European equities ended higher on Thursday, supported by strong corporate updates, while the pound struggled on soft UK economic data.US interest rate optimism continued to lift the mood after Wednesday's inflation reading, and one Federal Reserve official said rate cuts can come if the data continues to play ball.The FTSE 100 index shot up 90.77 points, 1.1%, at 8,391.90. The large-cap benchmark

I am 67 and after combining two SIPPS I now have a single SIPP worth approximately £500,000. I drew income flexibly in the past from one of the SIPPs. 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. I could use some or all of the remaining amount in the SIPP to purchase an annuity, so my question is on

Domino's Pizza Group (DOM) 270pMarket cap: £1.05 billionWe aren't a willfully contrarian bunch at Shares, but now and then we come across a stock which seems so beaten-down with so much bad news priced in we just have to take a closer look.A case in point is FTSE 250 fast-food firm Domino's Pizza Group (DOM), the UK's leading pizza brand with over 1,360 stores in the UK and Ireland.Ironically, ei

American novelist Ernest Hemmingway coined the phrase 'gradually then suddenly' in his 1926 Novel The Sun also Rises, and that seems an appropriate description of investor's reaction to rising bond yields.UK 10-year bond yields sit just shy of 5% compared with close to 4% in the middle of October, to reach their highest level since October 2007, on the eve of the financial crisis. This is higher t

Interest rates are back in focus. The UK is seeing its borrowing costs surge, as Martin Gamble explains in this week's news section, and this has its own domestic causes, even if it also reflects similar moves in other sovereign debt.The latest US jobs figures strongly hint that the Federal Reserve may hit pause on rate cuts for the time being.The influential non-farm payrolls reading was notably

Stock prices in London surged on Wednesday, with a sharp jump for the FTSE 250 allowing the UK-focused index to eat into some of its hefty loss so far in 2025.A favourable UK inflation reading calmed some bond markets and swung the pendulum in favour of a Bank of England rate cut at the central bank's next meeting.In addition, earnings from US banks were well-received, adding to the positive mood

Stock prices in London were in the green at midday Wednesday, as investors cheered lower-than-expected consumer price index inflation, ahead of US consumer price index inflation data.The consumer price index in the UK rose 2.5% in December from a year before, slowing from a 2.6% annual increase in November. The FXStreet-cited market consensus had expected inflation to pick up to 2.7%.'A surprise p

Positive peak salesUK and Nordics in growthDividend reinstatement demonstrates turnaround successCurrys' (CURY) shares sparked up 10.5% to 91p after the electricals retailer delivered yet another full-year profit guidance upgrade following a strong festive period, with the TVs-to-laptops purveyor delivering like-for-like sales growth in both the UK and Nordics.Benefiting from a technology replacem

Fourth-quarter retail revenue up 17.5%Average basket value up by 1% to £122.09Shares gain 9% to 296pShares in Ocado (OCDO) gained as much as 10% in early trading after the company said fourth-quarter retail revenue grew by 17.5% to £715.8 million.Ocado retail is a joint venture between Ocado group and Marks & Spencer (MKS).The online grocery retailer was reporting a trading statement for the 13

The FTSE 100 closed lower on Monday, but above early lows, as bond yields continued to creep up and analysts predicted the end of the US rate cutting cycle.The FTSE 100 index closed down 24.30 points, 0.3%, at 8,224.19. The blue-chip index had fallen as low as 8,192.31.The FTSE 250 ended 15.57 points lower, 0.1%, at 19,718.37, and the AIM All-Share shed 3.99 points, 0.6%, at 709.39.The Cboe UK 100

Blue chips in London, Paris and Frankfurt opened lower on Monday as UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves failed to lift the mood in the UK with her China trip, amid a modest investment deal.'Surprise! The US economy added more than [250,000] new nonfarm jobs in December, some [90,000] more than expected, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1%,' explained Swissquote's Ipek Ozkardeskaya. 'If it's any comfort

Key UK indices closed in the red on Friday as UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves remains under pressure following increased government borrowing costs.The FTSE 100 index closed down 71.20 points, 0.9%, at 8,248.49. The FTSE 250 ended down 271.20 points, 1.4%, at 19,733.94, and the AIM All-Share closed down 6.48 points, 0.9%, at 713.48.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.7% at 826.80, the Cboe UK 250 closed down

The FTSE 100 in London underperformed against its peers in Paris and Frankfurt, but Centrica on the FTSE 100 edged up after warning of 'concerningly low' UK gas storage levels during the ongoing cold snap.The FTSE 100 index was down 32.62 points, 0.4%, at 8,287.82. The FTSE 250 was down 135.35 points, 0.7%, at 19,869.79, and the AIM All-Share lost 0.64 of a point, 0.1%, at 719.32.The Cboe UK 100 w

Stocks in London, Paris and Frankfurt made a slow start to the day on Friday morning, while FTSE 100-listed grocer Sainsbury's fell despite celebrating a bumper Christmas period.The FTSE 100 index opened down just 0.55 of a point at 8,319.14. The FTSE 250 was up just 9.28 points at 20,014.42, and the AIM All-Share lost only 0.23 of a point to sit at 719.76.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.1% at 833.21, th

Like-for-like food sales up 8.9%Market share gains in clothingCautious outlook prompts profit-takingRetail bellwether Marks & Spencer (MKS) delivered 'another good Christmas' with sales records broken across the business as it gained market share in both food and clothing.However, shares in the high street stalwart fell 5% to 358p as third quarter clothing, home and beauty came in light of expecta

London's blue chip index edged upwards on Wednesday as BAE Systems rose amid pressure from Donald Trump on NATO to increase defence spending, but rising bond yields caused volatility elsewhere.The FTSE 100 index ended up 5.75 points, 0.1%, at 8,251.03. The FTSE 250 tumbled 398.13 points, 2.0%, at 19,952.24. The AIM All-Share fell 5.17 points, 0.7%, at 720.11.The Cboe UK 100 closed up slightly at 8

Shares in London were lower at midday on Wednesday as US tariff jitters resurfaced, adding to nervousness caused by surging bond yields.The FTSE 100 index was down 27.54 points, 0.3%, at 8,217.74. The FTSE 250 was down 264.16 points, 1.3%, at 20,086.21, and the AIM All-Share was down 4.22 points, 0.6%, at 721.06.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.4% at 822.92, the Cboe UK 250 was 1.5% lower at 17,494.59,

Bad run of sports results impact US profitFull year US profit lowered by a thirdLong term guidance intactOnline sports betting and iGaming group Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) said a run of customer friendly results in the NFL (National Football League) during November and December will impact full year US profit by around a third.The shares fell 3% after hours in the US while the UK shares dropped

The FTSE 100 made a tepid-at-best start to trading on Wednesday, with Shell declining after it forecast a weaker fourth-quarter output performance for its Integrated Gas unit.The FTSE 100 index opened down just 0.69 of a point at 8,244.59. The FTSE 250 was down 24.85 points, 0.1%, at 20,325.52, and the AIM All-Share was up just 0.18 of a point at 725.46.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.1% at 825.45, the

UK indices closed Monday in the green amid Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tendering his resignation and reports of a possible watering down of Trump's tariff agenda.The FTSE 100 index ended up 25.68 points, 0.3%, at 8,249.66. The FTSE 250 climbed 21.25 points, 0.1%, at 20,612.65. The AIM All-Share rose 3.55 points, 0.5%, at 728.95.The Cboe UK 100 closed up 0.2% at 826.32, the Cboe UK 250 f