Major UK shares struggled for momentum on Tuesday as banks and airlines countered gains in miners, although solid earnings and easing fears about early tapering of central bank support kept the blue-chip index on course for its best month since April.At 9am, the benchmark FTSE 100 was by and large flat, inching less than 10 points lower to 7,139.43. Miners gained 1.4% on higher metal prices,...

UK stocks closed higher on Friday as investors held out hope that stimulus measures and vaccines would get the global economy through the Covid-19 crisis, even as cases continued to jump in the US and elsewhere.London's FTSE 100 finished 39.6 points higher, or up 0.63%, at 6,290.3, while the FTSE 250 ended the session up 0.15% at 17,347.90.LARGE AND MID CAP RISERS AND FALLERSMining giant Rio...

UK stocks were in positive territory at lunchtime on Friday as investors held out hope that stimulus measures and vaccines would get the global economy through the Covid-19 crisis, even as cases continued to jump in the US and elsewhere.The benchmark FTSE 100 was up 0.5% at 6,282.84, while the FTSE 250 was up 0.1% at 17,339.2.LARGE AND MID CAP RISERS AND FALLERSMining giant Rio Tinto (RIO)...

UK share prices opened firmly on the back foot in early trade on Tuesday as investors feared the possible spread of the corona virus, which broken out in China, could hit growth forecasts there and elsewhere.The worry is that this could turn out to be a new SARS-type virus, which affected millions of Chinese nationals and overseas travellers, sparking huge disruption to global trade.While it...

London's FTSE 100 was on the back foot again on Friday as fears of renewed turmoil in Italy pushed the blue chip benchmark 27.6 points lower to 7,258.3, thereby surrendering some of Thursday's gains. Sterling was also in the red ahead of UK GDP data and one company counting the cost of the weak currency was travel outfit On The Beach (OTB).Bookie William Hill (WMH) galloped 7p or 4.8% higher...

UK construction services group Carillion (CLLN) has lost its CEO Richard Howson after warning on profits and suspending dividends because of difficult markets. Howson has stepped down with cash now tight on several large projects, on which Carillion is taking a £845m provision. That sends the share price crashing 35% in early trade on Monday to 126.3p, wiping £300m off the company's market...

Russian silver and gold miner Polymetal (POLY) has returned to the FTSE 100 three years after it was demoted amid a broader decline in commodity prices.It takes the place of housebuilder Berkeley (BKG) which is demoted from the blue chip index in the FTSE's quarterly reshuffle.Polymetal on 24 August 2016 reported a 67% rise in net earnings to $164 million for the first half of the year and a...

Sellers outweighed buyers in director deals this week, as board members at a number of FTSE 350 companies opted to get rid of stock.Bigger sellers on London's Main Market included Admiral (ADM) non-executive Colin Holmes, Bodycote (BOY) finance director David Landless and Serco (SRP) executives Rupert Soames and Angus Cockburn.Dealing by directors appears to have eased in August after Shares'...

UK stocks decline in early trade on Friday as crude prices continue to slide, sending oil producers into the red. Industry giants Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB) and BP (BP.) are among the major drags on the blue chip fallers as Brent crude drops 0.1% to $39.68 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate loses 0.2% to $36.68 per barrel. The carnage also sparks a 7.7% slump at Premier Oil (PMO), among the...

The ability of micro cap stocks to deliver super-sized returns in super quick time is exemplified by Catalyst Media (CMX:AIM).The £12.3 million cap's main asset is a 20.5% stake in provider of broadcasting services to bookies Satellite Information Services (SIS) and it is up 63.9% in the space of a week to 50p after SIS secured (23 Sep) a new five year deal with Racecourse Media commencing...

London shares nudge lower in early trade on Monday, surrendering some of Friday's solid gains, in the wake of a mixed session on Wall Street and in Asia overnight. Europe was lower, too. Miners, financials and pharmas were the primary blue-chip ballast. The FTSE 100 index limps around 24 points to 6,087, a 0.34% decline, a lead followed by mid and smaqll cap indexes, albeit the FTSE 250 and...