Share prices in London closed up on Wednesday as New York climbed midday, following Fed Chair Jerome Powell's testimony and ahead of key US inflation data on Thursday.The FTSE 100 index closed up 53.70 points, 0.7%, at 8,193.51. The FTSE 250 ended up 282.74 points, 1.4%, at 20,927.76, and the AIM All-Share closed up 0.91 of a point, 0.1%, at 772.85.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.7% at 816.35, the Cboe

Now the ballots have been cast at the general election, the UK could become the 'reassuringly boring' market, both politically and fiscally, when compared to the more extreme politics on the other side of the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean.So suggests Jean Roche, manager of the Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund (SCP), who notes capital allocators know more or less what to expect, which could explain th

The race for pole position in the EV (electric vehicle) market looks to be coming to a head this year with Elon Musk-steered Tesla (TSLA:NASDAQ) on the verge of losing its long-held record of outselling every other manufacturer put together in the US.In the 12 months to the end of May, Tesla sold roughly 618,000 vehicles in the US whereas its rivals sold a combined 597,000 fully-electric vehicles,

Stocks in London closed a mixed bag on Monday, as elections took top billing in a data-heavy day for Europe and the US.The FTSE 100 index ended up slightly at 8,166.76. The FTSE 250 fell 63.95 points, 0.3%, at 20,222.08, while the AIM All-Share climbed 0.80 points, 0.1%, to 765.18.The Cboe UK 100 rose marginally to 813.97, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.2% to 17,654.04, and the Cboe Small Companies closed

US Centre for Disease Control restricts vaccine useDecision could limit vaccine salesGSK has a leading market share in RSV vaccinesShares in GSK (GSK) were marked down 5% to £15.16 after the US CDC (Centre for Disease Control) advised a narrower use of RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccines, cutting the potential market for GSK's leading Arexvy vaccine.The drop eradicates most the year's gain

Stocks fell at midday in London on Friday after new data showed that growth in service sector activity was decelerating.The FTSE 100 index traded 63.83 points lower, 0.8%, at 8,209.15. The FTSE 250 was down 104.78 points, 0.5%, at 20,393.94, although the AIM All-Share was up 0.40 of a point, 0.1%, at 772.78.The Cboe UK 100 fell 0.7% to 817.26, the Cboe UK 250 declined 0.5% at 17,755.99, and the Cb

Stock prices in London opened largely in the green on Thursday, with the FTSE 100 registering a solid gain before an expected Bank of England rate hold in the early afternoon.There was a slew of M&A updates in early UK corporate news, adding some excitement before Threadneedle Street takes centre-stage.The FTSE 100 index traded 22.16 points higher, 0.3%, at 8,227.27. The FTSE 250 was up 65.85 poin

Adjusted operating profit of £6.2 million for first halfMartyn Clark will take over as CEO on 14 JuneDividend slashed to 1p per shareShares in Crest Nicholson (CRST) were down over 8% to 221p in morning trading as the housebuilder warned on profit. Other housebuilding shares fell, albeit more modestly, in sympathy.It reported an adjusted operating profit of £6.2 million for the six months ending

Stocks in Europe fell around Thursday midday, after the US Federal Reserve backpedalled from previous predictions.The FTSE 100 index was down 40.98 points, 0.5%, at 8,174.50. The FTSE 250 was down 146.28 points, 0.7%, at 20,351.12, and the AIM All-Share was down 1.59 points, 0.2%, at 785.77.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.7% at 814.10, the Cboe UK 250 was down 1.1% at 17,782.64, and the Cboe Small Comp

Stock prices in London were mixed on Thursday morning, with strong earnings from FTSE 100's Halma after the US Federal Reserve announced guidance of just one interest rate cut by the end of the year.The FTSE 100 index opened down 4.18 points, 0.1%, at 8,211.30. The FTSE 250 was down 52.37 points, 0.3%, at 20,445.03, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.90 of a point, 0.1%, at 788.26.The Cboe UK 100 was

Staying on top of fundamental developments for companies in your portfolio can seem like a daunting task. Share prices can be volatile around earnings reports and trading updates, so getting to grips with what has happened and why is an important part of successfully managing investments.This feature reveals three simple steps to demystifying a typical earnings report and getting a good steer on w

ME Group (MEGP) 162.6pGain to date: 1.8%In February 2024 we highlighted the underappreciated competitive strengths of instant-service equipment designer, maker and operator ME Group (MEGP).The company, formerly known as Photo-Me International, has built a dominant market share in its chosen segments giving it unrivaled geographical diversification which provides growth opportunities not reflecte

Weak yen hurts sales and earningsUnderlying growth remains strongFirm keeps full-year profit guidanceVending machine operator ME Group (MEGP) posted a positive trading update for the six months to the end of April and said it was 'confident in delivering record profitability for the year, in line with market expectations'.However, shareholders appear to be unnerved by some of the detail as the sto

Stock prices in London were in the green on Wednesday morning, despite its peers in Paris and Frankfurt falling, ahead of a slew of data from the eurozone and the US.The FTSE 100 index opened up 22.67 points, or 0.3%, at 8,254.83. The FTSE 250 was up 48.92 points, or 0.2%, at 20,766.91, and the AIM All-Share was up 2.15 points, or 0.3%, at 800.35.The Cboe UK 100 was up 0.2% at 822.79, the Cboe UK

CFO steps down with immediate effectInternal replacement appointedPrimary listing moves to the USGlobal sports betting and gaming company Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) saw its shares drop 6% after the Paddy Power and Betfair operator said chief financial officer Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson was stepping down with immediate effect.The primary listing of Flutter's shares shifts to the US from today (31 Ma

London stocks were mixed on Friday morning, ahead of core personal consumption expenditures index data, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred US inflation gauge.The FTSE 100 index opened up 12.67 points, 0.2%, at 8,243.72. The FTSE 250 was down 16.03 points, 0.1%, at 20,654.84, and the AIM All-Share was up 0.91 of a point, 0.1%, at 803.60.The Cboe UK 100 was up marginally at 821.87, the Cboe UK

CVS (CVSG:AIM) £10.63Market Cap: £760 millionVeterinary services specialist CVS Group (CVSG:AIM) is under a cloud at the moment following confirmation by the competition watchdog CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) it would investigate the pet care market for unfair practices after its initial look into the market in September 2023.The CMA is concerned pet owners are overpaying for medicines

We kick off this month with two more takeovers, or attempted takeovers, of UK small-cap firms.On 21 May Singapore-based but UK-listed specialist engineer XP Power (XPP) rejected a bid from Denver, Colorado-based rival Advanced Energy Industries (AEIS:NASDAQ).The firm said it had received a series of 'highly conditional, opportunistic, indicative proposals' from the US company, the latest at £19.5

There's no doubt the shock departure of a star fund manager or well-followed stock picker is a red flag, but there are various reasons why successful portfolio managers choose to leave their investment management firm and therefore their funds.And, as with most aspects of investing, there are no hard and fast rules about what investors should do when their fund manager ups sticks. Much depends on

Stock prices in Europe were lower at midday on Wednesday, with major firms Ocado and St James's Place set to lose their spots in the FTSE 100.The FTSE 100 index was down 19.58 points, 0.2%, at 8,234.60. The FTSE 250 was down 112.26 points, 0.5%, at 20,593.01, and the AIM All-Share was down 3.43 points, 0.4%, at 804.93.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.3% at 821.69, the Cboe UK 250 was down 0.7% at 18041.