Stocks in London were higher at midday Monday, as investors sighed relief from a weeks of ups and downs, ahead of unemployment data from the UK and key inflation data from the US.The FTSE 100 index was up 37.76 points, 0.5%, at 8,205.86. The FTSE 250 was up 55.52 points, 0.3%, at 20,680.70, and the AIM All-Share was up 1.82 points, 0.2%, at 768.06.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.4% at 819.96, the Cboe UK

Interim sales and EBITDA down 13%New-build and RMI demand lowerFive-year plan coming in NovemberBuilding products firm Marshalls (MSLH) was initially the worst-performing stock on the FTSE 250 after it released a downbeat six-month trading update showing a slump in both revenue and profits.After trading down as much as 18p or 5% early on, however, the shares recovered to sit just 3.5p or 1% lower

New-build and RMI markets weakNo sign of a recovery in 2024Final dividend cut by 42%After a 50% rally in its shares over the last six months or so, FTSE 250 building materials firm Marshalls (MSLH) delivered a disappointing set of results for 2023, cut its final dividend and warned 2024 wouldn?t be any better.The shares dropped 12% out of the gate to 256p but recovered marginally to trade down 10%

In this third part of our investor survey, we asked some of the UK?s leading fund managers which sectors or stocks they thought were the most promising for 2024.The responses were as varied as they were thought-provoking, with only a couple of managers singling out technology stocks.As before we would like to thank all those who took part for sharing their views, and we hope readers enjoy them. WH

For the second part of our annual survey, we asked fund managers if they had changed their view on any stocks this year, for better or for worse, and what lay behind their decisions.As with the winners and losers survey last week, the answers were often frank and once again we would like to thank everyone who took part.Thomas Moore - Aberdeen Equity Income Trust (AEI)THE STOCK THAT I CHANGED MY MI

Second half and full year to disappointWeak consumer confidence blamedFocus on Travis Perkins tomorrowBuilding materials group Marshalls (MSLH) delivered another bleak assessment of the UK market and warned its full-year results would be below previous expectations, sending its shares down as much as 10% to 248p. Shares in builders' merchant Travis Perkins (TPK), which is due to report inte

The UK's largest supplier of building materials, Travis Perkins (TPK) downgraded full year adjusted operating profit guidance by 12% on Friday flagging the negative impact of higher interest rates and weaker consumer confidence on its end-market.The shares made a new six-month low after falling 5% to 823p, taking them 20% below the highs in February when there was growing optimism the housing mark

- Weaker new-build and RMI markets blamed- Effects of mini-budget still being felt- Shares erase six months of gainsShareholders in building products maker Marshalls (MSLH) were brought down to earth with a bump after the firm posted disappointing sales for the year to date and warned full -year results would miss expectations.The shares dropped to the bottom of the FTSE 250 table, losing as much

The common factor across the latest trading updates from the big housebuilders is they are all forecasting fewer completions and land purchases this year.That could spell trouble for the various trades which support the new-build home industry, from legal services to building materials and equipment hire to fitted kitchens and bathrooms.With mortgage costs soaring after repeated interest rate incr

- Multi-cap trust underperforms due to small cap bias- Dividend cover restored- Cranswick and Marshalls among new purchasesJanus Henderson-managed Lowland (LWI) underperformed the FTSE All-Share in the year to September 2022 as the multi-cap trust's bias to higher-yielding shares and smaller companies lagged an index with a pronounced large cap bent.On the positive side of the ledger, the annual d

Retired civil servant Mark is a relatively late starter when it comes to managing his own investments, but he is making up for lost time - taking up the maximum ISA allowance of £20,000 apiece for himself and his wife each year.The 61-year-old already has a workplace pension to help fund the cost of living, but that didn't stop him wanting to start a personal investing journey after finishing wor

Recent trading updates from various builders' merchants and building supplies companies suggest homeowners are no longer spending as freely on 'doing up the house' as they were during the pandemic.When everyone was cooped up at home in the first half of 2020 with cash to spare and DIY stores were classed as 'essential' and were therefore allowed to open, spending on home improvement sky-rocketed e

- Third quarter sales down 16% - Marshalls stock falls 28%- News will worry shareholders in other DIY chainsPatio and paving firm Marshalls (MSLH) reported a sharp decline in sales to the home renovation and DIY market in the three months to September as consumers slammed on the brakes ahead of the hike in household fuel bills this month.It is a warning that should make investors in several other

- Organic growth crimped by strong prior-year sales- Overall growth lifted by recent acquisitions- Both firms maintain full year guidanceBuilders merchant Grafton (GFTU) said it continued to see strong demand for construction materials through the first half of the year despite obvious signs of a slowing economy.Similarly, landscaping products maker Marshalls (MSLH) said it had seen strong trading

Marshalls (MSLH) 530pLoss to date: 17%Original entry point: Buy at 638.5p, 25 February 2021If we owned a crystal ball and had foreseen the last month's sell-off we could have closed our trade on Marshalls (MSLH) and congratulated ourselves on a job well done.As it is, the shares are now 17% below our starting price, yet the business is in a much stronger place than it was a year ago.Group revenues

Marshalls (MSLH) 665pGain to date: 4.1%Original entry point: Buy at 638.5p, 25 February 2021Building products group Marshalls (MSLH) has taken a big step towards its strategic goal of becoming the UK's leading maker of building products with the £535 million acquisition of Marley.Marley, a leading supplier of roofing products, is highly profitable, generating an EBITDA (earnings before interest,

Building materials group Marshalls (MSLH) has stolen a march on its rivals with the acquisition of roofing solutions firm Marley in a cash and shares offering.The deal is highly complementary in terms of products and is expected to be 'double-digit earnings per share accretive' in the first full year after completion.UP ON THE ROOFMarley, which is owned by private equity and its management team, i

In contrast to the housebuilders, who have had a torrid time this month, construction materials firms are enjoying a positive run of form as demand for their products continues to grow unabated.Results today from brick maker Ibstock (IBST) and door and window manufacturer Epwin (EPWN:AIM) both met a favourable response from investors with gains of as much as 4% and 6% respectively.That follows pos

After Monday's Martin Luther King day market holiday, US stocks resumed their downward trajectory on Tuesday extending last week's losses. By mid-afternoon the S&P 500 index was 1.8% lower and the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 index was 2.1% lower.The negative sentiment was exacerbated by a further rise in the yield on the benchmark 10 year Treasury note, which reached 1.843%, its highest level sinc

The major UK equity indices continued to encounter selling pressure at lunchtime on Tuesday, with investors taking the opportunity to lock-in recent gains as bond yields rose, with 10-year Gilts hitting a three-month high.The benchmark FTSE 100 closed Monday at its highest since January 2020, and the index has risen 5.2% in the past month.At midday, the FTSE 100 was trading 0.5% lower at 7569.55 a