Top-yielding stocks in the FTSE 350 dominated by banksBank of Georgia has been the best-performing bank shareRedde Northgate offers a 7.1% yield covered 2.4 timesThe prevailing market consensus is that central banks are close to the end of their rate hiking cycle and as long as inflation behaves, rate cuts are back on the agenda for 2024.If that view prevails competition from bonds and cash...

There were several trends in the UK stock market this year which, if you managed to identify them, served you well.Most obviously, although it may not have seemed it at the index level, large-cap stocks generally performed better than small- and mid-caps, although for the lucky few the small-cap space has been rife with takeover activity.In terms of sectors, aerospace and defence topped the...

Major indices make biggest gains since JanuaryDriven by hopes that inflation and interest rates have peakedMid-cap FTSE 250 beats blue chip indexNovember was a great month for risk assets with major stock indices racking up their biggest gains since January. The German Dax was the leading European index, gaining close to 10% while the UK blue chip FTSE 100 was a laggard notching up a 2%...

Financial services group Metro Bank (MTRO) has survived another crisis after agreeing a £925 million rescue package yet question marks remain about its future.Metro Bank was the highest profile of the challenger banks which emerged in the wake of the financial crisis promising to shake up high street and commercial banking.In theory, because they were not saddled with crisis-ridden balance...

Anyone following UK financial stocks must have wondered what on earth was so awful about the latest trading update from OSB (OSB) that the shares lost almost a third of their value in a single day last week.The answer is a sudden but we suspect long-overdue admission that higher interest rates aren't a cure-all for bank profitability, and borrowers are responding much faster than expected to...

It was a morning of recovery for most European stock market benchmarks on Friday, though not for the FTSE 100, as it extended its decline following Thursday's brutal sell-off.London's blue-chip index could fall further as the afternoon progresses, if the latest US nonfarm payrolls come in hotter-than-expected.A strong nonfarm payrolls reading is typically bullish for equities but the reverse...

- Lack of surprises and upgrades disappoints- Shares drift after update- Metro Bank and OSB Group rallyAfter solid gains for Barclays (BARC) and HSBC (HSBA) and a loss for shares in NatWest Group (NWG), investors were eyeing the first-quarter update from the UK's largest lender Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY) to complete the picture.In the event, the results were mostly as expected and without an...

An under-the-radar constituent of the IA UK Equity Income sector that is delivering stellar returns despite difficult market conditions is VT Tyndall Real Income Fund (BYX0D61). Small at £18.9 million of assets, it is big on ambition under the stewardship of manager Simon Murphy and competitive on cost, with a lowly annual management charge of 0.35%.Murphy took over the fund right before the...

With stock markets wrestling with the twin concerns of too little growth and too much inflation, cautious investors who want to spread their risk might want to look at multi-asset funds.Rather than just owning shares, these funds own a mixture of equities (another term for stocks and shares), bonds, currencies, and alternative assets such as property and infrastructure.As such they take the...

The hospitality sector was the real winner from today's budget after Rishi Sunak reduced business rates by 50% up to a maximum of £110,000 while also cutting duty on the draught beers, equivalent to 3p a pint.Shares in pub groups JD Wetherspoon (JDW) and Marston's (MARS) responded positively with the shares up 4.5% and 2.5% respectively.Challenger banks were given a boost after Sunak...

A solid start to trading on Wall Street helped London's FTSE 100 regain some poise after a rollercoaster week, with the blue chip benchmark finishing 0.4% higher at 7,087.90 points on Friday.The FTSE 250 firmed 0.6% to 23,750.89 thanks to a strong showing from the retail sector, boosted by an improved bid for Morrisons (MRW) and an upbeat trading statement from Marks & Spencer (MKS).COMPANY...

London's FTSE 100 was subdued on Friday, the blue chip benchmark trading 0.24% lower at 7,042.1 points by noon, though it avoided the heavy selling witnessed on Thursday.The FTSE 250 was pretty much flat at 23,616.1, despite a strong showing from the retail sector amid an improved bid for Morrisons (MRW) and an upbeat trading statement from Marks & Spencer (MKS).COMPANY NEWSHigh street...

The FTSE 100 started Friday's trading session in negative territory, opening marginally lower at 7047.91 points.This followed a distinctly muted performance in American equity markets and weakness overnight in Asia, with the Nikkei, Hang Seng and Shenzhen Indices also closing lower.In the UK, attention was focused on the latest UK retail sales figures which revealed a marked decline in food...

UK stocks fell sharply in early trading on a combination of weak commodity prices, which hammered mining stocks, and growing worries that the delta variant and its impact on businesses could knock the global recovery off course.Sentiment wasn't helped by a late sell-off in US markets on the latest Fed minutes which did nothing to dispel fears that the central bank's easy money policy could...

Having underperformed the FTSE 100 and the FTSE 350 for the best part of 10 years, September 2020 saw the FTSE 350 banks index stop making decade lows and start to make short-term highs, much to the excitement of analysts and investors.As the market rotation towards value stocks took hold, the UK's unloved banks jumped sharply in the final quarter of last year.At the start of this year, the...

London's FTSE 100 traded higher on Thursday, the blue chip benchmark buoyed after the minutes from the US Federal Reserve meeting indicated that the central bank's 'accommodative stance' to monetary policy will remain for now.The latest signal from the Fed that it has no intention of lifting interest rates anytime soon helped set the FTSE 100 on course for a third straight day of gains,...

For a private bank which made its name financing foreign trade in the 19th century and coming up for its 190th anniversary, Arbuthnot Banking (ARBB:AIM) has a very up-to-date approach.Thanks to a major investment in technology in 2017, the entire workforce was able to work from home seamlessly when the pandemic struck last year, allowing the bank to remain fully operational and averting the...

There is a growing consensus that as the global economy recovers from the pandemic and long-term interest rates - such as the US 10-year Treasury yield and the UK 10-year gilt yield - start to move upward, investors need to increase their exposure to banking stocks.The thinking goes that as banks are large, geared, cyclical plays they should benefit as the economy improves. They can lend more...

The UK FTSE 100 plunged in late trading on Thursday as investors mulled weak earnings from firms like Rolls-Royce (RR.), which underlined the extent of corporate damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.There was little sign of any impact from a firm start for US stocks, although the anticipated speech from Federal Reserve Chief Jerome Powell brought few surprises. The US Fed on Thursday...

UK markets remained modestly on the back foot at lunchtime on Thursday as investors turned their attention towards the annual meeting of US Federal Reserve bankers and a speech by chairman Jerome Powell.Sterling held firm at $1.3193, close to its recent highs after its best weekly performance since June.Brent crude oil prices dipped slightly through the morning session but remain close to...