Stocks in London closed higher on Tuesday, as investor attention shifted towards some key interest rate decisions due next week.The US Federal Reserve and European Central Bank announce rate decisions next week Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.The FTSE 100 index closed up 28.11 points, or 0.4% at 7,628.10 on Tuesday. The FTSE 250 ended up 103.67 points, or 0.5%, at 19,217.22. The AIM...

Strong H1 operating profit growthIncreased full year profit guidance and share buybackH1 Dividend up 17%Specialist mortgage provider Paragon Banking (PAG) saw its shares top the FTSE mid cap leaderboard, gaining 8% to 542.5p after the company delivered 22% growth in first half operating profit, increased guidance and revealed an additional £50 million share buyback.Management now expects...

-Interim results beat expectations-Full year guidance raised-Benefiting from rising interest ratesShares in mortgage and loan provider Paragon Banking Group (PAG) jumped 9% higher following the announcement of half-year results to 31 March being ahead of expectations.The company has increased guidance for the full year, and extended the share buy-back by an additional £25 million, bringing...

Following a reasonably steady start, the FTSE 100 was down materially by midday, with a 1.2% fall to 7,462.81 points, while the FTSE 250 was off 0.8% at 21,673.64.This followed weak trading in the US overnight as well as strength in sterling, which hits the relative value of the overseas earnings which dominate the blue chip benchmark index.Negative sentiment was compounded by persistent...

UK equity markets came under selling pressure on Friday morning following weakness in both US and Asian markets. This negative sentiment was compounded by persistent geopolitical concerns surrounded Ukraine.In early trading, the blue chip FTSE 100 index lost 0.69% to 7,502.33 and the mid-cap FTSE 250 index drifted 0.7% to 21,702.23.Today marks the final day that mining leviathan BHP (BHP) will...

Senior management of property firms British Land (BLND) and Paragon (PAG) have backed the businesses they help run with share buying this week. Elsewhere, mobile giant Vodafone (VOD) was sold down by three board directors.British Land's financial director Simon Carter invested £83,013 of his own money into the stock, buying 15,996 shares at 519p per share, in a move that will get investors...

London's FTSE 100 ended Tuesday with decent gains after closing 0.25% higher to 7,095.79 despite a slow start on Wall Street for US stocks.The UK's benchmark index was lifted by insurer Aviva (AV.), which gained after the arrival of activist investor Cevian, while the index also shook off an issue involving several major websites, which were down thanks to a problem at cloud computing firm...

London's FTSE 100 gained 0.3% to 7,097 by midday as shares in UK insurer Aviva (AV.) were lifted by the arrival of activist investor Cevian, while the index shook off an issue involving several major websites, which were down thanks to a problem at cloud computing firm Fastly.With little on the economic agenda apart from US job openings and trade figures, investors are keeping their powder dry...

Major UK shares edged higher in early trading but gains modest as investors take a breather. The benchmark FTSE 100 inched less than four points higher, or 0.04%, to 7,079.25, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 was equally unenthusiastic, up a miniscule 0.08% at 22,925.64.With little on the economic agenda apart from US job openings and trade figures, investors are keeping their powder dry until the...

UK stocks ended the week firmly lower as investors were handed a GDP reality check after two days of substantial corporate losses.The benchmark FTSE 100 closed 1.3% down on Friday to close at 5,913.30, a level last seen in the middle of May, with massive losses reported by British Airways-owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG) and the renamed NatWest (NWG) giving investor pause for...

The UK's leading shares traded flat at midday as earlier gains evaporated as a darker mood settled over investors at lunchtime, offsetting strong results from US technology stocks overnight and mixed earnings commentaries from major UK firms.The benchmark FTSE 100 was trading virtually flat at midday, nudging 0.04% lower to 5,987.63, with massive losses reported by British Airways-owner...

It is too early to call the coronavirus a pandemic but the Asian outbreak is still casting a pall over the mood of investors, who retrenched back into risk off mode on Thursday.Cases and deaths continue to rise, airlines are slashing flight schedules and factories in China have been extending holidays into February. The mood in the market is one of severe concern, and that is having ma severe...

UK stock markets opened largely flat in early trade on Tuesday but there is plenty of corporate news to grab the attention of investors, not least banknote printer De La Rue (DLAR) crashing after warning that it may not survive.Shares in the company plunge more than 16% to 146.6pm the worst performer on the FTSE All-Shares, after telling investors that there is a 'material uncertainty that...

Investors looking for income from their portfolio should be mindful of the drag effect that inflation can have on their dividends as well their sustainability. Inflation reduces the purchasing power of each pound spent and over time can seriously reduce the 'real purchasing' value.For example over the last 10 years the consumer price index (CPI) has averaged 2.1%, which doesn't sound much, but...

Investors are backing online grocery service Ocado (OCDO) with weekend reports emerging that it is closing in on a deal with Mark & Spencer (MKS) to deliver its fresh foods to customers.Ocado heads the FTSE 100 leader board in early trade on Monday, up nearly 4% at 983.2p, on the strength of the speculation despite neither business so far confirming the validity of the story. Marks & Spencer...

London's FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 open in negative territory on Thursday, off 28.7 points to 7,390 and trading 26.8 points lower at 19,987 respectively, weighed down by a cut in UK growth forecasts, volatile oil prices and weaker overnight trading on Wall Street and in Asia.Among the blue chips, British Gas owner Centrica (CNA) crashes 16% lower to 137.1p on a full year profit warning. In its...

The FTSE 100 opens up 43 points at 7,434.69 as a busy day of corporate news starts with ITV leading the way.Free-to-air broadcaster ITV (ITV) sees its shares rise 3.8% to 181.4p despite a 10.4% drop in pre-tax profits to £381m in the six months to 30 June. Total revenues of £1,697m are down from £1,712m a year ago but the company says its results are very much as it anticipated and its...

Specialist lender Paragon Group of Companies (PAG) has met profit expectations despite regulatory changes and uncertainty following the UK's decision to leave the European Union.The mid-cap firm says good underlying trends in volumes, margins, cost control and bad debt helped to drive operating profits of £33.1m from 1 October to 31 December.Shares in Paragon nudge 1% higher to 407p.Its...

Britain's biggest supermarket Tesco (TSCO) stuns the market as it agrees to buy Booker (BOK), the country's largest cash and carry wholesale supplier, for about £3.7bn, cementing its dominant position in the UK. This move out of left-field comes as a surprise to investors, but is warmly welcomed, shares in the supermarket chain soaring more than 9% in early trade on Friday to 206.3p. Read...

Richard Connell, chairman of the UK's largest veterinary practice CVS Group (CVSG:AIM), snapped up around £100,000 worth of shares in the company as it emerged as a potential Brexit winner.Connell spent £87,000 buying shares in the company after a 15% post-referendum dip in its stock price.A day after the initial purchase, Connell bought a further £34,000 worth of shares though the deal...