Prime minister Keir Starmer and chancellor Rachel Reeves have made no bones about making 'painful' decisions in order to stabilise public finances and grow the economy, so investors are right to be nervous over what might be included in the Labour party's first Budget since 2009 at the end of this month.Top of the list of investor concerns is that rather than raising income tax, national insurance

This is the second article in our mini-series covering portfolio construction. It is focused on how to manage and maintain a portfolio.Once a balanced portfolio has been constructed and is up and running, for some investors, there may be a temptation to tinker.It is therefore worth reiterating what we said at the outset, that investing is a marathon and not a sprint. What is most important is to m

Stocks in London managed to shake off a tepid response to Nvidia's earnings across the pond on Thursday, with the positive sentiment also seen elsewhere in Europe.The FTSE 100 index closed up 35.79 points, or 0.4%, at 8,379.64. The FTSE 250 fell 35.79 points, or 0.2%, at 21,031.08, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.19 points, or 0.3%, at 772.49.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.5% at 837.89, the Cboe UK 250 f

Stock markets across the globe have just emerged from a short, sharp shock, with the sell-off on 5 August one of the worst days in years as investors mull the frightening thought that the US economy is slowing and could be sent spinning into recession.Combined with the impact of the unwinding in the yen 'carry trade' discussed in this explainer and some stretched valuations and you had the recipe

Equities in Europe rose on Friday, with the growing conviction that the Federal Reserve will cut rates soon lifting the mood, and not even hotter US data and some mixed bank earnings denting enthusiasm.The FTSE 100 index rose 29.57 points, 0.4%, at 8,252.91. The FTSE 250 added 13.98 points, 0.1%, at 21,202.89, and the AIM All-Share closed up 4.64 points, 0.6%, at 786.17.The FTSE 100 made a weekly

It can seem daunting to know where to start when making a first investment which may deter some people from starting at all. This would be a mistake because the sooner a start is made, the longer an investment is allowed to mature and provide capital gains and dividends.Waiting just a few years can reduce the potential saving pot over the long term. For example, assuming an investment of £100 a m

Lowest profit margins in four years predictedElectric vehicle maker appears to have ditched its low-cost model plansStock has fallen 42% this yearMega tech earnings kick-off this week with Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) set to get the ball rolling after the market close Tuesday (23 Apr), and the results and commentary are likely to be bleak.The electric vehicle giant earlier this month reported an 8.5% decli

Private equity firm hoping for valuation up to ?16 billionGoing public would allow firm to expand and diversify modelAmsterdam market picked over New York and LondonPrivate capital investment firm CVC Capital Partners hopes to get an IPO (initial public offering) away at the third attempt later this month.The London-based buyout giant, which owns stakes in Liptons Tea, upmarket watch maker Breitli

This year, Apple (AAPL:NASDAQ) shares have fallen nearly 9%. If that doesn?t sound like a big deal, consider that for the world?s second most valuable company it means the loss of something like $230 billion. That?s the equivalent of an entire PepsiCo (PEP:NASDAQ), or Shell (SHEL) ? the UK?s current largest company ? plus a British American Tobacco (BATS) thrown in.On a one-year view, the stock ha

The prospect of a new British ISA has put the spotlight on the UK market. Some investors will not feel comfortable picking individual shares and an alternative is to look at actively managed funds and investment trusts. Here are some tips on putting together a UK-focused portfolio. WHICH FUNDS AND TRUSTS WILL QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION IN THE BRITISH ISA? The rules for which investments can qualify for

The UK FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) is falling into line with other financial regulators and softening its stance on investing in digital currencies as bitcoin hits a record high.From April 2024, issuers will be able to list exchange traded products linked to Bitcoin and Ethereum coins on the London Stock Exchange.The FCA banned crypto-related derivatives in 2021 on concerns over the amount o

For anyone who owns a FTSE 100, FTSE 250 or FTSE All-Share tracker fund or ETF, there are one or two changes next week as a result of the latest quarterly index review.Investors in these securities don?t need to do anything themselves as the underlying indices ? compiled by FTSE Russell, part of London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) ? will automatically implement the changes from the start of trading

Revenue lifted by data and analyticsIPO pipeline ?promising? says CEOShares drift to three-month lowGlobal financial and information firm London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) failed to set investors? pulses racing with its preliminary full-year results which showed revenues rising but profits falling.The shares slid 224p or 2.5% to £86.88, their lowest level of the year so far. DISAPPOINTING

Stock prices in London were mostly in the green on Thursday morning following a slew of earnings releases, ahead of a key US inflation reading.The FTSE 100 index opened up 19.31 points, 0.3%, at 7,644.29. The FTSE 250 was up 53.29 points, 0.3%, at 19,066.87, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.68 of a point, 0.1%, at 737.36.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 766.62, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.3% at 16,429.

By his own admission, Nick Train, manager of Finsbury Growth & Income (FGT), isn?t one for nostalgia, whether that is reflecting on past glories or the ?melancholy fact? as he puts it that the popular investment trust has underperformed the FTSE All-Share index for the last three years.Moving into 2024, the trust has again lagged the benchmark with a share price return of -1.9% in January against

London?s FTSE 100 underperformed European peers on Thursday, as traders digested events in a stacked corporate calendar that included expectation beats, misses and M&A impetus.In New York, the S&P 500 was in focus, with the 5,000 point mark in its sights. It was lower in early afternoon dealings, however.The FTSE 100 index fell 33.27 points, 0.4%, at 7,595.48. The FTSE 250 closed well off session

With its shares trading close to all-time highs at $173, there is a lot riding on this week?s fourth-quarter earnings update from JPMorgan Chase (JPM:NYSE).Over the past year, the Jamie Dimon-led bank has seen profits lifted by the acquisition of First Republic and by an influx of customers who have flocked to the larger established banks following the crisis in small regional lenders.On top of it

UK housebuilders Persimmon (PSN) and Taylor Wimpey (TW.) have been on quite a run of late with shares in both jumping around 40% over the last two months.A shift in interest-rate expectations since the middle of November has had a positive effect on mortgage costs, while house prices have perked up after months of decline which has combined to give the downtrodden sector a much-needed boost.Both f

Full year outlook loweredUPS declines on negative read-acrossWarning spells bad news for US economyShares in FedEx (FDX:NYSE) fell nearly 10% in after-hours trading on Wall Street after the air freight and delivery giant?s second quarter results missed expectations.Disappointing figures from FedEx also dragged down industry rival UPS (UPS:NYSE), which fell by nearly 3% on the negative read-across.

The FTSE 100 mustered a small gain, but large-cap peers in Europe returned all of their progress in afternoon dealings.The mood in Europe turned cautious as the hours until the Federal Reserve?s final decision of the year ticked away.?Markets are waiting with bated breath for the US Federal Reserve?s latest interest rate decision and, crucially, the message it sends about when future rate cuts are