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

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

Only a few more sleeps before we find out how Cranswick (CWK) fared over the seasonally-important Christmas period, with the UK food producer prepping its third-quarter trading statement for release on 21 January.Shares believes the update could stoke another round of forecast upgrades, since Cranswick continues to profit from its strong relationships and scale with the current winners in UK groce

Fourth-quarter retail revenue up 17.5%Average basket value up by 1% to £122.09Shares gain 9% to 296pShares in Ocado (OCDO) gained as much as 10% in early trading after the company said fourth-quarter retail revenue grew by 17.5% to £715.8 million.Ocado retail is a joint venture between Ocado group and Marks & Spencer (MKS).The online grocery retailer was reporting a trading statement for the 13

Key UK retailers ended Thursday firmly in the red but calmer bond markets and rising commodity prices helped keep blue-chip stocks in the green.The FTSE 100 index ended up 68.66 points, 0.8%, at 8,319.69. The FTSE 250 climbed 52.90 points, 0.3%, at 20,005.14, bouncing from an intra-day low of 19,733.12. The AIM All-Share ended down 0.15 of a point, 0.1%, at 719.96.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.8% at

London's blue-chips were higher around midday on Thursday, but fresh falls in the pound and bond market angst kept domestically-focused stocks on the back foot.The FTSE 100 index was up 46.80 points, 0.6%, at 8,297.83. The FTSE 250 was down 95.22 points, 0.5%, at 19,857.02, and the AIM All-Share lost 0.68 of a point, 0.1%, at 719.43.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 830.81, the Cboe UK 250 lost 0.5%

Like-for-like food sales up 8.9%Market share gains in clothingCautious outlook prompts profit-takingRetail bellwether Marks & Spencer (MKS) delivered 'another good Christmas' with sales records broken across the business as it gained market share in both food and clothing.However, shares in the high street stalwart fell 5% to 358p as third quarter clothing, home and beauty came in light of expecta

Ocado still the number one shortRetailers in general unlovedEnergy services stocks drilledShort-selling, or borrowing shares to sell in the hope of buying them back at a lower price, is not something most retail investors have the nerve or the skill-set to pull off as it requires a certain mindset and a willingness to tolerate heavy losses on occasion until your bets come right.For the pros, howev

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

Retail and hospitality companies have slammed the UK government's Budget as a raid on corporate coffers that will heap extra costs on already hard-pressed sectors, with Labour's 6.7% increase in the National Living Wage and uplift in employers' national insurance contributions (NICs) forecast to lead to job cuts and price hikes.Chancellor Rachel Reeves' lowering of the employers' NIC threshold to

Half year pre-tax profit up 4.7%Tasty grocery performanceArgos sales disappointFirst half sales and profits rose at Sainsbury's (SBRY) as the UK's second biggest supermarket continued to secure market share gains in groceries, making up for a soft first quarter at Argos and in general merchandise.CEO Simon Roberts insisted Sainsbury's core food business is 'making the biggest market share gains in

Profits up 17.2%Tasty growth in foodInternational sales down 10.3%Marks & Spencer (MKS) reported a forecast-beating jump in half-year profits as the retail bellwether's turnaround continues to gain traction, sending shares in the FTSE 100 company up 8% to a five-year high of 414p.With its dependable food and revitalised clothing and home divisions both gobbling up market share and Marks & Spencer'

Marks & Spencer's (MKS) stock is up the best part of 80% over one year and has rallied 40% year-to-date, driven by positive momentum in both food and clothing and a recent return to the dividend trail which has attracted income seekers.This suggests the British retail institution will need to deliver a positive outlook and/or another profit upgrade alongside its first-half results (6 November) if

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) sells £306 million sharesSainsbury's shares fall nearly 5%Year-to-date Sainsbury's shares are down 7%Sainsbury's (SBRY) shares fell nearly 5% to 275p after the supermarket group said its biggest shareholder, the QIA (Qatar Investment Authority), had sold £306 million worth of shares at 280p each, a discount of around 3% to the prior closing price.Prior to the sal

Acquisition accretive to earningsShares placed at a discountSmaller REITs struggle to surviveThe divergence in fortunes between large listed commercial property companies and some of the smaller players was thrown into relief today with the announcement by British Land (BLND) it had raised capital for a large retail acquisition on the same day two small REITs (real estate investment trusts) reveal

Ocado Retail revenue up 15.5% to £658 millionUK's fastest growing grower for seven months in a rowAverage basket value was broadly flat at £120.97Shares in Ocado (OCDO) were up more than 7% to 375p in morning trading as the company raised 2024 revenue guidance for its Ocado Retail joint venture with Marks & Spencer (MKS) to low double-digit growth following a strong performance in the first thre

You might not think online grocery retailer Ocado (OCDO), luxury goods group Burberry (BRBY) and UK water utility giant Pennon (PNN) have much in common. However, they are all among the most shorted stocks according to data from the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) daily short position report which you can find on the published on the ShortTracker website.WHAT IS SHORT SELLING?Short selling also

On 17 July, Sir Keir Starmer's new Labour government announced its plans for the first year of the new parliament, with growth and wealth creation the priority.King Charles' speech at the State Opening of Parliament included a total of 39 bills under a new legislative agenda which includes speeding up the delivery of 'high-quality infrastructure and housing' and nationalising railway operators.Sta

Gloomy start to summer spendingJune volumes worse than fearedPoor showing from weather-sensitive categoriesRetail sales fell in June as colder-than-average weather conditions and election uncertainty dampened consumer spending, with sales across department stores and clothing categories faring especially poorly.Last month's disappointing sales decline came despite hopes of a boost from above-infla

According to the ONS (Office for National Statistics), retail sales volumes were much stronger than expected in May, following a wet April, in news which will be welcomed by the sector's long-suffering constituents.!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrap