The FTSE 100 opened in the red on Tuesday morning, as the shortened final day of trading for the year kicked off with some trepidation.Stocks in New York struggled on Monday, trade in Asian equities was unconvincing, and the nerves fed through to Europe on New Year's Eve.The FTSE 100 index opened down 8.35 points, 0.1%, at 8,112.66. It is up 5.0% for the year.The FTSE 250 was up just 9.64 points a

A mixed close for London equities on Monday highlighted increasing concerns about the UK economy, with businesses bracing for a sharp slowdown and consumer confidence sliding further.The FTSE 100 index closed up 18.11 points, 0.2%, at 8,102.72. The FTSE 250 ended down 31.60 points, 0.2%, at 20,419.09, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.84 points, 0.3%, at 712.44.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.1% at 812

The FTSE 100 in London edged into the green on Monday at midday despite a downcast morning of economic data announcements.In London, the FTSE 100 index was up 10.02 points, 0.1%, at 8,095.11. The FTSE 250 was down 49.10 points, 0.2%, at 20,401.59, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.87 of a point, 0.1%, at 711.47.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 812.51, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.3% at 17,888.41, and the

UK indices remained in the red at midday on Thursday but with water companies bucking the trend following UK regulator Ofwat green lighting a substantial industry investment package.Interest rate calls on either side of the Atlantic dominated events with the Bank of England leaving rates unchanged, after a 'hawkish' cut by the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday.The BoE's Monetary Policy Committee vot

Investment trusts have experienced challenges this year, with discounts remaining wide across various sectors and some consolidation occurring. However, certain trusts have performed well compared to both the wider market and their peer group. This article highlights the top performers across four of the Association of Investment Companies' most widely followed equity-facing sectors.GLOBALAn inves

I am 67 and currently have a SIPP worth approximately £500,000. Because the favourable IHT regime is now ending I am now considering whether to reduce the amount in my SIPP and look at alternatives.My understanding is that I can take 25% tax free from my SIPP at any point and then the remaining pot is taxed on withdrawal at marginal rates. We do not need the cash immediately as we have other reso

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

It's ingrained in us as investors that the best way to get superior, risk-adjusted long-term returns is to distance ourselves from the crowd and seek out value.That approach has always needed courage and patience, and 2024 has proved to be a particularly fierce test of this discipline for the simple reason that what worked last year worked well again this year.It did so because the consensus macro

Games Workshop (GAW) £139.20Gain to date: 16.5%We (once again) flagged the attractions of fantasy miniatures outfit Games Workshop (GAW) in October, arguing the company had rediscovered its growth mojo and was set to leave the logistics problems it endured during the pandemic behind it. WHAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE SAID TO BUY?It may have been a little more than a month since we added Games Worksho

As part of AJ Bell's Money Matters campaign which is focused on helping all women feel empowered to live their best financial lives, we're putting together a series of articles breaking down some of the particular considerations depending on your age.This article is all about your 40s, a decade when people are often considered as entering their peak earning period but also a decade which for many

The UK stock market has performed robustly over the past year, with several companies standing out significantly. In this article, we will examine the top-performing large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap stocks of 2024, dissected across four different market valuation categories.£5 BILLION+ MARKET CAPAfter a stellar 2023, aeronautical engineer Rolls-Royce (RR.) has once again rallied hard during 2024

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

Blue-chips in London, Paris and Frankfurt were in the red midday Tuesday, as investors fretted over the outlook for China's economy after some less-than-stellar data.'Chinese exports grew at a slower pace in November versus October, and imports shrank. That doesn't install much confidence about Beijing's efforts to get the country back on top. The prospect of higher tariffs on Chinese goods export

The FTSE-100 index was down on midday Thursday as fragile consumer confidence hurt Frasers Group and UK housebuilding activity declined at its sharpest pace since the summer.The FTSE 100 index fell 3.86 points at 8,331.95. The FTSE 250 eased 13.28 points, 0.1%, at 20,991.87, and the AIM All-Share dropped 1.67 points, 0.2%, at 736.54.The Cboe UK 100 was slightly higher at 837.15, the Cboe UK 250 wa

Investors already have access to thousands of companies around the world. The choice can be overwhelming so do we really need the launch of yet another stock market? The answer might be 'yes' if it offers something different to what's already available and a new market called 'Pisces' certainly ticks the right boxes.Pisces is the name for the UK government's new vision for privately-owned companie

In last week's magazine, Shares focused on the methods by which leading fund managers identify genuine long-term growth opportunities, covering everything from the need for a growth mindset to bottom-up stock picking and the need to factor in top-down considerations.Now we turn the spotlight on the regional markets, themes and stocks which have some of the market's most admired investors salivatin

Baillie Gifford UK Growth Trust (BGUK) 180pMarket cap: £251 millionWhile 2024 has been a reasonable year for growth investors generally, for those looking just at the UK it has still required patience and a need to stay focused on the fundamentals.As Baillie Gifford director James Budden put it at the firm's latest private investor forum, inflation, rising interest rates and geopolitics have had

European indices had a mixed finish on Wednesday in the face of French political uncertainty while British Airway's owner IAG rallied on analyst support.The FTSE 100 index fell 23.60 points, 0.3%, at 8,335.81. The FTSE 250 ended up 112.41 points, 0.5%, at 21,005.15, and the AIM All-Share rose 3.13 points, 0.4%, at 738.22.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.4% at 836.98, the Cboe UK 250 advanced 0.6% at 1

Blue-chips in Europe traded slightly lower in a tepid open on Friday, ahead of eurozone data later and an abbreviated session in New York.The FTSE 100 index fell 8.73 points, 0.1%, at 8,272.49. It is up some 2.0% so far this month.The FTSE 250 rose 32.01 points, 0.2%, at 20,794.79, and the AIM All-Share added 0.94 of a point, 0.1%, at 731.85.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 831.08, the Cboe UK 250

The first Budget from a Labour Government in 14 years continues to stir heated debate and sceptics readily point to the increase in the yield in the UK's 10-year gilt to a one-year high to support their case that chancellor Rachel Reeves is on the wrong track. It does not look great that yields are rising in the wake of August's interest rate cut from the Bank of England, but 10-year government bo