Next CEO sells £29 million sharesDunelm founder's son sells 10 million sharesHollywood Bowl director sells 275,000 sharesSimon Wolfson, CEO of clothing retailer Next (NXT) has sold three tranches of shares during the period 20 to 24 September.Wolfson sold 204,349 shares at £100.65 for a total value of £20,568,376; 57,962 shares at £101.57 at a total value of £5,887.051 and 27,689 at £100.04

There are two political events in the remainder of 2024 on either side of the Atlantic to which investors need to pay full attention.The first of these is Labour's first Budget for 14 years on 30 October, with chancellor Rachel Reeves giving few clues to the details in her speech to the party conference on 23 September.Previous references to 'hard decisions' and those with the 'broadest shoulders'

First half profits plungeFirst interim dividend in five yearsFull year guidance unchangedFollowing a stunning run into the numbers, shares in Card Factory (CARD) cheapened 16% to 121p after the value-focused greeting cards-to-party supplies retailer delivered a drop in first half earnings and warned full year profits will be second half weighted.While some investors took profits on the unnerving n

US August non-farm payrolls were hotly anticipated for several reasons, not least because Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told investors he was more concerned about the health of the labour market than accelerating inflation at his Jackson Hole symposium speech on 23 August.July's big miss, which showed 114,000 jobs created versus 190,000 expected by economists, set the scene for a 'make or br

London's FTSE 100 fell in early trading on Tuesday, underperforming European peers, pegged back by a sharp fall in AstraZeneca shares.The FTSE 100 index traded down 27.30 points, 0.3%, at 8,243.54. The FTSE 250 was up 57.16 points, 0.3%, at 20,708.04, and the AIM All-Share was down 0.87 of a point, 0.1%, at 747.60.The Cboe UK 100 was down 0.2% at 824.77, the Cboe UK 250 rose 0.4% at 18,235.85, and

Discount retailer Dollar General (DG:NYSE) was supposed to thrive during a period of higher interest rates, the rationale being its ultra-low price points would attract a broader cohort of customers during a cost-of-living crisis. But the company, which caters to more rural areas across the pond, is struggling big time with wage cost pressures, greater markdowns to help shift unpopular products an

Missed second quarters expectations and soft growth guidance has sparked the biggest ever one-day sell-off in PDD Holdings (PDD:NASDAQ), the parent of online shopping platforms Temu and Pinduoduo.ADR (American Depositary Receipts) in the company fell as much as 40% in intraday trading, eventually closing 28.5% lower at $100 on 26 August, a decline that wiped more than $55 billion off PDD's market

Improper revenue recognition among list of accusationsInvestors largely shrug off report after temporary sell offSuper Micro Computer stock has rallied more than 90% this yearShort seller Hindenburg Research has launched an attack on popular server computer maker Super Micro Computer (SMCI:NASDAQ), yet investors have largely shrugged off the report.Having initially slumped by around 8% in response

Regular readers of this column will be well aware of its faith in the Philadelphia Semiconductor index, or SOX, as a valuable indicator to follow and after the summer stock market stumble the 30-stock benchmark is well and truly in the headlines. At its early-August low, the SOX had lost 25% of its value in just a month. It has since rebounded by a sixth. Given the SOX's importance as both a guide

The active fund management industry has had a tough time of things of late. Trackers, largely exchange-traded funds, which look to match the returns from global stock markets, have attracted substantial inflows as investors prize their low costs and the diversification they offer.Compounding this, because the performance of major indices has been driven by a concentrated number of huge tech names,

Revenue guidance massaged downMiddle East projects shift to the rightNet cash balance sheetA warning that full year 2024 revenues will fall significantly short of forecasts sent shares in Accesso Technology (ACSO:AIM) tumbling 25% to 522p on Thursday morning.The queuing and ticketing technology provider now expects sales of around $150 million (£117 million) to $153 million for the year to Decemb

Interim sales and EBITDA down 13%New-build and RMI demand lowerFive-year plan coming in NovemberBuilding products firm Marshalls (MSLH) was initially the worst-performing stock on the FTSE 250 after it released a downbeat six-month trading update showing a slump in both revenue and profits.After trading down as much as 18p or 5% early on, however, the shares recovered to sit just 3.5p or 1% lower

Investors looking to pin the blame for the sudden panic in markets might wonder whether US chip firm Intel's (INTC:NASDAQ) decision to lay off staff and cut spending, triggering a 26% fall in the share price on 2 August, was the trigger for the broad sell-off.While Intel may have played a part, the root cause of the market's current malaise is the unwinding of the 'carry trade' involving the Japan

Literacy Capital (BOOK) 515pMarket cap: £310 millionWe have been keeping a watchful eye on UK private equity investment trust Literacy Capital (BOOK) for some time, and this week's quarterly NAV (net asset value) and trading update has finally convinced us to go nap.The trust was set up in 2017 and listed in June 2021, since when its NAV has risen at a 47% compound annual rate making it the be

H1 organic growth of 4.1%Power Brands spearheading growthMargin guidance upgrade boosts stockAnother quarter of improving volumes, positive progress with its cost-cutting drive and a massive upgrade to full year margin guidance were key reasons why consumer goods goliath Unilever (ULVR) led the FTSE 100 higher today.The planned sale of its ice cream division, which could fetch as much of £15 bill

There has never been a better time to be an income investor in UK equities, as payouts for the period from April to June hit an all-time quarterly record of £36.7 billion according to the latest Dividend Monitor from Computershare.Most of the increase was thanks to one-off special dividends, leaving the underlying growth rate at just 1%, but for those clipping the coupons or reinvesting the incom

On 17 July, Sir Keir Starmer's new Labour government announced its plans for the first year of the new parliament, with growth and wealth creation the priority.King Charles' speech at the State Opening of Parliament included a total of 39 bills under a new legislative agenda which includes speeding up the delivery of 'high-quality infrastructure and housing' and nationalising railway operators.Sta

Big US banks kicked-off the second-quarter earnings season on Friday (12 July) and despite earnings largely coming in ahead of Wall Street expectations, the share prices of JPMorgan Chase, (JPM:NYSE), Citigroup (C:NYSE) and Wells Fargo (WFC) all ended the day lower.The results showed a widening divide between the rude health of Wall Street and a struggling Main Street with the former boosting inve

Big Yellow Group (BYG) £11.74Market Cap: £2.28 billionIt may not be a glamorous sector, but self-storage is a remarkably stable and lucrative business with tremendous growth prospects.As the UK market leader, with a portfolio of 109 stores and 6.4 million feet of lettable space, Big Yellow (BYG) is easily the most recognisable brand.The business is driven by 'life events', which can range from s

Short-term concerns over slower growth in the US, where the consumer is feeling the inflationary pinch, and the potential negative long-term impact of anti-obesity drugs on demand for sugary snacks and drinks mean PepsiCo's (PEP:NASDAQ) shares have lacked fizz over the past year.As such, investors will be hoping the food and beverage giant can maintain full year 2024 guidance for 'at least' 4% org