European stocks were down heading into Thursday afternoon, as post-budget trade in the UK was characterised by stretching bond yields and largely weaker equities.The prospect of higher for longer UK interest rates as a result supported lenders, but hit retail and housebuilding shares.US stocks are called to open lower, in the aftermath of earnings from Meta and Microsoft, and ahead of US data in t

Stocks in London closed lower on Friday, as a car finance probe weighed on the shares of Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays and Close Brothers.The FTSE 100 index closed down 19.13 points, 0.3%, at 8,248.84. The FTSE 250 ended up 29.36 points, or 0.1%, at 20,819.91, and the AIM All-Share lost 3.02 points, 0.4%, at 722.67.The Cboe UK 100 closed down 0.3% at 826.07 on Friday, the Cboe UK 250 ended down 0

Stocks in London were mostly lower at Friday midday, while the FTSE 250 turned to the red after Close Brothers shares fell as it announced it will appeal a court judgement to the UK Supreme Court.The FTSE 100 index traded down 10.40 points, 0.1%, at 8,258.98. The FTSE 250 was down 15.67 points, or 0.1%, at 20,774.88, and the AIM All-Share shed 1.80 points, 0.3%, at 723.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down

Income and profit top estimatesStructural hedges a benefitFull-year outlook improvedThere was a strong sense of dejà vu this morning as NatWest (NWG) published better-than-expected third-quarter results and raised its outlook, just as it did at the half-year stage three months ago.Once again, the shares responded positively, gaining 17p or 5% to 378.5p taking them to the top of the FTSE 100

European equities were on the decline early Friday, with water utilities hurting the FTSE 100, but NatWest limiting the damage.The FTSE 100 index traded down 6.76 points, 0.1%, at 8,262.62. The FTSE 250 was down 22.47 points, 0.1%, at 20,768.08, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.12 of a point at 725.81.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 827.45, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.3% at 18,324.35, and the C

Over the long haul, small-caps have historically outperformed large caps, fuelling the research highlighting the so-called 'small-cap effect' ? the idea that smaller companies offer higher risk-adjusted returns than larger ones. Unfortunately, the higher interest rate environment of recent years has proved tough for the stock market's small fry, who've spent more than a decade lagging more sizeabl

Another year of above-average returns58th consecutive year of dividend growthLower annual feesThe popular City of London (CTY) investment trust delivered another year of outperformance and dividend growth, marking 58 consecutive years of increases, the longest record in the AIC's (Association of Investment Companies) list of Dividend Heroes.The shares traded down 1.65p or 0.37% to 439.9p, but are

On 1 August the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee made a 5-4 decision to kickstart its rate-cutting cycle. A 25 basis point reduction in the base rate to 5% marking The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street's first cut since March 2020.This means cash savings rates are heading in one direction, down. And the lower-than-expected jump in UK inflation reported on 14 August only boosted market exp

Strong first-half returnsInterim dividend up 20%Portfolio still undervaluedValue-focused investment trust Temple Bar (TMPL) continued its run of outperformance in the six months to 30 June with an NAV (net asset value) total return of 13.1% against a 7.4% return for the FTSE All-Share index.The share price total return was 11% following a widening of the discount to NAV to 7.5% from 5.6% at the en

With the UK economy seemingly headed for a 'soft landing' and interest rates set to fall at some point this year, more adventurous investors will be looking to add a little more risk to their portfolios.Given the UK market, and the mid-cap space in particular, is widely acknowledged to be cheap, the passive option would be to buy a mid-cap ETF (exchange-traded fund) such as the iShares FTSE 250 (M

Top line beats consensus Profit 24% above estimates New £750 million buybackIn line with its rivals, Barclays (BARC), the last of the Big Four high-street banks to report, pleased investors with its second-quarter update although there was less of a reaction to its increased guidance or latest buyback.The shares opened up 8p or 3.4% at 241.8p but those early gains faded leaving the shares up just

London's equity markets started the week on a strong footing on Monday, though the pound weakened ahead of a trio of central bank decisions.The Bank of England will announce its latest interest rate decision on Thursday, after rate calls from the Bank of Japan and the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday.The FTSE 100 index traded up 60.77 points, or 0.7%, at 8,346.48 on Monday afternoon. The FTSE 250 r

Stocks in London finished in the green on Friday, after PCE data from the US came in hotter than expected.Investors are also eyeing interest rate decisions from the US Federal Reserve and Bank of England next week.The FTSE 100 index closed up 99.36 points, 1.2%, at 8,285.71. The FTSE 250 ended up 471.95 points, 2.3%, at 21,356.30, and the AIM All-Share closed up 6.64 points, 0.9%, at 779.67.Over t

Stocks in London were in the green going into Friday afternoon, as investors kept their eyes on US inflation data due out this afternoon.The FTSE 100 index traded up 58.40 points, or 0.7%, at 8,244.06. The FTSE 250 was up 221.33 points, 1.1%, at 21,105.17, while the AIM All-Share rose 3.17 points, 0.4%, at 776.20.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.8% at 823.02, the Cboe UK 250 rose 1.1% to 18,493.38, and th

Margin falls less than fearedBank buys Metro mortgage bookFull-year forecasts increasedAfter seeing shares in high-street rival Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) sag yesterday on mixed results, investors in NatWest Group (NWG) had low expectations coming into today's first-half update so the strong performance came as a pleasant surprise.The shares, which had already gained more than 50% this year, powe

Defence and banks stocks top tableM&A wave creates big winnersConsumer stocks on the skidsIt hasn't been a vintage year for the UK stock market, but there are signs investors are coming back attracted by the cheap valuations on offer compared with the US as well as decent earnings prospects for UK companies.The FTSE 350 index is up 5.5% year-to-date, with the FTSE 100 large-cap benchmark up 5.6% j

UK banks have enjoyed a renaissance in 2024. And, while the snap UK election put paid to plans for a big share sale in NatWest (NWG), anticipation of a 'Tell Sid' style offer definitely put the spotlight on the sector.As such, now is a perfect time to take an in-depth look at the banks' relative merits, particularly off the back of their annual 2023 and first-quarter 2024 results.It's worth saying

London stocks were mixed on Friday morning, ahead of core personal consumption expenditures index data, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred US inflation gauge.The FTSE 100 index opened up 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,243.72. The FTSE 250 was down 16.03 points, 0.1%, at 20,654.84, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.91 of a point, 0.1%, at 803.60.The Cboe UK 100 was up marginally at 821.87, the Cboe UK

Prime minister Rishi Sunak's decision to call an early general election came too late for UK investors to respond, but the 'day after the night before' saw the the FTSE 100 close 30 points or 0.4% lower at 8,339 which is hard to read anything into as far as markets are concerned.A more telling reaction was the bounce in sterling, which continued its month-long advance against the euro as any chanc

Revenue and profit top forecastsAnalysts hold back on upgradesShares climb in line with rivalsWith Barclays (BARC) and Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) having already posted first-quarter results and seen their shares rally in response, the onus was on NatWest Group (NWG) not to let the side down and the bank duly delivered a positive update with earnings a touch above estimates despite a weak year-on-