Indices in London closed higher on Monday as the market reacted favourably to President-elect Trump's choice of Scott Bessent to head the US Treasury, although oil majors suffered amid falling brent prices.AJ Bell's Russ Mould said Bessent is perceived as being a relatively 'conventional and safe pair of hands candidate'.'Importantly, Bessent is seen as being less aggressive on tariffs than some o

London's stocks were mostly higher at Friday midday amid gloomy economic data which could boost expectations for interest rate cuts.The FTSE 100 index rose 52.48 points, 0.6%, at 8,201.52. The FTSE 250 climbed 170.72 points, 0.8%, at 20,520.41, and the AIM All-Share gained 4.33 points, 0.6%, at 730.07.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.6% at 824.79, the Cboe UK 250 was up 1.1% at 17,998.02, and the Cboe Sma

Equities in Europe ended higher on Thursday, overcoming some earlier uncertain trade, as comments from a US official calmed some geopolitical worries which kept a lid on investor enthusiasm.Nonetheless, Brent remained above the $73 mark, supporting oil majors.Moscow's ambassador in London said Thursday Britain was 'now directly involved' in Russia's war with Ukraine, following reports Kyiv had fir

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

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

If it seems as though each week brings news of yet another takeover offer for a UK firm, the actual figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) are quite mind-boggling.Aside from the number of listed companies being bought, either by 'inward' investors or domestic buyers, hundreds of privately-owned firms are being snapped up every quarter.If you are in a position where a company you own

A year after fast-fashion sensation Shein was first thought to have filed registration papers for a UK IPO, reports suggest the company is targeting the first quarter of 2025 for a London float that could value the business at £50 billion.Shein's position as a fast-growing retailer expanding across multiple geographies and taking market share from established players ? it is no coincidence that t

SDI (SDI:AIM) 58pMarket cap: £60.6 millionThe past couple of years have seen many a growth grenade tossed at SDI (SDI:AIM) yet the company has stuck to its largely successful knitting and we expect its fortunes to significantly improve through 2025. A casual glance at the share price chart might put a quick end to investors' research into this small cap business, but that's a mistake, in our view

Stocks in London were mixed at Wednesday midday, as investors digested a hotter-than-expected consumer price growth reading in the UK, while focus across the Atlantic turns to Nvidia's earnings.The FTSE 100 index climbed just 3.66 points at 8,102.68. The FTSE 250 fell 59.75 points, 0.3%, at 20,367.87, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.04 points, 0.1%, at 725.27.The Cboe UK 100 was flat at 814.74, the

26% rise in NGP net revenue4.5% rise in full-year dividendTotal return 45% year-to-dateShares in Imperial Brands (IMB) climbed 2% to £24.48 in morning trading as the multi-national tobacco company reported a robust set of full-year results despite a big push by governments to curb the number of people smoking and vaping.The FTSE 100 company, which owns several tobacco brands including Davidoff, W

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

Group revenue rises 3.7%New UK import centre for 2026France revenue grows 6.8%Shares in B&M European Value (BME) gained over 3% to 392p in morning trading as the low-priced variety goods retailer said group revenue for the 26 weeks to 28 September increased by 3.7% to £2.64 billion.The increase was driven by UK sales growth, which improved across the first half of the year by 6% against 1.5% in t

Surprisingly, one of the most talked-about US stocks of 2024 has nothing to do with AI (artificial intelligence), chips, gold or cryptocurrencies.It is a small tele-health company based in San Francisco called Hims & Hers Health (HIMS:NYSE), which provides prescription and over-the-counter medicines as well as personal care products through its online platform.When we say small, its market cap is

The result of the US presidential election has created shockwaves in the financial markets and beyond and I'm sure raised questions about your own portfolios.That's understandable and arguably this was among the more consequential elections of recent times. However, the occupant of the White House has historically made little difference to the long-term returns available from the financial markets

Bloomsbury (BMY) 700pMarket cap: £571 million Publishing group Bloomsbury (BMY) is a pandemic winner which has kept on winning since Covid.Lockdown saw people rediscover their love of reading, and the company has tapped into and exploited through successful marketing some popular trends in fiction which have helped drive a big increase in returns.That has meant Bloomsbury's return on capital empl

Now we have had the Budget, I think this may alter my retirement planning strategy. The significant IHT (inheritance tax) pensions advantage has now gone (or will within two years). I am 74, have around £1.5 million in SIPPs largely untouched. I have fixed protection 2014, and my tax-free cash limit is £375,000 less £25,000 taken in 2024.In view of IHT advantages of pension (until the Budget) I

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

Year-to-date IAG shares up 48%New €350 million share buyback15.4% increase in operating profit to €2.01 billionShares in International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) took off this morning after the British Airways owner booked a 7.9% increase in total revenue to €24.05 billion for the nine months to 30 September.The airline group which also owns Iberia, Aer Lingus and Vueling said its

US indices hit more new highs this week after Donald Trump was declared the winner of the race to become the next US president.As well as tech stocks, which rallied on the belief a Trump administration would be less likely to impose strict regulations on the sector, energy companies and financial stocks registered strong gains.Trump's mantra of 'drill baby, drill' implies he favours increasing US