fire in recent months, and late last year, a handful of specialist stocks hit escape velocity.Between mid-November and the start of January, companies like Rigetti Computing (RGTI:NASDAQ) and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS:NYSE), two of the most traded stocks among AJ Bell platform users, saw their share prices surge 1,400% and 600% respectively.Hea

The US and China are at loggerheads, philosophically, politically and economically ? though thankfully not in military terms ? and the contrast between how the two are perceived by financial markets could hardly be greater. Stock markets offer part of the story, as America's headline indices sit at or near to all-time highs, while the Shanghai Composite equity benchmark languishes where it did bac

CT Private Equity Trust (CTPE) 482pMarket cap: £348.2 millionDiscount to NAV: 28.6%Companies are staying private for longer, yet retail investors struggle to access the rapid earnings growth on offer in the unlisted space, which is where private equity trusts play a vital role.Private equity has a role as part of a well-diversified portfolio, since it has outperformed other major asset classes ov

With most of the big names in the retail sector having reported we can get a decent picture of how the sector fared in the run-up to and during the festive period. A weak trading backdrop for non-food retail in October and November, before Santa delivered a return to growth in December, a month that also witnessed a notable shift to online sales according to the latest data (17 January) from The O

Currys (CURY) 94.1pGain to date: 56.7%After the takeover saga around Currys came to a close in 2024 we flagged that the electronics retailer was too cheap and had recovery potential.WHAT'S HAPPENED SINCE WE SAID TO BUY?Our hypothesis has proved sound, the shares making substantial progress supported by consistently strong trading, with the latest example occurring over Christmas, allowing Currys t

Mega cap tech earnings will kick-off next week and cloud computing growth, AI applications, profit margins and regulations will be key pointers. Big tech has been crucial in driving US markets higher in recent years and so setting a positive tone for the year ahead will be crucial.The so-called 'Magnificent Seven' stocks ? Alphabet (GOOG:NASDAQ), Amazon (AMZN:NASDAQ), Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ), Meta Pla

The FTSE 100 fell slightly on Wednesday, as international earners put pressure on the index and as easyJet sank on a 'woolly' update.The FTSE 100 index fell just 3.16 points at 8,545.13. The FTSE 250 lost 15.43 points, 0.1%, at 20,580.30, and the AIM All-Share ended up 1.89 points, 0.3%, at 721.00.The Cboe UK 100 lost 0.1% at 856.60, the Cboe UK 250 fell 0.2% at 17,962.96, and the Cboe Small Compa