After what has been a poor year for UK listings, the London Stock Exchange could afford to celebrate this week with the float of French media group Canal+ (CAN) which debuted with a market value of around £2.5 billion.Although the shares were listed in London, and at that value would normally be eligible for inclusion in the FTSE 250 mid-cap index, they are excluded as the company is still French

The last 10 years have been pretty rough for UK stocks but there could be some signs of life emerging as we head towards 2025.Brexit, Covid and other political and economic shocks as well as a tilt towards 'old economy' stocks and a minimal footprint in technology have combined to undermine the relevance and appeal of the UK market.The resulting underperformance has led to people consistently poin

Anyone who has walked past a building site in the UK recently might well have seen Kier (KIE) branding on it. This infrastructure and construction services outfit is actively at work on more than 400 developments across the UK. Having emerged from a difficult period with much stronger foundations, this improvement is not yet reflected in its current valuation, but we think that will change through

In the first part of a three-part series featuring opinions and ideas from some of the UK's leading fund managers, we asked which stocks have surprised them the most over the course of the 2024 and why.While it was hard to avoid the influence of AI (artificial intelligence) on portfolios, the breadth of responses was surprising and goes to show how skilled stock-pickers can turn up gems in parts o

UK takeovers moved up a gear in 2024 as predators targeted bigger companies. The average value of deals was £1.07 billion, nearly three times higher than the £390 million average in 2023. In total, there were £49 billion worth of recommended bids versus £17.2 billion last year.A bounty of unloved or underappreciated companies were swept off their feet, signalling the UK market as being 'on sal

Stocks in London were mixed after opening higher on Wednesday, as UK inflation data increased the chances of the Bank of England holding rates steady tomorrow.The FTSE 100 index closed up just 3.91 points at 8,199.11. The FTSE 250 ended 59.13 points higher, 0.3%, at 20,601.99, and the AIM All-Share gave back 2.62 points, 0.4%, at 719.42.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.1% at 822.61, the Cboe UK 250 ro

Stock prices in London closed lower on Monday, as Canal+ shares slumped on their first day of London trading and Entain fell as it faces an Australian investigation.The FTSE 100 index closed down 38.28 points, 0.5%, at 8,262.05. The FTSE 250 ended 76.12 points lower, 0.4%, at 20,813.03, and the AIM All-Share gave back 3.87 points, 0.5%, at 729.49.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 828.87, the Cboe

European stocks were down at midday in London, as new economic data from China showed continued sluggish domestic consumption.China's retail sales growth weakened last month, official data showed on Monday, missing forecasts as demand remains muted in the world's number two economy. Retail sales expanded 3% year-on-year in November, the National Bureau of Statistics said, slowing from a 4.8% rise

Notable win for London marketFloat to 'unleash potential'Analysts see £5 billion valuationAfter what has been a poor year for UK listings, the London Stock Exchange celebrated this morning with the float of French media group Canal+ (CAN), which debuted with a market value of around £2.5 billion.Although the shares are listed in London, they don't qualify for inclusion in the FTSE 250 index as t

Shares in Mike Ashley's retail empire Frasers (FRAS) have fallen more than 15% in one month and are down almost 30% year-to-date, with investors worried about the UK consumer outlook and potential distractions from a boardroom battle with Boohoo (BOO:AIM) and overseas acquisitions dragging on the stock.An unexpected profit warning on 5 December, blamed on a Budget-induced dip in consumer confidenc

Predicting what will happen to the global economy and markets over the next 12 months is hard enough at the best of times, but with Trump's election victory on 5 November that job has become even more difficult.As Deutsche Bank's head of global economics and thematics Jim Reid put it, the outlook is no longer 'business as usual' which opens up a much wider range of potential outcomes for the globa

Vaping and e-cigs lift second halfShares gain 28% year-to-dateShrugs off pressure around regulationShares in British American Tobacco (BATS) gained ground, adding 19p or 0.6% to £29.88 as the global tobacco firm said it was on track to deliver for full year 2024 in line with its previous guidance. STEADY PROGRESS, SUSTAINABLE RETURNSThe company behind brands like Dunhill, Kent, and Lucky S

UK indices were mixed at Friday's close as FTSE 100 housebuilders and property firms alike edged upwards off the back of Halifax housing data.The FTSE 100 index closed down 40.77 points, 0.5%, at 8,308.61. The FTSE 250 ended up 57.94 points at 21,059.00, and the AIM All-Share closed up 1.30 points, 0.2%, at 738.22.The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.5% at 834.32, the Cboe UK 250 closed up 0.3% at 18,536.

Price raised 10% to 275p/shareObvious synergies between companiesCould lead to 'more rational pricing'Shareholders in insurer Direct Line (DLG) enjoyed a small lift in the value of their holdings heading into the weekend after the firm received a raised takeover offer from larger rival Aviva (AV.).Direct Line shares climbed 16p or 7% to 252p, some 25p or 10% shy of the 275p price implied by the ca

Company blames slowdown on BudgetFull-year profit growth cut in halfHigher costs may be mitigatedApparel retailer Frasers (FRAS) stunned the market by cutting its full-year 2025 adjusted profit targets, blaming a dip in consumer confidence due to the Budget, while increasing its cost forecast for the 2026 financial year.The shares fell as much as 114p or 15% to 627p at one stage before recovering

The FTSE 100 opened in the red on Wednesday, outperformed by European peers, with the CAC 40 in Paris shaking off political uncertainty.The FTSE 100 index fell 18.05 points, 0.2%, at 8,341.36. The FTSE 250 added 31.42 points, 0.2%, at 20,924.16, and the AIM All-Share rose 0.75 of a point, 0.1%, at 735.84.The Cboe UK 100 lost 0.3% at 838.05, the Cboe UK 250 was up 0.2% at 18,423.95, and the Cboe Sm

FTSE 100 mining stocks were boosted on Tuesday amid reports of Chinese economic strategy talks while a host of FTSE 250 constituents saw double-digit share price rises after well-received earnings.The FTSE 100 index rose 46.52 points, 0.6%, at 8,359.41. The FTSE 250 ended 123.69 points higher, 0.6%, at 20,892.74, and the AIM All-Share rose 2.05 points, 0.3%, at 735.09.The Cboe UK 100 ended up 0.8%

In a previous article you say that someone taking income from a defined benefit pension could still contribute to their SIPP up to the level of their earnings. Does this mean that the money purchase annual allowance of £10,000 applies only if you take taxable income from a defined contribution scheme and not from a defined benefit scheme?Similarly, if I have two defined contribution schemes and t

Stock indices in London ended Tuesday's session in the red as US President-elect Donald Trump exacerbated investor concerns with threats of tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico.The FTSE 100 index fell 33.07 points, 0.4%, at 8,258.61. The FTSE 250 slid 180.61 points, 0.9%, at 20,568.65, and the AIM All-Share declined 2.94 points, 0.4%, at 730.59.The Cboe UK 100 slipped 0.4% at 830.71, the Cboe UK 25

Equities in Europe ended higher on Thursday, overcoming some earlier uncertain trade, as comments from a US official calmed some geopolitical worries which kept a lid on investor enthusiasm.Nonetheless, Brent remained above the $73 mark, supporting oil majors.Moscow's ambassador in London said Thursday Britain was 'now directly involved' in Russia's war with Ukraine, following reports Kyiv had fir